Buckwheat Blini with Smoked Salmon

I ate incredibly well during my semester abroad in Paris.  So well, in fact, that I am amazed my jeans still fit by the end (I may or may not have eaten pain au chocolat on a daily basis).  I think my waistline was saved by two very important things: all of the walking I did while exploring my adopted city, and my French host mom’s cooking. 

Her meals struck the perfect balance between indulgence and moderation that only the French seem to manage with such ease.  Each meal commenced with a pureed vegetable soup to awaken our taste buds, then progressed to a delicious entree, and always concluded with a few morsels of pungent cheese and a small bowl of yogurt.  These three distinct courses set a relaxed pace for eating while simultaneously allowing for lengthy conversations (that I tried my very best to follow).  Each night I left the table feeling incredibly content but never uncomfortably full. 

But sometimes even the French can’t muster this level of sophistication.  One evening my host parents went to a party, leaving my fourteen-year-old host brother and me to fend for ourselves.  Based on my American conception of dinner sans parents, I expected we would probably dine on something in the genre of boxed macaroni and cheese and bagel bites.  But instead of taking a pre-packaged meal from the freezer, my host brother extracted four frozen blini and popped them in the toaster.  He then set the table with crème fraîche (a French pantry staple), smoked salmon, and a bag of minced chives.  The blini emerged from the toaster perfectly crispy, and we sat down to feast. 

The dinner changed my life not only because it introduced me to smoked salmon, but also because it completely shifted my understanding of the exciting and elegant possibilities for a quick meal.  This recipe that I am sharing took a bit longer to come together since I made the blini from scratch today, but now I have eight leftover blini in my freezer ready for future use! 

BUCKWHEAT BLINI WITH SMOKED SALMON
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1 teaspoon dried yeast
¾ cup plain (all purpose) flour
¾ cup buckwheat flour
1 egg, separated
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup lukewarm buttermilk

1 4-ounce package of thinly sliced smoked salmon
1 cup crème fraîche
½ cup minced chives

Combine yeast and ¾ cup warm water in a large bowl and stir to dissolve, then stand in a warm place for 10 minutes or until foamy. Slowly whisk in plain flour, then cover with a clean tea towel and stand in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl combine buckwheat flour, egg yolk, 1½ tablespoons melted butter, sugar, milk and sea salt and whisk to combine, then gently fold into yeast mixture. Cover and stand in a warm place for 1 hour or until risen by half.

Whisk egg white until soft peaks form and fold through batter. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat, brush with remaining butter and cook batter, in batches, for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles appear, then turn and cook for another minute or until cooked through. Keep warm.

Top with smoked salmon, a dollop of crème fraîche and chives.

Grandma's Macaroni & Cheese

 My Grandma passed away two weeks ago and today is her birthday.  She was my most loyal blog reader, and I know she loved being mentioned when I wrote about her Company Chicken recipe last year.  I had to share this recipe as well, because it is by far my very favorite of all the things she cooked for us over the years.

Grandparents are of course supposed to spoil their grandchildren.  And Grandma was the best at spoiling us with food.  I have so many memories of sitting at her kitchen table eating fishy crackers (our term for Goldfish crackers), circus cookies, and nuts and bolts.  Whenever Erin and I spent the night she made this amazing cinnamon toast for breakfast that always tasted so much better than mom’s.  Erin and I finally figured out that reason Grandma’s tasted so much better had something to do with the inch of sugar she piled on top of the toast.  We shared this valuable information with mom but she did not adjust her sugar ratio.

This macaroni and cheese recipe represents the pinnacle of just how much Grandma spoiled us.  I know this is probably going to shock quite a few of you given my love of food, but I was kind of a picky kid.  I never reached Erin’s level of extreme, debilitating pickiness, but I admit I was a little high maintenance.  Bananas are really the only modern hold-over from my long list of dislikes.  But I never had to worry about family gatherings at Grandma’s because without fail, no matter what other meal she had prepared for the masses, I could always expect a glorious pan of her homemade macaroni and cheese on the table for me. 

To be clear- this tradition is not just something that I remember fondly from my childhood.   Right before Christmas this year, my whole family gathered at Grandma and Grandpa’s to watch the Seahawks game.  I was really not expecting to have macaroni and cheese, since I knew we were having lasagna for dinner and some people might think lasagna with a side of mac n’ cheese is too much pasta.  But I was foolish to doubt her, because of course there was a huge pan full of melted cheesy goodness on the table when I walked in.  I am 27 years old, and I still got my special dinner.

