Category — Food & Wine
Good Fish Dishes Out Good Recipes
I’m probably not terribly unique in that I know how good fish is for me and yet I don’t eat nearly enough of it. Which is to say I usually fail to consider seafood when contemplating what to make for dinner. It somehow doesn’t register as a versatile protein with which I can get creative, which is silly considering how many excellent seafood options there are to be had. I think what it comes down to is my own limitations in thinking up what to do with it.
I can say without a doubt that the two sea dwellers I’ve made at home most frequently over the years would be shrimp and salmon. While either can be prepared numerous ways, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut and to lose interest after too much of the same. And yet I’ve steamed clams and mussels, basted crab legs, and seared scallops. I’ve grilled trout, broiled tuna, and fried halibut. I’m not inexperienced with seafood at home, I just haven’t felt comfortable enough with it to incorporate it fully into a weekly meal.
Enter Good Fish.
While working on this incredible cookbook, I found myself wanting to try all of the recipes. Every single one sounded amazing, and I even had the pleasure of tasting a few of the dishes when attending a photo shoot. (This former scallop-hater started singing a different tune after reluctantly accepting a bite of the Scallop Crudo.)
Now I frequently refer to the cookbook for ideas, and more than that, I refer to it for reassurance. Author Becky Selengut doesn’t give me the chance to doubt my ability to pick out the best piece of fish (the information is right at my fingertips), and she encourages me to get outside my comfort zone and give something different a place at my table. She’s even created a series of videos for preparation techniques that are hard to explain in writing. On top of that, I can feel good about eating the seafood featured in the book because they are all sustainable choices. There is no excuse for being ignorant anymore.
Check out Becky’s seafood technique videos at http://www.goodfishbook.com/gfb/index.asp
And so it was with confidence and excitement that I made my first trip to Mutual Fish to purchase a fillet of black cod—a fish I had yet to try. If Becky says it’s so rich that it could be substituted by a stick of butter, then it has to be pretty incredible, right?
I was not disappointed. The flesh was soft, moist, fatty, and smooth. It was definitely buttery, and yet the flavor was so subtle (not at all fishy) that the meat really acted as more of a base for the other ingredients. If you haven’t tried it yourself, I highly recommend running home to do so immediately.
I fully intend to make every black cod dish in the book, and I won’t stop there. The mouthwatering recipes and glorious photographs have given me just the inspiration I need to make good fish (old standbys and newcomers alike) welcome in my kitchen on a more regular basis.
Roasted Black Cod with Bok Choy and Soy Caramel Sauce
Serves 4
5 ounces red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 large bulbs bok choy, halved
2 small tomatoes, halved
Salt
4 green onions, white and green parts cut into 3-inch lengths
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
4 teaspoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
4 slices lime
1 serrano chile, sliced (optional)
1 pound black cod fillet or steaks, cut into 4 equal portions
1/2 cup Soy Caramel Sauce*
4 cups cooked rice
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
You’re going to make 4 separate piles on the foil. Each pile will get 1/2 cup cabbage, a bok choy half, a tomato half sprinkled with a little salt, and a quarter of the green onions. Drizzle each pile with 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar. Top with a lime slice and sprinkle with some chile pieces. Roast the vegetables in the oven for 20 minutes, or until they are soft and lightly browned around the edges. Keep the oven on.
Remove the pan from the oven, place one piece of black cod, skin side down, on each pile, and drizzle 1 tablespoon soy caramel sauce on each piece of fish. Roast for another 8 to 10 minutes or until a press of the finger reveals a sliding away, ever so gently, of the fish into the beginning of individual flakes. Serve with the rice and remaining soy caramel sauce.
Pairing: An Oregon pinot gris, such as Eyrie Vineyards 2007, Willamette Valley, or a Savennières from the Loire Valley in France.
*Soy Caramel Sauce is referenced in a couple of recipes in Good Fish and pairs well with any number of dishes. Pick up a copy of the book to get the recipe!
