New Year's Eve Pizza

For years now our family has had a New Year’s tradition of congregating at Thierry and Julie’s, our brother and sister in law in Montpellier, Vermont, for a few days of skiing, reunion, skiing, snowballing, skiing, sledding, skiing singing, and lots and lots of cooking. Home of the New England Culinary Institute, there was plenty of good cooking vibes in the air, which we flavored with smoke from the pizza oven Thierry built in his driveway.

On New Year’s Eve, Chef Peter – now crafting specialty flavors for an ice cream concern in the area – would be responsible for pounds and pounds of dough, while I worked with numerous brothers in law to dress the pizza rounds Peter would toss us. With dozens of toppings we created untold new varieties of pizza each year. We prepared the pizzas in the garage with both doors opened (no matter the temperature!) on a ping-pong table – the only surface big enough for the job. We’d then transfer the prepped doughs to Thierry’s pizza peel for delivery to the oven outside. There he would cook them, holding court in the driveway as friends and neighbors poured in to enjoy fresh hot cooked pizza on blistering cold Vermont first nights. On our best night we cooked over 60 pizzas!

All year long this inspired me to cook pizza, and Friday nights became pizza night for many, many years in our family. We first used a bread making machine to prep the dough, but then found that a great dough can be made by hand or with a Kitchen Aid mixer very, very quickly.


There is no end to the variety of pizzas you can come up with, with or without red sauce, and we even invented interesting desert pizzas. Here’s a start with a simple dough recipe, that I often spice up with a tablespoon or so of dried diced onion, or minced garlic or a teaspoon of dried herbes du Povence – or all of the above! The only advice I’ll give is to keep the amount of sauce under control, cook at high heat (at least 450F) and either use a pizza stone (I usually don’t) or a pizza pan with large holes throughout the bottom – this is my favorite for a nice browned crust.

Pizza Dough
4 cups bread flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp breadmaker granulated active dry yeast
1½ cup very warm water (about 105F)
1 Tbsp olive oil

In a mixer fitted with a dough hook and set on medium, mix together the first four ingredients (and any herbs you night wish to add). Add the water and then the olive oil. Allow the dough to form a ball that has taken up all the flour. At that point, knead on medium-slow speed for 5 minutes. Place 1-tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl. Form dough into a ball and turn into the bowl. Roll dough ball around to assure all surfaces are coated and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit about 2 hours in the kitchen. I don’t find that a ‘warm, dry’ spot is necessarily needed. I have never had a problem simply placing the bowl on the counter top and walking away – and we live in New England! Makes enough dough for two 14-inch large pizzas.

Comfort Stews to Warm the Holiday

Christmas holidays are a time for comfort food and beef stew fits that bill – especially after a long winter walk or on returning from a day of skiing. A slow-cooker simmering after a hard day’s work or play can be a welcome friend as the door swings opened and the fragrance sweeps over tired bones. But sometimes stews are better done in a Dutch Oven, or as the French call a Daube, under a watchful eye. Here are stews appropriate for both a Daube and slow cooker. Choose your tool and warm your soul.

Beef Stew with Barley, Sage, Rosemary and Wine
2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1½ inch pieces
2 onions, sliced
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
6 fresh sage leaves
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
1 can diced tomatoes
¼ cup pearl barley
1½ cup red wine
1½ cup white wine
2 small cans mushrooms

In a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, sear the beef over medium-high heat in a bit of canola oil. Cook beef in at least 2 batches, browning well. Set meat aside.

In same Dutch oven sauté onions until onions are softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and rosemary for the last minute. Set onions aside with the beef. Then in the same Dutch oven brown the carrots for about 5 minutes, until just beginning to caramelize. Set carrots aside on their own. Return the beef and onions to the Dutch oven along with the remaining ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Braise for 1½ to 2 hours covered. Add the carrots and cook another half hour.

