Antioxidants for Breakfast

I recently threw an "I'm turning 35, thank you for putting up with me for another year" party for my friends. The event began with brunch and ended with dinner prepared by a friend and a viewing of the Oscar's. Preparation began 5 days prior and it took 2 days after the event to get the house back in shape and to finish washing dishes but I'll tell you what, I'll happily do it again.

Breakfast is, hands down, my favorite meal so when I decided on brunch I was on a mission to find a divine Baked French Toast recipe. I was determined to convert even the most staunch French Toast purist and my answer came in the form of a recipe from Gourmet Magazine. Me being me, I followed the recipe...kinda.

Baked Blueberry French Toast with Blueberry Maple Syrup.
as interpreted by Beth - who will next prepare it with raspberries and almonds.

Butter 9x13 baking pan
You need 1 - 24in French Baguette (I needed 1 1/4 to fill the space in my pan) cut into 20 - 1 inch slices. Arrange slices in one layer in pan.

Whisk together
6 lg eggs
2 3/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. fresh nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
and 3/4 c. brown sugar
Pour this mixture evenly over the bread. I did this over the course of 3 hours, saturating the bread, covering it and returning it to chill. This allowed me to ensure full absorption of the custard; I did not want to risk over saturated bread swimming in extra liquid. Cover and chill for 8 - 24 hours

1c Pecans
Dry toast pecans in a heavy bottom frying pan. Toss with 1 tsp of melted unsalted butter and 1/4 tsp salt. Set these aside, they are part of your topping. I suggest doubling the quantity because they are really flipping good and you will want to snack on them.

When you are ready to bake:
preheat oven to 400 degrees
Sprinkle your Pecans and 2 c. of blueberries (frozen works if you don't have fresh) over your bread. Melt 1/2 stick of butter and 1/4 c. of brown sugar until the sugar is fully melted - go ahead and pour this evenly over your already incredible dish.
Bake for 20 min or until the liquid from the blueberries is bubbling merrily.

Syrup
In a small saucepan combine 1 c. of blueberries and 1/2 c. of pure maple syrup - keep this on the heat until the berries have burst. About 3 - 4 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a heatproof pitcher - make sure you crush all additional juices out of any remaining solids. Stir in 1 - 2 Tbs. of lemon juice.

and if for some reason there are leftovers - they are really good with vanilla ice cream

Old World Flair

Last night I worked at Marco's again and he told me to watch him prepare one of my favorite dishes, fettuccine alfredo.  Ok, I thought, cream and butter are delicious so what's he going to do that...

Yeah.  Stupid me.  He started off with sweating about 2 tbs 1/4" chopped onions in olive oil.  "Don't let it get brown.  You want it white for the sauce."  Add to that a pinch of fresh and finely chopped garlic.  "You don't want them to taste it.  It adds to the dish, it... I dunno what it does but it's fantastic."  This is why I love this man.  He just gets it and knows what works.  That's a chef.  I'm just a cook.

Once he was satisfied with the onions and garlic, he added about 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, about 1/4 cup chicken stock and about 1 tbs of freshly ground black pepper.  He swirled it all together until the liquids combined neatly and then brought it to a boil to reduce to half over medium-high heat.

We sat around and chatted while his cream dish was happily boiling away.  Every now and then, he'd toss in about two tablespoons of butter (total of about 5 tbs).  Once it was reduced, he added the freshly made fettuccine (!), about another 2 tbs of black pepper and I swear about a cup of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano before he was done.  Tossing it in the pan, I watched him add more cheese until each flip produced legs of sauce leaping from the pan as opposed to separate drops.

"If you ever see this dish made somewhere else and they didn't do it like I did, they don't know what they're doing."  Where did he learn this dish, I asked.  "Italy."

Duh, of course you did, Mark.  Of course you did.

Upon tasting it, I think I giggled like a little girl.

I'm off to make some fettuccine.

Beef Tenderloin in a port wine reduction and roasted shallots

I made this dish several times and in several variations for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes it was my annual Jólfest feast, another time it was for loved ones I haven't seen in years and another was during a dinner date.  Without fail, the simplicity of this recipe satisfied each and every time, getting immense compliments.

The secret here is what to do with that incredible cut of beef called a center-cut tenderloin roast.  Dry it first, remove any remaining silver skin the butcher may have left on, use the thyme sparingly and just enough to scent the meat during the roast.  But as with any beef, let it sit and become room temp for a much more even roasting.

I typically serve this with my red-skinned roasted garlic mash and aspargus with hollandaise.

A 3 lb roast in a full meal served 10 individuals with two 1/2" slices each.  Incredible that as satisfying and as delicious as it is, it cost less than $10/person.  Dinner for three comes to about $25/person with a 2 lb roast.

Point is, you can eat fine foods with fresh ingredients without going to the bank.