May 19, 2011 4 Comments
The Importance of Eating Good Fish
While fulfilling my science requirements at Western Washington University, I enrolled in Environmental Science 101. It was in a massive lecture-style classroom that was filled with at least 300 bodies. The professor was a young(ish) man who wore cargo pants and Merrell hiking shoes as a uniform of sorts—a far cry from the tweeds of a college professor cliché, but up in Bellingham it just seemed right. Every day before class our professor played Pearl Jam or Led Zeppelin while we took our seats. Although it was crowded and often stuffy in that lecture hall, the content made the class feel intimate, and it is one of the courses that has left the strongest impression on me, even nine years after it concluded.
Photograph by Clare Barboza
I found it easy to care about the topics in the class—overpopulation, pollution, deforestation—but what really hit home for me was learning about overfishing. When I learned about trawling (which consists of pulling a fishing net behind a boat along the ocean floor and often destroying sensitive habitats, upsetting the reproduction of a species, and unintentionally killing accidentally caught fish or “bycatch”), I was deeply alarmed. When I learned about surface long-lining (dragging lines with hooks along the top of the ocean, catching and killing unintended species such as turtles and birds), I was heartbroken. How, with as much access to technology and resources as we have, was a more conscientious method not implemented, and what could I do about it? It has been nine years since I took Environmental Studies 101, but the distaste lingered, so when I learned that Sasquatch Books was planning to publish Becky Selengut’s Good Fish, I was over the moon.
Overfishing is a topic with growing momentum. Documentary films and TV series, such as The End of the Line, The Cove, and the UK’s Big Fish Fight, as well as numerous websites are bringing more universal awareness to overfishing. But this does not mean that we need to stop eating fish altogether; after all, we know fish is tasty and full of the nutrients we need. But it has never been more important for people to start eating the right kind of fish or, if you will, the good fish.
There are so many simple things we can do, and Selengut is here to school the masses: purchase wild-caught salmon instead of farmed, avoid fish caught in Southeast Asia, ask your grocery store butcher or fish monger where their fish comes from. You can rest easy and eat well knowing you did your part. With Good Fish as my textbook, I now know which fish to buy, where to buy it, and how to cook it.
One of my all-time favorite quotes is from a fairly ridiculous movie, but I find that I can apply it almost any situation: “You can’t change the world, but you can make a dent.” I still consider many of the things we discussed in that crowded and often stuffy lecture hall almost a decade ago, and I make them part of my daily practice. I hope many of my fellow students do as well, and I believe that if we all pitch in, we can make a pretty damn big dent.
May 4, 2011 1 Comment
Nikki McClure Cooks the Perfect Day
Here at Sasquatch Books, we are pleased to publish a number of Nikki McClure’s inspiring journals, including The First 1000 Days, Remember: A Seasonal Record, and Things to Make and Do. Her latest book, How to Cook a Perfect Day (available just in time for the busy holiday season) harkens back to Nikki’s early days as a paper-cut artist. Not only is it a pleasure to peruse, it also reminds us to take the time to breathe and savor the little moments.
The holidays are a notoriously hectic time full of bad-sweater-themed holiday parties, last-minute trips to the grocery store, and calendar pop-up reminders to DVR A Charlie Brown Christmas. Yet in this time of hustle and bustle, it has never been more important to have a moment of repose. Looking through How to Cook a Perfect Day, I found myself inspired to take a trip down memory lane and to consider: What would my perfect day taste like?
According to Nikki, everyone has a list of recipes that creates his or her very own perfect day. Mine would start off with my grandmother’s homemade challah bread French toast. There truly is nothing more comforting than thick slices of that fluffy, sweet, egg-battered bread.
Next would be a cup of strongly steeped Earl Grey tea with a tiny drop of cream and two spoonfuls of sugar, followed by a midday roasting of fresh pumpkin seeds with Cajun seasoning. The next item in my perfect day would be my secret recipe for spicy marinara sauce, a combination that leaves the air thick with the smells of Italy. (I just might take this sacred sauce recipe to the grave.) I would prepare jars of sauce for use on unexpectedly chilly nights.
For dinner, there would be a traditional Polish holiday feast (in my family, this is truly the most gluttonous meal of the year): fresh handmade Pierogi stuffed with onion, mashed potato, and farmer’s cheese, as well as the staple of any truly Polish household, Kapusta, a mild sauerkraut slowly cooked with bacon, fennel seed, and onion, and last but not least, smoked Kielbasa. Yum.
To finish off my perfect day I’d make Red, White, and Blue Parfaits with fresh strawberries from the garden, foraged wild blueberries, and perfectly sweetened whipped cream.
