Good commentary and horrific visuals of Before and After purchasing power of Food Stamps, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program with the deceptively cute acronym SNAP. Not only are their too few calories, too many of what's there are white rice and white potatoes, which manage to be filling, and maybe even fattening, but not nutritious.
As John Cole says, these rations would drive a person to sell them for liquor and cigarettes instead.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Me and Harold McGee
Nobody beats Harold McGee on the science of cooking--his On Food and Cooking is a must have for anyone who is a serious cook.
How wonderful that he has a new book! Here's a teaser interview.
How wonderful that he has a new book! Here's a teaser interview.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Lazy Yakatori Steak
I defrosted a beautiful 1 3/4 lb. sirloin that I got on sale at Whole Foods for $6.99 a pound. I found this easy recipe for Yakatori Steak so that I could get one more go on the grill before it gets too cold, which I decided to make even easier by using red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice to save a step and not cubing or slicing up the steak to thread on skewers. Lazy!
With it I will grill salt and vinegar potatoes and local eggplant that I bought yesterday at Sonnewald. I'm very excited to get a chance to make the potatoes, though of course rice is the obvious (and lazier) accompaniment to the steak. La!
With it I will grill salt and vinegar potatoes and local eggplant that I bought yesterday at Sonnewald. I'm very excited to get a chance to make the potatoes, though of course rice is the obvious (and lazier) accompaniment to the steak. La!
A Winning Recipe: Tortilla Espagnola
(Updated: I was too busy last week to make this, get the photo, and submit it to NYT, but it's still a winner. I wrote this post on 9/20.)
The NYT Well Blog is putting together a round-up of readers' potluck recipes and photos, deadline 24 September. I at first felt like I had nothing to submit, but my friends reminded me that very few recipes are truly original--we're all vamping on someone else's idea. Besides, the entry form asks for the source--hurray for such explicit protection of intellectual property!
I first thought I'd go with a tart, since I have been the Queen of Tarts this summer. They are impressive--edible at any temperature and with crusts that often permit them to become finger food, which is something of a win. But I hesitated, because my tarts are seasonal, and I felt a winning recipe should be for all seasons.
And then I remembered Epicurious's Tortilla Espagnola, which I revised pretty heavily and with great success for preparation in my iron skillet. Not only is it even more of a finger food than tarts, it creates more individual bits, tastes best at room temperature, and is a very easy prep that leaves you with lovely flavored olive oil to use when you cook. A win!
The NYT Well Blog is putting together a round-up of readers' potluck recipes and photos, deadline 24 September. I at first felt like I had nothing to submit, but my friends reminded me that very few recipes are truly original--we're all vamping on someone else's idea. Besides, the entry form asks for the source--hurray for such explicit protection of intellectual property!
I first thought I'd go with a tart, since I have been the Queen of Tarts this summer. They are impressive--edible at any temperature and with crusts that often permit them to become finger food, which is something of a win. But I hesitated, because my tarts are seasonal, and I felt a winning recipe should be for all seasons.
And then I remembered Epicurious's Tortilla Espagnola, which I revised pretty heavily and with great success for preparation in my iron skillet. Not only is it even more of a finger food than tarts, it creates more individual bits, tastes best at room temperature, and is a very easy prep that leaves you with lovely flavored olive oil to use when you cook. A win!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Found Food: Roasted Squash Seeds
While I am perfectly happy to compost my food scraps and reuse them that way, the best foods are those that have further edible iterations. The kuri squash that I used to make the Spiced Kuri Squash and Chicken Stew yielded some plump, beautiful seeds that begged to be roasted. Since these will be higher calorie and a huge temptation, I'm taking them to a neighbor's tonight along with a bottle of Portguese wine.
Roasted Squash Seeds
Makes 2 cups
Seeds from a winter squash such as Kuri
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1) Take seeds scooped from squash and rinse in colander to get rid of as much squash fiber and meat as possible. Spread on baking tray and dry out.
2) Preheat oven to 375 F.
3) Place seeds in a mixing bowl. Add oil and stir. Add spices (improvising as necessary or desired) and stir. Spread seeds evenly on baking sheet.
4) Place baking sheet full of seeds in oven and bake 20-30 minutes or until seeds begin to brown. Adjust salt as desired.
Roasted Squash Seeds
Makes 2 cups
Seeds from a winter squash such as Kuri
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1) Take seeds scooped from squash and rinse in colander to get rid of as much squash fiber and meat as possible. Spread on baking tray and dry out.
2) Preheat oven to 375 F.
3) Place seeds in a mixing bowl. Add oil and stir. Add spices (improvising as necessary or desired) and stir. Spread seeds evenly on baking sheet.
4) Place baking sheet full of seeds in oven and bake 20-30 minutes or until seeds begin to brown. Adjust salt as desired.
Why Won't Americans Eat Their Veggies?
The NYT just published this interesting article about how Americans, despite all efforts to convince them otherwise, refuse to eat their vegetables (I combine the exception categories in one curved swoop: an older, well-educated, better-paid woman).
This fascinates me on a purely rhetorical level: here we have serious efforts of persuasion that fail, and fail again, and then fail some more. I am also delighted by the Rockin' Baby Carrot Campaign, though I think reimagining baby carrots as junk food is probably NOT the wisest decision. But who knows what works with kids these days?
The two points that stand out for me beyond all the whining excuses are these: vegetables are expensive, and they require work to integrate them into a meal. If we want more Americans to eat veggies, we first need to make them cheaper--rather than subsidizing processed foods that at once fatten us while starving us of vital nutrients, we should apply those subsidies to make vegetables cheaper (and the logical first place to start this is Food Stamps). I really think that's the quickest and best fix. But it'd also be good to teach America's children more about good eating habits--there is a clarity of mind in young people, who see things in Black and White, that makes them amenable to clear arguments about healthy choices, and they would take this propaganda home with them (childless that I am, I might be romanticizing America's youth--still, I have seen 9-year-olds that are remarkably receptive to anti-smoking arguments, for instance). In the longterm, these children would also have the education about food to make better choices and avoid fad diets--this could be a comprehensive win.