Like most of my recipes, I found this same one online and find little reason to vary it.  The reduction technique is used in a GREAT many recipes, however.  Master that and you're on your way to some incredible sauces.

Variations include red wine and mushroom.

Ingredients

3/4 pound shallots, halved lengthwise and peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups beef broth
3/4 cup port wine (not tawny)
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 pounds beef tenderloin roast, trimmed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 slices bacon, diced
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375.

1. In a small pan (pie, sauce, whatever), toss the shallots with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Just coat the shallots, you're not oven frying them.  Place them on the lower rack and let roast to a deep brown.  Mine took about 40 minutes.
   
   (If you're making the red-skinned roasted garlic mash with this, roast your garlic at the same time.)
   
   
2. In a large saucepan, combine beef broth and port. Bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until the volume is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Whisk in tomato paste. Set aside.
   
   
3. Pat beef dry; sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.
   
   
4. In a large roasting pan, set over medium heat on the stove top, saute bacon until golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Add beef to pan; sear on all sides over medium high heat to seal in the juices during roasting.
   
   
5. Transfer pan to oven. Roast beef until meat thermometer inserted into center registers 125 degrees for medium rare, about 25 minutes. Transfer beef to platter. Tent loosely with foil for about 20 minutes.  Do not cut into it!  Always rest beef after roasting to allow the juices the retreated to the center to recirculate throughout.  In this case, about 15 - 20 minutes.
   
   
6. Spoon fat off the top of the pan drippings but leave browned bits and deglaze pan with broth mixture.  (Deglazing is the act of releasing the flavor of the bits into what will become a sauce.  Grab a wooden spoon, pour in your sauce bring it to a boil and scrape, scrape, scrape.)
   
   
7. Transfer to a medium saucepan, and bring to simmer. Mix 1 1/2 tablespoon butter and flour in small bowl to form smooth paste; whisk into broth mixture, and simmer until sauce thickens. Whisk in remaining butter. Stir in roasted shallots and reserved bacon. Season with salt and pepper.
   
   
8. Cut beef into 1/2 inch thick slices. Spoon some sauce over, and garnish with sprigs of thyme.

Tuscan Bean Spread

My mother came to the United States from The Netherlands in 1970 and it was not until the early 1990's that she managed to cook a meal we were not terrified of. My brother and I braved years of banana sandwiches, spinach omelets, hockey puck burgers, frozen vegetables and platters of assorted finger foods; I truly believe that it was a matter of survival that drove us both into the kitchen in search of edible fare.

Josh, my brother, is a true artist in the kitchen - give him an hour with the leftovers in your refrigerator and full access to your spice cabinet then sit back, relax and prepare to be amazed. I tend to a more practical comfort food family style method of cooking. The greatest joy I get when preparing a meal is knowing that I am creating a space where people can slow down, share their day, thoughts and ideas while consuming tasty bites.

Tasty Bite #1 - Tuscan Bean Spread
This is an absolute favorite in my house - served as an appetizer or incorporated into a meal. The spread can be made the same day and served warm but it always seems best when it is prepared the day before.

recipe makes approximately 1 cup of spread - I usually double it.

3TBS. Olive oil
3 - 4 med garlic cloves, coarsely chopped- if you really love garlic, go nuts
3 tsp. minced fresh rosemary - I eyeball and use about half of a bunch
1 16 ounce can small white beans, undrained
salt & pepper to taste

Toss olive oil, rosemary and garlic into a heavy bottom skillet - heat the pan until you hear that fabulous sizzle, give the mixture a minute or two so the flavor can fully infuse the oil. Add beans and liquid. The beans will soften as they cook, mash them with a wooden spoon. Cook until the mixture is a relatively smooth loose consistency (it will thicken as it cools), add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon into serving bowl and drizzle spread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and garnish with a sprig of fresh Rosemary, serve with pita chips.

Bring this to any gathering and you will be a rock star.

My mother's daughter

My best friend has pointed out many times that I'm turning into my mother, and I've started to notice it myself. At first, it freaks you out. And then you start to realize you picked up some of the good stuff, too.

The best thing I learned about cooking from my mother (who learned from her mother) is, clean as you go. Take 2 seconds to wipe a spill, 3 seconds to throw out your garbage, 5 seconds to put your extras in the fridge, or your seasonings back in the cabinet, put things in the dishwasher one by one... That way, when you're done, all that's left to clean are the dishes you ate with. Which, as she put it, "isn't too much for a man to handle."

The next best thing I learned from her is not to waste a thing. If there is but one lick of mustard in the jar, she'll pour in oil, vinegar and herbs, shake it up, and relabel it "salad dressing." With a Sharpie, no joke.