While I was home two weekends ago, we had a big family gathering to celebrate Grandma’s life.  We spent hours around the table eating her favorite foods and drinking gimlets while we remembered all of the incredible times our family has had together.  Erin made this recipe and everyone said it tasted just like Grandma’s.  Even though we were all missing Grandma, this dinner reminded me of just how wonderful family dinners can be.  My love of cooking is about a whole lot more than the food that I make.  And I know I have my Grandma and the rest of my family to thank for that.

Here is the recipe.  I've provided a translation below since I realize that not all of you have my extensive experience in deciphering Grandma's handwriting.

 

GRANDMA’S MACARONI & CHEESE
serves 12 

1 pound elbow macaroni
3 cups milk
3 cups cut up cheese (half mild and half sharp cheddar)
1 cup soda cracker crumbs
½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese


Cook macaroni and put in greased 13-9 glass baking dish.  Heat milk and cheese together until the cheese is melted.  Pour mixture over the macaroni- add salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.  Add cracker crumbs.  Bake at 325 degrees 1 hour.

Oven Roasted Cod with Bok Choy, Cilantro & Lime

I wasn’t planning on blogging again so soon (it being finals and all)- but my current procrastination is a testament to how amazing this is.  You should probably make it for dinner right now.  The recipe is from the latest Bon Appétit, but I’ve made a few minor changes: I added mushrooms and onions and I omitted the sake (didn’t want to make an extra stop at the liquor store- stupid Massachusetts laws).  But I think the sake would be very delicious- will try next time.

This is actually an ideal dinner for finals because it is very quick!  Minimal prep, and then the fish cooks very quickly.  The sauce forms a sort of vinaigrette.  I’m thinking it would probably also be yummy spooned over grilled fish. 

OVEN ROASTED COD WITH BOK CHOY, CILANTRO & LIME
serves 4
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Serve with steamed brown or white rice

1 scallion, thinly sliced
¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (I used two limes)
3 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
3 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 cup sliced assorted mushrooms
1 lb baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise
½ cup sake (I subbed 3 tablespoons mirin)
4 4-ounce fillets of cod, flounder, or other delicate white fish

Arrange a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 400 degrees.  Combine scallions, cilantro and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk in 1 ½ tablespoon oil.  Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in an oven-proof skillet until shimmering.  Throw in mushrooms and cook for roughly one minute, until browned.  Move mushrooms to side of pan, then add bok choy, cut side down, and sear until golden brown, 2-4 minutes.  Turn bok choy cut side up and remove pan from heat.  Add sake (or mirin).  Arrange the fish over the bok choy and sprinkle with yellow onion.  Roast in oven until fish is just cooked through, 10-12 minutes.

Serve fish with bok choy and mushrooms over the rice.  Spoon some cilantro-lime sauce over the fish, serve with additional sauce for drizzling. 

Chicken Noodle Soup with Egg

I won’t pretend to be immune from the temptation.  Cans of soup line the grocery shelves, seducing me with the promise of a relatively healthy dinner that can be ready in the time it takes to turn on the stove.  I’m so close to shoving them into my basket when the little voice creeps into my head.  The little voice that says- how can you buy something premade when you know that you can make an even better version from scratch?  It’s a curse really.  I didn’t choose to be this way.  My life would be so much easier (and involve a lot less dish washing) if I could just buy frozen dinners.  But then I suppose my blog wouldn’t be very interesting.  So the cans go back on the shelf, and I head to the produce section.

Luckily, this soup only takes about 20 minutes to make before it gets in my belly so I avoid a complete hunger meltdown.  And as I chop the carrots and leeks, I am glad that I didn’t buy the premade concoction with mushy noodles and tasteless vegetables.  When I smell the soup simmering away, I am even more glad that I didn’t succumb to the watery broth fortified with excess sodium.  The complex and subtle flavors of the lemon and egg provide a perfect creamy backdrop for the healthy ingredients.  I can confidently promise that if you put down the can and make this recipe, you won’t be disappointed.  Even Addison loved it- and I could tell he was initially a bit skeptical about eating a meal that consisted solely of soup...although the cheesy bread I made with it probably helped convert him. 