All of this is fantasy territory, however. The corporate food producers fattened and fed by subsidies will never let Congress make such a change, and even I can see that America's education system needs other fixes first, as we slide ever lower in reading and math.
This fascinates me on a purely rhetorical level: here we have serious efforts of persuasion that fail, and fail again, and then fail some more. I am also delighted by the Rockin' Baby Carrot Campaign, though I think reimagining baby carrots as junk food is probably NOT the wisest decision. But who knows what works with kids these days?
The two points that stand out for me beyond all the whining excuses are these: vegetables are expensive, and they require work to integrate them into a meal. If we want more Americans to eat veggies, we first need to make them cheaper--rather than subsidizing processed foods that at once fatten us while starving us of vital nutrients, we should apply those subsidies to make vegetables cheaper (and the logical first place to start this is Food Stamps). I really think that's the quickest and best fix. But it'd also be good to teach America's children more about good eating habits--there is a clarity of mind in young people, who see things in Black and White, that makes them amenable to clear arguments about healthy choices, and they would take this propaganda home with them (childless that I am, I might be romanticizing America's youth--still, I have seen 9-year-olds that are remarkably receptive to anti-smoking arguments, for instance). In the longterm, these children would also have the education about food to make better choices and avoid fad diets--this could be a comprehensive win.
All of this is fantasy territory, however. The corporate food producers fattened and fed by subsidies will never let Congress make such a change, and even I can see that America's education system needs other fixes first, as we slide ever lower in reading and math.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Ikea's New Cookbook: Delightful, Delicious, Delovely
I am still swooning over the clever visuals in this cookbook. *want* (h/t David Lebovitz)
There are Many Ways to Starve a Child
Jim Weill's post on the Hill Blog captures perfectly the impractical and immoral decision Congress may make to rob food stamp funding to pay for school lunches. A mean decision considered by itself, comparing it to the TARP bailout makes me nauseated. How stupid are our Congress critters even to consider willfully depriving our children and their families of adequate daily calories and nutrition, especially given where unemployment stands right now? Healthy countries want healthy citizens and invest in that health. I pray that this bill doesn't pass.
A Tip and a Tool for Friday
It's been a busy week, so this one is gonna be fast.
TIP A good rule for buying most vegetables, especially tomatoes in winter, is to go for the ones that feel heavy for their size. For onions, choose smooth, taut skins over wrinkly ones. For melons, well, as Dave Dietz at Central Market said: "Melons are like people: only God knows what's inside."
TOOL The Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener has made my kitchen a much happier place recently (thankfully, all connection to Rachel Ray vanishes with the packaging, in case that's a concern). When I first discovered David Lebovitz and surfed his blog, I knew I had struck gold when I found this amazing blog post on knives a mere month before my friend Missi was due to arrive. She: rabid about knife sharpening and preservation. Me: not so much. In fact, I had never sharpened my knives. So, I bought the Oxo chef's knife and Blade Savers as David recommended (a damn good deal), a paring knife that Cook's Illustrated liked, and the Furi Fingers. Oh the difference to me and my cooking to have rescued my knives from their dull stupor! I thank David Lebovitz for his great and helpful blogging, and Missi for pulling me up to her standards.
TIP A good rule for buying most vegetables, especially tomatoes in winter, is to go for the ones that feel heavy for their size. For onions, choose smooth, taut skins over wrinkly ones. For melons, well, as Dave Dietz at Central Market said: "Melons are like people: only God knows what's inside."
TOOL The Diamond Fingers Knife Sharpener has made my kitchen a much happier place recently (thankfully, all connection to Rachel Ray vanishes with the packaging, in case that's a concern). When I first discovered David Lebovitz and surfed his blog, I knew I had struck gold when I found this amazing blog post on knives a mere month before my friend Missi was due to arrive. She: rabid about knife sharpening and preservation. Me: not so much. In fact, I had never sharpened my knives. So, I bought the Oxo chef's knife and Blade Savers as David recommended (a damn good deal), a paring knife that Cook's Illustrated liked, and the Furi Fingers. Oh the difference to me and my cooking to have rescued my knives from their dull stupor! I thank David Lebovitz for his great and helpful blogging, and Missi for pulling me up to her standards.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Course in Korean Food? Sign Me Up!
How exciting that the first ever course in Korean food will be taught at Philly's own Drexel University. So wish I could take it!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
English Is Dead! Long Live English!
Every now and then, some cranky old white man has to vent his spleen about how kids these days use English. What I especially like about this tirade is that blame is shifted to new media--as if newspapers were somehow the gatekeepers of the language, or something. Absurd.
And it's of course extra-special funny that English's obituary is written in, yes, English.
And it's of course extra-special funny that English's obituary is written in, yes, English.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Local Pork Butt to Puerco Pibil
Back in the triple-digit heat bath that was July, a friend on Facebook posted this recipe for Robert Rodriguez's Puerco Pibil (made famous in Once Upon a Time in Mexico). I made a mental note (and a comment on her Facebook) to make this recipe come the cooler days of Fall when having the oven on for four hours is no hardship and might even bring welcome heat.
The highs are in the 70s, the lows in the 50s, and it is time, since I am cooking for 8 this evening, including two people with gluten sensitivities. Dinner will be a potluck: I am providing the main dish with homemade corn tortillas (using Bob's Red Mill's masa harina and recipe) and chocolate sorbet (my farewell to summer), my roommate is providing Italian Cornmeal Cake, and the guests are bringing the rest. Since one of my guests cannot eat hot peppers, I threw in two poblanos from the garden rather than habañeros to make the marinade, and I'm making pico de gallo as a topping for those of us who want more kick.
