Spaghetti Carbonara, Otherwise Known as Bacon Pasta

My three year old Juliette has the palate of a food critic. She not only will eat anything, from California Rolls to Chicken Tikka Massala, but she really tastes it and enjoys it. It's a pleasure to cook with her and to cook for her.

But my other two kids... not so much. They would happily subsist on a diet of chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese (and they prefer Kraft over the homemade kind).

Most of my attempts to broaden their menu are met with choruses of displeasure and disgust, but I keep on trying, certain that they will soon grow into adventurous foodies.

The other day, I put together three of their favorite foods to have them try one of my favorite dishes as a kid: Spaghetti Carbonara. Of course, I didn't call it that. I called them to the table to eat their Bacon Pasta. I stayed away from any "yucky green things" and the dish was a winner. I almost felt like I was cheating. After all, it's hard not to fall in love with pasta, bacon, and creamy eggs.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients:

One package of Spaghetti

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/4 pound of pancetta or bacon, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 clove of garlic, diced finely

1/4 cup of white wine

2 eggs (make sure they are very fresh)

1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

Optional - verboten in our house - chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the bacon/pancetta and garlic and cook until browned, but not crip, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the wine and simmer until almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove bacon from the pan and reserve.
3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti.
4. In a large serving bowl, whisk together the cheese, eggs, salt, and pepper.
5. Drain the pasta. Add it to the egg mixture and toss quickly and thoroughly. This is what cooks the eggs so make sure you do this immediately after draining the pasta.
6. Pour the pancetta/bacon over the spaghetti. Toss.
7. Serve immediately with extra parmesan and optional sprinkled parsley.

Perfect for Fall: Pumpkin Soup with Caramelized Onions and Brown Butter Drizzle

As soon as the leaves start falling, my craving kicks in. I want soup, big bowls of rich, guilt-free vegetable soup. Two years ago, when I was struggling to rid myself of the Juliette baby weight, daily lunches of roasted butternut squash soup were my diet solution. But this weekend, surrounded by gorgeous orange pumpkins still on the vine at a nearby farm, I started craving something different.

I've never been a big fan of pumpkin. In France, the "potiron" is a more exotic vegetable, not nearly as ubiquitous as it is here. Year after year, at Thanksgiving, I decline all offers of rust colored pumpkin pie. But inspired by my trip to the pumpkin patch and my new residence in America's heartland, I decided to give cooking with pumpkins a try.

Juliette and I had our first bowls of warm golden pumpkin soup for lunch today. We both licked our bowls clean. I accentuated the sweetness of the pumpkin with some caramelized onions in the soup, and drizzled some nutty brown butter on top to contrast. Four hours later, I still feel all warm inside, suffused with all that rich pumpkin goodness. That pumpkin soup is the perfect antidote to the biting chill of the wind that is bringing all those leaves tumbling down.

Pumpkin Soup with Caramelized Onions and Brown Butter Drizzle

Ingredients:

1 medium pumpkin (I used a regular cooking pumpkin I bought at Whole Foods. I would love to experiment with some of the more exotic varieties I saw at the farm).

1 large yellow onion, chopped

8 cups of chicken stock

8 tablespoons of butter (3 for onions and 5 for drizzle)

1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit.
2. Saw your pumpkin in half. Remove the seeds and most of the stringy pulp and discard.
3. Pour 1 cup of chicken stock in a glass oven-proof dish such as Pyrex. Place the two pumpkin halves cut side down. Cover with aluminum foil.
4. Cook for about one hour, until the pumpkin is tender when pierced with a fork.
5. Scoop out pumpkin flesh with a spoon. Discard skin.
6. Chop your onion into small dice. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large stock pot. Add onion and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
7. Lower heat to low and cook onions, stirring every once in a while, until they turn a caramel color, about 30 minutes.
8. Add the scooped out pumpkin. Then add remaining 7 cups of chicken broth to the stock pot, cup by cup to ensure you're not adding too much liquid. You want the pumpkin to be fully submerged, but still visible. Season with a little salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
9. Puree the mixture with a hand blender or another preferred blending device. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. When you're ready to eat the soup, place the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter in a small pan. Melt over medium heat until the butter solids begin to turn brown. You'll want to watch it closely so the butter doesn't burn as it is a fine line between nutty and carbonized. Drizzle the brown butter with a spoon generously over the top of your soup. Alternatively, you could garnish with creme fraiche or even heavy cream.

