which then made me think of...

i ran into a woman i know only slightly the other day.
she was happily humming a tune while waiting on
a long line at the pharmacy.

it made me smile, which then made me think of
other things that make me smile like...

swedish fish
ice cube trays that make ice shaped like dentures
my brand new vintage juicer
chunky monkey
barcelona, the city
the wallpaper at barcelona, the restaurant
my mini cat, cooper
my new mini cooper, cat.
pink leopard fur clogs
a cup of earl grey tea
verlyn klinkenborg
cerignola olives, especially the really meaty chartreuse colored ones
inventing stuff
funky flannel sheets
dotted drinking glasses
evan barreto and matilda


here are some foodie things that made me smile this week.

Smoked Salmon Spring Rolls with Homemade Ponzu Sauce
Makes 50 or so hors d's.

For the Spring Rolls:
1 lb smoked salmon, small diced
1/2 lb shiitakes, thinly sliced
1 pkg mai fun (rice vermicelli), softened and rough chopped
3 carrots, peeled and shredded
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 pkg wonton wrappers

For the filling: Saute the shiitakes in a bit of butter or olive oil. Season with S.P. When cool, chop. Combine all of the ingredients except the wrappers in a medium sized bowl.

Note: I did not season this mixture with any asian flavorings: soy, sesame, ginger, etc for two reasons: I wanted the powerful flavors of the ingredients to stand alone (the smokiness of the salmon is incredible; it tastes like bacon but isn't so even fish eating vegetarians can enjoy it) and I thought that the ponzu sauce would take care of the rest.

Another note: One of the greatest kitchen tools I own is my mother's Moulinex, a french machine originally marketed, in the 60's, as a meat grinder slash salad maker. I use it to shred carrots into perfect thin wispies of carrot flesh. It somehow makes them taste sweeter. I swear. I realize that I am extremely fortunate to own such a thing and that most others can not claim the same good fortune. Without a Mouli, I can not guarantee your results will be as outstanding as were mine.

To Wrap: Have a small bowl of water standing by. Place wonton wrapper on work board in diamond position (point facing you). Place some of the filling in middle of wrapper. Using your finger, brush some water along the top edges of the wrapper. Fold bottom point over filling and roll, as a cigar. Do not fold in the left and right points. Those ends will stay open in the rolling process, but will magically fold and enclose the filling during the frying process.

To cook: Heat oil in deep pot to 350 degrees or in a tabletop fryer as per the manufacturers instructions. Drop spring rolls in batches of 4 or 5 into the hot oil and fry until golden, about a minute or two. (You will know if oil is the proper temperature if the roll pops up to the surface shortly after being dropped.) Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with a ramekin of ponzu sauce for dipping.

Note: It is best to fry the spring rolls shortly after rolling. If you do, the roll will remain stick like and the side points will nicely curl, enclosing the filling. If you wait, and fry later, the wrapper takes on a bit of moisture from the filling which causes it to fry strangely, into gnarly knobby twisted sticks...which are actually kind of cool, presentation wise. Up to you.

Homemade Ponzu:
1/2 cup Mirin
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 cup soy
juice and zest of 2 lemons

Combine ingredients and allow to shmeld for a bit. Good to go.


Little Swiss Chard and Ricotta Cannelloni
Sauced with Garlic Cream
Topped with Frizzled Ham Slivers
Slurped From Spoons
Makes 5 dozen-ish hors d's

1 lb rigatoni, with a diameter large enough to fit the tip of a pastry bag, gently cooked to just al dente and cooled

1/2 stick butter
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch of swiss chard, chiffonade
1 lb full fat, whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup or so grated parmesan
S.P.


For the filling: Sweat the garlic in butter in large saute pan. Add chard. Cover to allow chard to steam a bit. Cook until chard is wilted, about 5 minutes. Cool. Rough chop the swiss chard into small, ultimately pipeable pieces. Combine cooked cooled chard with the ricotta and parmesan. Adjust seasonings.

To fill the pasta: Just cover the bottom of a baking dish with cream and set aside. Fill a tipless pastry bag with ricotta chard mixture. Pipe filling into each end of each rigatoni, covering the opposite end of the noodle with the finger of your choice to prevent filling from continuing its forward journey. Place filled rigatoni in prepped baking dish. Continue until you either run out of unbroken pasta or filling.