Who knew I had to move to York, PA, to start cooking Tex-Mex?
Puerco Pibil á la Robert Rodriguez
The highs are in the 70s, the lows in the 50s, and it is time, since I am cooking for 8 this evening, including two people with gluten sensitivities. Dinner will be a potluck: I am providing the main dish with homemade corn tortillas (using Bob's Red Mill's masa harina and recipe) and chocolate sorbet (my farewell to summer), my roommate is providing Italian Cornmeal Cake, and the guests are bringing the rest. Since one of my guests cannot eat hot peppers, I threw in two poblanos from the garden rather than habañeros to make the marinade, and I'm making pico de gallo as a topping for those of us who want more kick.
Who knew I had to move to York, PA, to start cooking Tex-Mex?
Puerco Pibil á la Robert Rodriguez
Makes 15 servings
Thanks to my local butcher from Three Sons, I now know that pork butt and pork shoulder are the same thing. I also learned that it can come with bone, so I carved off the meat and stuck the bones in a freezer bag for future use, most likely to help flavor a winter bean soup. I was left with about 4 pounds of meat.
The only ingredient not readily available where I live is the annatto seeds; you can order them through Penzey's.
5 Tablespoons annatto (achiote) seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 Tablespoon peppercorns
8 allspice berries
½ tsp. whole cloves
2 habanero chiles
½ cup orange juice
½ cup white vinegar
2 Tbsps. salt
8 cloves of garlic
Juice of 5 lemons
Splash of tequila x 2
5 pounds pork butt (or shoulder)
Banana leaves or heavy-duty aluminum foil
White or Spanish rice or taco shells for serving
1. Place the annatto, cumin, peppercorns, allspice, and cloves in a spice grinder and process to a fine powder.
2. Carefully remove the seeds and veins from the chiles and chop coarsely. (Habaneros are very hot; even breathing the fumes may make you cough. Removing the veins and seeds ensures the dish is fiery but not painfully hot. You can also substitute a milder chile.)
3. Process the orange juice, vinegar, chiles, salt, and garlic in a blender or food processor until liquefied. Add the lemon juice and tequila. Combine with spice blend in a large, self-sealing plastic bag.
4. Cut the pork into 2-inch chunks. Place in a large, self-sealing plastic bag with the marinade. Seal bag and turn to evenly coat the meat. Refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours, turning occasionally. (Overnight = better.)
5. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Remove the meat from the marinade and wrap tightly in banana leaves or foil so no steam can escape. Place packet in roasting pan and roast four hours. Open packet carefully; the meat should shred easily with a fork. Serve with rice or shred with two forks and use as taco filling.
Per serving: 240 calories (35 percent from fat), 9.3 g fat (2.9 g saturated, 3.8 g monounsaturated), 92.2 mg cholesterol, 33.1 g protein, 5.2 g carbohydrates, 0.7 g fiber, 1,037 mg sodium.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Rescuing Good Food From Bad Processes
Eggs, spinach, tomatoes, peanut butter--each of these foods is a vital component of a healthy diet, yet each has been compromised in the public's mind as tainted and thus unhealthy. The problem is a lack of safety checks on how we mass-produce foods. In other words, in buying these foods that are produced as cheaply as possible, consumers unwittingly place their health on the chopping block.
There is hope that consumers may receive better protection: the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which has languished in Congress since introduced in 2009, has a new lease on life thanks to NY Sen Kirsten Gillibrand's bill to add better consumer notification when products are recalled.
The Senate is poised to vote on this legislation later this month. (h/t Serious Eats)
There is hope that consumers may receive better protection: the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which has languished in Congress since introduced in 2009, has a new lease on life thanks to NY Sen Kirsten Gillibrand's bill to add better consumer notification when products are recalled.
The Senate is poised to vote on this legislation later this month. (h/t Serious Eats)
Chocolate + Sorbet, Two Ways
As summer gasps its last breaths here in South-Central PA, I find myself wanting one last round of the delicious machine-free Chocolate Sorbet that I've made twice this summer, once with vanilla extract and once with mint extract. But I like options! Here are two recipes that are amazing ways to get your chocolate fix in the summer and come highly recommended.
The Chocolate Sorbet recipe is a modified-for-handmade version of David Lebovitz's that I poached from King Arthur Flour's Baking Banter blog. The Rainbow Sorbet Torte is from Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven--the only hitch with it is that you really need to make it in a springform pan to get the full visual effect. Any size will do.
I have made the sorbet once as written and once with mint extract and found both equally tasty. Tomorrow's menu is Mexican, with Puerco Pibil in the starring role served with homemade corn tortillas, so this time I'm sticking to vanilla and adding cinnamon. I may also add some Spanish smoked paprika--one of my guests cannot have spicy food, so chipotle and cayenne are out, alas. Decisions, decisions!
Chocolate Sorbet
Use the Epicurious Recipe above if you plan to use an ice cream maker; this recipe includes ingredients and steps for making this sorbet by hand.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavored extract
2 tablespoons vodka
1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk, for 45 seconds.
Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until it's melted, then stir in the extract and the remaining 3/4 cup water. Transfer to a blender and blend for 15 seconds (I skip this step, actually). Place mixture in a 9" cake pan and freeze for 2 hours.
Pull pan from freezer. Mix the slush around with a fork or spoon, making sure to bring frozen edges to center (to make it all uniform). Smooth and repeat this process every hour, could be 4 or more. When uniformly icy, blend again to make it "creamier."