Masking Ugly Pie Crusts with Figs, Strawberries and Creme Patissiere

When it comes to pie crust, I am a complete, unmitigated and hopeless disaster. Something goes wrong at the rolling out stage. I make the dough, chill it, but when the rolling pin hits my hands, all hell breaks loose, creating shapes more suited to the MOMA than a kitchen.

Although my crust looks decidedly homemade, it still tastes great with a buttery crumb with just a hint of saltiness. Since I won't be serving perfect Martha-worthy lattice topped pies anytime soon, I layer the uneven homemade crust with my secret weapon: creme patissiere, a rich vanilla custard.

This week, my pie crust looked so bad that I actually ended up putting away the rolling pin and just using my fingers to push the crust in the mold. To make matters worse, I could not locate my round pie tin, and had to make do with an oval ceramic dish.

But this post attests to the value of holding your head high, no matter what obstacles come your way. The pie was delicious. Of course, you could probably put this deep vanilla custard on most anything and it would come out well.
How to Make Fruit Pies with Cream Filling

Buttery Pie Dough (Pate Brisee) - Enough for one 10 inch tart

1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/8 teaspoon of baking powder

8 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter (or use salted and omit the salt)

2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water

1. In the bowl of the food processor, throw in the flour, salt and baking powder and pulse a few times to mix well.
2. Cut your butter into small dice and add to the work bowl. Process, pulsing quickly and repeatedly, until the dough looks like rough corn meal and no chunks of butter are visible.
3. Scatter 2 tablespoons of water and pulse a few more times. The dough should magically become a ball. If it does not do so after six pulses, add another tablespoon of water.
4. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten it into a disk. Sandwich it between two pieces of saran wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
5. Then roll out with your favorite rolling pin and place in the pie pan.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
7. Pierce the dough lightly with a fork. Cover with a circle of parchment paper and weigh down with some dried beans or a pie chain.
8. Bake until set, about 25 minutes. Remove the weights and the paper and bake until lightly golden, another 10 minutes.

Note: You can also mix the dough by hand, I find this very relaxing and purists, like my father, are sure to argue in favor, but if pressed for time, the results of the food processor work just as well.

There quite simply is nothing more deeply satisfying that creme patissiere still warm from the stovetop.

Creme Patissiere - Vanilla Custard

Ingredients:

1 cup of whole milk

2 tablespoons of corn starch

6 tablespoons of sugar

1 egg

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the corn starch in 1/4 of the milk.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 3/4 cups of milk with the sugar. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.
3. Beat the egg, then the yolks and add them into the cornstarch mixture. Whisking constantly, pour a third of the hot milk into the egg mixture.
4. Whisking constantly, return the milk mixture to the fire and bring back to a boil. Still whisking constantly, pour in the egg mixture in a stream. Continue whisking until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.
5. Place in a bowl and line the surface closely with some plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.

Preparing the Pie

1. Once both the pie and the custard are cool, line the pie with the custard.
2. Decorate with gorgeous in season berries or exotic fruits.
3. To get a nice glossy sheen, you can paint the tops of the fruit with some jam syrup or honey syrup made by dissolving a little jam or honey into some water on the stovetop.
4. Refrigerate the pie until ready to serve. The pie is best the day it is made as the fruit juices will run and the pie crust will get soggy from the custard after 24 hours.

Beef Kabobs with Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

I've been playing around with recipes from the Beef Council's Healthy Beef Cookbook, trying to find ways to enjoy beef without feeling so guilty about it. Last week, I made a roasted red pepper coulis to compliment some simple yet flavorful beef kabobs.

The coulis and the kabobs were easy to make and really tasty. I will definitely be making the coulis again as I love the idea of incorporating vegetables in sauces.

I'm giving away a copy of the cookbook in this weekend's giveaway. Make sure to enter!

Beef Kabobs with Roasted Red Pepper Coulis (adapted from the Healthy Beef Cookbook)

Ingredients:

For the coulis:

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 red peppers, chopped (recipe suggests using 2 jars of roasted red peppers, rinsed, drained, and finely chopped)

1/2 cup of dry white wine

2 tablespoons of tomato paste (I was out and so used ketchup!)