Crock-Pot alternative: for those of us who want great meals but sometimes can’t be around to watch them simmer, a crock pot is a fantastic alternative to a Dutch oven. Carry on as for the Dutch oven, but after browning everything, return the beef, onions and carrots and all the remaining ingredients to the Crock-Pot. Cook covered on low for 6 to 8 hours. The only difference with the Crock-Pot is that the carrots will be slightly softer – just make sure they are not cut too small. The worst mistake you can make with a Crock-Pot is not to brown the meat and vegetables beforehand – browning caramelizes and brings out a depth of flavor which braising on its own simply cannot.

Gingered Beef and Ale Stew with Apple, Sweet Potato and Peppers
I would advise against an unattended Crock-Pot for this recipe as the peppers and the sweet potato are too delicate for very long (6-8 hour) cooking. If you will be around, then you could cook the meat and onions in a Crock-Pot for 2 to 3 hours, then add the potatoes and peppers and cook another hour or two.

2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1½ inch pieces
2 onions, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 bottle beer – your favorite
1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into course 1½-inch chunks
1 red pepper, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 yellow pepper, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 green pepper, cut into 1½-inch pieces

In a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, sear the beef over medium-high heat in a bit of canola oil. Cook beef in at least 2 batches, browning well. Set meat aside.

In same Dutch oven sauté onions until onions are softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and rosemary for the last two minutes. Set the onions aside with the beef. In the same Dutch Oven, sauté the onions in a bit of olive oil over medium for about 4 to 5 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Set the peppers aside on their own. Return the beef and all accumulated juices back to the Dutch oven and add the beer and the apple. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Braise for 1½ to 2 hours covered. Stir the potatoes and the peppers into the stew and cook another half hour.

Two Roasted Chickens, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

One of my favorite chefs Nigel Slater, says that anyone who can brew coffee can roast a chicken. I agree with him that there is no excuse for not feeding yourself well if you want to. If you don’t that’s another story, but lack of experience is no excuse. Roasting a chicken is easy and ever so rewarding with its aroma pervading the household. Roasted chicken is the ultimate comfort food and goes on giving – especially if you use the leftovers, bones and juices to make soup.

Growing up in a French household we continued the French tradition of the Reveillon every Christmas Eve. We would return from midnight mass in a sleepy trance-like state, subdues by beautiful Christmas music and soft candle light. Our mother would have roasted 2 chickens earlier Christmas Eve, and let them cool for us to eat upon our return from service. After a light midnight snack of cold roasted chicken and Champagne, all six sleepy kids were whisked off to bed while my parents tended to Christmas present duties.

Herb Roasted Chicken
You can use whatever herbs you like – I dry mine from the garden and use them all winter. The important aspect of this recipe is the butter smear, which melts into the roasting vegetables below the chicken. These vegetables brown to produce the most rich, satisfying sauce (or jus) you have ever tasted. For this hungry family I always roast 2 chickens now - and have plenty of leftovers for soups and casseroles.

½ stick butter, room temperature
3 dried sage leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried mint

1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 roasting chicken, cleaned and patted dry
1 lemon, quartered
1 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 400F. Combine butter and herbs in a small food processor and blend well. Scatter vegetables evenly across an oiled roasting pan. Place chicken on a rack and put on top of vegetables. Make sure paper sack with neck and gizzards is removed from body cavity, and then make sure chicken is really dry. Smear butter evenly all over chicken then sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Stuff lemon inside chicken.

Roast chicken uncovered for half an hour. Pour wine into roasting pan, cover chicken, and reduce heat to 350. Continue roasting until chicken juices run clear when meat is pierced with a sharp object – when the meat reaches about 165F. Baste chicken from time to time with pan juices. If too much has evaporated to baste, add a little water to pan.

When cooked, let chicken rest for at least 15 minutes covered in roasting pan on the counter. Remove chicken from pan, allowing all juices to drip into pan. Carve and return any more accumulated juices back into roasting pan.

Meanwhile for sauce, heat roasting pan on the stove, stirring up all the fine brown bits and roasted vegetables. Adjust liquid to taste – adding a bit of water, if sauce is too strong. Strain sauce and separate fat (I use a spouted fat separator – very convenient). Serve defatted sauce alongside roasted chicken.

