Google tortilla soup recipes, and it’s slim pickings, with only 1.9 million, give or take 60,000, to choose from. The problem obviously isn’t the quantity, it’s the quality. How do you know which one to try?

It depends on what kind of tortilla soup you’re looking for. I’ve tasted plenty of tortilla soups over the years, and I’ve made a few, too, so I know they come in all forms and fashions. Thick or thin, rich or lean, spicy or mild.

This version is not your typical tortilla soup, although after finding almost 2 million recipes, I’m not sure what typical tortilla soup is anymore. What I am sure of is this version has all the flavors I love in a tortilla soup — cumin, chile, and garlic, with a bit of tortilla crunch. It’s hearty, spicy, and loaded with plenty of chicken and vegetables — almost like a stew with tortilla soup flavors.

I want to point out it calls for ancho chile paste you make yourself.  It’s easy, and the recipe is below. You can, in a pinch, substitute 1-1/2 teaspoons of dry ancho chile powder in place of the tablespoon of ancho paste, although it doesn’t deliver quite the same, rich taste.

Once you have all your ingredients assembled and prepped, cooking the soup doesn’t take that long, maybe 20-25 minutes. So look at the ingredient list and see what you can prep ahead of time (the tortilla strips can be made while you’re prepping the ingredients for the soup, or even a day or two ahead of time).

Texas-Style Tortilla Soup

from my cookbook, Par Fork! The Golf Resort Cookbook

[print recipe]

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups corn kernels (fresh preferably, or frozen)
1 cup seeded and chopped tomato
1 jalapeño, minced (remove seeds 1st for less heat)
2 (4-ounce) cans chopped mild green chiles
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon ancho chile paste* (or 1-1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder)
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano**
2 teaspoons commercial chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 3/4 pound)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
Juice of 1/2 a lime

Garnish:
2 cups fried thin tortilla strips***
3 large avocados, peeled and chopped
6 tablespoons sour cream

Method:

1. Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat.  Stir in onions and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft, about 2 to 3 more minutes.

2. Stir in corn, tomatoes, jalapeño, green chiles, and spices (cumin through black pepper), cooking another minute or so.

3. Stir in chicken stock.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Stir in chicken and cilantro.  Bring to a boil. Meanwhile whisk cornstarch and water together.  Whisk mixture (called a slurry) into boiling soup.  Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes (it will thicken slightly as soon as it comes to a boil).

5. Stir in lime juice. Taste and season with salt if needed.

6. Ladle into warm soup bowls.  Garnish with fried tortilla strips, avocado chunks, and a tablespoon of sour cream.

*Ancho Chile Paste

Anchos are the dried form of the poblano pepper. Fresh dried anchos will be soft and pliable. If they are hard and brittle, they are old, and will not be as flavorful. Look for them at a Latin or Mexican market with high turnover on the produce.It’s a good idea to wear disposable latex gloves to protect your hands from the heat of the chiles.

Makes ~ 1/3 cup

3 ancho chiles
1 cup boiling water
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

Remove stems and seeds from ancho chiles. Toast chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about a minute or two, turning frequently to prevent over-toasting.  Place chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water mixed with the vinegar.  Rehydrate for 30 minutes.  Purée chiles in a blender with just enough of the soaking liquid to make a thick paste (think tomato paste consistency). Freeze any leftover sauce for another time.

** Mexican oregano is not the same herb as the more common Mediterranean oregano. Mexican oregano is more finely ground and a brighter olive green color.  Look for Mexican oregano on the Mexican food aisle of your grocery store.

*** Fried Tortilla Strips

12 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt or chile powder

Cut tortillas in half and then slice each half into thin (julienne) strips. Pour enough vegetable oil in a skillet to come to a 1/2-inch depth. Heat oil over medium-high heat until very hot (350 degrees). Fry tortilla strips, in a couple batches so you don’t overcrowd the skillet, until golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with seasoned salt or chile powder. You can make these a day or two in advance and keep in an airtight container at room temperature.

Tags: ancho chiles, chicken, Par Fork, recipe, tortilla soup
Posted in Recipes, Soups | 1 Comment »

Crab cakes come in three styles:

• Those that have so much filler you wonder if there is any crab at all;
• Those that are all crab, but unfortunately, don’t hold together in the pan or on the plate (I love these, usually prepared by seasoned restaurant cooks who have a knack for it, but it’s frustrating to cook them at home);
• Those that are mostly crab, but have just enough binding ingredients to delicately hold them together without upstaging the crab.

This recipe, from my last cookbook, Par Fork! The Golf Resort Cookbook, is firmly in the latter camp — plenty of crab but also just enough binder so the cakes stay together before and after cooking.

Think of them as Goldielocks crab cakes — just right.

There is no flour or bread crumbs in the crab mixture, although I use both to coat the cakes. Because of that, chilling the crab cake mixture is extremely important in keeping these crab-heavy cakes together.