3/4 teaspoons of dried thyme leaves, crushed

1 cup ready to serve beef broth

2 teaspoons of cornstarch

For the kabobs:

1 1/2 pounds of boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut into 1 inch thick cubes

2 teaspoons of coarse-grind black pepper

3/4 teaspoons of salt

3/4 teaspoons of sweet paprika

1 clove of garlic, minced

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until onion is tender.
2. Add red peppers, wine, tomato paste and thyme, stirring until blended. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until peppers are soft and most of the wine is boiled away. (no need to cook as long if using jarred peppers).
3. Combine broth and cornstarch in a small bowl, mixing until smooth. Stir into pepper mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, cut steak into 1 inch cubes. Combine pepper, salt, paprika and garlic in a large bowl. Add beef, toss to coat. Thread beef pieces evenly onto 6 12-inch metal skewers, leaving small spaces between the pieces.
5. Place kabobs on grill over medium heat. Grill, uncovered to desired doneness.
6. Serve with dipping sauce.

Tasty Tuesday: Boeuf Bourguignon Inspired by Julie and Julia

Chefdruck's Tasty Tuesday
After much coaxing, I finally dragged Steve into a theater this Sunday night to see Julie and Julia. For some strange reason, a movie about two chicks cooking just didn't appeal to him. But using the full guilt weight of our anniversary finally won my argument, and we settled in for a movie about my two favorite topics: French cooking and blogging.

Meryl Streep was as wonderful as the critics have been saying. Her cheerful bird-like intonations were right on, and she captured Julia Child's zest for life. The scene when she attacks a mountain of onions to beat the men in her cooking class in cutting skills is just classic. The reviews I've read criticized the Julie Powell parts of the movie. I also found them to be right on as they really captured the late hours and obsession with reader comments of blogging.

But mostly, I loved all the food and cooking. Loved watching Julie and her husband bite into chunky colorful bruschetta. Loved seeing the smoke billow up out of the boeuf bourguignon pot as Julie Powell poured the wine. Loved watching Julia Child flirt with the vegetable guy at the market.

We both walked out thoroughly inspired and headed straight home to dust off our copy of Mastering The Art of French Cooking I made boeuf bourguignon, straight from the book, for once ignoring the recipe handed down from my mom. And as the aroma of beef and wine coming together slowly to make the magic that is that French beef stew, Steve and I enjoyed a simple meal of... you guessed it: big chunks of tomato tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette over toasted peasant bread.

Here is Boeuf Bourguignon - straight from Mastering The Art of French Cooking, complete with the quintessential Julia foreword.

"As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes ever concocted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately, you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when reheated."

Ingredients:

a 6-oz chunk of bacon (I used 4 slices of bacon)

a 9 to 10 inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep

1 tbsp olive oil or cooking oil

1 slotted spoon

3 lbs lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes

1 sliced carrot

1 sliced onion

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp flour

3 cups full bodied young red wine

2 to 3 cups of brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

1/2 tsp thyme

1 crumbled bay leaf

18 to 24 small white onions, brown braised in stock

1 lb quartered fresh mushrooms sauteed in butter

1. Remove the rind and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and Dry. (I only cut the lardons but omitted the boiling as I was not dealing with a chunk of bacon)
2. Preheat over to 450 degrees.
3. Saute the bacon in oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you saute the beef.
4. Dry the beef in paper towels. It will not brown if it is damp. Saute it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add to the bacon.
5. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sauteing fat.
6. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.)
7. Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
8. While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.
9. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
10. Skim the fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully before seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetable.
11. For immediate serving: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with sprigs of parsley.
12. For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Our beef bourguignon is sitting in our fridge, gearing up to be served tomorrow night. I've found that a day or so in the fridge only helps the flavors meld together better.

Now that I've dusted off my Julia Child bible, I've discovered hundreds of recipes I'm dying to try - including the challenging canard en croute that was Julie Powell's last recipe!

A Little Food Coloring, a Lot of Magic

Chefdruck's Tasty Tuesday
After weeks of summer lunches, my kids were beyond bored with our usual fare this week.

Ham sandwiches?
Nah...
Hot dogs?
Nah...
Frozen pizza?
boring!

Okay then, how about scrambled eggs.
As long as you can make them green mom.

So, a few minutes and a couple of drops of food coloring later, I served up some green eggs and peas to a delighted crowd.

Sometimes all you need is a little food coloring to jazz up some bored palates.

Green Eggs (and ham)
Ingredients: 4 eggs 1/3 cups of milk 1/4 teaspoon of food coloring (turquoise shown above)

1. Break eggs. Mix in milk. Add food coloring. Mix all with a fork.
2. Scramble in pan on medium heat.
   

Tasty Tuesday: Racism at the Butcher Counter

Chefdruck's Tasty Tuesday
One of the biggest adjustments to our new life in Ohio has been food shopping. I'm trying different supermarkets every week, sometimes even navigating to one without resorting to my GPS as I learn my way around the town.

