I-Talian Wontons

It's a fairly silly name for an elegant dish, but you'll understand shortly.

Although I'm a trained pastry chef, making fresh pasta dough intimidates me. Something about the lack of confines usually provided by a bowl and the fear of over kneading... plus I'm fairly certain that like with fried chicken, you had to of been born into a family that's been  making the stuff for years for it to be truly excellent.

So, you're asking, whats up with the wontons already? Well, it just so happens that wonton or dumpling wrappers are the perfect medium to make fresh, homemade ravioli. It's one of those fabulous dirty little secrets that makes me smile.  Also, whether you find round or square, wheat or vegetable skins, they all work. The only thing that might not work are egg roll wrappers which are much larger and tend not to boil as nicely since they're made to be fried. And as is the case with all ravioli, the filling possibilities are endless. These happen to be shrimp, but chicken, pork, fish, veggies, sausage, mushroom, almost anything you can think of can be made into ravioli, so have some fun with it!


I made a very quick sauce for this out of boxed Pomi chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and a dash of oil. These ravioli are surprisingly filling, you wont need more than 7 or 8 to be satisfied.

I-Talian Wontons

1 package wonton or dumpling wrappers/skins (if you have extra, they freeze very nicely)
2 cups roughly chopped shrimp
1 1/2 cups chopped asparagus
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups ricotta (this can be fat free or part skin too)
1/2 cup white wine
1 heaping tablespoon garlic paste or 2 tablespoon chopped garlic
Salt & pepper

-Sautee shrimp, asparagus, garlic, salt & pepper in the white wine until just cooked through and tender
-Drain any left over liquid and set aside in a bowl to cool to room temperature
-Set a pot of water to boil
-When shrimp mixture is ready, add the ricotta and mix well
-Moisten the edges of one wrapper with a little water and fill with a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta filling. Press another wrapper over it and seal the edges by pinching the perimeter to create the ravioli. If you need a little more water thats fine, but the odd mechanics of these wrappers is that tif you use too much water, the edges won't stick together
-When you have about 5 completed, slide into the water and let boil for 15 or so seconds. Fish out the wontons with a spider, and place on a plate
-Spoon some sauce over and serve immediately

*This will yield approximately 22 ravioli

Lazy Day Omelet

There’s no picture to be had, because as the title suggests, I was feeling lazzzzy.

It was one of those nights where you get home more tired than you have any right to be. Your shoulders are slumped, your neck is sore, and your brain feels like cream of wheat. It’s the kind of night when you want nothing more than something warm and bubbly from the oven, but god help you, there is no way on earth that’s happening. Pork lo mein is tempting, but greasy. And while pizza sounds good about now, you weren’t ordering the lo mein for grease related reasons, why would you order pizza? Damn your pesky conscience!

A forage through the fridge reveals eggs, onions, grated parmesan cheese and some sautéed zucchini you almost forgot you had.

You pull out the large non-stick pan. Melt some butter, throw in some sliced onions and let them sweat. Now is the perfect time to find the corkscrew and open a bottle of wine. By the time you’ve opened the bottle, poured a glass, and taken a sip, the onions smell like a little piece of heaven and its time to throw in the zucchini to warm up.

Whisk the eggs. A few drops of cold water, a few more whisks, salt and pepper. Take another sip, no need to rush. Pour the eggs over your lovely zuchs & onions. Let the omelet set. Sprinkle on some parm and then fail miserably at folding one half to the other, just like you always do.

Curse softly.

Sigh loudly.

Take a sip.

Remember you live in Brooklyn so: fugetaboutit…

Flop the tasty, yet somewhat messy accomplishment on a plate. Grab two forks and enjoy taking turns at slowly eating the Lazy Day Omelet until somehow your back straightens, your shoulders ease, and your brain returns to its preferred solidified state.

A Foodie Musing

My partner in love, life and food aka: hubby, said something both very funny and very true last night. It was a lament for the bygone days of  "the dish."  Foods today, he said, don't have actual names. They're just a list of ingredients, he elaborated. And ain't that the truth? Besides ethnic restaurants or recipes (and even then its no guarantee), the modern-day menu item is simply a clever little summary of what you're about to eat.

Gone, gone, gone, are the days of the Parfait, Reuben, or even the Pavlova! In today's terminology they would be: Cream Layered with Sorbet, Gelatin, and Syrup. Corned Beef with Sauerkraut and Melted Swiss Cheese on Toasted Rye, and Whipped Egg Whites Covered in Fresh Whipped Cream and Seasonal Berries. Now after all that, wouldn't it be more joyous to simply call it a Pavlova? (A dish by the way that was named after a Russian Ballerina, Anna Pavlova, in the 1920's - isn't that a charming little detail?)