Roasted Garlic Cream
Makes a few cups or so.

6-8 cloves garlic, roasted
2 shallots, small diced
1 cup white wine
2 cups heavy cream
S.P.

To roast garlic: The easiest way to roast garlic is to gently simmer peeled garlic cloves, submerged in oil, on the stove top over a low flame until soft and golden. You can/should do big batches. It keeps really well in the fridge for future uses.

For the sauce: Combine the garlic, shallots, wine and cream in a sauce pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes or so. Mixture will reduce a bit.
Puree using a wand or food processor. Adjust the seasoning.

Frizzled Ham:
1/4 lb sliced baked ham, chiffonade

To frizzle: Deep fry chiffonade ham or saute in butter/oil in saute pan until crispy.


To serve: Heat the little cannelloni, covered, in a 375 degree oven until hot. Gently transfer them to individual slurping spoons. Pour some of the garlic cream over each noodle. Top with frizzled ham. Serve.

Lots of little steps, but so worth it.

Variability Factor: Very. Fillings can be changed. We've done butternut squash/pumpkin in the wintry months. Sauces can be changed. The blue cheese cream from the sweet potato gnocchi blog would work nicely with the squash version.
I am certain I could come up with a great variation using.................................CHORIZO.
Maybe if you ask nicely.

Note: I derive lots, and I mean lots, of foodie inspiration from the man I teach with. I've been doing this food thing for a long, long time. Before I started working with him a few years ago, the whole food thing was starting to feel a little stale.
No longer.
This cannelloni recipe is based upon a B. Neumeyer invention.
This blog is dedicated to him with boundless gratitude for his boundless passion for everything food and the stuff we use to make it.
Thanks, Bri.

Eat.

rainy days and big pink bowls of popcorn

i love popcorn.

unfortunately, she hasn't always loved me back.
recently, she broke one of my favorite wisdom teeth
and she once nearly caused a house fire when a babysitter
decided to pop her in a metal mixing bowl.

and yet, i find it hard not to forgive her those little
indiscretions when she otherwise provides me
with so much pleasure.

when i was a little kid,
jiffy pop was our friday night tv treat.
who wasn't thrilled by that magical ever
expanding silver turban of popcorn goodness.

as i got older, i started to pop my own,
extra butter and salt, please.

these days, i sometimes flavor the popcorn,
usually by seasoning the melted butter.

i've used currys, seasoned salts, fennel and caraway seeds,
chili powder, tabasco and grated parmesan for savory
versions and cinnamon, ginger, citrus zest, brown sugar,
maple syrup, cocoa, instant espresso, nuts, dried fruit,
toasted coconut (good with curry, too)
or some combination of all of those things for sweet takes.

this past friday night, my friend julia generously
sprinkled the gigantic pink bowl of air popped popcorn
we were sharing with smoked paprika.

yum.

Hand Popped Popcorn
Makes a Big Shareable (or not) Pink (or not) Bowl

2-3 Tbl Oil (Can be Olive, Veg, Corn, Canola, Peanut)
1/2 cup popcorn (Orville Redenbacher reigns supreme)
At least 1/2 a stick of butter!
Sea Salt

To pop the corn: Add oil and popcorn to a heavy bottomed largish pot. I use my mom's old Le Creuset. Cover and heat over medium heat, shaking periodically until kernels begin to pop. Continue to cook, shaking pot frequently, until kernels stop popping. This should take about 3 minutes. If possible, leave the pot lid slightly ajar during the popping process to allow some of the steam to escape for crunchier popcorn. And make sure to use potholders!

To flavor: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the spices, flavorings, seasonings of your heart and belly's desires. Drizzle the melted butter over popped corn, season with salt. If you are using garnishes like toasted coconut, nuts, etc., add them after you toss the popcorn with butter.

Eat.