I love, love, love to cook and bake. It relaxes me, charges me creatively, and the products make my life easier when I have leftovers to grab and go. But groceries are horribly expensive, our economy is in the shitter, and I'm poor! Through experimentation I've realized the actual money-saving value of this practice. (Not only that, but it automatically charges you to be more creative, which is twice as satisfying.) So, with my Giant Eggplant that Never Became Parmigiana, and my Too Big for Slapnuts Stew Zucchini, I set out to make roasted vegetable wraps with goat cheese, and they are DEEEEEEElicious! I just need an entertaining name....

Roasted Earth Bounty with Cheese from Goat:
1 eggplant
1 zucchini - large
1 red pepper
1 green "
1 orange "
1 yellow "
1/2 bermuda onion
(portabello mushroom would also be excellent, but they're a little pricey for me to keep in regular stock.)

-Slice the vegetables any way you like, about 1/4 inch thick, and spread them out in a single layer in your baking dish.
-Using a mixture of 1/4 cup good olive oil and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, fully coat the top side of each vegetable.
-Sprinkle the veggies with your favorite seasonings. I used: fresh ground pepper, sea salt, thyme, basil and garlic powder.
-Roast in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. The veggies should be soft and not too brown.
-Arrange the veggies burrito-style in a large tortilla, and spoon in hunks of goat cheese, to your liking.
-Wrap up and chow down!

The best thing about this wrap is, it's as good cold as it is warm. This recipe makes about 4 wraps. Roll your extras in foil, and you have an awesome lunch, ready to come with you to work!

Red-skinned Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Oh, the goodness that comes from the roasted garlic is amazing.  Unlike many mashed potato recipes, you'll find your fat coming from cream cheese and not milk.

I tend to cook for large groups so this should serve about a dozen folks.

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs of small gourmet red-skinned potatoes (if large, quartered); skin on
• About five cups of chicken broth
• One large garlic bulb
• 4 ounces of cream cheese (I like mine extra creamy so I use 8 oz, a full bar of Philly)
• 1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley (for finish)

Preheat oven to 400

1. Remove excess skin from garlic bulb and cut off top of each clove.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast at 400 degrees until golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes
2. In a large saucepan, bring the potatoes to a boil; reduce to medium heat and cover until tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Strain potatoes, reserve the cooking liquid
4. Mash potatoes but leave lumps!  We're looking for texture from this one.
5. Squeeze garlic from their shells into the potatoes
6. Fold in cream cheese, start with 4oz (half a bar) and increase to flavor
7. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add chicken broth until potatoes are fluffy
8. Before serving, add the freshly chopped parsley and plate

If you need to keep potatoes warm, just add a little stock to moisten them again before serving.

Brown Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya

In the woods of the New York Renaissance Faire, we performers gather at night to camp, drink beer, abuse substances (and our bodies) and generally have a good time.  I once declared that an upcoming Saturday eve was to be "L'il N'awlins Night" and to honor that, I cooked up a batch of what was to become a signature dish of mine, Brown Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya which was largely based on a recipe from Emeril.

I served it that Saturday eve as promised and was threatened with campfire cutlery if I didn't make more soon.

This is backwoods Cajun at its finest, mon cher. There's just enough cayenne in this to leave a nice, slow burn after eating but not enough to obscure the flavor of the Cajun naughtiness that is this dish. Only a couple of Yanks couldn't handle the spice.

I didn't really measure anything but the approximations below are good enough for me. 

Brown Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya 
Makes about 4 Steve-size servings, 12 regular small bowls of yummy goodness. 

• 1 cast iron Dutch oven - a MUST. Without the cast iron dutch oven, you ain't makin' jambalaya. 
  
• About 1/4 cup of vegetable oil 
  
• About three cups of onion, chopped (one large yellow onion might do) 
  
• About a cup of green bell peppers, chopped (should be one large bell) 
  
• (No celery in this one -- only two-thirds of the trinity present) 
  
• About three teaspoons of salt 
  
• About 1 1/4 teaspoons of cayenne pepper 
  
• About a pound of andouille sausage, 1/4" slices bias cut. 
  
• About a pound of white and dark meat chicken, cubed into 1" squares (maybe 1.5 lbs) 
  
• 3 bay leaves 
  
• Enough medium-grain white rice (I ended up using long grain) to coat the goodness in the pot, about three cups 
  
• Water -- I poured in the water until it just about covered everything, about six cups. Key to this is the 2:1 ratio of water to rice
  

---- 

Season the chicken with 1 tsp salt and a pinch or two of the cayenne. Let sit in a covered container but makes sure that stuff got all around. Shake it up!  I typically prep the chicken in advance and let it sit overnight.

1. Heat the oil over a medium-high flame in the Dutch oven, add the peppers, onions, remaining cayenne and remaining salt.
   