The closest one to the house is a Kroger supermarket. I was there a week ago, attempting to get my week's groceries in one trip, blissfully child-free. I like to plan out my recipes for the week and get them all at once, preferably without any munchkins in tow. Call me crazy, but I find it hard to focus on getting the right type of detergent when one child is disappearing down the aisle while the other two are pulling each other's hair out.

The top item on my list was skirt steak. It is our favorite cut of beef; we love how flavorful it is. I was planning on grilling it and serving it with a simple shallot butter on the side. I love how the caramelized shallots complement the salty savoriness of the skirt steak.

I peered in the packaged meat case and didn't find any, so I walked over to the butcher. I waited for him to look up and asked him where the skirt steak was. He shrugged and said, "Oh... we don't carry it. We used to, but it didn't sell. It's just fatty Mexican meat." And then he stood there, smiling, expecting me to agree with him.

I stood there, deeply shocked. I couldn't wrap my head around which aspect of his statement was more shocking: his casual racism, or his dismissal of such a delicious cut of meat.

When I set off to do some grocery shopping, I never imagined that I would encounter racism at the butcher counter. I've been looking for skirt steak ever since, and have only found it at Whole Foods.

An Asian Summer Salad to Inaugurate my New Kitchen

Chefdruck's Tasty Tuesday
Now that I'm home from BlogHer, I'm finally ready to settle down into my new life in Ohio. The first order of business, even before dealing with the piles in the corner of every room of our house, is getting back into the kitchen, and start cooking again.

Most of my new house is still ridiculously messy, but the kitchen is organized and neat, down to the pantry with its baking shelf, noodle shelf, and cereal shelf. In the mornings, I've been coming downstairs just to spend a little alone time in my new kingdom. Unpacking the kitchen boxes took forever, but it was like having a long wedding shower all over again, as I rediscovered long forgotten goodies in every box. My bread maker, hot chocolate frother, and a gorgeous three feet long fish platter have now been resurrected and brought back into circulation.

Last night was my first improvised meal, ironically made just for me as the kids were invited for dinner at our neighbor's house. I was in the mood for Asian food, so I threw together a little Japanese inspired summer dinner: Teriyaki beef strips with a Soy Balsamic Tomato Avocado Salad.

Although good, the steak was nothing special, just some nondescript skillet steak cut into thin strips with some store-bought Teriyaki sauce thrown on top in the pan.

The salad, on the other hand, was something special, a great way to do something different on the side and jazz up your summer dinners.

Soy Balsamic Tomato Avocado Salad
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 avocado, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of mirin

1. Mix together all the liquids, tasting to balance out the soy sauce and balsamic.
2. Toss with tomatoes and avocado and serve.
   

Salty and Sweet: Fruit on the Grill

Chefdruck's Tasty Tuesday
Every once in a while, I like to jazz up my summer grilling by throwing a little fruit on the barbecue. The heat of the grill works powerful magic on sweet summer fruit, caramelizing its sugar juices and adding an exciting dimension to your barbecue dishes. Once you start considering fruit as part of your grilling options, you'll find yourself getting very creative and loving the results.

This weekend, we grilled two very different fruits: pineapple and banana. Both turned out delicious. The pineapple was a side for a fish dish while the banana was a topping for dessert.

Other fruits I'm looking forward to trying on the grill: oranges, peaches, melon, and maybe even a crisp pear.

Grilled Pineapple Teriyaki
1 Pineapple Bottled Teriyaki Sauce (you could get fancy and make your own but it's summer after all!)

1. Cut the pineapple into 3/4 inch slices, cutting out the hard center and prickly skin.
2. Place in bowl, cover with teriyaki sauce and marinade for 30 minutes.
3. Grill over direct heat over a medium low flame, 5 minutes per side.

Grilled Bananas in Maple Butter Sauce
2 bananas (not too ripe) 4 tablespoons of butter 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon 2 tablespoons of maple sugar (or 4 tablespoons of maple syrup)

1. Place bananas on grill over direct heat over a medium low flame. Grill for about 5-7 minutes on one side, until skin is thoroughly black then turn over and repeat.
2. Meanwhile, heat small saucepan on low flame with butter, cinnamon, and maple sugar.
3. Once banana is thoroughly black, carefully slit it lengthwise with a sharp knife to open the banana peel.
   
4. Slice the banana into 1/2 inch slices. Transfer to serving bowl.
5. Pour butter mixture over the banana slices. Mix well. Serve immediately over ice cream, brownies, or on its own.
   