So assignment time: name a dish. That chocolate cake that you make for your sister's birthday? It is officially now her cake, Annie's Cake. That amazing dip you bring to every party? It is being reborn as Fiesta-Fun Dip. In fact, I hereby re-name my Egg Salad Sandwich, The Eggy Duchess. Yes, I like that.

Your turn. I'd love to hear your modern list-o-ingredients dish and then its fabulous rebirth! Extra points for frivolity - after all, the only reason we still eat "Steamed Suet Pudding with Dried Fruit" is because its actually called... Spotted Dick.

Egg Salad for a Duchess

A dear friend of mine told me to check out OpenSalon because there was a little egg salad contest going on there. I chuckled to myself and wrote, “Sure - but I hate egg salad.”

“Perfect,” she wrote back.

Is it strange that a foodie should hate egg salad? I can't even stomach the smell of a hard boiled egg, let alone chopping it up and adding it to mayo. There was only one thing for me to do: face the fear.

I figured that if I were going to go down the dreaded egg salad path, I'd better make the thing so sinful, so luscious, so positively heart attack-inducing that even I couldn't resist it. 

So this is, by far, the most ridiculous egg salad you're likely to come across.

I'll let you know that I did, indeed, take a bite--but it took several embarrassing minutes of huffing, puffing, hand wringing and cringing to do so. 

In the end, I have to admit: it was great! That being said, the mere knowledge that my nemesis, the hard boiled egg, was in that lovely buttery morsel made it all but impossible for me to enjoy. (My husband had no problems whatsoever gobbling it all down, though.) I know it was a hardship, honey… no, not really, it was pretty awesome.

Egg Salad for a Duchess
6 extra large hard boiled eggs
1 cup finely chopped fresh dill
¾ cup finely chopped fresh chives
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
Juice of 1 small lemon
8 oz crème fraiche
1 tablespoon Himalayan pink salt (pink salt has a subtle sweetness to it that really lends itself to this. You can substitute Hawaiian pink salt too - and, if you do, I like your style. Kosher salt is totally fine, as is table salt. If you're using table salt, though, start with a teaspoon and work your way up - it's more intense than other salts.)
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
*1 tablespoon mayonnaise (I've starred this because of personal taste. Personally we liked how thick this came out; however, if you want the salad a little looser, add mayo 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the desired thickness)
4 Croissants

-Split and toast the 4 croissants, set aside to let cool
-In a large non-metal bowl, add crème fraiche, dill, chives, onion, lemon, salt and pepper, mix well. Adjust seasoning as you see fit.
-Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge so all the flavors meld
-Meanwhile, peel and chop the eggs (I chopped them fairly small, but you can make it chunkier if you like). If you find that the yolks are on the small side, only use 5 of the egg whites but all of the yolks to balance out the texture and flavor.
-Take out the crème fraiche mixture and gently mix in the eggs.
-If you want the concoction a little thinner, now is the time to add the mayo.
-Serve egg salad on the croissants-and enjoy!

Brooklyn is Blooming

This morning I kissed my elderly gentleman caller. You might recall my mentioning him. I see him almost every morning as I walk to the subway for work. We pass each other as he makes his way home from church. He walks with two canes, wears a cap, always has a different church lady with him (he's a terrible flirt), and calls me doll. Today he called me over from across the street, handed me a small vial of holy water, and told me to "keep it with you doll, it'll keep you safe." I kissed him on the cheek as thanks and purposely failed to mention that I'm  Jewish... it's only a mere trifling technicality after all.

Perhaps it's something in the air - something in the blossoming trees, but on his way to work today, my husband also had a Godly moment. He was on the platform waiting for his train. There was a school trip of some kind, the platform was crowded with High Schoolers. Suddenly, they all began singing Amazing Grace in harmony. When they were finished, they sang other church songs until the train showed up. He said it was amazing. I can only imagine it was.

On my way home from work last night, inspired by the smells and sights of Spring around me, I decided to make something I haven't made in a long time: Tomato Soup. Some might think cold nights and snow on the ground, but for me, Tomato Soup screams Spring and Summer. First off, tomatoes are at their best in the height of summer and secondly, I don't like my Tomato Soup hot -  I like it cool. This large pot-worth is good for about eight people or two with days of leftovers.

So in honor of things budding, being protected by kindly gentleman callers, and being blessed by kids singing on subways, here is my Tomato Soup recipe.