The Stuff of Thanksgiving

I can't imaging Thanksgiving without stuffing. This year my sister-in-law, Julie (yes, we have our very own chef Julie!) made an outstanding sausage stuffing. Knowing she was bringing that for Thanksgiving day, I explored the possibilities of a cornbread stuffing because everyone in our family loves cornbread. This is a basic recipe, but there are endless variations of this basic stuffing – consider using chopped marinated artichoke hearts or marinated mushrooms or re-hydrated shitake mushrooms, or... well – you get it.

Cornbread Stuffing
1 recipe Cheddar Cornbread (below) – about 8 cups

1 red pepper, diced
2 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ lb Linguica, Chorizo or Andoille sausage, finely diced
3 fresh corn cobs, kernels removed

2 eggs
½ cup heavy cream
3 cups chicken broth
¼ cup parsley, minced
2 tbsp sundried tomatoes, minced

Preheat oven to 375. Cut cornbread into ½-inch cubes. Toast cubes in a 350-degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown – toss once or twice. Meanwhile, sauté onion and pepper in a bit of olive oil until beginning to soften, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add sausage heat through.

Whisk together eggs, cream, broth, parsley, cilantro and tomatoes. Toss cornbread with sausage mixture, and corn and tip into a large greased 10x15-inch pan. Pour egg mixture evenly over stuffing. Bake 30 min covered, 20-30 min uncovered.

Cheddar Corn Bread
Dry Ingredients:
3 cups flour
¾ cup cornmeal
¼ cup coarse cornmeal
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp dried dill weed

Wet ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups milk
2 sticks butter, melted

2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour wet mixture into dry and fold just to mix – do not worry about few dry lumps. Pour into a greased 13x9 pan. Bake 30-40 minutes, until top is browned and toothpick comes out clean.

Thai Tofu Curry

You can substitute your favorite veggies in this dish.

1 brick extra firm tofu, dried and cubed
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
handful green beans, chopped
4 cloves garlic
½ inch fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 can coconut milk
2 Tbsp red Thai curry paste

In a large non-stick skillet, brown tofu in a bit of canola oil until well browned. Set aside in a bowl. In same skillet, sauté the peppers, onions and green beans until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper and continue cooking another 2-3 minutes, until very fragrant. Return the tofu to the vegetables and add the coconut milk and curry paste. Stir to mix and cook until heated through.

Unctious Shrimp and Scallops

Shrimp go so well with other seafood such as scallops and calamari, and pair very well with vegetables of all sorts. Here are a few examples of unctious mixes of shrimp with delicious other partners.

Don't forget to extract all the flavors you can from the shells - they really add a lot to a broth or sauce - just boil the shells in a bit of water and use in place of broth.

Shrimp and Scallop Risotto with Asparagus
1 cup Arborio Italian short-grained rice
1 cup white wine
3-4 cups chicken stock
½ lb shrimp, shelled, cut in half (reserve shells)
1½ cup water
½ lb. bay scallops
1 bunch asparagus
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
½ stick butter, sliced

In a small saucepan, bring shrimp shells to a boil in water. Reduce heat. Simmer until reduced in half. Strain broth.

Meanwhile, sauté rice in a large skillet with a bit of olive oil until all grains are coated will and rice begins to turn white from translucent. Add half the wine and continue stirring until wine is absorbed. Repeat with remaining wine, and then the broth. Continue the same liquid additions and stirring until thick and creamy with remaining ½ cup portions of broth stirring the rice continuously, until the rice is just al dente – use only as much stock as is necessary.

Cut last inch off of base of asparagus and cut stalks into thirds. asparagus and simmer until asparagus is just tender, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and scallops along with butter and cheese. Continue cooking until all butter is incorporated and risotto is creamy. Adjust thickness with broth or cream.

Serves 4.