Food Notes:

• You can either roast your own chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
• Feel free to substitute with other types of noodles- you may just need to adjust the cooking time
• You can serve it with grilled cheese or cut a baguette in half and melt cheese on top (the latter is slightly healthier since you aren’t cooking it in excess butter)
• You can either use homemade chicken stock or store bought (my favorite brand is Kitchen Basics) http://www.kitchenbasics.net/

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP WITH EGG
serves 4
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8 ounces carrots, cut into small pieces
8 ounces leeks, thinly sliced
8 cups chicken stock
4 ounces cooked chicken, shredded
2 ounces vermicelli (angel hair)
2 eggs
juice of ½ lemon
freshly ground black pepper
kosher salt
chives (optional)

Put the carrots and leeks into a large pan with the stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the chicken and vermicelli to the pan and cook for 5 more minutes. 

Mix the eggs with the lemon juice and add ½ cup of the warm stock from the pan.  This tempers the egg and keeps it from turning into egg drop soup.  Mix it together well, and then add to the pan.  Reheat gently, stirring constantly, but do not allow the soup to boil.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Garnish with chives and serve.

Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives, Lemon, and Fennel

In order to keep a healthy balance in my life as I start the semester (putting a positive spin on procrastination), I have read quite a few articles about improving the quality of my blog.  One tip that I have seen repeated by many a blog guru implores bloggers to showcase their own voice.  People apparently use fancy words or weird sentence structures when they write that come across sounding contrived and fake. 

This advice immediately made me think of my friend Smita and her work alter ego “Leslie.”   Smita worked at a law firm this past summer and found her alter ego, Leslie, would say ridiculous things in emails to co-workers like “I’d be happy to take care of that” and “ please let me know if I can help with anything else going forward.”   Leslie said things Smita would never say in real life.

I have tried to use my natural voice for most of my posts (I don’t want to have a blog alter ego), but I just realized I have made a serious oversight- whenever I mention my mom on the blog, I call her MY mom.  I don’t do that in real life!  My college friends (actually, mostly just Smita) brought it to my attention that it is weird that I just call her “mom.”  My sister does the same thing and we never thought it was weird.  But we have both refused to change, and this practice has led throngs of our friends to lovingly call her “mom” as well.  So henceforth I will refer to her as just “mom” instead of “my mom.”  I will also never say henceforth again because I never say that in real life either.   Hmm.  Now I'm kind of  wondering what my blog alter ego would be called...maybe it would be fun to have one.  Any suggestions?

So now to the point of all this: I want to tell you about the Thomas Keller cooking class that MOM took at Sur La Table in Kirkland.  The three part class pulled recipes from Ad Hoc at Home, a cookbook that I just so happen to possess.  When mom told me about how amazing the class was, I spent some quality time reviewing the cookbook (I do this with all of my cookbooks from time to time). 

This recipe is incredible and delicious and actually EASY- a rare attribute for a Thomas Keller recipe.  Putting the chicken under the broiler at the end is also an ingenious solution for avoiding mushy braised meat.   Oh- and don’t throw away this recipe because you think you don’t like fennel!  The flavors become very mild when it is cooked and there is absolutely no anise flavor to this dish- I promise.  Remember when I made you try Brussels sprouts and you loved them?!  Just trust me.

  
CRISPY BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH OLIVES, LEMON, AND FENNEL
by Thomas Keller from Ad Hoc at Home
makes 6 servings
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 3 fennel bulbs
 12 chicken thighs
 Kosher salt
 Canola oil
 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
 ¼ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
 1 cup Ascolane or other large green olives, such as Cerignola
 ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
 4 fresh or 2 dried bay leaves
 4 strips lemon zest –  removed with a vegetable peeler
 8 thyme sprigs
 1 cup chicken stock
 About 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

    Cut off fennel stalks. Trim bottom of bulbs and peel back the layers until you reach the core; reserve the core for another use. Discard any bruised layers, and cut the fennel into 2-by-1/2-inch batons. You need 3 cups fennel for this recipe; reserve any remaining fennel for another use.
    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set a cooling rack on a baking sheet.
    Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt. Heat some canola oil in a large ovenproof saute pan or roasting rack that will hold all the thighs in one layer over medium-high heat. Add thighs skin-side down and brown on the skin side, about 4 minutes. Turn thighs over and cook for about 1 minute to sear the meat. Transfer to the cooling rack.
    Reduce heat to medium-low, add onion to the pan, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in fennel, turn heat up to medium, and cook, stirring often, until fennel is crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.
    Pour in wine and simmer for about 2 minutes to burn off alcohol. Stir in olives, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, lemon zest, and thyme, then pour in chicken stock. Increase heat, bring liquid to a simmer, and cook until fennel is tender, about 1 minute.
    Taste the stock and season with salt as needed. Return chicken to the pan skin-side-up, in a single layer. When the liquid returns to a simmer, transfer to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
    Turn on the broiler, and put pan under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp and brown the skin. Remove from oven, and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with parsley leaves.