The wonderful thing about food is that it has the remarkable ability to bring us back to a moment. For me, these recipes are less about eating than they are about moments in my life that I treasure, just as each recipe in Nikki McClure’s How to Cook a Perfect Day is a genuine reflection of her life. She covers all of her favorites, from Lovely Gingerbread Cake to Nettle Soup, and each recipe carries with it a memory. This gem of a book truly inspires us to recall the meals that make life grand and encourages us to savor the taste of every perfect day.
December 22, 2010 No Comments
The Essential Northwest Essentials
When I heard that our editorial team wanted to create a new edition of Greg Atkinson’s classic cookbook, Northwest Essentials, I was a bit giddy. As head of the Sales and Marketing department, I knew Greg’s book would be a big success, since the original edition sold over 12,000 copies.
Original book cover, 1st edition, 1999
And as an avid home cook, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the new Northwest Essentials. (Because the original edition was so popular, we sold every last copy years ago, and before I knew it, there wasn’t even one to spare for my personal cookbook collection.) Senior Editor Susan Roxborough envisioned a simple and elegant visual look for the new edition and brought on the talented food photographer Clare Barboza to shoot color photographs for the book. Our former designer, Rosebud Eustace, designed the book, including this lovely cover, and now I finally have my very own copy. Cue my big smile.
New edition of Northwest Essentials, published October 2010.
The beautiful new package of Northwest Essentials is a perfect reflection of Greg’s cooking style: simple and elegant. I reach for Greg’s recipes time and again because they are always delicious and easy at the same time. His ingredient lists are usually short, playing a few flavors to their best expression, which is something I really appreciate when I come home hungry after work and want something that satisfies but doesn’t require elaborate or fussy preparation.
As the title suggests, Atkinson focuses on the Pacific Northwest’s essential ingredients like salmon, berries, wild mushrooms, and hazelnuts. One of the region’s early proponents of cooking in season, Atkinson provides more than 140 recipes for enjoying the best of our local foods. So far, everything I’ve tried from this cookbook has been a winner, including:
Filet of Salmon, Sautéed with Granny Smiths and Cider
Perfect Grilled Salmon with Blackberry Butter Sauce
Fettuccini with Smoked Salmon and Cream
Can you tell that I love salmon? I’ve also made:
Chicken Baked with Plums and Olives
Dream Enchiladas with Bacon and Orange Sauce
Mushroom Ravioli
Hazelnut Tart
Everything has turned out beautifully and gone immediately onto my mental “make again” recipe list. The Hazelnut Tart has already gone two rounds in my household and is on tap for round #3 on our family’s Thanksgiving dinner. Last night I served it to an old friend and left the pie plate on the table as we talked into the night. Every now and then one of us would reach back to the pie plate and slice another sliver as we lingered over the table. These are recipes that make you grateful for all that you have and still keep you wanting more.
December 3, 2010 No Comments
Doughnuts
I can’t remember the first time I ever had a doughnut, but I can certainly remember the best time. I was young—young enough that I still wore overalls and an ID bracelet—but old enough to know that doughnuts were a treat.
My dad was a baked goods connoisseur: Burgermaster had the best bear claws, Leonard’s had the best malasadas, and the Washington State Ferries had the best old-fashioned doughnuts. It was on a ferry ride to Orcas Island that I discovered the beauty of the day-old doughnut.
“Saran Wrap is the trick,” my dad said triumphantly, picking up a mummified doughnut in the galley and shaking it gently. “It keeps the doughnut moist.”
When we got to the cash register, the woman ringing us up said, “That’ll be a quarter.” My dad glanced gleefully down at me with a look on his face that implied we had basically robbed them blind.
On top of being a baked goods connoisseur, my dad was also incredibly thrifty. A doughnut that was cheaper but a day old was
Sitting down with our doughnut, my dad allowed me the pleasure of slowly unwrapping the plastic until a perfectly moist old-fashioned doughnut was revealed to both of us. He pushed it toward me.
“You do the honors,” he said, and I did, carefully breaking it in half. One side came out bigger than the other, so I handed that half to him. Naturally, he wound up giving me the bigger side–that’s just the type of dad he was.