There are three parts to this recipe but the good news is each recipe can can stand alone — sort of.

You can make just the crab cakes. You can make just the citrus fennel slaw. The citrus aïoli? I’m not certain you want to eat it by itself, but you might want to make a batch to use on a simple grilled fish or chicken breast, or as a lovely topping for spring asparagus.

This citrus flavored aïoli is a short cut, calling for prepared mayonnaise, but if you’d like to make your own, watch this Food 52 video about making it from scratch. Then just substitute your homemade mayo for the commercial kind in the recipe below.

Whatever you do, I hope you try each of these easy recipes — together or separately.

Crab Cakes with Citrus Aïoli & Fennel Slaw

Good crab is paramount to good crab cakes. Don’t use the shredded crab found in 6 ounce cans in the grocery store. Look for a quality brand sold in 1 pound containers at high end grocery stores or specialty markets. Some Costco outlets sell a good brand called Phillips.

[print recipe]

Makes 7 (3-inch) cakes

Crab Cake Ingredients:

1 pound cooked lump crab meat
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup finely chopped fennel bulb (replace with finely chopped red onion if you prefer)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg

Scant 1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Vegetable or peanut oil for frying

Method:

1. Pick over crab to remove any shells. Blot with paper towels if excessively moist.

2. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When hot, add celery and fennel. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove from heat to cool.

3. Mix crabmeat, cooled vegetables, mayonnaise, herbs, and lemon zest together until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Beat in 1 egg until well combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours.

4. Set up a breading station with the flour in 1 bowl, the 2 beaten eggs in another bowl, and the panko in a third bowl.

5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Pour in enough oil to come to a 1/4-inch depth. While the pan is heating, prepare the crab cakes.

6. Scoop 3-ounce portions, roughly 1/3 cup. (A #12 ice cream scoop is 1/3 cup.) Form into patties, about 3 inches in diameter.

7. First dip in flour to lightly coat cake, dusting off excess. Dip in beaten egg then roll in panko to completely cover. You can prepare the cakes up to this point and store covered in the refrigerator, up to 4 hours.

8. Heat the oven to 350°F. Fry cakes until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.  Place on a baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven until done, about 5 to 7  minutes.

Quick Citrus Aïoli

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon lime juice
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Method:

Whisk first 5 ingredients (mayonnaise through lime juice) together.  Season with salt and white pepper to taste.  May be prepared 2 days in advance.  Store covered in the refrigerator, up to 3 days.

Fennel & Endive Slaw with Citrus Vinaigrette

You can make the citrus vinaigrette ahead of time, but wait to slice the fennel and endive until you’re ready to serve to keep the salad fresh and bright.  For super thin fennel, use a mandoline or slicer.  Try to find purple-tinged Belgian endive to add a color contrast to the pale fennel.

Serves 4

Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/4 cup grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon champagne or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
1/2 teaspoon minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Slaw Ingredients:

1 small fennel bulb thinly shaved (about 2 cups)
2 to 3 small Belgian endive (5 ounces) thinly sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 teaspoons chopped tarragon

Method:

1. Whisk (or blend in blender) the first 7 ingredients (grapefruit juice through garlic) together. Slowly whisk in olive oil (or drizzle into blender with machine on).

2. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste. Store covered in the refrigerator. (May be prepared up to 3 days in advance.)

3. Toss fennel with endive and herbs. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the salad and toss again. (You may have leftover vinaigrette. Use up within 3 or 4 days.)

Tags: citrus aioli, crab cakes, endive, fennel slaw, Par Fork Cookbook, recipe
Posted in Fish & Seafood | 2 Comments »

Editor’s Note: Linda Avery returns with a look at Ruhlman’s Twenty by noted food writer and award-winning cookbook author Michael Ruhlman. Is it a cookbook? A textbook? Read on to find out.

Ruhlman’s Twenty

by Michael Ruhlman
photography by Donna Turner Ruhlman

Facts: Chronicle Books,  368 pages, $40.00 (or Amazon at $33.34 – Kindle $17.59)
Photos: 281, including photo series demonstrating techniques
Recipes: 113
Give To: Dedicated home cooks who want to learn more about the cooking process.

Have you wished you could or would have gone to culinary school? If it weren’t for time, money or family? Maybe your career (which you also love) is too far down the road to start over, but you still want to know more about how a chef approaches a dish so that you can become a better cook.

My advice: read and learn from Ruhlman’s Twenty by Michael Ruhlman – that’s the ticket.

This isn’t a dry textbook. The book has been named a 2012 cookbook award finalist by IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals). Ruhlman knows how to communicate, even if he comes across as preachy at times. He has written or collaborated on some heavy-hitter cookbooks in the past couple of decades, including The French Laundry Cookbook.

The “Twenty” are 20 essential “techniques”; some are obvious like roast, braise, and poach. Some not so obvious, i.e., words that initially come to mind as nouns, but in Ruhlman’s world they are verbs — like salt, water, and batter.