2. Keep stirring the vegetables until they've turned a nice dark brown and have thoroughly caramelized, about 20-25 minutes. Don't burn 'em, just caramelize 'em. 
   
3. All the while, scrape up the sides and bottom of the oven and mix in those scrapings. 
   
4. Add the andouille, keep stirring until they plump up and the smell changes from delicious to a subtle spicey incredibleness. 
   
5. Add the chicken and bay leaves. Keep stirring, always scraping up the goodness on the bottom and sides. Try not to break the bay leaves at first - it'll just make them harder to remove later. 
   
6. When the chicken is cooked and the edges are lookin' just a little brown, add the uncooked rice. Mix to coat everything, about 2-3 minutes. Git it in there! 
   
7. Add water, stir, reduce flame to medium-low, cover, say "A'ight then", have a beer with your friends, and make fun of everyone's really shitty N'awlins accent, including your own. If you're lucky enough to be in an incredibly talented cast, have someone sing random blues like we did. 
   
8. When the rice is plump and cooked (about 35-40 minutes for my long grain, probably less for medium grain), remove it from the flame, and let sit covered for about three minutes. 
   
9. Remove bay leaves and serve. 
   

Now, I fully admit going back every now and then and checking on it. Opening up the damned lid to smell and letting out all that steam that helps cook the rice. So I'm not saying that if you follow these directions that you'll wind up with something that those good folks on the Hill enjoyed that night. Play with it - no two batches will come out the same. (I think I lucked out that night, a positive combination of fresh ingredients, slow cooking, maniacal scraping, and excellent folks singing the blues.) 

Seriously, the secret to this is in the uber-caramelized veggies, the scraping of the Dutch oven and the rice absorbing all those flavors during the final stage. And, of course, that we were jus' being silly up there on the Hill. 

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Pizza con Grappa

When I visited Oregon this May, B. and I drove up a huge snaky hill in search of the Brandy Peak distillery. It's a tiny brandy distillery near Brookings, Oregon, and it was totally worth the hunt. We arrived to be greeted by two jumpy labradors, and a SUPER nice lady who took a break from bottling their signature blackberry liqueur to show us around. Their brandy is distilled in ENORMOUS copper barrels, and the whole setup looks like a mad scientist's lab. We sampled all different kinds of brandy, and took home a special aged brandy, the blackberry stuff, and a bottle of Grappa. I had to get the grappa, because honestly - who makes that shit? After a sobering smoke and a few more belly rubs for the dogs, we were on our way.

Let me tell you -- nobody likes grappa, except old Italian men who have lost their wives. It takes a strong constitution to drink it straight, and it's more astringent than flavorful, but after some inspiration from the internet, I've discovered the joys of cooking with grappa.

I few months ago, I poached salmon with grappa, and it was FANTASTIC. Grappa reduces quickly, and if you're standing over the pan when you pour it in, you may very well get stinking drunk, just from breathing in the alcohol that the heat releases. But afterward, it smells AMAZING, and finally it reduces into a slightly sweet and immensely flavorful ingredient. So lately, everything that calls for white wine, I've substituted with grappa, as an experiment. If you're really attached to the savory tang of white wine sauces, grappa adds a much more subtle flavor, so you may not even notice it. You can preserve some of the tang by cooking it less, but i'm totally hooked on the smell in creates in the house when it burns off.

So, I got some store bought whole wheat pizza dough, out of pure curiosity, and I had some swiss cheese on hand that I wanted to get rid of, and I came up with this: Pizza con grappa......Oh - I don't measure anything. Unless it might kill me. Just so you know.

Heat yerself a little olive oil in a large pan. (Enough oil to sautee veggies, but remember that zucchini releases a fair amount of water, and you don't want the mix to be soggy, otherwise you'll have floppy pizza. Ew.)

Wash and thinly slice some zucchini and mushrooms. (If you're using canned mushrooms, dump 'em in. If they're fresh, sautee the mushrooms first, and add the zucchini after 3 minutes or so.)

Add, to your taste:
dried thyme
garlic powder (if you like fresh garlic better, don't let me stop you. I happen to have a really delicious organic garlic powder that I can't get enough of.)
sea salt
cracked pepper

After 5 or so minutes of cooking, add half a cup of grappa (or white wine) and cook until the liquid reduces almost completely.

OPTION for crispy crust: Preheat your oven, and pre-bake your pizza dough at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. (If you like it soft and chewy, just preheat at this stage.)

Spread the veggie mixture over the partially baked crust, and top with grated jarlsberg cheese. (I think Swiss is a little too intense for THIS dish, overpowering all the wonderful subtle flavors in the veggies. Jarlsberg is a great mild flavor without being TOO bland.)

Optional: sprinkle grated Parmesan as a finishing touch.

Bake until the cheesy goodness melts (about 8-10 more minutes.)

Et voila!