The Emergency Food Hotline has been excited to receive some holiday themed calls the past few days! One caller had a question about thawing poultry, one about melting chocolate, another about meat temperatures, and the most challenging was a question about how long to slow-roast 20 lbs of pork shoulder. Now THAT is a lot of pork. We came to a few conclusions and hopefully everyone's dinners will turn out magnificently today. I'll provide details on all the questions and answers very soon.
Oh, and here is what I'm making today for my dinner:
Christmas Chipotle Chicken Rub
(with roasted vegetables)
3-4 canned chipotle peppers
1/3 c brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chile powder
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ onion, minced
3-4lb whole chicken
various wintry vegetables, quartered
Sauté the minced garlic and onion in a dash of olive oil until golden. Set aside to cool. Chop the chipotle peppers. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir into a paste with a wooden spoon. Work rub into chicken and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Quarter vegetables of your choosing (I have bell peppers, onion, sweet potato and yellow potato) and mix with a few chunks of butter and a bit of salt and pepper.
Roast veggies and chicken together in a large baking dish at 325˚ for about an hour to an hour and a half (or internal temp of bird is above 160˚). If chicken is getting too crisp on top but is uncooked in the center, cover with foil for 20 minutes and check again.
Happy Holidays!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sprouts! (Thanksgiving edition)
Tonight I got a text message asking about brussel sprouts.
I think there was a time when I did not like sprouts of any kind. "Sprouting" doesn't sound very appetizing. Luckily, I became more adventurous at some point. I think it sprouts became more attractive to me when I tasted a great recipe from a little cooking school in Chicago that I worked at. I've adapted/changed the recipe over the years and I'll share it here as soon as I can find (all of my recipes are hiding somewhere in a mountain of boxes). I made it for Thanksgiving last year and it was an overwhelming hit. We ate the little guys cold right out of the refrigerator the next day like they were candy. For now I'll just say that the combination of maple syrup and mustard in a glaze is surprisingly addictive.
Pre-cooked sprouts, Milwaukee, Thanksgiving 2007.
But back to the problem at hand: what is the easiest way to cook the sprouts? Boiling, simmering or steaming are of course very simple. Steaming is great because you lose less nutrients into the water. Depending on the vegetable, you can lose up to over a third of the nutrients to water if you're boiling, as opposed to about 15% by steaming.
My favorite method for sprout cooking, though, is sautéing. I was going to wait until I could find the recipe to post it here, but what the heck. I'll just write what I can remember. Throw a pound or so of sprouts into a pan with olive oil, shallots, salt...maybe a handful of pecans. Sauté for 5 minutes or so, then add a bit of water and let them cook covered all steamy for another 6-7 minutes. This will get them tender enough while the initial saute will have them golden around the edges.
Next whip up a combination of REAL maple syrup and dijon mustard, (1/8 c syrup to 1/4 c mustard--this can change based on your tolerance of spicy or sweet), maybe add a bit of garlic powder or fresh ground black pepper to this, and pour over the sprouts once they're tender when forked. I like to let the glaze cook down a bit before taking them off the heat. The perfect vegetable side dish. I believe it could turn any anti-sprouter into a sprout-lover.
Oh ALSO! When you're washing the sprouts, a good thing to do is to let them soak a few minbutes. This allows water to get in between the leaves and clean out any dirt or bugs hidden within.
I think there was a time when I did not like sprouts of any kind. "Sprouting" doesn't sound very appetizing. Luckily, I became more adventurous at some point. I think it sprouts became more attractive to me when I tasted a great recipe from a little cooking school in Chicago that I worked at. I've adapted/changed the recipe over the years and I'll share it here as soon as I can find (all of my recipes are hiding somewhere in a mountain of boxes). I made it for Thanksgiving last year and it was an overwhelming hit. We ate the little guys cold right out of the refrigerator the next day like they were candy. For now I'll just say that the combination of maple syrup and mustard in a glaze is surprisingly addictive.
Pre-cooked sprouts, Milwaukee, Thanksgiving 2007.