The very first technique seems a no-brainer: think.

Should it go without saying that the process begins with reading the recipe? Envisioning how things will play out? Gathering ingredients? To some it is second nature, but many people begin to cook without thinking.

Here is a hard-to-believe-but-true example. A friend was making Christmas cookies and having a difficult time stirring the dough. Either her arm or the KitchenAid became fatigued, and she called her husband to assist. After a few turns around the bowl, he stopped and read the recipe. She had forgotten the butter. How does one start a cookie recipe without butter? Did she read the recipe? Ever heard of mise en place? Okay, she gets a pass – there are a lot of distractions during the holidays: kids yelling, dog barking, etc., but it’s a good example.

Back to the Twenty: each chapter includes a number of recipes illustrative of the featured technique, and at least one recipe within the chapter has a series of photos exemplifying that technique. Most recipes are classic, with Ruhlman’s personal touch added. But this isn’t a book you necessarily buy for the recipes.

As Ruhlman himself says, referencing his previous book Ratio, “A ratio is like a key. To turn that key, you need technique.”

Sautéed Scallops With Asparagus

photo © Donna Turner Ruhlman

I first saw a variation of this recipe at The French Laundry where the poissonnier at the time, Grant Achatz, put it over the top with truffles and asparagus tied in a cute little bundle with a chive, additional chlorophyll keeping the sauce intensely green. And it was fabulous, but the main reason it was so good was that scallops and asparagus are an unparalleled pair on every level: contrasting colors and textures, and a wonderful mix of flavors.

The main critical points are to cook and shock the asparagus properly and to get a good colorful crust on the scallops. The hardest part is finding good scallops. Try to find a good fishmonger who can offer large dry-packed scallops in the fall and winter when they are primarily harvested. The larger they are, the better the dish will be, and the easier it will be to prepare.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds/680 grams asparagus, boiled and shocked
1 1/2 pounds/680 grams scallops
3/4 cup/170 grams butter, cut into 3 equal pieces
Fine sea salt
Canola oil
Kosher salt
About 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Finely chopped lemon zest for garnish

Method
1. Remove the tips from the asparagus and reserve for garnish. Cut the stalks into pieces and purée in a blender until completely smooth. You may need to add a little water, 1/4 cup/60 milliliters or so, to ensure they’re completely puréed. You can also use a food processor; if you do, pass the purée through a basket strainer to remove any long fibers. The asparagus can be prepared up to 24 hours before serving and stored in the refrigerator.

2. Remove the scallops from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking and place them on a plate lined with paper towels/absorbent paper. They usually have a little nib of connective tissue on their side; remove and discard this.

3. Just before cooking the scallops, put the puréed asparagus in a saucepan over low heat. Put the asparagus tips and 1 piece of the butter in a sauté pan over low heat.

4. Season the scallops on both sides with fine sea salt. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. It needs to be large enough that the scallops aren’t crowded, or you won’t get a good sear, one of the pleasures of this dish. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. A depth of 3/16-inch/5 millimeters is ideal, but gauge the depth by eye. It is better to err on the side of too much oil. You’re not eating the oil, just cooking in it. When it’s very hot, just before it smokes, add the scallops and cook until they are beautifully seared, about 2 minutes. Turn and continue cooking just until the scallops are warm in the middle and medium-rare, about 2 minutes. With scallops, it’s better to err by undercooking them; raw scallops are delicious, but overcooked scallops are rubbery. Remove the scallops to paper towels/absorbent paper to drain.

5. While the scallops are cooking, raise the heat on both pans with asparagus to medium. Warm the tips in the butter. Bring the pureed asparagus to a simmer and season with kosher salt, then whisk in the remaining butter.

6. Immediately before serving, add the lemon juice to the asparagus sauce. Divide the sauce among plates or large bowls. Place the scallops on the sauce and garnish with the warmed asparagus tips and lemon zest.

Tags: asparagus, cookbook review, Donna Turner Ruhlman, Linda Avery, Michael Ruhlman, recipe, Ruhlman's Twenty, scallops
Posted in Book & Product Reviews, Fish & Seafood, Recipes | No Comments »

Canal House Cooking Volume No. 7: La Dolce Vita

by Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton
photos by Christopher Hirsheimer; illustrations by Melissa Hamilton

Facts: Andrews McMeel Publishing LLC,  124 pages, $29.95 (or Amazon at $12.90)
Photos: 55, plus illustrations
Recipes: 66
Give To: Passionate home cooks with a bent toward Italian cooking

At the risk of being accused of having a bias toward Italian cookbooks, I’m going to review two in a row. But, other than the fact that each book has tasty Italian recipes, they couldn’t be more different. And, Canal House Cooking, Volume 7: La Dolce Vita is a gem.