Tortilla Crusted Chicken Drumsticks or No Such Thing as a Sure Thing

I came up with the greatest recipe the other day. Tortilla and Parmesan encrusted chicken drumsticks. It was a breeze to make and tasted delicious, crunchy, juicy, just like fried chicken but healthier. As I was making it, I was patting myself on the back, congratulating myself for having come up with a sure hit with the kids. It smelled so good as it cooked that I was giddy when I finally put it on the table.

Then I looked up at the kids' faces. Each was wearing a more disgusted grimace than the next.

After much coaxing, I got them all to eat the chicken. Juliette was a big fan but neither Jack nor Bella were happy. My husband and I were baffled. There was nothing not to like.

We'll be trying it again soon - I'm sure second time will be a charm. Hopefully it will be a home run the first time around in your houses.

Tortilla Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Ingredients:
2 cups of corn tortilla chips (pulverized in food processor)
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
a dozen chicken drumsticks
4 eggs

1) Crush the tortillas in a food processor with the parmesan. Pulse until a coarse meal.
2) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Farenheit.
3) Beat the eggs with a fork. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture then coat with crushed tortillas.
4) Place on a cookie sheet coated with aluminum foil.
5) Cook for 45 minutes to an hour. Let rest for 5 minutes then serve.

Revel in the Market Bounty with Spring Pea and Shrimp Risotto

Chefdruck's Tasty Tuesday
Today I spent some time at the newly opened Fairway Market in Paramus. We used to live right around the corner from Fairway in Manhattan and even have a modern painting hanging in our living room of the colorful fruit and vegetable displays in front of Fairway. Even in the depths of suburban New Jersey, walking through the produce department at Fairway is still a little like walking through an farmers' market. I was grabbing up Spring treats left and right, elated by my bounty.

Right after loading up my cart with some shiny dark cherries, I came upon a deep bin of spring peas.As soon as I saw them, I knew what I would do with them: pair them up with some pink shrimp in a creamy risotto, a savory form of comfort food.

A few years ago, my dad went on a risotto kick. He made a LOT of risotto in every imaginable flavor: lamb risotto, mint risotto, tomato risotto are some of the varieties that I remember. My dad is a passionate cook with a ferocious curiosity for new techniques and dishes. Occasionally, his curiosity causes us to OD on a certain food.

When we sat down to dinner tonight, Steve and I realized that it had been more than a year since we had risotto. After we tasted tonight's Spring Pea and Shrimp Risotto, we decided that we were ready to bring it back into our lives.

Spring Pea and Shrimp Risotto
Ingredients 1 1/4 cups of Arborio Rice 1/2 small yellow onion, minced 1/4 cups of dry white wine 32 Fluid Ounces of Chicken Stock 1/3 cup of grated parmesan 1 pound of shrimp 1 1/2 pounds of fresh peas, shucked (or substitute 3/4 cup of frozen peas if out of season) Olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced salt pepper

1) Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and cook over medium heat until translucent.
2) Add rice and stir constantly for a minute or two. Rice will crackle. Make sure you stir it well with the olive oil and onions.
3) Add the white wine, continue stirring until boozy smell is boiled off.
4) Begin adding the chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Add more stock whenever it is absorbed. Once you are about halfway done with the package of stock, start tasting your risotto for doneness. You will not need the full package of stock, stop adding it when the rice is done to your liking.
5) Once the rice is tender enough for you, turn off the heat. Fold in the parmesan and stir thoroughly.
6) Stir in the peas (raw) and toss. The heat in the risotto will cook them enough so that they retain their spring freshness. (if using frozen peas, toss them in frozen).
7) As soon as you've incorporated the peas, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a separate pan. Add in the minced garlic. Once the garlic is softened, throw in the shrimp and stir fry until pink.
8) Serve immediately.

Please do not steal this original Chefdruck Musings post.

Hot Dog Pasta: A Fun Food Craft for the Pickiest Eaters

Chefdruck's Tasty Tuesday
We're three days away from the first open house of our home and our house is basically ready. For two weeks now, we've been spending every spare minute filling boxes with five years worth of books, toys, and clothes. The results are beginning to pay off, the house looks better than it ever has, but my cooking is suffering from lack of time and attention so I don't have anything very fancy to share this week for Tasty Tuesday.

The kids and I did find time to have some fun with food this week.