But back to the problem at hand: what is the easiest way to cook the sprouts? Boiling, simmering or steaming are of course very simple. Steaming is great because you lose less nutrients into the water. Depending on the vegetable, you can lose up to over a third of the nutrients to water if you're boiling, as opposed to about 15% by steaming.
My favorite method for sprout cooking, though, is sautéing. I was going to wait until I could find the recipe to post it here, but what the heck. I'll just write what I can remember. Throw a pound or so of sprouts into a pan with olive oil, shallots, salt...maybe a handful of pecans. Sauté for 5 minutes or so, then add a bit of water and let them cook covered all steamy for another 6-7 minutes. This will get them tender enough while the initial saute will have them golden around the edges.
Next whip up a combination of REAL maple syrup and dijon mustard, (1/8 c syrup to 1/4 c mustard--this can change based on your tolerance of spicy or sweet), maybe add a bit of garlic powder or fresh ground black pepper to this, and pour over the sprouts once they're tender when forked. I like to let the glaze cook down a bit before taking them off the heat. The perfect vegetable side dish. I believe it could turn any anti-sprouter into a sprout-lover.
Oh ALSO! When you're washing the sprouts, a good thing to do is to let them soak a few minbutes. This allows water to get in between the leaves and clean out any dirt or bugs hidden within.
Quick Fruit Sauces
I can remember quite a few breakfasts with friends where someone was making pancakes and there was no syrup in the house. Who can plan for everything? Definitely not me. Pancakes without syrup is a tragedy, of course, but also an opportunity to experiment with extras just sitting in the refrigerator. I have two recent examples (with photos!) to cite.
1. Peach-Mango-Pineapple Sauce
We had some leftover pineapple, some peaches that were too mealy to eat by themselves, and an amazing mango. I tossed these into a saucepan with a couple of tablespoons sugar, maybe a 1/4 cup water, a couple of teaspoons balsamic vinegar, and a drizzle of vanilla. I let it cook down for a while, maybe ten minutes, adding a bit more sugar or vinegar if needed. And a dash of salt too--really brings out the sweetness nicely.
French Toast with Jonathan, South Bristol, Maine. September 6, 2008.
2. Apple-Raspberry Sauce
We were making pancakes. We had a few apples and a carton of raspberries, and some candied orange peel (that we sadly forgot to use!). I sliced the apples very thin and cooked them down in the same way as the more tropical version above, but this time with a bit more vanilla. I think vanilla really complements apples well.
I only added about two thirds of the raspberries at first, so that a handful could be thrown in toward the end. That way the texture of the berries is preserved for tasting pleasure when poured on the pancakes. I think this sauce would also be great with a bit of bourbon thrown in toward the end.
Pancakes with Alicia, Chicago. October 13, 2008.
Both of these sauces would make great preserves.
1. Peach-Mango-Pineapple Sauce
We had some leftover pineapple, some peaches that were too mealy to eat by themselves, and an amazing mango. I tossed these into a saucepan with a couple of tablespoons sugar, maybe a 1/4 cup water, a couple of teaspoons balsamic vinegar, and a drizzle of vanilla. I let it cook down for a while, maybe ten minutes, adding a bit more sugar or vinegar if needed. And a dash of salt too--really brings out the sweetness nicely.
French Toast with Jonathan, South Bristol, Maine. September 6, 2008.
2. Apple-Raspberry Sauce
We were making pancakes. We had a few apples and a carton of raspberries, and some candied orange peel (that we sadly forgot to use!). I sliced the apples very thin and cooked them down in the same way as the more tropical version above, but this time with a bit more vanilla. I think vanilla really complements apples well.
I only added about two thirds of the raspberries at first, so that a handful could be thrown in toward the end. That way the texture of the berries is preserved for tasting pleasure when poured on the pancakes. I think this sauce would also be great with a bit of bourbon thrown in toward the end.
Pancakes with Alicia, Chicago. October 13, 2008.
Both of these sauces would make great preserves.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Boiling poultry
My friend Alicia called me recently, to ask about cooking chicken for a casserole she was making. She was about to boil it, but wasn't sure how long it should stay in or how to tell when it was done.