Canal House — which happens to be on a canal — isn’t a restaurant but rather a studio/kitchen/atelier where Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton cook every day. They are proponents of home cooking – even the tagline is “home cooking, by home cooks, for home cooks.”

Oh, and you noticed that this is Volume No. 7? Previous volumes focused on seasonal, holiday, and farmers’ market cooking. Then one afternoon, a lunch of cannelloni inspired them to focus on Italian food, specifically homemade food.

To have true in-depth knowledge of Italian home cooking, they needed to be on Italian soil. A rustic Tuscan farmhouse was their base camp for a month – daily excusions would be their fodder. The first day they noticed that a vegetable farmer was within walking distance and hiking a bit further they “passed a garage with the door rolled up and noticed two aproned women… chatting away as they plucked a pile of chickens.” Back at the farmhouse that evening, they dined on roasted capon with chestnut stuffing. Each day was an adventure that ended in the kitchen developing recipes and recreating flavors.

The experience yielded toothsome recipes like Speck, Fontina & Lemon Panino, Salt Cod with Tomatoes and Green Olives, Braised Lamb & Green Beans and Vin Santo-Poached Pears with Gorgonzola Dolce. All courses are represented in clear and well written recipes, i.e., a few cocktail recipes followed by antipasti, soups, pasta and rice, fish, meats and desserts. Salute Melissa and Christopher!

To see Canal House and hear the authors talk about Italianate cooking watch this video.

Gelato di Gianduia

Makes about 1 quart

photo © by Christopher Hirsheimer

In any form, the classic Piemontese combination of toasted hazelnuts and chocolate is one of our favorite flavors. You’ll see why, when you taste this luxurious gelato.

Ingredients
3 cups skinned hazelnuts
2 1/4 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method
1. Heat the oven to 350°F and toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. When cool, finely grind 2 cups of the nuts in a food processor. Chop the remaining cup of nuts and set them aside.

2. Put the milk and cream into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in finely ground nuts, and steep for one hour. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into another saucepan, pressing on the solids before discarding them. Add 1/2 cup of sugar to the milk. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

3. Put the egg yolks, salt, and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar into a medium mixing bowl and whisk together until thick and pale yellow. Whisk in the cocoa. Gradually ladle about 1 cup hot milk into the yolks, whisking constantly. Stir the warm yolk mixture into the hot milk in the saucepan. Reduce the heat to low, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and registers between 175°F and 180°F on an instant read thermometer, about 3-5 minutes.

4. Strain the custard into a medium bowl. Add the liqueur and vanilla and stir frequently until cool. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 4 hours. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

5. Churn the custard in an ice-cream maker following the manufacturer’s directions. Just before the gelato has finished churning, add the reserved chopped nuts, letting the paddle stir them in. Transfer the gelato to a quart container with a lid. Cover and freeze for a couple of hours or until it is just firm.

Tags: Canal House Cooking Volume 7 La Dolce Vita, chocolate hazelnut gelato, Christopher Hirsheimer, cookbook review, Linda Avery, Melissa Hamilton, recipe
Posted in Book & Product Reviews, Desserts, Recipes | No Comments »

Jaclyn Douma did something lots of people dream of doing but never do: she published a cookbook.

It isn’t fancy or filled with page-after-page of glorious food close-ups (although there is a small section at the beginning with 28 professional photos of some of the dishes).

Instead, the book is filled with simple, easy to read and understand recipes. These aren’t the kind of dishes I would cook, but darn if I’m not smitten with this book and the way Douma put it together.

Our First Year is a compilation of recipes (84 in all) Douma developed during her first year of marriage. She figured there were other newlyweds who didn’t know where to begin in the kitchen, so she drew them a map from here to there, beginning with a pantry list and section called “Bits of Advice.”

She put together 13 party ideas and gives tips on how to execute them. There’s a section on menus, too, so the new bride knows how to put a meal together, and just in case there’s a question about an ingredient or cooking technique, she penned a basic glossary.

Snuggle Pigs

Makes 40 wieners

Ingredients:
1 (14-oz.) package cocktail wieners/little sausage smokies
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (loosely packed)
10 strips of bacon
Toothpicks

Method:
Preheat oven: 400° F. Place sausages in a bowl so they are easier to handle. Cut uncooked bacon into 4 sections and wrap each wiener with bacon, securing with a toothpick. Place wrapped wieners in a 9″ X 9″ casserole dish and cover with brown sugar. Make sure you cannot see any wieners. Then cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400 ºF for 18 to 20 minutes covered and an additional 15 minutes uncovered or until brown sugar has turned into a liquid.

Just a little Secret

No need to keep these babies warm. Snuggle Pigs are great at room temperature as well.