Many years–and many doughnuts–later, old-fashioneds are still my favorite. I even prefer them wrapped in plastic, then broken in half. (But I will take them fresh, too!) When we decided to publish Lara Ferroni’s cookbook, Doughnuts: Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home, I wondered if I’d ever leave my house again.
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Sure enough, Lara’s recipes are easy and delicious, and the doughnuts are fresh and moist–even without Saran Wrap. They aren’t cutesy like a cupcake, and they go better with coffee. What’s not to like?
I do wonder what my dad would think about this cookbook; I wonder if perhaps it would provide the inspiration he needed to actually make something in the kitchen other than a PB&J. I can only wonder as he passed away in 2007. But I do know that he will be smiling down at me next spring as I cut my wedding cake. A wedding cake made entirely of doughnuts.
Old-Fashioned Sour Cream
Makes 6 to 10 doughnuts
Active time: 15 minutes | Ready in: 40 minutes
1 1/4 cups (160 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup (75 grams) superfine sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
Vegetable oil for frying
1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir in the salt. Set aside.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, sour cream, egg, and butter until smooth. Add the flour mixture a little at a time until a smooth dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick, then cut out the doughnuts using a 2 1/2-inch-diameter cutter. You can reroll any scrap dough.
4. Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until a deep-fat thermometer registers 360 degrees F.
5. With a metal spatula, carefully place the doughnuts in the oil. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until light golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Let cool just slightly before glazing.
November 3, 2010 1 Comment
A Food Lover’s Visit to Portland
A friend of mine is visiting Seattle in September and has asked me to guide her in sampling all of the great foods the city has to offer. This is a request I can manage pretty well on my own, but when we decided to do a road trip down to Portland, too, I admitted I wasn’t as well versed in the city’s hot spots as I might like to be. What to do? I could go on an Internet wild goose chase—trying to rustle up the best of the best through various searches—or I could just consult a great resource that is already at my fingertips: Food Lover’s Guide to Portland by Liz Crain.
And consult it I did. In fact, after doing so, the toughest part was trying to narrow down what sounded great to what was reasonable for a short visit! In true Portland DIY style, we will primarily pick and choose ingredients rather than limit ourselves to more formal sit-down meals.
Naturally, we’ll have to hit up the farmers market at Portland State University, which features more than 170 stalls (!) and a huge variety of offerings. We can pick out some fresh fruits and vegetables that might make for a nice picnic.
I’m torn about which bakery to visit and may have to sample the goods from more than one. I think we’ll grab a savory loaf from Pearl Bakery and some sweet breakfast treats from Pix Patisserie. Both earn rave reviews for their quality and specialty items.
We’ll certainly need some cheese to pair with our bread, so a stop at Cheese Bar (formerly Steve’s Cheese) for a staff recommendation will be in order. And then off to Laurelhurst Market Butcher Shop we’ll go for cured meats to top it all. Depending on the time of day, we can either wash the meal down with a coffee from Stumptown or a wine from Boedecker Cellars.
We’ll also have to partake in the booming food cart trend by browsing the pod at Alder Street (near the downtown library). I’m thinking about a garlicky gyro from Aybla Grill, but I could easily be swayed by the other delicious displays . . .
Finally, since I’m a sucker for truffles (and, let’s be honest, any chocolate), I must swing by Moonstruck Chocolate. I dare you to look at Moonstruck’s website and not drool on your keyboard.
Although this list doesn’t even come close to running the gamut of what Portland has to offer, I’m sure both my friend and I will be pleased with what we are able to sample. And anyway, it just means we’ll have to plan future trips to try all of the rest!
Where do you think we should we go next time?
August 5, 2010 No Comments
From the Sasquatch Stove: The Newlywed Kitchen
Prosciutto, Sage & Parmesan Pinwheels
Makes about 28 pinwheels
Serve these easy-to-make pinwheels at your first gathering as newlyweds for a crisp, two-bite popper that pairs beautifully with bubbly. They look “gourmet” but are a breeze to put together: I prepared them with our friends’ 2-year-old daughter, Maysun, who adores helping me in the kitchen. If she can do it, so can you!