The easy answer is that it's done with the chicken is opaque all the way through, when you slice into a piece there's no pink or red visible. If it were a whole chicken, cooking time could be as much as 45 minutes or an hour, but a chicken breast or two could be as little as 10 or 15 minutes.
Another thing to keep in mind when cooking any meat or poultry in water is that too strong of a boil can make it tough. A boil that leans more toward a simmer is always better. Gentler is better!
The easy answer is that it's done with the chicken is opaque all the way through, when you slice into a piece there's no pink or red visible. If it were a whole chicken, cooking time could be as much as 45 minutes or an hour, but a chicken breast or two could be as little as 10 or 15 minutes.
Another thing to keep in mind when cooking any meat or poultry in water is that too strong of a boil can make it tough. A boil that leans more toward a simmer is always better. Gentler is better!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Grilled Beef Kidneys (who knew?)
While visiting Los Angeles recently, I was sitting in the Tea Room of the Museum of Jurassic Technology when I received a call to the Emergency Food Hotline. I definitely haven’t received a call like this before –it concerned the grilling of beef kidneys, specifically what color they should be when they’re safe to eat. Kidneys in general are something I haven’t eaten or cooked, and the fact that they were beef was even more intriguing.
I had an idea about how long they should be grilled (depending on the thickness) and what color would equal safety, but I wanted to be sure. Since I wasn’t sitting in front of my computer, I called my mom, who is almost always near her computer, but of course she was busy. So she passed the phone to my sister, who followed my directions to get answers from a few internet food authorities. The overall response was 10-12 minutes total, firm to the touch, and still pink in the middle. If they’re overcooked, the kidneys will become very tough.
When I called the questioner back, the kidneys were already on the grill. I asked him to cut one open and let me know how much of the middle was pink—also what was the thickness? They weren’t more than a couple/few inches thick, so the center pinkness shouldn’t be more than a half or three quarters of an inch. It turned out that they were nearly finished. While I didn’t ask the caller what he was cooking them for or would be serving them with, I have done a bit of research to determine what the norm is. If the caller happens to see this post, I would love to hear what the outcome of the experiment was and how it tasted!
photos from August 2006
Meanwhile, my teatime at the Museum of Jurassic Technology (mjt.org) was wonderful, and since I do not have any photos of beef (or any other) kidneys, I will leave you with the two above photos of the lovely Tula Tea Room. If you live in Los Angeles and haven't been there, please, make it there soon.
I had an idea about how long they should be grilled (depending on the thickness) and what color would equal safety, but I wanted to be sure. Since I wasn’t sitting in front of my computer, I called my mom, who is almost always near her computer, but of course she was busy. So she passed the phone to my sister, who followed my directions to get answers from a few internet food authorities. The overall response was 10-12 minutes total, firm to the touch, and still pink in the middle. If they’re overcooked, the kidneys will become very tough.
When I called the questioner back, the kidneys were already on the grill. I asked him to cut one open and let me know how much of the middle was pink—also what was the thickness? They weren’t more than a couple/few inches thick, so the center pinkness shouldn’t be more than a half or three quarters of an inch. It turned out that they were nearly finished. While I didn’t ask the caller what he was cooking them for or would be serving them with, I have done a bit of research to determine what the norm is. If the caller happens to see this post, I would love to hear what the outcome of the experiment was and how it tasted!
photos from August 2006
Meanwhile, my teatime at the Museum of Jurassic Technology (mjt.org) was wonderful, and since I do not have any photos of beef (or any other) kidneys, I will leave you with the two above photos of the lovely Tula Tea Room. If you live in Los Angeles and haven't been there, please, make it there soon.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Late night L.A.
I keep forgetting to mention...
The best ceviche I've had pretty much ever:
photo from lataco.com
LA Playita
3306 Lincoln Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405-5741
There's a ton of great taco stands in Los Angeles, but the last time I was in town some friends took me for some incredibly delicious eats. There's a review of La Playita on a great blog here, it says it better than I possibly could.
