d Constitutional Cooking: December 2006

Friday, December 22, 2006

Happy Holiday Eating, Everyone!

Resolutions are for the New Year - indulge now. See ya after the 26th!

posted by ek at 10:16 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Holiday Heavy Apps

Last Friday, at about 4:30pm, I was a bit nervous about the state of my apartment, my kitchen, and my spiced wine. Within the hour, friends would start arriving, expecting festive food and beverages to celebrate the holiday season. My kitchen (appx. 3'x3') was piled high with dirty dishes and a number of dishes were not even remotely close to being done. The poorly-insulated and tiny oven was working overtime. Somehow, some way, my superb senior clerk and I pulled it together. Incidentally, this soiree was a perfect match for this blog - ten of twelve participants were current or former clerks for AIII. The other two faked interest in things law-related for an impressive amount of time. Many thanks to everyone who came!

Here is a list of the food items that said senior clerk arranged artfully on plates around my apartment (* indicates that I made the food, thus the recipe follows. Co-clerk K made or brought the rest of it):
- steamed veggies with hummus
- artichoke and crab dip
- latkes*
- bacon-wrapped dates*
- savory elephant ears*
- asian-flavored snack mix
- blueberry pound cake (aptly described as tasting like the top of a blueberry muffin) - thanks, clerk K of another chambers!
- gingerbread cake*
- peanutbutter balls dipped in chocolate*

Beverages in the house:
- hot cider with cinnamon stick garnish
- Sam Adams Winter Mix case
- Guiness
- red/white/pink wine
- spiced red wine*

In spite of my new collection of cookbooks, all of my recipes came from www.foodnetwork.com. Oh well, I'll be inventive next time. So here they are, with notes throughout or following each.

Latkes (aka Potato Pancakes)
  • 2 pounds russet (baking) or Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions, including the green part
  • 1 large egg beaten (I used two, but I might have had more onion/potato than this calls for)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Peel the potatoes and put in cold water. Using a grater or a food processor coarsely grate the potatoes and onions. Place together in a fine-mesh strainer or tea towel and squeeze all the water over a bowl. The potato starch will settle to the bottom; reserve that after you have carefully poured off the water. Mix the potato and onion with the potato starch. Add the scallions, egg, and salt and pepper. Heat a griddle or non-stick pan and coat with a thin film of vegetable oil. Take about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture in the palm of your hand and flatten as best you can. Place the potato mixture on the griddle, flatten with a spatula, and fry for a few minutes until golden. Flip the pancake over and brown the other side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately. You can also freeze the potato pancakes and crisp them in a 350- degree oven at a later time.

Notes: I really liked the flavor of these latkes. I made them in batches to avoid the sogginess that ensues when fried things sit out. It took me out of the party for a few minutes, but it was worth it. Following the sage advice of Constitutional Cooking Tipster Tracy, I did not stint on the oil. The recipe calls for a "thin film" of oil, but you only eat these once a year, so just dump a good 1/4 inch of the stuff in there.

Bacon-wrapped Dates

  • one Sunmaid package of dates
  • 1/2 pound bacon

Cut bacon slices in half. Wrap a half a strip around a date. Repeat interminably, possibly getting grossed out by so much bacon-handling. Place wrapped dates on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 or so until the bacon is crisp. Eat. Forget the yuckiness of the bacon-handling because they're soooooo goood. Thanks to Constitutional Cooking Tipster Tracy (a different one) for sharing the recipe.

Tomato-Basil Elephant Ears

  • 1 1/4 cups sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
  • 5 cups basil leaves, packed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup good olive oil
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • OR, instead of the above, buy sundried tomato spread and pesto spread and use those instead
  • 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
  • 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. To make the paste, place the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for 15 seconds. Set aside. Again, use the shortcut like I did if you are running low on time and counterspace.

Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry and place it on a lightly floured board. With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it's a 13-inch square. Using a knife, spread the paste over the top of the puff pastry. If you're using the spreads instead, GO EASY on the amount that you use. I used way too much and they were a disaster. Still tasty, but a disaster. A thin layer is all that is required. Fold the sides of the square toward the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the 2 folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold one half over the other half as though closing a book. You will have 6 layers. Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush each piece with egg wash and place in the oven. Bake for 6 minutes. Turn each pastry slice over and continue baking an additional 5 minutes

Try not to drop half of one roll (I made two) on the floor of your kitchen. I could not, in good conscience, apply the five-second rule to food that I was going to serve other people, so that half went straight in the trash.