Shrimp Etouffée1 lb. large shrimp, shelled with shells reserved
2 cups water
1 small bay leaf
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ lb. Andouille or Linguica sausage, diced
2 Tbsp. sundried tomatoes
¼ cup flour
¼ cup canola oil
¼ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. dried Italian herbs
¼ tsp. red cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. powdered white pepper

Mix shrimp shells with water and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer while proceeding with the rest of the dish.

Sauté onion, pepper and celery in a bit of canola oil until vegetables soften and begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, sausage and tomatoes. Continue cooking over low heat.

In a separate saucepan cook the flour in the oil until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes, to make a roux. Strain shells from broth and make broth up to 1½ cups if necessary with clam juice, chicken broth, or water. Add most of the broth to the roux whisking continuously, until smooth. Continue cooking over high heat until sauce thickens, adding broth as necessary to achieve a desirable thickness. Add herbs, mixing well. Toss vegetables and shrimp into sauce. Bring back to a simmer and cook until the shrimp are just pink. Serve over Rice.

Serves 4.

Shrimp Asparagus and Artichoke with Linguine1 lb shrimp, shelled
1 bunch asparagus
1 can artichoke hears, drained and quartered
jest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
½ stick butter, sliced
1 cup chicken stock or clam juice
1 lb linguine

Cook linguine in plenty of salted water until al dente.

Meanwhile heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet until smoking. Add shrimp and shake a bit until one side is cooked. Stir shrimp and cook other side only until shrimp is just pink. Remove shrimp aside to a bowl. Melt butter in pan and add asparagus to pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until asparagus just begin to soften. Add jest and juice of lemon along with stock or clam juice. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp and artichoke and mix well to heat through. Salt an pepper to taste.

Drain linguine and toss with shrimp mixture in a large serving platter.

Serves 6.


Seafood Alfredo
Sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. canola oil
¼ cup flour
1½ cup milk
1 tsp. dried mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash nutmeg
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

1 lb. linguine
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted and drained
½ lb. shrimp, peeled
½ lb scallops
½ lb calamari, cleaned and sliced into rings

Make the sauce. In a saucepan melt the butter with the oil and ass the flour. Whisk for a few minutes until smelling nutty. Add the milk, mustard and nutmeg and bring to a simmer, whisking until thick. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Cook the linguini in a big pot of salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, Sauté the pepper in a bit of olive oil in a skillet until just softened, about 3-5 minutes. Toss the peppers, peas and seafood into the sauce. Mix well and cook just until shrimp turn pink. Drain the linguine and tip into a large serving bowl. Pour seafood Alfredo sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or Parmesan cheese if desired.

Serves 4-6.

Asian Salmon, Sesame Noodles and Broccoli

A fantastic Asian meal when Chef Julie and Thierry came to visit.  It was wonderful to be cooked for and only have to say "Yes, Chef".

Spaghetti Primavera with Tarragon Cream

½ lb. spaghetti
2 zucchini, sliced
1 red pepper, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 orange or yellow pepper, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 onion, finely diced
1 tsp sugar
dash red pepper flakes
½ cup half and half
1 Tbsp dried tarragon

Cook spaghetti until al-dente. Drain and toss with just a bit of canola oil. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, sauté the vegetables with a bit of olive oil for a few minutes over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and reduce heat. Continue cooking until vegetables begin to soften and brown. Salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

In batches, add half the veggies back into the skillet with half the spaghetti and stir fry. Add a dash of red pepper flakes with half the cream and tarragon. Stir the mixture until the half and half bubbles and is reduced to a tick sauce. Divide between two plates. Repeat with remaining pasta and vegetables.

Serves 4

Chicken Soup for Healing

There is apparently a lot of evidence that chicken soup is in fact medicinal. Based on first principles, I would believe this, and I have made many a soup which have produced myriad indications of healing. For whatever reason someone needs a bit of healing - try this soup. It will help - even if nobody's sick!