Yield: 1 quart
Rainbow Sorbet Torte
The first time I made this, I had to make my own chocolate wafers to avoid Nabisco and its evil HFCS and transfats. Now you can find chocolate wafers without those nefarious ingredients in the organic aisle. To crumble cookies: place in a big ziploc bag and roll gently with a rolling pin till uniformly crushed.
2 cups crumbled chocolate wafer cookies (about 30 cookies, or most of a 9 oz. package)
6 tablespoons melted butter (vegan substitute = fine)
3-5 pints assorted fruit sorbets (have an eye toward contrast!)
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Combine crumbs and butter in medium-sized bowl, and press mixture firmly into bottom of 9x3" springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes, and then cool.
Let the sorbets soften for 30 minutes in the fridge or at room temperature for 10-15 minutes (depending on the weather). Spoon one pint of sorbet into the crust, and spread it evenly to the edges. Repeat creating layers with remaining sorbets. Press down firmly to eliminate air pockets, then cover the top with plastic wrap.
Freeze for at least 4 hours or until firm. Let the torte stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes (or in the fridge about 30 minutes) before removing the rim of the pan. To serve, dip a sharp knife into hot water, and slice the torte in wedges.
Yield: 12-20 servings, depending on number of pints
The Chocolate Sorbet recipe is a modified-for-handmade version of David Lebovitz's that I poached from King Arthur Flour's Baking Banter blog. The Rainbow Sorbet Torte is from Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven--the only hitch with it is that you really need to make it in a springform pan to get the full visual effect. Any size will do.
I have made the sorbet once as written and once with mint extract and found both equally tasty. Tomorrow's menu is Mexican, with Puerco Pibil in the starring role served with homemade corn tortillas, so this time I'm sticking to vanilla and adding cinnamon. I may also add some Spanish smoked paprika--one of my guests cannot have spicy food, so chipotle and cayenne are out, alas. Decisions, decisions!
Chocolate Sorbet
Use the Epicurious Recipe above if you plan to use an ice cream maker; this recipe includes ingredients and steps for making this sorbet by hand.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavored extract
2 tablespoons vodka
1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk, for 45 seconds.
Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until it's melted, then stir in the extract and the remaining 3/4 cup water. Transfer to a blender and blend for 15 seconds (I skip this step, actually). Place mixture in a 9" cake pan and freeze for 2 hours.
Pull pan from freezer. Mix the slush around with a fork or spoon, making sure to bring frozen edges to center (to make it all uniform). Smooth and repeat this process every hour, could be 4 or more. When uniformly icy, blend again to make it "creamier."
Yield: 1 quart
Rainbow Sorbet Torte
The first time I made this, I had to make my own chocolate wafers to avoid Nabisco and its evil HFCS and transfats. Now you can find chocolate wafers without those nefarious ingredients in the organic aisle. To crumble cookies: place in a big ziploc bag and roll gently with a rolling pin till uniformly crushed.
2 cups crumbled chocolate wafer cookies (about 30 cookies, or most of a 9 oz. package)
6 tablespoons melted butter (vegan substitute = fine)
3-5 pints assorted fruit sorbets (have an eye toward contrast!)
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Combine crumbs and butter in medium-sized bowl, and press mixture firmly into bottom of 9x3" springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes, and then cool.
Let the sorbets soften for 30 minutes in the fridge or at room temperature for 10-15 minutes (depending on the weather). Spoon one pint of sorbet into the crust, and spread it evenly to the edges. Repeat creating layers with remaining sorbets. Press down firmly to eliminate air pockets, then cover the top with plastic wrap.
Freeze for at least 4 hours or until firm. Let the torte stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes (or in the fridge about 30 minutes) before removing the rim of the pan. To serve, dip a sharp knife into hot water, and slice the torte in wedges.
Yield: 12-20 servings, depending on number of pints
A Tip and a Tool for Friday
This post is the first in a series that highlights useful kitchen tools and efficient cooking and baking tips; when possible, these tools and tips will emerge from the week's round of recipes.
A TIP Use a teaspoon to scrape the skin off of fresh ginger; not only is this method faster than using a knife, you will sacrifice less ginger to the process. And you get bonus points for throwing the ginger peels into a freezer bag in which you store veggie scraps for making stock!
A TOOL If you do any baking at all that requires a rolling pin, this Silicone Rolling Mat from King Arthur's catalogue really cannot be beat: it provides an instant clean surface wherever you place it, its concentric circles allow you to roll out your naan, tortillas, and French Tomato Tart crust with ease, and if you need to roll dough for pretzels, challah, or Swedish Lucy Buns to a certain length, the sides are ruled, too.
A TIP Use a teaspoon to scrape the skin off of fresh ginger; not only is this method faster than using a knife, you will sacrifice less ginger to the process. And you get bonus points for throwing the ginger peels into a freezer bag in which you store veggie scraps for making stock!
A TOOL If you do any baking at all that requires a rolling pin, this Silicone Rolling Mat from King Arthur's catalogue really cannot be beat: it provides an instant clean surface wherever you place it, its concentric circles allow you to roll out your naan, tortillas, and French Tomato Tart crust with ease, and if you need to roll dough for pretzels, challah, or Swedish Lucy Buns to a certain length, the sides are ruled, too.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Time to Make Pretzels, and That's No Lye!
I'm a huge-huge fan of yeasty, chewy pretzels, and the NYT published this recipe in May that I've been saving, with an eye toward purchasing some lye when I had some extra money. Thanks to Harold McGee, the best kitchen chemist ever, I now have the means of making a lye-substitute without shelling out any dough.*
*Puns are a necessary part of a balanced diet.
*Puns are a necessary part of a balanced diet.
Green Housekeeping: Practical Tips for Mega Savings
Use less soap in your dishwasher and clothes washer--not only do you save money on soap, but the appliance will last longer. This great article even has tips on how to load your dishwasher to make it more efficient!