Onions with Oven Baked Eggs

I’m taking a quick break from finals to post this so I don’t have a lot of time to rave about how much I love the simplicity of eggs and onions.  There are few smells in the kitchen that are more appealing than onions cooking in butter.  If you want to have a successful dinner party, cook something with onions and your whole house will smell delicious.  If your eyes can’t handle the crying, might I suggest these fashionable accessories?  They make great Christmas gifts! 

You can add almost anything to this sauté and achieve delicious results (my favorites include bacon, mushrooms, spinach, red peppers, scallions, and bacon).  But this recipe illustrates how easy it is to whip up a delicious breakfast (or dinner!) with ingredients you are likely to have on hand.  This is especially handy if you are spending 12+ hours in the library each day and have no time to visit the grocery store at normal intervals. 

If you like your yolks runny then watch this like a hawk in the oven!  They cook deceptively fast on the inside while maintaining the guise of being glossy and uncooked.  While we are on the subject, if for some reason you don’t like runny yolks, we probably can’t be friends anymore.  I am working on a future post where I plan to exalt the luxurious perfection that is a runny egg yolk, but I don’t want to give too much away yet. 
Back to studying!  Enjoy!

ONIONS WITH OVEN BAKED EGGS 
serves 2
3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cups yellow onions, sliced
4 eggs
Salt and pepper
Chives (optional)
Toast

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large oven-proof skillet over high heat.  Add the onions and sprinkle with a bit of salt to get them to release their liquids.  Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.  You want to brown the onions to give them flavor while avoiding burning them.  Once they are nicely browned, reduce heat to medium and sauté for another 10 minutes, or until they are cooked through and slightly sweet.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Clear four little spots in the pan for the eggs and put a small pat of butter in where each egg will go.  Deposit the eggs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and put in the oven.  Cook for anywhere from 3 minutes to 10 minutes depending on how you like your eggs.  Check frequently to avoid over-cooking. 

Garnish with chives and serve with crusty bread or toast.  And sriracha. 

Spaghetti!

I realize the timing of this post might not be perfect, since most of you are probably trying to avoid making a mess in your kitchens right now in preparation for the big day.  But I am subject to the whims of my busy law school schedule, and this happens to be the first time I haven’t been busy doing work in the past week!  Technically I should be working ahead for Monday right now, but almost all of my friends have left for break already, I’m sitting alone at a table in the library waiting for my 1:30 class to roll around, and I just can’t bring myself to crack open Administrative Law.  Blogging seemed like the perfect distraction.  Plus, this spaghetti would be a great post-Thanksgiving meal because it is fast and doesn’t make a big mess.  You have no reason to use a pre-made spaghetti sauce anymore because this is almost as easy and ten times more delicious thanks to the butter that gets stirred in at the end.

My flight to Seattle doesn’t leave until 6pm but I will probably head to the airport pretty quickly after my class ends at 2:45.  I’ve been on the east coast for so many years now that going to the airport is very closely tied to all of my holiday celebrations, so hanging out at Logan makes me excited!  Apparently my sister decided to work from home today so she was able to catch a flight to Seattle early this morning instead of waiting until tonight as planned.  Last year, she told me she couldn’t take enough time off work to come to Boston with my parents but then she surprised me by flying to Boston on Thanksgiving morning!  I was completely flabbergasted when she walked in the door (imagine many loud expletives), thanks to the elaborate web of lies she wove leading up to it.  The pinnacle of her deception was a picture she texted me of our house in Seattle.  My mom had taken the picture days before and sent it to Erin to trick me into thinking she had gone there when really she was en route to Boston.  So when I got a picture text of Erin and my parents this morning, my initial instinct was to not believe them.  It’s true they don’t really have any reason to lie this year, since we are all going to be together and there is no room for surprise.  But I didn’t really trust them until I received a confirmation picture of Erin holding today’s Seattle Times at our kitchen table.  Although my dad did point out that they could have photo-shopped that as well…

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving full of delicious food!  I will be spending all day tomorrow cooking, playing scrabble, and drinking soy lattes from Rococo.  