Chicken Soup with Roasted Butternut Squash & Collard Greens
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Cooking Orange

Pumpkin Leek Risotto1 large leek, washed, drained and diced
1 cup Arborio short-grained rice
2 eyes, eyebrows, nose and mouth of jack-o-lantern, peeled and diced ¼ inch, 2 heaping cups
1 cup light cream
1 cup canned pumpkin purée
1 cup white wine
3-4 cups chicken stock
freshly grated nutmeg
½ stick butter
½ tsp vanilla
¼ cup parmesan cheese

Sauté pumpkin in a bit of canola oil in a non-stick skillet. Meanwhile, in a separate medium pot, sauté leek in a bit of canola oil. When leek is softened and fragrant add the rice and cook 2-3 minutes. Set pumpkin aside off the heat when it has begun to soften and brown a bit.

Add the wine in ½-cup increments to the rice, stirring continuously. Let the wine boil down until spoon leaves a trail in the rice. Whisk light cream with the puréed pumpkin and stir into rice. Simmer until a spoon leaves a trail in the rice. Add the stock in ½ cup increments, stirring the rice continuously, until the rice is just al dente – use as much stock as is necessary. Add the nutmeg, butter vanilla and cheese, and stir until incorporated. Adjust consistency with additional broth to be very creamy.

Pressure Cooking Dried Beans

If you like beans, you have probably discovered canned beans. They are convenient, flavorful, fast and come in many, many varieties. Many people believe, however, that beans cooked at home from dried beans are more flavorful – and dried beans are about one third less expensive – not that beans are an expensive protein source compared to meat in any case! But cooking dried beans can use a lot more energy, increasing the cost and prep time. What to do?

Pressure cooker. Beans can be cooked quickly in a pressure cooker if they are soaked for at least 6-8 hours beforehand (they can be pressure cooked without soaking, but they will take much longer). Two to three minutes of energy in a pressure cooker is all beans need – hard to believe, but true. Lots of the cooking occurs by leaving the beans in the pressure cooker as the cooker de-pressurizes naturally – over about 15-20 minutes. So while it may take 20-30 minutes in total to cook the beans, you only use 2-4 minutes of energy to do it. And 30 minutes is not so bad for a great, healthful vegetarian bean dish.

These recipes are staples for us at home. Mark Bittman of the New York Times encouraged us in a recent lecture to cook a pot of beans each week. He is not professing that we all become vegetarians, but that we should become “eat less meat-arians”. He believes that the benefits to our health and to our agricultural resources and environment will be huge even with just a small shift to less meat. I fully agree.

Serves these stews with any bread like corn bread or flat bread.

Navy Beans Provençal2 leeks, washed and diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp herbes de Provence – mixed dried French herbs
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. dried Navy, white or Cannellini beans
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
¼ cup pearl barley

2 tomatoes, diced and drained

Pick through beans and remove any foreign objects, like sticks or stones – that might hurt you. Rinse beans several times and drain. Soak beans in a large bowl full of water on the counter all day or over night. If soaking the night before, drain beans in the morning and put in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Sauté leek, carrot and celery in a bit of olive oil in a pressure cooker pot until vegetables are beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the rosemary and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the drained beans, stock and barley and cover pressure cooker. Don’t salt the beans before cooking – salt hardens bean shells and keeps them from cooking. Bring up to high pressure for 3 minutes and remove from heat. Let the pressure cooker de-pressurize naturally – about 20 minutes. Don’t actively release pressure rapidly because beans are likely to explode and the dish can become very mushy.

Meanwhile, sauté the tomatoes in a non-stick skillet in plenty of olive oil over very, very high heat. They should sizzle and even brown to caramelize. Stir only a few times to let the tomatoes darken and keep them from disintegrating. When pressure is reduced, remove pressure cooker lid and salt (generously) and pepper to taste. Add tomatoes and reserved liquid and cook another 5-10 minutes to let flavors meld. Adjust thickness with water if necessary.