Be sure how often your car needs its oil changed--like my MINI, you may only need to do it about every 10,000 miles!
Be sure how often your car needs its oil changed--like my MINI, you may only need to do it about every 10,000 miles!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
A Rhetorical Rat in the High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Everyone hates HFCS, so what is an industry to do? Why, change the name of the product! File this under "hate."
Local Top Sirloin to Korean Steak
Dinner tonight is courtesy of Three Sons Meat Market of York County, who raise and slaughter their own meat and sell it at Eastern Market every Friday, Sonnewald Natural Foods, which has the best local and organic produce in the area, and Dietz's Produce at Central Market, which is my go-to market within walking distance.
This is a very easy prep, best done the night before or the morning of cooking, that I found on Austin's own Stubb's BBQ website (which is local to where I used to live, LOL). Photos will follow soon.
I'm serving this tonight with spicy baked sweet potato fries--a recipe for that will follow soon--and an as-yet-to-be-determined vegetable.
I'm serving this tonight with spicy baked sweet potato fries--a recipe for that will follow soon--and an as-yet-to-be-determined vegetable.
Korean Steak, Stubb’s style
Serves: 4-8
Toast your own sesame seeds, and use a teaspoon to scrape the skin off the ginger with ridiculous ease. Save all veggie scraps, including ginger peels, in the freezer as a base for vegetable or chicken stock.
Ingredients
2 Lbs beef flank steak or sirloin
4 scallions (green and white parts), sliced in 3/4" lengths, or 4 shallots, chopped
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
4 Tsp sesame oil
2 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted (see Note)
1/4 Tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 Tbs dry sherry (I used Busha Brown's Spicy&Hot Pepper Sherry)
4 scallions (green and white parts), sliced in 3/4" lengths, or 4 shallots, chopped
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
4 Tsp sesame oil
2 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted (see Note)
1/4 Tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 Tbs dry sherry (I used Busha Brown's Spicy&Hot Pepper Sherry)
Preparation
Score the beef on each side with intersecting cuts 3/4 inch apart to create a diamond pattern; cut only lightly into the meat, about 1/8 inch deep. Slice the scallions diagonally into ¾-inch lengths.
In a baking dish or shallow pan, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and seeds, pepper flakes, and sherry. Stir in the scallions, and then add the beef, coating well with the marinade. Cover and marinate, refrigerated, preferably for 8 hours (or from 1 hour to overnight), turning the beef once or twice.
Prepare a grill for direct cooking. For a charcoal grill, when the coals are ashed over, rake or spread them out in the bottom of the grill so the food can cook directly over the coals. (For a gas grill, fire-up the burners so the food can cook directly over the heat.)
Grill the steak over direct high heat, flipping once, long enough to lightly char the scored edges of the meat, making them crisp and crunchy, without overcooking the interior. (Allow 8 to 10 minutes total for medium-rare.)
Let the steak rest for 10 minutes. If desired, boil the marinade for 1 full minute or more, to use as a sauce. Slice the steak against the grain into thin strips and serve drizzled with the cooked marinade.
Notes: Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown and aromatic, 3 to 5 minutes. Or buy the seeds already toasted.
This Korean marinade may also be used to grill thin slices of beef (known as bulgogi), rather than a whole steak. (To put a touch of Texas in this dish, replace half the soy sauce with Stubb’s Beef Marinade.) It’s also dynamite on lamb, particularly when charcoal grilled. Serve with steamed rice and a cucumber salad, tossed with a sesame dressing.
In a baking dish or shallow pan, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and seeds, pepper flakes, and sherry. Stir in the scallions, and then add the beef, coating well with the marinade. Cover and marinate, refrigerated, preferably for 8 hours (or from 1 hour to overnight), turning the beef once or twice.
Prepare a grill for direct cooking. For a charcoal grill, when the coals are ashed over, rake or spread them out in the bottom of the grill so the food can cook directly over the coals. (For a gas grill, fire-up the burners so the food can cook directly over the heat.)
Grill the steak over direct high heat, flipping once, long enough to lightly char the scored edges of the meat, making them crisp and crunchy, without overcooking the interior. (Allow 8 to 10 minutes total for medium-rare.)
Let the steak rest for 10 minutes. If desired, boil the marinade for 1 full minute or more, to use as a sauce. Slice the steak against the grain into thin strips and serve drizzled with the cooked marinade.
Notes: Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown and aromatic, 3 to 5 minutes. Or buy the seeds already toasted.
This Korean marinade may also be used to grill thin slices of beef (known as bulgogi), rather than a whole steak. (To put a touch of Texas in this dish, replace half the soy sauce with Stubb’s Beef Marinade.) It’s also dynamite on lamb, particularly when charcoal grilled. Serve with steamed rice and a cucumber salad, tossed with a sesame dressing.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Serious Eats S'more Tartlets
I love the idea of this recipe, as if the scruffy little girlscout s'more grew up and is now a diva s'more. Lovely combination of elegance and nostalgia.
Gin and Tacos: Two Great Tastes That Make a Great Blog!
Just linked to this thanks to my favorite blogger, John Cole--and found this wonderful takedown of photoshopping horrors. "WHERE IS HER ASS?" Awesome!
Check it out!
Check it out!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Worst. Candidate Speech. EVAR!
Must see video--sometimes it's better to be a nobody than famous. Thanks, John Cole, for keeping it fun!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/video/video_3012.html?1284057345
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/video/video_3012.html?1284057345
#AfghanistanFail
As John Cole points out, this isn't news to Afghanis, who have more than enough reasons to hate Americans as it is. Meanwhile, our media take the actions of a Florida congregation of 50 and turn them into an international incident that gives them just the attention they want.
Why are we still there? I guess I should be thankful that at least troops are finally leaving Iraq, but I'd like all our soldiers home and safe from bad apples.