Note: I have not intentionally neglected to mention microwave popcorn, quite possibly the best reason for the invention of the microwave as far as i can tell (only weeks ago i might have said it was the only reason, but that was before i discovered i can cook and eat a sweet potato in 5 minutes thanks to that miraculous machine). It's just that we never had one, until I inherited my grandfather's last fall. What a legacy. Thanks, Gramps.

a picture is worth a thousand words, period.

which would really have saved me the trouble of inventing
yet another clever little story to go along with this week's
recipes.

unfortunately, i forgot to take a picture of dinner last night
and even if i had, i haven't a clue how to get it to
magically appear here.

so i guess you will have to use your imagination.
if you need visuals, go to foodporndaily.com
it is, truly.


A Roast Chicken in Every Oven
Feeds a family of 5, with the understanding that the kids will eat the drumsticks, the wings and share the white meat with mom; dad gets the thighs because that's what he gets, period.

1 nice sized bird (3 - 4 lbs)
1 large spanish onion, sliced
a few or more cloves of garlic, slivered
1/2 lb chorizo, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon (save the squeezed lemons to stuff into bird cavity)
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1/4 cup e.v.o.o.
splash chicken stock, white wine, H2O
S.P.

To prep the bird: Preheat the oven to 450. Clean the bird by removing giblets, extra fat, other undesirables. Give it a quick bath. Pat dry.

For the mirepoix nest: Lay sliced onions, slivered garlic and chopped chorizo in bottom of roasting pan. Place bird onto mirepoix nest.

For the marinade: Mix zest and juice, thyme, e.v.o.o., S.P. and rub over entire bird.
Don't forget to stuff the squeezed lemon carcasses into the bird.

Pop the bird into the oven and let sear for about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 and continue to roast the bird for about an hour or so.
Note: After the bird has been roasting a bit, you may want to deglaze the roasting pan mirepoix nest with a little of the stock, wine, H2O found in the recipe. This prevents the nest from charring and helps bolster the sauce.

You will know when the bird is done when the read on a meat thermometer, plunged into the meatiest part of the thigh, is 165 degrees. Also, the juices streaming from a gently poked, properly cooked bird should run clear.

Serve the bird with the roasted nest. I didn't do anything with the pan juices. We went with them as is, au naturel.

Seriously, a roasted chicken is one of the best things anyone can ever imagine. It smells soooo good while it's cooking, and tastes so damned good while you're eating it.

And, once again, the variations are endless. You can chili rub, curry rub, jerk rub. You can use oranges, limes, apple cider, WINE. How about mustard, herbs, soy? AND, you can stuff stuff under the skin, too, like pesto, olive tapenade, roasted garlic, sage leaves, prosciutto. Oh, won't someone stop me, please.

Now, while a roast chicken is the epitome of culinary perfection...you musn't eat it alone. It likes company. Last night, it was joined by sweet potato gnocchi with blue cheese cream and simply sauteed broccoli rabe with red pepper chili flakes and garlic.
Yikes, was that good. Strangely, I forgot the bread warming in the oven, but that didn't stop everyone from somehow sopping up every last bit of the pleasantly mingled sauces on our plates. There was even some stealthy plate licking going on.

Always a good sign.

Note 2: On the off chance that there is chicken left, you must make soup, period.

Side Story: My friend Terese Fiore claims that her family of like a million, or 9 or something, used to eat 1 roast chicken for three meals, at least. Her mother, a magician, would carve the bird night one, make soup for night two, and i can't imagine what else she could possibly have sucked out of that thing but Trace swears there was a third meal in that poor bird, and I, by golly, I want to believe her.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Blue Cheese Cream
Makes a whole lot.

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes, about 2 lbs or so
1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta, drained
1 cup grated parmesan
a palmful of brown sugar
S.P.
2+ cups flour

I am starting with a couple of notes:
One. This is an uncharacteristically labor intensive recipe for me. You won't find many of these in my repertoire, period.

Two. Recently, I discovered that sweet potatoes cook in
only 5 minutes in a microwave. That discovery was completely
liberating. I did find, though, that the more potatoes you try to nuke
at once, the longer it takes, but minimally so. Still, a great thing.

Three. I eat sweet potatoes regularly now.