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
3 heaping tablespoons honey mustard
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
3⁄4 cup grated Parmesan
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the puff pastry sheet and roll it into a rectangle measuring 11 by 14 inches. Spread the mustard evenly over the entire surface and arrange the prosciutto evenly on top of the mustard. Sprinkle the sage, Parmesan, and pepper evenly over the prosciutto. Roll up one side of the pastry toward the center, jelly roll style, stopping in the middle. Repeat this step on the other side so that the two rolls meet in the center.
2. Carefully wrap the pastry in plastic wrap to help retain its shape. Refrigerate for 3 hours (or overnight) so the pastry has a chance to firm up. (If you’re in a rush, you can instead freeze the dough for about 30 minutes.)
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
4. With a serrated knife, slice the roll into 1⁄2-inch pieces and place them on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between the pieces so they have room to puff up as they bake. Bake the pinwheels for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they are golden and crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature with glasses of bubbly.
July 23, 2010 No Comments
The Perfect Dinner Party Companion: Swirl, Sip & Savor
Usually my dinner party planning goes something like this:
1. Invite people over for a dinner party weeks in advance
2. Think about what I’m going to make for weeks leading up to dinner party
3. Have a minor breakdown the night before dinner party about what to make
4. Attempt something entirely too complicated the day of dinner party
5. Spend too much time in the kitchen while guests are enjoying themselves at my dinner party
Solving all of my dinner party woes: Swirl, Sip & Savor: Northwest Wine and Small Plate Pairings
Swirl, Sip & Savor is a great resource for a novice dinner entertainer or an experienced host/hostess. Not only does it cover party food basics like dips, finger foods, and small plates, but a different Northwest winery is featured in each recipe, along with a complementary wine from their collection.
My favorite part of the book is the “Wine Pairing by Varietal” appendix. It allows you to match any varietal with recipes from the book, which comes in handy when you’re working with wines that you already have on hand.
Additionally, the “Wine and Food Pairing Guide” appendix describes what types of foods pair best with different varietals. For example, I learned that Sangioveses work best with simple, rustic dishes while Syrahs are better suited to robust, hearty meals like stews and barbeque.
And with the exception of the crostinis and flatbreads, most, if not all, of the recipes in the book are easy to convert to gluten-free; a definite plus if you’re trying to please a group.
Here’s one of my favorite recipes from the book. Try it for your next dinner party:
Lamb Skewers with Yogurt Cucumber Dipping Sauce
Tapteil Vineyard Winery | Benton City, Washington
Makes 12 skewers
1/4 cup lemon agrumato olive oil or extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves chopped
15 to 20 fresh mint leaves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds trimmed boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
12 rosemary branches (to use as skewers), if desired, or 12 bamboo skewers
Yogurt Cucumber Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)
Soak the rosemary branch skewers or bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before grilling.
Mix together the lemon agrumato olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, mint, salt, and pepper in a resealable 1-gallon plastic bag. Shake well. Add the lamb cubes and shake to coat with the marinade. Marinate the lamb at room temperature while assembling the Yogurt Cucumber Dipping Sauce.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
While the grill heats, place four to five marinated lamb cubes on each skewer. Grill the skewers, rotating them, until nicely brown but not overcooked, about 8 minutes for medium rare. These will cook quickly, so watch them carefully.
Serve the skewers with the dipping sauce and warm pita bread, if desired.
Yogurt Cucumber Dipping Sauce
1 pint Greek-style yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup diced English cucumber
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a medium serving bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, mint, parsley, and cucumber. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
WINE PAIRING: Tapteil Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain
An extraordinary violet nose leads to deep flavors of dark cherries, chocolate, and spice that fill the palate. The rich chewy finish lingers lavishly.
June 23, 2010 1 Comment
Coming Together in the Kitchen as a Couple
My husband and I have pretty standard roles in the kitchen: I love to cook, he loves to eat what I cook. This works well enough for us, and aside from the occasional request for him to help prepare the garlic bread or dress the salad, I don’t ask much of the man who feels pretty out of place near the stove. That isn’t to say I wouldn’t love to share the kitchen more often, especially when it comes to a special meal.
Our first wedding anniversary is approaching in a few months, and I think it presents the perfect opportunity to bridge that gap and make a meal together. If it’s a disaster (unlikely), we’ll have a great story to tell our kids someday. If it’s flawless, we’ll have a wonderful memory of the dinner we shared.