Why are we still there? I guess I should be thankful that at least troops are finally leaving Iraq, but I'd like all our soldiers home and safe from bad apples.
Scavenged Chicken to Javanese Chicken Curry
This recipe for Javanese Curry Chicken that I downloaded in 2006 from the NYT is the one I finally chose. I will use dried kaffir lime leaves that I brought home from a Belfast Marks and Spencer back in May, and I got frozen chopped lemon grass and whole knobs of frozen galangal from the Asian grocery around the corner. I have cut the oil down from 3 to 2 tablespoons, subbed light coconut milk for regular, and removed as much skin and fat as possible from the chicken.
Note to self: cook more Asian food to use that grocery more extensively!
Javanese Chicken Curry (Opor Ayam) Adapted from NYT
Time: 1 hour
Serves 4 to 6
Per serving (@ 5 servings): 318 calories, 37 g protein, 1.2 g carbs, 16.8 g fat
Per serving (@ 5 servings): 318 calories, 37 g protein, 1.2 g carbs, 16.8 g fat
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
2 fresh cayenne or other hot pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
6 shallots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 piece galangal, about 11⁄2 inches long, peeled and roughly sliced (optional)
1 piece ginger, 2 inches long, peeled and roughly sliced
2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or other oil suitable for high heat)
2 tablespoons chopped frozen prepared lemongrass
2 pieces cinnamon stick
5 dried kaffir lime leaves
21⁄2 to 3 pounds skinless chicken legs, thighs or both (if possible, have thighs cut in half and knuckle cut off legs), patted dry
1.5 cups unsweetened light coconut milk (1 can)
3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1. In a small food processor, combine coriander, chili, shallots, garlic, galangal and ginger and process to a smooth paste, adding a tablespoon or so of water if needed. (Ingredients can also be chopped finely, then pounded together in mortar and pestle.)
2. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. When oil is hot enough to gently sizzle a pinch of paste, add all the paste and cook, stirring often, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat as needed to prevent browning.
3. Add lemongrass to pot with cinnamon and lime leaves. Cook 1 minute more, until cinnamon is fragrant.
4. Scrape paste to one side and add chicken to pot. Raise heat and brown chicken lightly on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Add 1 cup coconut milk, 1 1⁄4 cups water and salt, stirring well and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered 40 to 50 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thickened. Do not boil.
5. Add remaining coconut milk and heat through. Taste for salt. Let cool slightly and serve.
Gardening with Newspapers
Just when you thought you had no more use for old media, the NYT prints an article that gives newspapers a clear advantage over their electronic counterparts. Now, if only I had enough space to start a fall garden . . .
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Scavenged Top Round To Sesame Ginger Beef
I'm adapting this recipe for a beautifully reduced-price slab of lean organic top round I found at GIANT. (Original price: $7.14. Reduced price: $4.28) I started the brown rice, then made the marinade, and will cook the beef when the rice is almost finished. That means about 40-45 minutes marinating at room temperature, and dinner in under an hour!
Sesame Ginger Beef (adapted from allrecipes.com)
Serves 4
Per serving: 257 calories, 29.4 g protein, 7.5 g carbs, 11.7 g fat
1 pound round steak or other lean steak like sirloin
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (use something higher heat than olive oil)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
4 spring onions/ 1 shallot/1 small onion, chopped
1 bag frozen veg (stirfry mix = best)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1. Mix sugar, soy sauce, oil, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Cut steak into strips and add to bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or leave out to marinate at room temperature for up to an hour.
3. Heat skillet or wok to medium high. Add beef with marinade, and cook till beef is just browned on all sides. Pull beef out, and add onion and frozen veg and cook till onion is tender. Put beef back in, add sesame seeds, and cook for two minutes more (or longer, if you want your meat more cooked--I like mine rare to medium-rare).
Sesame Ginger Beef (adapted from allrecipes.com)
Serves 4
Per serving: 257 calories, 29.4 g protein, 7.5 g carbs, 11.7 g fat
1 pound round steak or other lean steak like sirloin
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (use something higher heat than olive oil)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
4 spring onions/ 1 shallot/1 small onion, chopped
1 bag frozen veg (stirfry mix = best)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1. Mix sugar, soy sauce, oil, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Cut steak into strips and add to bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or leave out to marinate at room temperature for up to an hour.
3. Heat skillet or wok to medium high. Add beef with marinade, and cook till beef is just browned on all sides. Pull beef out, and add onion and frozen veg and cook till onion is tender. Put beef back in, add sesame seeds, and cook for two minutes more (or longer, if you want your meat more cooked--I like mine rare to medium-rare).
Lemon Curd Squares with Rosemary
From Serious Eats' Cook the Book series, this would be the first recipe I would make from Melissa Clark's new cookbook, too. I'll work it into my rotation soon . . .
Chicken Tortilla (Free) Soup: Healthy Tex-Mex
I often miss the Tex-Mex I enjoyed as a grad student in Texas. Since I am on a diet (and constantly seeking recipes that hit the trifecta of easy-healthy-yummy), I had to find a healthy option--my fellow queso lovers know just how heartbreaking that search can be!
A baker at heart, I normally cook recipes as is or tweak them slightly. This recipe, on the other hand, is really my own. The pico de gallo recipe comes courtesy of Cindy Haenel's Knife Skills cooking class at Central Market, and the soup is a fresher take on Allrecipes' Chicken Tortilla Soup V.
The tortilla chips are optional in the recipe, and the soup is excellent with or without them. Needless to say, cut the salt if you add the chips.