Jack's favorite foods are hot dogs and noodles. Other than cereal, they're practically the only things he eats. So we decided to put the two together and create little hot dog men with wacky hair. Everyone got into it, even Juliette. We made little men with long hair, short hair, or just messed up half-hacked up hair. Jack even took his creations up a level by making a rocketship out of noodles and hot dogs.

We then popped our creations in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes and pulled out everyone's newest favorite dinner.

A Jersey Style Indian Experience

Chefdruck's Tasty Tuesday

I love visiting exotic supermarkets, regardless of whether I'm on vacation in a Caribbean island or back in my carefree days backpacking through Italy, I find the lure of the shelves stocked with unfamiliar ingredients to be irresistible. This weekend I had the pleasure of indulging in my favorite hobby by attending an Indian market tour led by Chef Elizabeth Stelling (or Chef E as she likes to be called), personal chef and the founder of Cook Appeal. The perfect end to the event was a group lunch at nearby Tastes of India, where I got to try Indian dishes I'd never had before thanks to the masterful ordering of Chef E. I'm always a little self-conscious when I eat out and take pictures of my food for Jersey Bites reviews, but I was in good company on Saturday as we were all snapping away!



The event was organized by Deb of Jersey Bites and allowed me to meet many fellow NJ food bloggers: Robin from Caviar and Codfish, Melissa from Sable Minded, John and Lisa Are Eating South Jersey, Donna from My Tasty Treasures, Alexandra from A Food Coma, and Gen from Gens Blogidddy Blog. I also got to spend time with Lisa from Jersey Girl Cooks, who I'd met during the Martha Stewart blogging show.

Chef E was generous enough to donate her time and expertise to broaden our knowledge of Indian food. In addition to giving an overview of the most important ingredients in Indian food, Chef E also passed on some valuable tips.

• Spices and rice are much cheaper in specialty markets like these. Consider co-op buying with a friend to save money when buying in large quantities. The same concept would work well for Costco visits so consider getting a buddy for that next Costco run.
• We spoil our spices faster by pouring them directly into the cooking pot. The steam gets into the spice container and makes them lose flavor. Get into the habit of laying out little bowls of spices as part of your mise en place to preserve your spices.
• Chef E cooks her rice in stock instead of water to infuse it with more flavor. She also sautees it in oil and spices before cooking it.
• Taste your spices as you cook with them, it will help you get the flavors right.
• Don't rinse your rice, or just do it a little. When you rinse off too much of the starch, it will be sticky. The only exception is sushi rice which you want as sticky as possible.
• Indian and Chinese restaurants have secret menus with non-Americanized dishes - if you are bold - ask for them.

I reined myself in from purchasing too many ingredients, mindful of the fact that my pantry is overflowing, but I had a lot of fun perusing the aisles to spot all the mysterious ingredients like this tamarind root and this suspicious-looking salt that would definitely be confiscated at a border crossing.


I love to eat Indian food, but I tend to stick to the basics when ordering: Chicken Tikka Massala, some Samosas for appetizers, a little basmati rice, and some nice warm naan to soak up the sauce. Our meal on Saturday opened my eyes to many other dishes to add to my repertoire. Next time I venture to Bohj, my favorite Indian restaurant near us, I'll be ordering Daal (lentils in a rich curry sauce) and Dosas (crepes filled with vegetables that we topped with coconut chutney). And I'll definitely be washing it down with some mango lassi (a mango yogurt drink that cools down spicy curries nicely).

A Grilling Feast to Welcome Back Spring

Spring is in the air in New Jersey, and our family has a bad case of spring fever. We spent Sunday playing in the backyard in short sleeve t-shirts in complete denial of the goosebumps on our arms every time the sun hid behind a cloud. Our bodies were drinking in the sunlight: it just felt so good.

I love spring... the pale green shoots of the brave tulips poking out from the cold ground, the glorious bird chorus greeting us every time we step outside, but most of all, I love spring because it means the return of grilling season.

I love the taste of meat caramelized on the grill but I'm a terrible grill master. When the propane tank gets fired up, I move into director position, picking the recipes, making the marinades, and handing everything off to Steve, the firepit master. And then I watch my man, manning the flames, while I sit back with a cold glass of Riesling in my hand, waiting for dinner.