Cool Dill Tomato Soup

6 large ripe tomatoes (Vine Ripened, Hot House, Heirloom, doesn't matter. You could even use yellow, orange, or purple tomatoes for that matter -  I would only advise to use all the same color otherwise you might get a muddy-colored tomato soup and that isn't terribly appealing. If you can't get them large, use 7-8 medium, or 8-9 small)
3 large Sweet onions (if you can't find Sweet or Vidallia, use Spanish or Yellow, but less of them, maybe 2 or 2.5 depending on size)
3 large garlic cloves
1/3 cup tomato paste
3.5 cups of low sodium chicken stock (you can use veg stock too to make this completely vegetarian)
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill (a little more a little less is fine too)
2 cups fat free plain yogurt (if you want to bring this to the next yumm level, use creme fraiche instead)
Salt and pepper to taste

-Cut tomatoes and onions into chunks, place in large pot
-Add garlic, tomato paste, stock, salt and pepper (be sparing, you can always add more salt) to pot, mix and let boil
-Lower to simmer and cook with cover for 15-20 minutes until onions are tender and cooked through
-Add yogurt and blend with immersion blender until smooth (you can also use a blender or food processor in batches)
-Adjust seasoning and add chopped dill, mix
-Let rest in pot and serve either room temperature or let it chill in the fridge for a bit until its cool, not cold

*I always garnish my tomato soup with popcorn, but you can use anything: corn chips, extra dill, even roast chicken or shrimp, anything really.

Linen: An Interlude

 Tea Time, by Robert Emil Stubner

 
The year is 2010, but sometimes, just sometimes, I wish it were1910.

We're getting a new dining table. A very sleek modern number that expands to seat 6. It's all glass, metal legs, and a natural oak inset that's very Ikea if Ikea were just slightly pricier. It's very cool if I do say so myself. That being said, sometimes glass, metal and cool isn't what's called for. Sometimes, I want to take out my German Art Deco tea set and serve pavlovas and finger sandwiches. Sometimes, I want a little opulence - brilliant flowers overflowing from my good crystal vase. Sometimes I want a crisp white linen tablecloth beneath my vintage plates that I've lovingly collected over the years.

Sure, we have a bright orange couch and huge 46" flat screen across the room, but maybe just for one afternoon, I can pretend. Remember pretend? Remember when all you needed were plastic yellow tea cups with daisies on them, a fake tiara, and your favorite teddy bear? It was tea time and I was a Duchess taking tea with with the Queen. I miss those tea parties. And so, I decided that what I needed was a linen tablecloth. Something crisp, white, classic and lovely...

My search has been depressing though. I can tell you that I actually found a linen tablecloth that was over a thousand dollars, and no it wasn't made from Mermaid hair. I have found every manner of polyester table covering you could ever want, plastic is also really popular, and almost any tablecloth made of a natural fiber is some god-awful heavy brocade nonsense that wreaks of dinner parties at a wealthy Texan's -  that is if it comes in white or ivory. You'll find that various shades of  reds and golds are all the craze these days - oh, that and roosters. Christmas themes are immensely popular as well as sunflowers which I think is supposed to be some semblance of French Provincial?

I did eventually find some simple white tablecloths. But now I find that purchasing a tablecloth online defeats the purpose. If the point of my little foray into "pretend" is perhaps capturing something of a bygone era, than I'm approaching it all wrong aren't I? I need to feel the linen between my fingers. I need to assess the weight, see the imperfections. I need to scour the flea markets and antique stores. I need to physically find my little piece of the past. After all, what good is wishing for 1910 while shopping in 2010?

When I find my perfect linens I'll make sure to post the table resplendent with tea set, flowers, and pavlovas. And then dear readers, pretend is once again open for business.

Beef Negimaki

This is a very quick, satisfying and super easy dish. And, like most of my fave recipes, it's a really wonderfully adaptable one too. You could use, chicken, turkey, or even pork for the meat. Don't like scallions? Asparagus is a lovely replacement, as are string beans.

PS if your wondering when we hired a professional food photographer... we didn't. Truth is, we gobble down the tasty morsels before we could get the shot! That being said, below the pic is a link to the site where the recipe can be found. Those are actually ham Negimaki, not beef, but the results will look exactly like that.