Chicken Tortilla (Free) Soup with Homemade Pico De Gallo
Serves 3
Per serving (without tortilla chips): 247 calories, 37 g protein, 12.7 g carbs, 6.6 g fat
For the Pico De Gallo:
4 ripe tomatoes (in winter sub 8 heavy-for-size ripe Romas), cored and diced ¼”
1 cup finely diced onion (sweet yellow onion if possible)
1 or 2 large jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ cup lime juice (2-3 limes)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1. Combine tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and lime juice in a non-reactive bowl (glass or stainless steel) and mix gently.
2. Add 1 teaspoon salt, mix and taste. If mixture is sour, add more salt till flavor is balanced.
3. Serve or store covered and chilled up to 2 days (best made fresh, however).
For the soup:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (can sub leftover cooked meat)
4 cups chicken stock (homemade = best)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp cumin (or to taste)
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels (use fresh-picked corn if available)
4 cups tortilla chips (NOT fritos), crushed (optional)
2. Heat olive oil in skillet. Add onion, then garlic and cumin, and sauté till tender. Add to broth.
3. Add corn and chicken to broth and bring to a boil (faster if lidded). Lower heat and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.
To Assemble:
In a deep soup bowl, place a generous amount of pico and 1 cup of the chips, if you're using them. Ladle a generous amount of soup on top.
A baker at heart, I normally cook recipes as is or tweak them slightly. This recipe, on the other hand, is really my own. The pico de gallo recipe comes courtesy of Cindy Haenel's Knife Skills cooking class at Central Market, and the soup is a fresher take on Allrecipes' Chicken Tortilla Soup V.
The tortilla chips are optional in the recipe, and the soup is excellent with or without them. Needless to say, cut the salt if you add the chips.
Chicken Tortilla (Free) Soup with Homemade Pico De Gallo
Serves 3
Per serving (without tortilla chips): 247 calories, 37 g protein, 12.7 g carbs, 6.6 g fat
For the Pico De Gallo:
4 ripe tomatoes (in winter sub 8 heavy-for-size ripe Romas), cored and diced ¼”
1 cup finely diced onion (sweet yellow onion if possible)
1 or 2 large jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ cup lime juice (2-3 limes)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1. Combine tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and lime juice in a non-reactive bowl (glass or stainless steel) and mix gently.
2. Add 1 teaspoon salt, mix and taste. If mixture is sour, add more salt till flavor is balanced.
3. Serve or store covered and chilled up to 2 days (best made fresh, however).
For the soup:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (can sub leftover cooked meat)
4 cups chicken stock (homemade = best)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp cumin (or to taste)
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels (use fresh-picked corn if available)
4 cups tortilla chips (NOT fritos), crushed (optional)
2. Heat olive oil in skillet. Add onion, then garlic and cumin, and sauté till tender. Add to broth.
3. Add corn and chicken to broth and bring to a boil (faster if lidded). Lower heat and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.
To Assemble:
In a deep soup bowl, place a generous amount of pico and 1 cup of the chips, if you're using them. Ladle a generous amount of soup on top.
French Tomato Tart: Vive la Tomate!
It seemed fitting yesterday to celebrate Labor Day by making David Lebovitz's fabu French Tomato Tart for my neighbor's potluck. Pinko commie cuisine never tasted so good, and tomatoes are at their best as summer cools into fall. Really best with home-grown or farm-fresh tomatoes, but if you must have an out-of-season fix, go for tomatoes that feel heavy for their size and ignore all other considerations such as color. That trick works for me all the time. And romas are typically the best tomatoes in winter.This recipe is ideal picnic fare. The first time I made this, I served it to a friend hot from the oven, and we both swooned. Eight servings became 4. *blush* We took the remaining slices as picnic fare on a scenic day trip to Pittsburgh the next day (which included stops at the Flight 93 9/11 memorial site and her family's ancestral home in northwestern PA), which we ate upon arrival at our hotel in downtown Pittsburgh--and it was even better! The crust was even more tender, and the flavors had melded together. So, if you happen to have leftovers (!), be sure you have the time to savor each bite!
French Tomato Tart (adapted from David Lebovitz)
You can use a tart pan, removeable bottom or not, anywhere from 9-12 inches, though be sure you roll out the dough large enough to overalap the edges after you fit it in. I used a 10" ceramic tart pan for thicker dough and so I might make extra tartlets from any scraps (I got one, which meant my roommate got to try it even though she missed the potluck).
Be generous with the herbs (I have twice used oregano and thyme) and mustard. Consider slathering the mustard on the bottom of the unbaked crust as you would for a sandwich. The crust is a dream--it's considered a good beginner's recipe, and it really does go straight in the oven unbaked and topped with juicy tomatoes without becoming soggy (be sure the mustard layer dries out as specified to achieve this effect).
One possible tweak to this recipe that I want to try to move it west along the Mediterranean by subbing 8 oz of feta and using basil and oregano. Yum!
Tart Filling
One unbaked tart dough (see recipe, below)
Dijon or whole-grain mustard
2-3 large ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
two generous tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, chives, chervil, orgegano, or tarragon
8 ounces (250 g) fresh or slightly aged goat cheese, sliced into rounds
Optional: 1 1/2 tablespoons flavorful honey
Tart Dough
1 1/2 cups (210 g) flour
4 1/2 ounces (125 g) (9 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2-3 tablespoons ice water
4 1/2 ounces (125 g) (9 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2-3 tablespoons ice water
1. Make the dough by mixing the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and use your hands, or a pastry blender, to break in the butter until the mixture has a crumbly, cornmeal-like texture. If you use your hands (which I prefer), make sure the butter cubes have chilled in the fridge and that you use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture as quickly as possible without letting it become pasty (which means it's too hot). Some people's hands are too hot to do this.
2. Mix the egg with 2 tablespoons of the water. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the beaten egg mixture, stirring the mixture until the dough holds together. If it's not coming together easily, add the additional tablespoon of ice water. I worked the dough a little to get it to come together and sprinkled more water as necessary, both with a very light hand to keep the dough from becoming tough.