I turned to The Newlywed Kitchen for menu ideas. This cookbook serves up inspiration in two forms: with the recipes themselves as well as through the stories from celebrated food personalities and their spouses. I can find the recipe for Anniversary Pea Soup with Seared Sea Scallops and then smile about Sally and Carl Mohr’s annual tradition of eating beef burritos and champagne to celebrate their special day.
When I suggested the plan to my husband, he was cautiously on board.
“But what if I burn something? Or miss an ingredient?” he asked.
“I’ll be right there with you though, that’s what’s so great!” I replied with enthusiasm.
And it’s true. Whatever happens in the kitchen that day, we’ll be side by side, relishing the other’s companionship. Isn’t that what marriage is all about?
The fun part was selecting the menu. There are so many excellent recipes, it was hard to narrow them down into one attainable, complementary meal. Should we start with Henry’s Famous Spicy Wings (my husband’s choice) or the Zucchini Fritters with Tangy Yogurt Sauce (mine)? Should we have the Creamy Kale Gratin or the Warm Roasted Potatoes with Basil Pesto on the side? And for the main dish, would we go for the Chicken Piccata with Mushrooms and Leeks or perhaps the Pancetta-Wrapped Pork with Gorgonzola Sauce?
My husband and I ultimately decided on the Warm Mushroom Salad with Ginger Soy Vinaigrette, Roasted Parmesan Broccoli with Toasted Bread Crumbs, and Grilled Porterhouse Steak with Blue Cheese Butter. Then we’ll satisfy our sweet tooths by baking Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies (recipe below).
And because we couldn’t stop drooling, we also chose our breakfast for the next morning: Topsy-Turvy Apple French Toast. We can’t wait!
Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Makes 24 brownies
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 3⁄4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3⁄4 teaspoon espresso powder
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup flour
6 ounces chocolate chips (semisweet, bittersweet, or white)
1 1⁄2 cups chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease a 13-by-9-inch glass or light-colored rectangular pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the unsweetened chocolate and bittersweet chocolate with the butter. Microwave in 20-second intervals, until about 80 percent of the chocolate has melted. Stir the chocolate mixture—the remaining chocolate will melt from the residual heat. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla, espresso powder, and salt. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and stir until combined. Stir in the flour, chocolate chips, and the nuts.
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Don’t overbake the brownies—they should be slightly soft in the center when you remove them from the oven. For cleaner slices, wrap the brownies in plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour before slicing. The brownies will keep, well wrapped, in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
April 26, 2010 No Comments
A Farm to Table Recipe: Get Your Greens!
Try this adaptable and delicious recipe for fresh greens from the Farm to Table Cookbook by Ivy Manning. Just out in paperback and bursting with delicious recipes and beautiful photographs, this timely cookbook offers loads of ideas of what to make with farm- or garden-fresh foods.
A Versatile Recipe for the Hearty Greens You Don’t know What to Do With
(2 to 4 servings)
Just about every visit to the farmer’s market or delivery from a CSA will yield one big, bushy bunch of greens. I suspect that too often these gorgeous greens are just discarded. Whether attached to beets, kohlrabi, turnips, or just simple kale, those coarse-looking greens are indeed edible, and I don’t mean in that bland macrobiotic-steamed-brown-rice kind of way. They are really yummy, especially prepared in this simple Japanese-inspired style. There are no quantities here; each batch of greens will have a different flavor and quantity; just sprinkle the other ingredients sparingly on the greens until you get a flavorful blend.
Ingredients
1 bunch hearty greens—kohlrabi, beets, turnips, or kale
toasted sesame oil
Good-quality soy sauce
Furikake or toasted sesame seeds*
Tear the leaves from their tough ribs and stems. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the leaves, and boil until tender, 1 to 3 minutes depending on the type of greens.
Drain the greens in a colander and push on them to remove as much water as possible.
Roughly chop the cooked greens and place them on a serving plate. Sprinkle lightly with sesame oil and soy sauce; toss to coat. Sprinkle with the furikake and serve as a side dish or salad.
* Furikake is a Japanese condiment made from sesame seeds, nori seaweed, and sea salt that’s used as a seasoning for rice and salads. It is available at most Asian grocery stores; you can substitute toasted sesame seeds and a sprinkle of sea salt.
April 14, 2010 No Comments