Gingerbread with Spiced Creme Anglaise

Notes: I so skipped the Creme Anglaise. Simply not worth my time at 5:13pm. I'd like to make it again, with the creme, but the cake was moist and delicious without it. I also subbed dried ground spices when it calls for fresh. Central PA just does not have some stuff easily to hand.

  • stick unsalted butter
  • 1 cup turbinado sugar (recommended: Sugar in the Raw)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 1 cup Guinness, or other dark beer
  • Spiced Creme Anglaise, recipe follows
  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg. In a third bowl, combine the molasses and beer and stir to dissolve. Add the dry ingredients and beer mixture alternately to the egg mixture, beating after the addition of each. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until puffed and set, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Spoon the Creme Anglaise onto the middle of 12 dessert plates.

Cut the gingerbread into 12 equal portions and place on plates. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve.

Spiced Creme Anglaise

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Combine the cream, the zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat. In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and frothy, about 2 minutes. Slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of the hot cream, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to warm milk and stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve warm. (Or, to serve chilled, place in an ice bath to cool, then cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.) Yield: 2 cups.

Peanutbutter Balls dipped in Chocolate

  • 18 ounces dry-roasted unsalted peanuts
  • Peanut oil
  • 1 pound confectioners' sugar
  • 1 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 12 ounces milk chocolate (I used dark chocolate - yum)
  • Additional equipment: 2 cookie sheets, about 50 paper bonbon cups or mini-muffin cups, any color (I got about 80-90 out of this recipe, so it depends on how big you make the balls - plan accordingly. They are very very rich and good.)

Grind the peanuts in a food processor until smooth. If the mixture seems too thick and grainy, add peanut oil a little bit at a time by drizzling a thin stream through the feed tube with the motor running. Puree until smooth and the consistency of peanut butter.

Transfer the peanut butter to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or any large bowl) and add the confectioners' sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and butter. Mix together until smooth. Form the mixture into bite-size balls and set aside on an un-greased cookie sheet. Chill until slightly firmed, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, arrange the paper cups on a cookie sheet. Melt the chocolate. Dip the tops of the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate and set each one, chocolate side up, in a paper cup. Let the chocolate set before serving, about 30 minutes at room temperature (or refrigerate 10 minutes if you're in a hurry). Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Bisschopsweijn

  • 2 bottles red wine
  • 1/2 C white sugar
  • 1 t ground cinnamon
  • 1 orange
  • 8 whole cloves

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, combine wine, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut the orange in half and push cloves into the outside of the orange halves. Place the cloved-halves into the wine. Heat slowly on low for about 30 minutes or until steaming. DO NOT let it boil. Heat glasses in warm water before filling and serving.

Notes: I was concerned that the wine glasses would shatter upon contact with the hot liquid, but dousing them in hot water before filling them with the wine was a good trick. No explosions. The wine did make the glasses very hot though, so I had to set mine down for a good 15 minutes and let it cool before actually drinking it. Let me add an admonition to the recipe - do NOT leave the pot on your stove even on the lowest possible simmer for any extended period of time. I did it, and when I came back to the kitchen to get myself some more wine, I was greeted not by the pleasant, warming, gently spiced liquid I expected, but by the most baked-on wine and sugar paste. I set that pan to soak multiple times. Only LAST NIGHT did I succeed in finally getting the last of it off, courtesy of some freaking steel wool. Whatever. Lesson learned, the wine was good.

posted by ek at 3:15 PM 5 comments

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Holiday Favs

With the holidays rapidly settling in on us (someone remind me why this wkend is a bad wkend to go shopping?), I thought it'd be nice to do a little sharing. All friendly and home-like, you know?

So. . . even if you don't have the recipe handy, what's your favorite holiday recipe and why?

Mine is Teta's Moravian Spice Cookies. If you've never had Moravian cookies, you're missing out. These are full of molasses and spices, rolled to an absolutely paper-thinness, and then, with cookie cutters much older than me, are made into stars and santas and holly leaves. Recipe to follow.

This is a picture of a Moravian Star. The county below mine was settled with Moravians in the 16-1700s. Everyone at home puts up these stars on their front porch at Christmas time.

posted by mg at 3:04 PM 1 comments

Really Yucky Wine Needs Recipe

While I was home over Thanksgiving, I went to Greensboro's Total Wine with a friend. Total Wine is a giant wine store with lots of options. In the spirit of trying to find another decent, yet cheap, red, I bought a couple of bottles. (My friend is somewhat of a fledgling wine drinker, so I introduced her to Riesling. Sounds like it's going to be a beautiful friendship.).