Garbanzo Bean Pot
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 tsp dried rosemary
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. dried garbanzo beans
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
¼ cup pearl barley

Pick through beans and remove any foreign objects, like sticks or stones – that might hurt you. Rinse beans several times and drain. Soak beans in a large bowl full of water on the counter all day or over night. If soaking the night before, drain beans in the morning and put in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Sauté onion, carrot and celery in a bit of olive oil in a pressure cooker pot until vegetables are beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the rosemary and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the drained beans, stock and barley and cover pressure cooker. Don’t salt the beans before cooking – salt hardens bean shells and keeps them from cooking. Bring up to high pressure for 3 minutes and remove from heat. Go work out while you let the pressure cooker de-pressurize naturally – about 20 minutes. Don’t actively release pressure rapidly because beans are likely to explode and the dish can become very mushy.

When pressure is reduced, remove lid and salt (generously) and pepper to taste. Adjust thickness with water if necessary.

Pinto Bean Stew with Greens
1 onion, finely diced
2 carrot, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
½ lb. boneless pork (from leftover roast or chops), cut in ½-inch cubes (or ¼ cup pearl barley)
1 lb. dried pinto beans
1 tsp cumin seeds
dash red pepper flakes
palmful of fresh herbs such as sage and oregano, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 cups chopped kale and/or collard greens
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

Pick through beans and remove any foreign objects, like sticks or stones – that might hurt you. Rinse beans several times and drain. Soak beans in a large bowl full of water on the counter all day or over night. If soaking the night before, drain beans in the morning and put in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Sauté onion, carrot and celery in a bit of olive oil in a pressure cooker pot until vegetables are beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin, red pepper, herbs and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the drained beans, stock, pork or barley, and kale and cover pressure cooker. Don’t salt the beans before cooking – salt hardens bean shells and keeps them from cooking. Bring up to high pressure for 3 minutes and remove from heat. Go work out while you let the pressure cooker de-pressurize naturally – about 20 minutes. Don’t actively release pressure rapidly because beans are likely to explode and the dish can become very mushy.

When pressure is reduced, remove lid and salt (generously) and pepper to taste. Adjust thickness with water if necessary.

Black Bean Soup
1 lb bag dried black beans
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 cloves garlic, minced
dash red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce

Pick through beans, rinse and soak beans in a big bowl of water all day long – at least 8 hours. Drain beans, rinse and drain again. Meanwhile, in a pressure cooker pot, sauté onion, celery and carrots (mirepoix) in a bit of olive oil until well softened and browned a bit, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, garlic and red pepper flakes for the last 2 minutes, cooking until fragrant. Add the beans, chili powder, cocoa powder and stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover pressure cooker tightly and raise pressure to high and then lower heat to maintain consistent high-pressure for 4 minutes. Remove pressure cooker from heat and let cooker reduce pressure naturally (about 15-20 minutes) – go for a swim, a walk, run on your treadmill or play your guitar. Anything to let you walk away from the pressure cooker!

When pressure is completely reduced to normal atmospheric pressure, remove lid and add the tomato sauce – never add acidic materials like tomatoes to beans before cooking as they can toughen the skins during cooking, which is not what you want for a creamy black bean soup. Adjust salt to taste and mash some of the beans or adjust with water to achieve your desired thickness.

Thai Chicken

Thierry and Julie come to visit and we prepare a great weeknight Thai chicken curry.6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into quarters
1 large onion, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
1 red chili, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch fresh ginger, minced
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp Thai fish sauce
2 Tbsp red Thai curry paste
2 whole star anise
1 piece cinnamon bark
1 Tbsp minced cilantro

In a deep skillet, sauté the chicken in a bit of oil until nicely browned on all sides. Set aside. Remove to a bowl. In same skillet add the onion, pepper and chili and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, adding oil as necessary. Add the garlic, ginger and pepper flakes and cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, until fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and cook covered 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Top with minced cilantro if desired (I do!).

Mumbai - Columbus Couldn't Have Imagined What He Was Missing

A recent trip to Mumbai revealed to me a new world Columbus couldn't have even imagined. Graced by a traditional Indian wedding in the street outside my hotel, and the hospitality of my colleagues, I experienced the energy, aspirations - and incredible flavors - of one of the largest, busiest metropolises on earth.