Jaclyn Douma’s website: a-sugarnspice-life.com and blog: passion2crave.blogspot.com 

Tags: appetizer, cocktail wieners, cookbook, Jaclyn Douma, Our First Year cookbook, recipe
Posted in Appetizers, Book & Product Reviews | 4 Comments »

Editor’s note: Linda Avery returns with a look at Colman Andrews’ new cookbook, The Country Cooking of Italy and an easy recipe for frico (cheese crisps). Interestingly, Gabrielle Hamilton, author of Blood, Bones & Butter, was in Phoenix recently for a book signing  and said “ if we think we have enough Italian cookbooks, we don’t and — and we need his The Country Cooking of Italy.”

The Country Cooking of Italy

by Colman Andrews
photos by Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton

Facts: Chronicle Books, 392 pages, $50.00 (or Amazon at $29.56)
Photos: I counted 60 in the first 150 pages – let’s consider that representative
Recipes: Hundreds – literally
Give To: passionate home cooks, Italian food lovers

When I reviewed Colman Andrews’ The Country Cooking of Ireland in 2009, I wondered how long it him took to put together such a collection. Apparently the answer is about two years. This is a man who grabs the bull by the horns; a man who doesn’t do anything slipshod.

After the success and awards garnered by “Ireland” (his sixth James Beard and the Julia Child/IACP award), he kicked it into high gear and two years later, another voluminous cookbook is introduced: The Country Cooking of Italy. He again partnered with noted photographer Christopher Hirsheimer. (By the way, Andrews and Hirsheimer were two of the co-founders of Saveur Magazine in 1994.)

The book is formatted like the Ireland book. Beautifully photographed recipes are peppered with page-long stories, some historical, some educational, some anecdotal from Andrews’ travels. Although images of recipe dishes abound, lifestyle photos deepen the interest and are testimony to Hirsheimer’s talent.

These aren’t the recipes of fine restaurants but of the casalinga (housewife) or what one would be served at an agriturismo (an Italian farm property offering accommodations and meals).

Most pan-Italy cookbooks forget about the little known regions so I was gratified to see numerous mentions of Le Marche, birthplace of my grandparents and Olive all’Ascolana, the deep-fried olives stuffed with meat particularly famous in Le Marche and served in local bars from Venice to Tuscany.

Go to Amazon and use their “Search Inside This Book” feature to see the index of recipes. Remarkable. In no time you’ll be humming “That’s Amore!”

Frico  (Friulano Cheese Crisps)

© photo by Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton

Makes about 20 fritters; serves 6 to 8

These easy-to-make cheese crisps or fritters are a specialty of Friuli, and are best made with Montasio, a firm cow’s milk cheese from that corner of Italy. there is also a cheese from Valcellina in Friuli’s Pordenone Province, rarely seen today, called frico Balacia, specifically meant to be fried. Some purists insist that the cheese must be fried in lard. (A source for Montasio is Corti Brothers).

Ingredients
1 pound/500 grams Montasio or Asiago, grated
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon butter
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Method
1. Combine the cheese and flour in a large bowl, and mix together well but gently with your hands.

2. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-low heat, and add 2 tablespoons of oil.

3. When the oil-butter mixture is hot, working in batches, use a spoon to form fritters 2 to 3 inches/5 to 7.5 centimeters in diameter, using about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture for each fritter and gently tamping down each fritter with a spatula. Make sure the edges of the fritters don’t touch.

4. Cook the fritters, without moving them, until their edges turn golden brown, about 3 minutes.

5. Then, using the spatula, carefully turn them and cook until golden, about 2 minutes longer. As the fritters are ready, drain them on paper towels.

6. Serve the fritters at room temperature.

Tags: cheese crisps, Colman Andrews, cookbook review, frico, Linda Avery, recipe, The Country Cooking of Italy
Posted in Appetizers, Book & Product Reviews | No Comments »

I will say this right off the bat: there is nothing authentic or particularly traditional about my carbonara. Zero. Zip. Starting with the pasta.

For example, I use linguine instead of spaghetti.

I realize that’s not that big of a stretch, but I use some other unconventional ingredients, too: half-and-half and smoked salmon.

My carbonara is smoky, smoky — first hit of smoke: applewood smoked bacon; second punch: hardwood smoked salmon. (I told you this isn’t conventional.)

Authentic Roman carbonara calls for pancetta (unsmoked bacon). It also calls for egg yolks, but I use whole eggs instead.

This next part isn’t traditional either. Part of it is — whisking the eggs with the cheese — but whisking in half-and-half instead of pasta water is a guilty deviation.

Some people would balk at adding cream or half-and-half to carbonara. I’m not one of those people.

I don’t throw all caution to the wind — I do heavily salt the pasta water.

It’s important to salt the water (after it comes to a boil) to “season” the pasta. It’s also important to stir the pasta as soon as it’s added to the boiling water to submerge it and keep it from settling to the bottom into a gloppy mess.

I reduce the heat, too. No need to boil it to death, but you do want a good simmer.

After the pasta is gently boiling, start the bacon in a cold skillet over medium heat (I don’t mean chill the skillet first, I mean don’t turn the heat on until the bacon is in the pan). This helps render out as much fat as it’s going to give.