The best ceviche I've had pretty much ever:
photo from lataco.com
LA Playita
3306 Lincoln Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405-5741
There's a ton of great taco stands in Los Angeles, but the last time I was in town some friends took me for some incredibly delicious eats. There's a review of La Playita on a great blog here, it says it better than I possibly could.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Sweet Potato Sauce + Pasta
The other night when we were planning dinner, I intended to make some type of fresh vegetable and oil dressing for the remnants of a box of bowtie pasta. There was some veg in the garden that we wanted to use (eggplant, cherry tomatoes, various peppers) and some onion and a sweet potato in the kitchen. Instead of the veg and oil sauce, I came up with something quite different (and better, I think):
Sautee ¼ white or red onion, add 1 habanero pepper, finely chopped in butter or olive oil (I enjoyed the butter). Toss in a bit of salt and pepper.
Separately, boil one large sweet potato* (sliced into chunks to cook faster) and let cool slightly. You can peel the potato before or after, some people believe peeling before allows nutrients to escape, but the amount that may be leaking to the water is not going to have any lasting affect. Boil until fork tender. Blend or puree the potato, adding the sauteed onion and habanero, ½ cup cream, milk or soymilk, ¼ cup oil (give or take), and a few dashes of balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste, continue blending until creamy and just pourable.
Return to your pan and add another ¼ onion to some butter or oil. While that’s getting golden, dice up 1 medium fresh eggplant into 1 or ½ inch chunks. Add salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and sweet yellow curry. The habanero makes everything pretty spicy, but if you like extra heat you could add chili powder or smoked canned chipotles (chopped).
Depending on the type of pasta you have on hand, this is the ideal time to set that on the stove. Then it’ll be ready to drain about when your veggies are done.
Once the eggplant is tender and browned, add fresh orange or yellow cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, to the sautéed vegetable mixture. This way their flavor and texture won’t get lost in the rest of the sauce.
Drain pasta, and you’re ready to plate. You can toss the eggplant and onion with the sweet potato sauce, or you can sauce up the pasta and arrange the eggplant on top, whichever pleases your eye more. We ate this out of doors, with a nice Malbec alongside.
Today, around lunchtime, I heated up the leftover potato/veg mixture in a pan, added ¾ cup water, and ate it as a soup. Delicious!
* lots of substitutes could work in this recipe. You could use carrots instead of a sweet potato, mushrooms instead of eggplant, zucchini instead of tomatoes...and if you had some squash blossoms, those would be incredible sauteed lightly (separately) and served on top of everything else.
Sautee ¼ white or red onion, add 1 habanero pepper, finely chopped in butter or olive oil (I enjoyed the butter). Toss in a bit of salt and pepper.
Separately, boil one large sweet potato* (sliced into chunks to cook faster) and let cool slightly. You can peel the potato before or after, some people believe peeling before allows nutrients to escape, but the amount that may be leaking to the water is not going to have any lasting affect. Boil until fork tender. Blend or puree the potato, adding the sauteed onion and habanero, ½ cup cream, milk or soymilk, ¼ cup oil (give or take), and a few dashes of balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste, continue blending until creamy and just pourable.
Return to your pan and add another ¼ onion to some butter or oil. While that’s getting golden, dice up 1 medium fresh eggplant into 1 or ½ inch chunks. Add salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and sweet yellow curry. The habanero makes everything pretty spicy, but if you like extra heat you could add chili powder or smoked canned chipotles (chopped).
Depending on the type of pasta you have on hand, this is the ideal time to set that on the stove. Then it’ll be ready to drain about when your veggies are done.
Once the eggplant is tender and browned, add fresh orange or yellow cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, to the sautéed vegetable mixture. This way their flavor and texture won’t get lost in the rest of the sauce.
Drain pasta, and you’re ready to plate. You can toss the eggplant and onion with the sweet potato sauce, or you can sauce up the pasta and arrange the eggplant on top, whichever pleases your eye more. We ate this out of doors, with a nice Malbec alongside.
Today, around lunchtime, I heated up the leftover potato/veg mixture in a pan, added ¾ cup water, and ate it as a soup. Delicious!
* lots of substitutes could work in this recipe. You could use carrots instead of a sweet potato, mushrooms instead of eggplant, zucchini instead of tomatoes...and if you had some squash blossoms, those would be incredible sauteed lightly (separately) and served on top of everything else.
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