Dal with Whole Beans

I have been making this dish for a while before visiting Mumbai, adding the kidney beans to give the dal a bit more substance as a main course dish. In India I was happy to see (and taste!) several dal variations which had whole beans in them. You could use many other beans as well - say pinto or pink bean - to achieve a similar effect. I used curry leaves which my Indian host gave me to season the flavoring oil. You can find them in Indian grocers, but they are not absolutely necessary for this dish.

2 carrots, diced

1 onion, finely diced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp cayenne powder

½ cup (whole or split – but skinned) red lentils

3 cups water

1 small piece cinnamon

1 star anise

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 tsp. mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp. Garam Masala

4 cloves garlic, minced

½-inch piece fresh ginger, minced

1 can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Sesame seeds

In a pressure cooker pot, sauté the carrot, onion and jalapeno in a bit of canola oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the first group of ingredients, raise heat, cover pressure cooker and bring to pressure. Cook 3 minutes and remove from heat. Meanwhile, cook the seeds and masalas in the canola oil in a small pot or pan until fragrant – 3-4 minutes, and then add the garlic and ginger. Continue cooking until the garlic and ginger soften, about another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Carefully de-pressurize pressure cooker and uncover. Add the kidney beans and cook another 10 minutes or so, to meld flavors. Remove the cinnamon and star anise, salt to taste, and adjust thickness with water if necessary. Serve over rice. Top with sesame seeds.

Incredible Edibles for the Birthday

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Birthday Cuisine

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Dresden on Elbe

A Hearty Meal fit for Kings: Grosse Haxe - Roasted Pork knuckle with potato dumplings and Sauerkraut; found in Dresden on Elbe, Germany. Also had pork Schnitzel with fries - a great classic. Recipes to be deciphered and reported later!

Clams and Linguini

18-24 cherrystone clams

1 cup white wine

2 cups water

1 lb. linguini

3 cloves garlic

1 onion, finely diced

1 large tomato, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp butter

several dashes Pete’s hot sauce

chopped chives

Steam the clams in the wine and water for about 10 minutes, until clams open. Meanwhile sauté the onion in the butter and oil. Then add the garlic. Set aside. Add a bit of olive oil to the pan and heat to high. Add the tomatoes and hot sauce and sear until caramelized a bit for about 3-5 minutes. Return onion and garlic to pan.

Remove opened clams from broth. Remove clams from shells and dice. Reserve about 1 cup clam broth (salty!) for sauce. Add remaining to pot with enough water to make about 2 quarts. Bring to a boil and cook linguini al dente. Drain linguini and toss in serving bowl with clams, tomato mixture and reserved broth. Top with chopped chives and parmesan cheese.

Poolside Dips

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And now for Some Real 4th of July Holiday Grilling...

Asian BBQ Pork Spareribs1 rack (about 4 lbs. ) pork spare ribs, cut into 2-rib sections
1 large onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch fresh ginger, minced
1 apple, peeled, cored and finely diced

BBQ Sauce:
½ cup BBQ sauce
½ cup pale dry sherry
½ cup Triple Sec orange liquor
¼ cup water
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili paste with Garlic or other hot chili sauce (we like Texas Pete’s)

This dish was cooked using a gas grill for grilling. Start grill heating to high. Mix together sauce ingredients. Heat a Dutch oven on the stove and sauté the onion in a bit of canola oil until just softened about 5 minutes. Then add the apple and garlic and simmer on low for another few minutes. Meanwhile oil and salt the rib portions generously and grill on high for 5-7 minutes per side, until well browned – flames and blackening allowed! Tip ribs into Dutch oven, add the BBQ sauce, cover and braise on low for 45 minutes, turning once or twice.

Reheat grill to low. Remove ribs from oven and grill very slowly on low as you reduce the BBQ sauce in the Dutch oven to a thick consistency. Then start basting the ribs, turning often to finish the grilling and form a nice glossy sheen to the ribs.