To make the gnocchi dough: Cook the sweet potatoes in the nuke until soft, about 5 minutes or so. Scoop the pulp into a bowl and mash it with a fork until relatively smooth and lump free. Add the ricotta. Blend completely. Add the parmesan and the brown sugar. Season with S.P. Now, begin to add the flour, a cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. You want to try not to overmix the dough. Turn dough onto a floured board. Cut into 6 pieces. Working with one at a time, roll into ropes about 20 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Cut into 1 inch pieces and roll across the tines of a fork to mark them. Place on lightly floured baking sheet, untouching, until ready to cook.

Blue Cheese Sauce
Makes 3 cups or so.

1/4 large spanish onion, small diced (shallots would work here as well)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 stick butter
1 cup white wine
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups grated gorgonzola
S.P.

To make the sauce: Saute the onion and garlic in butter until soft. Add wine and reduce to 1/4 cup. Add the heavy cream. Bring to a boil. Whisk in the gorg until smooth. Season with S.P. to taste.

To cook the gnocchi: Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Working in small batches, boil the gnocchi for between 3 and 4 minutes. You can do this ahead and reheat later, or you can cook them to order. If using right away, transfer the gnocchi to a serving bowl and drizzle hot sauce over them. If reheating, allow to cool on a baking sheet and reheat either in boiling water or sauce.


Sauteed Broccoli Rabe
1 bunch feeds 4 nicely.

1 bunch broccoli rabe, bottoms trimmed
a splash of olive oil
a couple of cloves of garlic, chopped
a pinch of red pepper flakes
S.P.

Starting with another note: I never really liked broccoli rabe. It was always too bitter. That is, until I discovered the secret: a simple blanching. That's all it takes to completely remove the bitterness. Yay.

To make the broccoli rabe: Blanch the broccoli rabe in a large pot of boiling salted water for no more than 3 minutes. Cool under cold running water or in an ice bath.
Drain completely.

To cook the broccoli rabe: Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes. Saute for a minute or until garlic begins to sizzle. Add broccoli rabe and heat through completely. Season to taste.


Aside: My friend Sarah celebrated her birthday on Wednesday and no birthday is complete without 5 bottles of cava and a cake, deliriously enjoyed by 5 women at 5 in the afternoon. The cake, inspired by a recipe I saw in this month's Bon Appetit, was really yummy.

Buttermilk Spice Cake with Mango Something and Shlag
Makes one 8 inch.
Served many slivers. We're all dieting.

Note: I didn't have any buttermilk, so I substituted sour cream.
AND, I DO NOT LIKE nutmeg, ever, nor allspice and the like so...
changed up the spices. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm.

1 stick butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk/sour cream
1 vanilla bean, scraped
zest of 1/2 a lime
1 cup + 1 T flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp each cinnamon, ground ginger, 5 spice powder,
black pepper, fennel seed


To make the batter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 inch cake pan and lay a parchment circle in bottom. Cream the butter and the sugar, scraping the sides periodically, until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Add sour cream, vanilla bean seeds and lime zest. Beat until smooth. Add all of the dry ingredients, pulsing your mixer on and off to prevent spice cloud. Transfer to prepped pan and bake, until golden, about 30 minutes or so or until skewer comes out clean. Let cool.

Mango Something
Makes 2 cups

Note: I am calling it mango stuff because I don't know what else to call it. It resembles a salsa but has no onion or cilantro. It isn't a compote or a chutney, which are cooked.
It's not really a coulis, because it's not pureed. Does anyone know what IT IS?


2 ripe mangos, brunoise
zest and juice of 1/2 a lime
1 vanilla bean, scraped
Sea salt
Cracked Pepper

To make the mango stuff: Warning: another slightly fussy recipe in that brunoise, the smallest of the dice cuts, at about 1/8", cubed, is fussy. Not for the arthritic or homicidal.
At any rate, toss all of the ingredients in a bowl and let marinate for an hour or so.

Shlag
Yield: Depends

Heavy Cream
10x sugar

Okay. Shlag is just really softly whipped cream. C'est tout.

To serve: Dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar. Cut into slivers (that way, you can have seconds). Drape a dollop of shlag on the cake along with a healthy spoonful of the mango something.


Eat.

(Who's making those yummy sounds?)