Beef Negimaki

1 lb thinly sliced lean steak
4-5 bunches of scallions, cleaned and trimmed (if somewhat thick, halve them)
1/2 cup dark soy (I use low sodium)
1/4 cup honey

-Soak handful of toothpicks in water
-Turn on broiler
-Whisk soy and honey together, set aside
-Between two sheets of plastic wrap, pound or roll out meat so that it's very thin and of even thickness
-If meat is wider than about 3", trim to 1"-3" strips
-Wrap meat around 2 scallions, securing with toothpick
-Brush meat with marinade on both sides
-Place tray of marinated Negimaki under broiler for about 5-6 minutes total, flipping meat half way through (if using poultry, you might want to increase cooking time to ensure that its cooked through)
-Remove toothpicks before serving hot with any remaining marinade

click here for link

A Lighter Stew

I love beef stews, but sometimes wine, potatoes, butter, and any other goodies your recipe might have (bacon comes to mind) can reek havoc on one's guilt. This recipe is almost completely guilt free and I promise not lacking in the taste or texture department. A couple of the ingredients might seem strange, but go with it at least once and see if you aren't completely happy with the results. To further the guiltless-track, I served this over no yolk egg noodles that I tossed with freshly chopped parsley. You could also serve this over rice, polenta, or mashed potatoes to name a few. If even a meat and potato loving hubby was happily gobbling it down, then I must have done something right!

Light Beef Stew
1 lb lean well trimmed stewing beef, boneless beef top sirloin, or tenderloin, cut into 1" chunks
1 large Spanish or yellow onion, cut in 1/2" slices
3 large garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 pint white/button mushrooms, cleaned, any large mushrooms halved or quartered
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
5 hearty fresh thyme sprigs
3 bay leaf
Juice of 1 lemon
5 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbs olive oil
3/4 cup apple sauce (it is VERY important that is an unsweetened or no sugar added sauce. A normal apple sauce will make this something uber-sweet and highly unpleasant. It's not hard to find, even Mott's makes an unsweetened organic apple sauce which is what I use)
1 1/2 cups low sodium beef stock
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
flour or corn starch for dredging

-Heat 1 tbs of oil in dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot
-Salt and pepper meat, then lightly dredge in flour and shake off all excess
-Brown meat in oil until a nice crust forms, about 8 minutes total, set aside
-Add second tbs of oil and cook onions and garlic until softened, about 10 minutes
-Pour in 1/2 cup of stock and with wooden spoon, stir up any browned bits
-Add the rest of the stock, herbs (you can tie these up with some cotton string to make a bouquet garni or simply fish the bay and thyme stalks out later), vinegar, lemon juice, salt & pepper, and apple sauce. Stir to combine and bring to boil
-Taste and adjust the seasoning before adding carrots, mushrooms, and beef, reducing to low, and simmering for 1 hour covered
-After 1 hour, remove cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. For the final 15 minutes, put heat to high and let boil to create a richer, thicker stew
-Before serving, remove bay leaf and thyme stalks

Serves 3-4

Ode to: The Contessa

The Lady in Amagansett

She cooks in her kitchen with ease,

Tossing fresh mint with Spring peas,

Of her life I am jealous,

(Of her recipes, zealous),

Silver bowls! Fresh flowers! French cheese!

                                         -Duchess, 2010

Click here for a favorite Barefoot Contessa recipe

Mexico in January

I had the steaks, I had the tortillas.

When I told my husband what we were having for dinner he looked at me quizzically and said, "is there cheese involved?" Ahhh, sometimes men are so damn easy to please - a little meat, a little cheese that's all it takes. So yes, there is cheese, but the star of the show is the Tomatillo Salsa Fresca. If you've never worked with or even bought a tomatillo please run out to remedy that! They are wonderful little treasures and taste like a lemony tomato. Choose one much in the same way you would a tomato. You want a ripe yet firm tomatillo, too soft and they're mealy in texture, too firm and their citrusy flavor borders on bitter.

I served this with beans and rice, but really, they're quite filling all on their own. This will serve two to three people nicely.


Soft Steak Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa Fresca

For Salsa:
4 large tomatillos, diced (if you can't find them, 4 small to medium tomatoes would work as well)
2 small firm yet ripe avocados, diced
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbs hot sauce (I really love Crystal brand hot sauce from Louisiana)
1 tbs white vinegar
1 large lime, juiced
1 tbs kosher salt (if using normal table salt, then 1 tsp)

-Combine everything in a bowl - NOT METAL! The metal will oxidize the avocados and make everything sort of gray. This is one of those things that is fully customizable. Want it spicier, add more hot sauce. If you like more cilantro or more lime, have at it.
-Set aside

For Tacos:
8 thin sandwich steaks, sliced
2 packages of Sazon (a hispanic seasoning that you can find at the grocery store)
1 tbs of oil for cooking (more if you need it)
6-8 flour tortillas
Queso blanco (a crumbly white Mexican cheese, any brand will do)

-Cook tortillas directly on the oven burner, flipping it with tongs when one side has browned. If you have an electric stove stop, you can heat them in an oven or toaster oven. Set aside
-Heat oil in pan
-Sprinkle the steak with the sazon seasoning and mix together well
-Sear quickly in batches

Put all the parts on the table and let people build their own taco. Meat, salsa and cheese... it really doesn't get much tastier than that!