We welcomed spring on Sunday with a grill feast:
Pork Spareribs with barbecue sauce
Zucchini Parmesan Crispies
and everyone's favorites: S'Mores


Pork Spareribs with Barbecue Sauce
3 to 4 pounds of pork spareribs
For the sauce:
1 cup of ketchup
1 tsp of Tabasco
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon of mustard
4 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 teaspoons of tomato paste
1/4 cup of water
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

1) Cut the ribs into 4 rib chunks. Submerge in large pot of water. Boil for an hour.
2) Mix all the ingredients of the sauce.
3) Remove ribs from water. Top with sauce. Mix in bowl so they are well covered. Grill until slightly charred.

Zucchini Parmesan Crispies
4 Medium Zucchinis
1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
pepper

1) Slice the zucchinis the long way into thirds, 1/2 inch in width.
2) In a large ziplock bag, pour olive oil, salt and pepper.
3) Place zucchinis in ziplock bag and seal. Toss and massage until well oiled and seasoned.
4) Place on medium hot grill, ensuring that any sides with skin are on the top and grill for 5-7 minutes.
5) Flip each zucchini slice and sprinkle generously with parmesan. Grill for another 5 minutes.

S'Mores
We made these S'Mores by wrapping our ingredients in foil and grilling them for 5 minutes on low heat... don't leave on too long or the graham crackers will scorch.

Quick and Dirty Turkey Marsala

I've been doing these Tasty Tuesdays for the last few months (sometimes, like today, a few days late), sharing whatever new dishes I'd successfully tried during the previous week. My dad recently suggested to me that I should talk about some of the stuff that I whip up off during the week. The quick and easy stuff when I'm uninspired or in a hurry. Those dishes are what we eat 85% of the time - they're the dishes I learned from my mother, watching over her shoulder after I'd passed her the ingredients I'd cut up for her. They're the dishes that show the French side of me, my love of butter and all things dairy.

Last week I had some thin turkey cutlets in the fridge. I wasn't sure whether to bread them or do them with a pan sauce. I went with a Marsala Pan Sauce.

Turkey Marsala
Ingredients:
Turkey Cutlets, sliced thin (this would work just as well with veal or chicken)
1/2 cup of Marsala wine
3 tablespoons of butter


1) Bring the turkey cutlets to room temperature by taking them out about 30 minutes before cooking.
2) Pound out the cutlets if they are thicker than 1/4 of an inch.
2) Put 1 tablespoon of butter (or vegetable oil but I think butter tastes better) in pan until just melted at medium-high heat.
3) Add turkey cutlets and brown on both sides. Remove from pan.
4) Turn heat to high and let the pan drippings get very warm.
5) Add the Marsala and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Let it boil for a minute or two until the Marsala is reduced by about half and the alcohol is boiled away.
6) Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter and swirl into the sauce until just melted, swirling constantly. This will give it a nice sheen and a pleasant consistency.
7) Pour over turkey cutlets and serve immediately.

Boiling off the alcohol and reducing the Marsala


After the butter

Slow Roasted Pulled Pork

On a whim last week, I decided to tackle a serious piece of meat: a pork shoulder. It didn't seem so daunting in the packaging when I stuck it in the fridge, but when I took it out, I realized that I was dealing with something that butchers normally handle. I think it even had the skin still on it, or some very hard fat. Bella came over and I thought for sure that this vision would turn her into a vegetarian. Instead she surprised me by asking if she could touch the skin. I can't tell you how relieved I was that I won't have to learn to cook tofu anytime soon.

I stabbed the beast and made some x marks all over its skin and stuck it in the oven at 300 degrees farenheit for most of the day: about four hours. At that point, I took it out of the oven and removed that hard skin. Then I stuck it back in for another hour.

While the pork cooked, I cut a bag of carrots into slivers, peeled five garlic cloves, and sliced an onion. After the pork had cooked for five hours, I turned the oven up to 400 degrees and pulled it apart into large chunks. Then I added the vegetables along with a cup of white wine and a cup and a half of chicken stock. I cooked it for another hour and finally it was done.



Once it was cooled down, I took a fork and pulled the pork. It came apart easily and I ended up with a bowl filled with delicious looking homemade pulled pork. I scooped up the caramelized carrots, onions and garlic and filled another bowl. Right before eating, I added some Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce to the pork and popped some Trader Joe's buttermilk biscuits in the oven.



Although it took a full day to cook, it was very little effort and well worth it. I'm not sure what butcher's cut I'll be tackling next, but I'll definitely be doing this pork again.

Turkey Sloppy Joes

I fell in love with Sloppy Joes, that messy and sweet meat concoction, as soon as I bit into one. It was at the school cafeteria in fifth grade, soon after I moved to the States. I think I initially loved it because of how decidedly un-French it was. Then I loved it because of how good it is. You have to really embrace and commit to eating a sloppy joe. You can't do it daintily or half-heartedly. You have to know that it's going to run all over your hands and most likely down your chin as well. There will most definitely be finger linking involved. And when you're all cleaned up, you'll wish there was still some left to lick off.