3. Gather the dough into a ball and roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, adding additional flour only as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the counter. I suggest that you get King Arthur's amazing silicone rolling mat if you plan to roll out tart or pie dough, naan, tortillas, or other things with any regularity--it provides an instant clean surface AND allows you to roll your dough to the right size with ease.
4. Once the dough is large enough so that it will cover the bottom of the pan and go up the sides, roll the dough around the rolling pin then unroll it over the tart pan. (You can also carefully fold the bottom half up over the top half and lift it into the pan, making sure the crease is in the middle.) "Dock" the bottom of the pastry firmly with your fingertips a few times, pressing in to make indentations.
5. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (218ºC).
6. Spread an even layer of mustard over the bottom of the tart dough and let it sit a few minutes to dry out.
7. Slice the tomatoes and arrange them over the mustard in a single, even layer. Drizzle the olive oil over the top.
8. Sprinkle with some chopped fresh herbs, then arrange the slices of goat cheese on top. Add some more fresh herbs, then drizzle with some honey, if using.
(If baking a free-form tart, gather the edges when you're done, to envelope the filling.)
9. Bake the tart for 30 minutes or so, until the dough is cooked, the tomatoes are tender, and the cheese on top is nicely browned. Depending on the heat of your oven, if the cheese doesn't brown as much as you'd like it, you might want to pass it under the broiler until it's just right.
Bon Appétit!
Monday, September 6, 2010
16 Tons? Try Six Figures!
Student loan debt is bigger than credit card debt, and it's shouldered mostly by the 40-and-younger set. Some might see that as a problem.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
A Warm Lamb Salad Welcome to This Blog!
Best to start boldly and declare it: I love the taste of baby animals. LOVE. Lamb also happens to be the one meat you can get at the grocery that is humanely raised, since there isn't enough of a demand for it to factory-farm them. And thankfully, Whole Foods Market sells pasture-raised veal, so I can get my osso bucco fix that way. Why sentimentalize baby animals but not the adults? Especially when they are so tasty.
Since I'm on such a tight budget yet want to buy meat that is as humane as possible, I either buy meat raised and slaughtered locally at my farmer's market (easy to get the good stuff in South-Central PA) or I scout for excellent reduced prices in the good section of the meat aisle at the local GIANT. I made this recipe after I happily landed some lamb shoulder blade steaks, .81 lbs total, for a mere $2.38. I have gotten three separate meals out of the salad and froze the stock for lamb stew--that's a bargain!
This easy recipe is adapted from Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly's The Complete Meat Cookbook, which has never failed to deliver truly awesome recipes. You can serve it as a first-course or as a light lunch. It rewarms very nicely in my toaster oven; not sure what a microwave would do to the meat. Still, cold lamb is to be avoided.
Warm Lamb Salad
Serves 4-6
for the lamb
1 lb. bone-in or lamb shoulder, trimmed of all fat (leave bone in for stock)
1 medium onion, unpeeled, cut in half
2 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 carrot, unpeeled, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups water or chicken stock
for the salad dressing
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed or minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
for the salad
3-4 cups cubed, cooked potatoes (red, fingerling, or other boiling variety)
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
4 green onions or scallions, finally chopped
1/2 pound fresh chopped tomatoes or blanched green beans (or both!)
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
To prepare lamb:
Place the trimmed meat in a large pot with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cover. Simmer for 1.5-2 hours, or until the meat is quite tender. Remove the meat, discard the vegetables (but do eat the carrot!), and put the meat back in the stock to cool, covered, in the stock. Save the stock for soup. When the meat is cool enough to handle, cut into 1/4" slices and reserve.
To make the salad dressing:
Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl, pulse briefly in a food processor, or (my choice) place in a glass jar with lid and shake to emulsify.
To assemble the salad:
Gently toss the meat, potatoes, and other vegetables with the dressing, preferably while the lamb and potatoes are still warm. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve at once.
Since I'm on such a tight budget yet want to buy meat that is as humane as possible, I either buy meat raised and slaughtered locally at my farmer's market (easy to get the good stuff in South-Central PA) or I scout for excellent reduced prices in the good section of the meat aisle at the local GIANT. I made this recipe after I happily landed some lamb shoulder blade steaks, .81 lbs total, for a mere $2.38. I have gotten three separate meals out of the salad and froze the stock for lamb stew--that's a bargain!
This easy recipe is adapted from Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly's The Complete Meat Cookbook, which has never failed to deliver truly awesome recipes. You can serve it as a first-course or as a light lunch. It rewarms very nicely in my toaster oven; not sure what a microwave would do to the meat. Still, cold lamb is to be avoided.
Warm Lamb Salad
Serves 4-6
for the lamb
1 lb. bone-in or lamb shoulder, trimmed of all fat (leave bone in for stock)
1 medium onion, unpeeled, cut in half
2 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 carrot, unpeeled, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups water or chicken stock
for the salad dressing
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed or minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
for the salad
3-4 cups cubed, cooked potatoes (red, fingerling, or other boiling variety)
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
4 green onions or scallions, finally chopped
1/2 pound fresh chopped tomatoes or blanched green beans (or both!)
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
To prepare lamb:
Place the trimmed meat in a large pot with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cover. Simmer for 1.5-2 hours, or until the meat is quite tender. Remove the meat, discard the vegetables (but do eat the carrot!), and put the meat back in the stock to cool, covered, in the stock. Save the stock for soup. When the meat is cool enough to handle, cut into 1/4" slices and reserve.
To make the salad dressing:
Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl, pulse briefly in a food processor, or (my choice) place in a glass jar with lid and shake to emulsify.
To assemble the salad:
Gently toss the meat, potatoes, and other vegetables with the dressing, preferably while the lamb and potatoes are still warm. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve at once.
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