When the bacon is showing signs of crisping, but still hanging on to the last vestals of fat, stir in the garlic. Stir the garlic in too soon, and it will crisp up like the bacon, maybe even burn.

Smoked salmon is the least traditional ingredient in my recipe, but it sure makes a good, smoky carbonara.

This Red King chinook salmon is not cheap ($8 for a 6.5 oz. can). I buy it at a local farmers’ market from Roger Kamb, a jolly fisherman who splits his time between Seattle and Scottsdale. His business is Especial Tuna, and I’d point you to his website, but it doesn’t seem to be working.

Too bad, because this is some great stuff — nothing like the commercial brands found at most supermarkets. You can certainly use one of those brands (my mother made salmon patties with Honey Boy Red (not pink) salmon, but you have to clean it up a bit, removing the skin here and there, and Honey Boy isn’t smoked).

Once the pasta is al dente, drain it (reserve a half a cup or so of the pasta water) and put the pasta in the skillet with the bacon and garlic.

WAIT! Before you do that, I have a confession: I deglaze the pan with rosé first — definitely not traditional.

But it is delicious. You can skip this step if you want.

Once the hot pasta is in the pan with the deglazed bacon and garlic, turn the heat off.

Stir in the egg/cheese/half-and-half mixture. If you leave the heat on, the eggs will scramble (it’s not the end of the world if you get a little scramble, it’s just not traditional, and you know what a stickler for tradition I am).

Toss in the can of smoked salmon and keep tossing. If the sauce seems too thick (and it likely will), pour in some reserved hot pasta water, just enough to make the sauce look creamy.

Season with a good dose of freshly ground black pepper. Top with more grated Parmesan. (And no, the basil leaf isn’t traditional either.)

Pour a glass of rosé if you haven’t already, and dig in quickly, before it cools off.

Smoked Salmon Carbonara

[printable recipe]

This rich, comforting,  if unconventional, carbonara comes together quickly — less than 30 minutes. You can do the prep while you’re waiting for the pasta water to boil. It’s a good idea to warm your pasta bowls, too, as this dish gets cold quick once it’s done. It makes three hearty servings, but you can stretch it to four reasonable size portions, especially if you serve a side salad and crusty bread. Wine pairing: I drink a dry rosé (not surprising if you know me) but an unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay pairs well, too.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1/2 pound linguine
2 to 3 tablespoons kosher salt

2 strips of bacon, sliced into 1/4-inch strips crosswise
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry rosé or dry white wine

2 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing
1/4 cup half-and-half
Generous pinch fresh grated nutmeg

1 (6.5 oz.) can high quality smoked salmon, drained

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Bring 5-1/2 to 6 quarts of cold water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in salt when water comes to a full boil.
2. Stir in pasta, constantly stirring until pasta is submerged and soft. Reduce heat to medium-high (just enough to get a gentle but active boil).
3. Place bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until almost crisp, about four to five minutes, then stir in garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about a minute, and then deglaze pan with 1/4 cup wine, scraping up the browned bacon bits. Cook until the wine is reduced to 2 tablespoons.
4. Whisk the eggs, Parmesan, half-and-half, and nutmeg together in a bowl or measuring cup while the bacon is cooking and set aside.
5. Drain pasta when it is al dente (about 7 to 8 minutes total cooking time). Reserve about a half a cup of the pasta cooking water.
6. Place the hot pasta into the deglazed skillet with the bacon and garlic. Turn off the heat.
7. Pour the egg mixture into the hot pasta, tossing quickly as you pour. Stir in the drained can of salmon, breaking up the big lumps.
8. Stir in reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. Sometimes I need 1/4 cup, other times I use 1/2 cup. The sauce should look creamy.
9. Stir in the black pepper. Toss well to distribute the pepper. Taste and if desired, season with more pepper and/or kosher salt.
10. Divide among warmed pasta bowls and garnish with more Parmesan. Serve immediately.

NOTE: Recipe halves easily, but if you want to double, only double the amount of pasta, and 1.5 times the remaining ingredients.

Tags: Especial Tuna, linguine, Linguine Carbonara, pasta, recipe, Scottsdale farmers' market, smoked salmon, smoked salmon carbonara
Posted in Fish & Seafood, Pasta, Recipes | 13 Comments »

Funny thing, I was hunting for truffle oil, not pepper sauces.

But four pepper sauces were tucked in my box of truffle oil. They were a gift from the small business that makes both truffle oil (from Oregon white truffles) and now pepper sauces.

I contacted the company  – Oregon Truffle Oil, Inc. — and explained that I don’t ask for or generally accept free product. (In the interest of full disclosure, most, but not all, of the cookbooks Linda Avery reviews for Pen & Fork are sent to her from publishers.) I asked the company for a bill for the sauces I didn’t order. They countered with, how about we send you an invoice for the extra shipping? Fine.