Anyway: One of these bottles was okay. I can't remember its name. One, which I opened a couple of nights ago to eat with pizza, was absolutely disgusting. I'm a fan of Chianti/Sangiovese reds. This wine, however, was really not something you want to drink. I can't even remember the name of it. But I'll add that eventually so as to warn the world. I didn't even finish my glass!

Lessons learned while at Total Wine: A Walmart-type wine store is definitely not what you want. Selection and a high rating on a piece of paper mean NOTHING. People are better to talk to. (They have people there, but I ignored them). I miss the wine guy at Toco Hills, who always knew what to recommend. I hear he's moved on to bigger and better things. In the meantime, I'll talk to my friendly wine guy at the local farmer's market who knows what to drink. No more of the giant store for me.

Now, the purpose of this post (other than to complain about some gross wine): I have an almost-full bottle of red sitting in my very messy kitchen (the product of some successful cookie-baking with a great recipe from cooking light via my ma), and I need some ideas of what to do with it. Any good redwinecooking ideas out there?

posted by mg at 11:32 AM 3 comments

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Constitutional *Eating*

Friends, I've been neglecting the blog for some time now. First, I promised to blog on the MRE I tried at "Warrior Day" at the Marine Corps base at Quantico, VA, going on two weeks ago. Side note: it used to be called "Jane Wayne Day" in a nod to John Wayne and unfortunate gender stereotypes that kept women out of the Marines, except as adjunct spouses. And I didn't get around to that post. So here's a brief summary. Ultimately, my co-clerk put it best:



They weren't the most awful things I've ever had, but weren't the best either. The unifying feature of the five MRE that we tried was the square-shaped item that is not square-shaped in real life. For example, in the jambalaya, the sausage and veggies were cut into perfectly symmetrical squares. THAT's disconcerting. Some comments from our crack panel of gustatory experts:
- On the pot roast: "on par with Dinty Moore"
- On the spaghetti with meatballs: "the best one, as long as you don't focus on the texture"
- On the sloppy joe: "you know, it's not horrible"
- On the pound cake: "face-puckering sweetness, that leaves a filmy residue on the tongue"
- On the blueberry cobbler: "tastes like 'purple'"

Here's a photo of one of the ways in which I worked up my appetite for those MRE. Note my impeccable use of the "chicken wing" (food-related!) technique of getting over a very tall bar.

Anyway, basically since Jane Wayne - wait, I mean - Warrior Day, there have been holiday brunches and lunches and dessert parties hosted by every court-related entity housed in our federal building. I haven't had to cook for the past week and a half. So I've got nothing new to report on the culinary front. I'm hosting, along with my co-clerk, supra, a holiday heavy-apps/cocktail party on Friday. I'll report on results - because everyone can use a new heavy app recipe.

posted by ek at 1:15 PM 2 comments

Friday, December 08, 2006

Undomestic

When you leave a plain little
buttersauce
alone on the stove,
it will burn.

Even when you leave it alone 2 times,
it will burn.
Twice.

And your apartment will not smell delicious.

Yuck.

I need a beer.

posted by mg at 8:13 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Thaied up...






So, over Thanksgiving break, my youngest cousin showed me up. Badly. He created a Thai meal. From scratch. And it was delicious! And he made it for chicken AND shrimp. I've included the recipe below. We're all pretending I'm not way older and have never done something like this:

J's Pad Thai (enough for 2. Triple to feed 7!)

Sauce 1

  • 3 tbsp limejuice
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar: 3 tbsp water
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt

Combine all in small saucepan and boil. Reduce sauce slightly. Set aside and let cool.

Sauce 2

  • 3 tbsp Fish Sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp minced cilantro

Combine all in glass/porcelain bowl, stir well, set aside

Main Dish
  • 4 oz rice noodles
  • 1 qt cold water
  • Oils(your choice) enough for stir frying
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 egg plus 1 tsp milk, little salt
  • ½ tsp mince lemongrass
  • 1 tsp chopped shallots
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro

  • As many shrimp or as much chicken as needed
  • ½ cup bean sprouts
  • julienne green onions
  • wedges of lime

Soak rice noodles in cold water until softened

Prepare all vegetables before starting to cook (the cilantro, garlic, shallots, etc).

Add oil to giant skillet or wok and fry meat. Remove meat after it's cooked.

Fry egg lightly after well stirred in separate bowl. Slice egg into small pieces, add butter to the cooked egg.

Add oils and stir lemongrass in. Add remaining ingredients and noodle, then finally add Sauce 1 &2…blend well in skillet

Make 3 small bowls with minced peanuts, peeled carrots, bean sprouts. Allow guests to add to taste. (Add lime wedges in small bowl too.)

posted by mg at 9:03 PM 0 comments