THE BEST SPAGHETTI SAUCE
makes 4 servings
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
~1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, either crushed or pureed
½ lb dried spaghetti
Kosher salt
Black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons basil, thinly sliced
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

Add the olive oil to a large pan and heat over medium heat.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for several minutes, reducing heat as necessary to avoid burning the garlic.  Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce and allow the sauce to simmer for about 25 minutes.  Either cover the pot with a lid or make a shield out of foil, or you will end up with tomato splatters all over your kitchen.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil, season generously with salt and cook the spaghetti until it has just barely softens- not quite al dente.  Drain it and reserve about a cup of cooking water.  Add the spaghetti to the sauce and cook over high heat until the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is just al dente, stirring occasionally.  If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little bit of the cooking water to thin it out.  Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and add butter, basil, and cheese.

Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Pears, Sage & Hazelnuts

Ok I know the combination of pears and cauliflower sounds a bit odd...but I promise this was delicious!!  Cauliflower is not a vegetable that I typically serve at Thanksgiving, but I was very intrigued by the ingredients in this recipe.  The pears added a perfect crisp texture and a slight sweetness that was delectable.  I heard a rumor that my aunt recently picked around all of the pears in a salad so I don’t think this dish will make my Thanksgiving menu, but it would pair perfectly with other Thanksgiving flavors!  

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I promised a few people that I would post a sample of my Thanksgiving itinerary so I’ve included it below.  Some may mock me for this display of compulsive organization, but it helps me visualize all of the steps to avoid complete chaos.  This is especially important for a dinner that includes so many dishes that need oven space.  The cauliflower would actually be a great addition since it can be done at the last minute on the stove and doesn’t require time in the oven.  In order to free up even more oven space this year I will be cooking my turkey on the grill!  I have very high hopes for the outcome.  

As you think about your turkey plans, I would like to make a case for the benefits of brining.  The salt in brine draws out the blood, cleansing the bird and seasoning the meat down to the bone.  Sugar adds depth of flavor and helps the turkey brown to perfection.  Most grocery stores carry brine mixtures and I usually use those.  Just dissolve the brine in boiling water, cool, and add a bottle of dry white wine.  Then submerge the bird in the liquid for 2-4 days.  Using a very large pot works well.  It also helps if you have two refrigerators since it takes up a bit of space.  Make sure you dry it thoroughly before roasting.

CAULIFLOWER WITH BROWN BUTTER, PEARS, SAGE & HAZELNUTS
Recipe from Fine Cooking
makes 8-10 servings
 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets about 3/4 inch wide
1/2 cup toasted, skinned, chopped hazelnuts
8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced crosswise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
2 Tbs. chopped fresh chives (original recipe called for parsley but I think chives add more flavor)

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter until light brown and bubbly. Add the cauliflower, hazelnuts, and sage. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is browned and crisp-tender, 6 to 7 minutes more.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the pear slices and chives. Gently toss to combine and warm the pears. Season to taste with more salt. Serve hot or at room temperature.
   
 

 

Thanksgiving Agenda 2009

11:00	Assemble Stuffing Dress Turkey		Emily & Mom
12:30	Mash Potatoes Prepare Butternut Squash, and pine nut mix		Emily & Mom
2:00	Turkey in Oven	325 Bottom	Emily
3:45	Cranberry Sauce		Emily
4:20	Both Stuffings in Oven (1 hour covered, 10 mins uncovered) Make Biscuit Batter	350 Top	Emily Erin, Lizzy, Aunt Suzi
4:30	Caramelize shallots, add green beans		Emily
4:40	Heat Potatoes Drink a glass of wine at the bar and talk to chef		Emily  Aunt Suzi & Mom
4:50	Turkey out of oven Make Gravy Roast butternut squash (35-35 mins)	425 Bottom 450 Bottom	Emily Mom
5:10	Biscuits in Oven (14-16mins) Sauté pine nuts and garlic for squash	425 Bottom	Erin, Lizzy, Aunt Suzi Emily
5:20	Carve Turkeys  Assemble and Dress Salad		Dad Mom & Emily
5:30	Biscuits, Stuffing, Squash out of Oven Add squash to garlic and pine nuts		Everybody Emily