So, these sauces were free (save the extra $5 shipping plus the original $51 order I placed for their truffle oils — more on those another time).

All four sauces ($8 each, or $25 for all four) are wheat free and contain no preservatives. The first ingredient is Pinot Noir wine, hence the name Pinot & ____. It makes sense. The company is based in Willamette Valley, Oregon, arguably home of the best American Pinot Noirs.

In fact, all four have a winey nose when you take a sniff. The wine taste, however, is lost in a myriad of other flavors, but it seems to be a good base for a sauce, just as tomato concentrate is.

All four sauces contain gluten-free soy sauce, and cornstarch as a thickener. From there, it’s lemon juice and/or distilled vinegar for tartness, some brown sugar to cut the acid, and salt and spices.

Sodium content ranges from 170 mg (7%) to 370 mg (15%) per tablespoon, which seems low to normal for sauces, but all taste salty straight from the bottle. Could be because soy sauce is the second ingredient and table salt is also listed in the ingredient list. For comparison, my beloved A-1 sauce has 280 mg (12%) of sodium per tablespoon. Once I cooked with the Pinot sauces, however, the saltiness mellowed, although it did impact how much additional salt I used.

The most intriguing of the bunch is the Pinot Szechuan. It has Chinese 5-Spice notes and a hefty heat kick. According to the ingredient list, it gets its kick from habanero chile, not Sichuan peppercorns (perhaps Sichuan peppercorns are included in the generic “spices” ingredient). No matter, it’s still an intriguing sauce.

The chipotle flavored sauce is appropriately smoky, and the habanero is appropriately fruity hot — make that HOT, but in a pleasant lip-numbing way – (it has a touch of orange peel, and even chipotle to add some smokiness). In fact, the habanero might be my favorite, and I’ll try it out in creamy coleslaw and even on a baked potato. (Why not? I have been known to load up a baked potato with A-1 sauce instead of butter. Try it.)

I used the Pinot & Pepper Sauce to make the Bloody Jack, a recipe included with the sauces. It wasn’t the best bloody Mary I’ve ever tasted (that would be this one) but then again, I never claimed to be a cocktail maven (smoothie savant, yes, cocktail savant, no).

Still, it was a fine bloody Mary (I garnished it with feta stuffed olives from Queen Creek Olive Mill) and it made reading the local newspaper all the more fun.

CZAR’S Bloody Jack

(adapted from CZAR’s Fine Foods)

Makes 1 small cocktail

Ingredients:

3 ounces tomato juice (I used low-sodium V-8)
1-1/2 ounces vodka
1 ounce Pinot-Pepper Sauce
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 ounce lemon juice (about 1/4 of a medium lemon)

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker (without ice). Shake and strain mixture over a small cocktail glass filled with ice. Garnish with celery stick, cucumber spear or olives.

Tags: bloody Mary, CZAR'S pepper sauces, Oregon Truffle Oil, Queen Creek olives, recipe
Posted in Beverages, Book & Product Reviews, Recipes | 2 Comments »

UPDATE: Who says 13 isn’t a lucky number? The random number generator spit out 13 and the 13th commenter was Krissy, who says “pulled pork is the BEST!” Congrats, Krissy, the signed copy of Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue is on its way to you!
Last month we gave you a sneak peek into Chef Bryan Dooley’s brand new cookbook featuring stories and recipes from his award-winning BBQ joint, Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue in Cave Creek, AZ.

We think you’d really like to have this book, so we bought you one. We’re thoughtful that way. And, we also had the chef sign it!

(Fess-up time — actually, we only bought one of you a copy (we’re thoughtful but we’re not rich).  However, YOU might win the book. All you have to do is leave a comment telling us what your favorite BBQ dish is.)

Maybe you like ribs. Bryan’s BBQ ribs were featured in Grub Street’s Big-City Barbecue: 101 Places to Satisfy Your Urban ‘Cue Craving.

Or maybe you love brisket or pulled pork or who knows what you like? Tell us and we’ll put your name in the drawing for the signed copy of the book. If you entry is the random number winner, we’ll mail you a copy of Bryan’s book. It’ that simple.

Fine print: Only one entry per person. Deadline to enter is Friday, January 20th, 2012, at midnight (EST). Winner will be notified via email on Saturday, January 21, 2012. USA addresses only for shipping.

Tags: BBQ beans, BBQ recipes, Bryan Dooley, Bryan's BBQ, Bryan's Black Mountain Barbecue, cookbook giveaway, recipe
Posted in Book & Product Reviews, Recipes, Side Dishes | 25 Comments »

Editor’s note: We promised another cookbook review from Linda Avery to inspire your New Year cooking and here it is: Melissa Clark’s Cook This Now, along with a recipe for grilled lamb sausages paired with an arugula and celery root salad. 