One of the most unpleasant discoveries I've made since moving to New Jersey has to do with the fact that Sloppy Joe's are a completely different sandwich here. They're more of a deli sandwich with cole slaw on it. No ground meat, no tomato, no sweetness. A different sandwich altogether. It's probably a good sandwich - but I've never forgiven it for usurping the name of my Sloppy Joe.

I recently found a delicious recipe for a Turkey Sloppy Joe in Gourmet. They suggest serving it with Cheddar Buttermilk biscuits. I got lazy last week and had it with brioche rolls, but I've made the biscuits before and they really add to the recipe.


Turkey Sloppy Joes (adapted from Gourmet 2004)
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 32 oz can whole tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons Tabasco

1) Heat oil in a wide and deep saucepan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute onion, celery, and garlic until golden about 10 minutes. Add turkey and saute, stirring occasionally and breaking up large clumps with a wooden spoon, until meat is no longer pink. Stir in salt and pepper.
2) Puree tomatoes with juice, ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco in a blender until smooth. Add to turkey and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
3) Serve turkey sloppy joes on split biscuits. They're even tastier the second day.


Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits (directly from Gourmet without changes)
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups cornmeal
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
6 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 1/3 cups well-shaken buttermilk

1) Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter one large baking sheet.
2) Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, then blend in butter wtih your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheese and scallions with a wooden spoon, then add buttermilk and stir until just combined.
3) Drop dough in 8 equal mounds about 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool to warm, about ten minutes, then cut in half horizontally.

Tasty Tuesday - A Roasted Feast

Chefdruck's Tasty Tuesday

I'm really excited to have committed Tuesdays to blogging about food. It's inspiring me to cook more, searching for the perfect recipe to share with you every tuesday. Sadly, the other part of my concept has not kicked in yet as no one shared links with me last week of some of their food posts. So if you're reading this and have anything you want to share, just leave a link in the comments and I'll feature it in the intro to Tasty Tuesday next week.

Fall has definitely settled in here in New Jersey. Frost transforms our lawns every morning into a wintry wonderland and the leaves of every tree are competing to outshine each other with their dazzling colors. It's time to say goodbye to all that wonderful summer fruit, and say hello to root vegetables. It's a perfect time to start roasting - which is exactly what I did last week.

I made two recipes from Cook's Illustrated - Stovetop Roast Chicken with lemon-herb sauce and Roasted Sweet Potatoes. The chicken had a crunchy skin but was moist and tender and the lemony sauce was delicious. The sweet potatoes were amazing - the roasting really brought out their flavor by caramelizing them. I made them again tonight!

Here are the recipes with a few edits.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

3 or 4 sweet potatoes

1/3 cups of vegetable oil

salt

pepper

Peel sweet potatoes. Slice into 3/4 inch rounds.

Toss potatoes in large ziploc bag with oil, salt and pepper.

Arrange on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Cover with another layer of aluminum foil.

Roast at 425 degrees for about an hour.

Stovetop Roast Chicken with Lemon-Herb Sauce

For chicken:

1 Small chicken, cut up

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth

salt and pepper

For lemon-herb sauce:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 medium shallot, minced

1 teaspoon flour

juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon cold butter

salt and pepper

1) Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsps of oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken pieces skin-side down and cook WITHOUT MOVING until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes.

2) Using tongs, flip chicken pieces skin-side up. Reduce heat to medium-low, add 3/4 cups of broth to skillet, cover and cook for 16-20 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate, skin side up.

3) Pour off liquid from skillet into 2-cup measuring cup and put aside. Wipe skillet clean. Add remaining teaspoon of oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering. Return chicken pieces skin-side down and cook undisturbed until skin is deep golden brown and crisp about 7-9 minutes (until breasts are 160 degrees and legs and thighs are 175 degrees). Transfer to serving platter and tent loosely with foil.

4) Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in skillet over low heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 1 minute.

5) Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.

6) Increase heat to medium-high, add reserved cooking liquid, and bring to simmer, scraping skillet bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Simmer rapidly until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in any accumulated juices from resting chicken; return to simmer for another 30 seconds.

7) Off heat, whisk in lemon juice, parsley and butter. Season with salt and pepper.

8) Pour sauce around chicken and serve immediately.