Healthy 4th of July Grilling

Grilling is the default cooking method on the 4th of July in America. If you’ve already met your beef and brat quota – try some fish – it grills up great.

Grilled Red Snapper with Mango Mint Salsa

Salsa:
1 mango cubed
2 Tbsp. fresh mint
2 Tbsp. minced cilantro
2 Tbsp. minced red onion
2 Tbsp. olive oil
juice of ½ lime
zest of ½ lime
½ tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper

dash red pepper flakes (or minced jalapeno)

4 Red Snapper fillets
Salt and pepper and paprika to taste

Mix together salsa ingredients and let stand at least half an hour. Score fish skin in several places to keep skin from curling and bowing the fillets too much when grilled. Place fillets, skin-side down on a platter and brush with canola oil. Season generously with salt and freshly-ground pepper, or your favorite Fish, Cajun or Caribbean spice mix. Heat grill and oil grate well.

Place fillets skin side up on grill and cook for 5 minutes without moving fillets (step away – if you move them before they have seared a bit, they will tear apart!). Gently flip fillets and cook another 3 to 4 minutes just until done. Gently remove fillets to a serving platter and top with a bit of salsa. You can also use a grill pan for very good results if it’s not grilling weather, and other fish also works with this salsa equally well.

Molé Lentil, Barley and Pink Bean Stew with Swiss Chard

1 leek, cleaned and diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 bay leaf
1 cup green lentils
¼ cup pearled barley
1 quart chicken broth
1 can pink beans, drained
4 cups sliced/shredded Swiss Chard
2 Tbsp prepared Molé paste (such as Trader Joe’s)
¼ cup Chili Sauce (such as Heinz) or catsup
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
2-4 cups water – enough to thin to desired consistency

Sauté leek and carrot in a bit of olive oil in a soup pot. After about 6-8 minutes add the cumin and mustard seeds and sauté until fragrant, another 3-5 minutes. Add the bay leaf, lentils, barley and broth and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered for about half an hour, stirring every so often. Add the remaining ingredients, with just enough water to thin to the desired consistency as you cook stew for another 20-30 minutes, covered. Remove bay leaf.

Definitely serve with corn bread!

Father's Day Summer Solstice

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Barbque Rib Eye Steaks


Mac and Cheese

Farfalle with Tofu Eggplant and Mint

1 eggplant, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and diced
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. Farfalle pasta
1 Tbsp chives, minced
1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves (or 1 tsp dried), minced

Sauté eggplant in a non-stick skillet for about 2 minutes without any oil. Once sizzling hot, hit the eggplant with a bit of olive oil and continue sautéing until the eggplant is nicely browned on all sides. Heating up the eggplant before adding oil seems to keep the eggplant from absorbing too much oil and getting soggy and oily. Set eggplant aside.

Toss the tofu with the garlic and onion powders and some salt and pepper to taste. Sauté the tofu in the non-stick skillet in a bit of olive oil over very high heat. Brown all sides nicely, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside. In the same skillet, sauté the onion and pepper just until softened. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Return eggplant and tofu to the pan, mix gently, and keep warm.

Meanwhile bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al-dente. Drain pasta, reserving about ½ cup pasta cooking water, and tip pasta into a large serving bowl. Toss with vegetable mixture. Add a bit of cooking water to moisten if needed. Top with chives and mint.

Really Cool Dinner Salads

Grilled Salmon on Spinach & Avocado Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Dressing:
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper

Salad:
4 cups baby spinach leaves (about one 7-oz. bag)
1 ripe avocado, sliced
¼ cup grated carrots
½ cup diced cucumber

4 salmon fillets, about 1-inch thick

Whisk together dressing. Spray salmon with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Heat a non-stick grill pan on high heat and cook salmon, skin-side up, for 5 minutes. Flip salmon and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes (depending on thickness). Meanwhile, toss spinach, cucumbers and carrots with dressing and lay out on a large platter. Arrange salmon and avocados on top of spinach and garnish with lemon wedges.


Lemon Grilled Chicken on Balsamic Blue Cheese Salad


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