Cook This Now

by Melissa Clark
photos by Andrew Scrivani

Facts: Hyperion, 416 pages, $29.99 (or Amazon at $19.79)
Photos: 21
Recipes: 137 (see Note)
Give To: cooks looking for seasonal inspiration

Cook This Now by Melissa Clark topped Epicurious’ Best Books of 2011 and Clark is all about seasonal cooking.

She sets the stage from the start with content pages listing recipes by month, when their main ingredients can be optimally obtained. Of course, there are plenty of crossovers and nothing will stop you from having November’s Carroty Mac and Cheese if you have a hankering in March.

Each recipe has an addendum, which I really like, dubbed “What Else?” This is where she notes suggestions for substitutions and other information such as buying Atlantic or Spanish mackerel rather than the larger king mackerel with a higher mercury content, or substituting a combination of a lemon and a tangerine for a similar flavor if you don’t happen to have Meyer lemons on hand.

Note: The dustcover of this book announces 120 recipes but that doesn’t include the 17 bonus recipes from Melissa Clark’s cookbook In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite

Also, for space considerations, we cut Ms. Clark’s engaging headnote down a bit. (Sorry, you’ll just have to buy the book to read every delicious word.)

Grilled Sausages with Celery Root Salad with Hazelnuts and Arugula

photo © by Andrew Scrivani

During my junior year abroad in Paris, in between gobbling warm croissants, raw milk cheeses, and countless macaroons, I ate an awful lot of celery root rémoulade.

I never bothered making celery root rémoulade when I was in Paris because it was ubiquitous and cheap. But once I got back to New York, if I wanted any more of the silky, savory salad, I’d have to tackle the homely root and whip some up myself.

And that’s the thing about celery root rémoulade. It starts with celery roots, which, with their hairy skins and muddy crevices, are never going to be the most inviting vegetable in the bin. But once those roots are peeled and grated, a quick toss with lemony, mustard-imbued mayonnaise will make the most of their inner beauty.

These days, my celery root salad of choice is a lighter take on a rémoulade. Instead a mayonnaise, I use a zippy mustard vinaigrette, and serve the salad on a bed of tangy arugula topped with hazelnuts for crunch. It’s marvelous as a first course on its own. Or to make it mealworthy, grill up your favorite sausages-lamb sausages are particularly good-and serve them alongside the salad, letting the mustard from the vinaigrette sauce the sausages and the sausage grease flavor the salad.

Serves 4

Ingredients
For the mustard vinaigrette
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus 1 small pinch
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 1/4 pounds sausages, whatever kind you like

For the salad
1 medium celery root, trimmed and peeled (see What Else? below)
5 cups arugula or other salad green, torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 cups finely chopped toasted hazelnuts

Method
Make the mustard vinaigrette
1. With a mortar and pestle or using the flat side of a knife, smash the garlic and tiny pinch of salt to make a paste. Whisk it in a small bowl with the mustard, vinegar, and remaining salt. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the oil until fully incorporated. Season with pepper.

2. Preheat the broiler. Prick the sausages all over with a fork, then lay them on a baking sheet. Broil them about 3 inches from the heat until browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side (exactly how long will depend on your oven and the thickness of your sausage).

Make the salad
1. Fit a food processor with a large grating blade; grate the celery root. You can also use a box grater, though beware your knuckles. Transfer to a large bowl and add the salad greens and hazelnuts. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well. season with more salt, lemon juice, and/or olive oil if needed before serving.

What Else?

• This recipe calls for a medium celery root, which is about the same size as a large navel orange (4 or 5 inches in diameter). If you can only get one of the giant, grapefruit-size roots, use about three-quarters of it. Or use it all; just make a little extra vinaigrette to make sure it’s well seasoned.
• Trimming the celery root is probably the hardest and most annoying thing about this recipe. You can use a sharp vegetable peeler, but a sharp paring knife is more efficient.  Either way, be prepared to go deep. You will likely need to hack off about a quarter inch of the surface to get past the divots of dirt.
• This goes really well with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes. To make them, try this: boil the potatoes (unpeeled) in plenty of water until very soft. Drain, let cool, then slip them off the skins. In the same pot you used to boil the potatoes, heat some milk or chicken stock seasoned with salt until simmering. Add the potatoes and a lump of butter (use as much as you can bear; my tolerance is high), and mash with a potato masher or fork over very low heat until as smooth as you like it. We like lumps. Sometimes I leave the skin on the potatoes. Serve all at once.

Tags: Cook This Now, cookbook review, grilled lamb sausage, lamb, Linda Avery, Melissa Clark, recipe, salad
Posted in Book & Product Reviews, Lamb, Recipes, Salads | No Comments »

The Great Ranch Cookbook

Spirited Recipes & Rhetoric from America's Best Guest Ranches

Par Fork! The Golf Resort Cookbook

Culinary Expedition Through World Class Golf Resort Kitchens

The Cool Mountain Cookbook

A Gourmet Guide to Winter Retreats