Plays well with others …

By Richard Frisbie

Ready to eat?

The image that comes to mind when I hear “Boot Camp” does not include kitchen skills, especially when it’s prefaced with CIA. I think of sweaty bodies and abusive drill sergeants constantly shouting orders to do more push-ups. Naturally then, it was with some trepidation that I accepted an invitation to attend a CIA Boot Camp, even though they told me it was about food. (And they didn’t mean KP!)

Exterior shot of the CIA (Photo by Richard Frisbie.)

That’s how I recently found myself at the Culinary Institute, in full chef regalia, standing on the 6 a.m. breakfast line with 2,000 other students. It is a cafeteria cattle-call with a blackboard menu. I filed in, gave my order and waited, watching the class whose job it was to actually cook breakfast until my name was called. That’s what is great about the CIA. Students get real hands-on cooking experience in the student cafeteria and in each of the four public campus restaurants the CIA operates.

At dinner in the American Bounty Restaurant the evening before, students who were graduating the next day served our meal. Every aspect of food service, chemistry, and business, is a class each student must complete to graduate. That includes being waiters, bus boys, short-order cooks, sous chefs and chefs. If the professionalism and expertise I experienced at dinner are any indication, and I believe they are, the young men and women in the restaurant were ready to carry the mantle of the CIA into the culinary world.

Learning to cook at the CIA.

Our Boot Camp experience was a Farm-to-Table event focusing on the fresh bounty of Dutchess County farms. (The CIA is located in Hyde Park, Dutchess County, NY.) The first day we visited the farms and picked, dug, harvested and shopped for the ingredients we’d be cooking the next day. From the potatoes to the brussel sprouts, and from the goat cheese to the locally milled cornmeal, everything on the next day’s menu was sourced locally.

The Culinary Institute of America’s promotional material reads, “At Boot Camp you’ll discover how to select the perfect ingredients, how to prepare a variety of dishes, and how to demonstrate more confidence in your own kitchen. Hands-on cooking, chef demonstrations, and exceptional food make CIA Boot Camp one of “America’s Top Ten Destinations.”

What they don’t tell you is that you’ll be one of a group of “boot campers” working as a team to put complex meals on the table. Our group was only seven people, but there was work (and food enough) for at least twelve. That meant four teams of three (an ideal plan) was out, and we all had to work well together to produce a meal. I think we did a pretty good job, considering.

Making pasta.

Our “Team Production Assignments” were:
Team One
Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart
Coq au Vin
Fresh Buttered Egg Pasta

Team Two
Warm Hudson Valley Salad with Baby Greens and Apples
Sautéed Berkshire Pork Cutlets with a Wild Mushroom Ragout
Potato Gnocchi

Team Three
Roast Rack of Lamb Persillé
Creamy Polenta
Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lardons

Team Four
Skewered Beef Fillet with Chimichurri Sauce and Corn Relish
Corn Pudding
Braised Swiss Chard
Vanilla Ice Cream

I was Team Three, with some help with the brussel sprouts from the gnocci and swiss chard person. I helped with the chimichurri sauce, and took photos and a video when I wasn’t worried about burning the polenta!

In the classroom, beforehand, we reviewed the recipes and techniques we’d need to create this meal. When I asked how we’d be able to cook coq au vin in our 3 ½ hour cooking class, Chef Thomas said we’d use young hens instead of an old cock. He knew it would still be close, though.

I never cooked a rack of lamb before, and I had no idea what persillé meant. That’s why I volunteered to cook it. I learned that a persilladé is a bread and herb coating, and that lamb cooks very quickly! Also, that local farm-raised lamb is juicy and delicious even if it was medium rare instead of rare.

This next part is confusing to explain, but I’ll try. I was in a new kitchen surrounded by new people, cooking a recipe new to me, with descriptions in French that I didn’t understand. So, when the recipe called for me to make a mirepoix, I followed the instructions blindly, not knowing what I was doing, and not connecting. It all worked out all right, but it wasn’t until the next day that I realized that, had the recipe just said “make a sofrito,” I’d have known immediately what I was doing and been more comfortable. Next time I’ll ask what the unfamiliar terms mean before I start to cook.

For the rack of lamb I seasoned the Frenched ribs with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme – on all sides. That roasted at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Then I sprinkled the mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots and celery) around the lamb in the roasting pan and cooked at 350 degrees until an internal temp of 130. (I had no idea how long that would take. Someone suggested 45 minutes. In 17 minutes the internal temp was 132 degrees!) I set the lamb aside and made a sauce with the pan juices. It was strained, degreased and thickened (with arrowroot), and left to sit in a warm water bath while I mixed the bread crumbs, garlic and parsley, with melted butter. I brushed the lamb with whole grain mustard, and pressed the breading onto the top of the rack of lamb. At quarter after twelve I popped the lamb into a 400 degree oven to brown the crumbs. There was just time to carve off the individual ribs before the 12:30 p.m. serving.

For the polenta, I sautéed an onion and 2 cloves of garlic in 3 tablespoons of oil in a tall saucepan. I added 2 ½ cups water and the some of milk. When that was boiling, I added 1 ¼ tsp salt, and slowly drizzled 1 1/3 cups corn meal into the boiling liquid, stirring constantly. I continued boiling and stirring until it began to thicken. Then I transferred it to a buttered baking dish, covered it, and baked it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This method eliminates much of the stirring polenta usually gets, and freed me up for other things.

Other things included chef demonstrations of how to cut up a chicken, how to make pasta (wait until you see the photos!) and how to make mozzarella cheese. There was also time to help find strainers, measuring cups, the right pans – everything that is “lost” when you are in a strange kitchen. With all of this, we were on a tight schedule to produce everything at the same time, in time for lunch.

When I put the lamb in the oven for the browning, I removed the polenta, scraping it into a serving bowl, being careful not to disturb the bottom crust that developed on the pan. (That seemed like such a shame!) I stirred in ½ cup Parmesan and sprinkled another over the top. To dress it up some more, before putting it on the table I gathered the leftover herbed bread crumbs and sprinkled them on top.

The meal was almost a complete success. Our chef/instructor thought the corn pudding failed for reasons not related to the cook (it was grey!) and planned some test cooking with different utensils and techniques to determine what exactly went wrong. Everything else worked out perfectly, except that my camera batteries failed halfway through. Replacements were locked in my car and in a distant room, and there was no time to retrieve either. So bear with me in the photo dept while you enjoy the video on how to dismember a chicken.

Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lardons
6 oz bacon cut into little strips
2 lbs brussel sprouts, stemmed, cut in half
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Cook the bacon until it is crisp in a large oven-proof frying pan. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have a large bowl of ice water nearby. Blanch the Brussel Sprouts for one minute in the boiling water. Remove to the ice water until chilled. Drain. Let dry on paper towels. When completely dry, toss with salt and pepper in the bacon and fat in the frying pan. Place in the hot oven and roast, shaking the pan occasionally, until they are tender and lightly charred, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

The pasta was really good, as only fresh pasta can be, especially drenched with an herbed butter. The coq au vin was ready in time and delicious in a falling-off-the-bone kind of way. The braised red cabbage was an extra recipe we made because the cabbage looked so good. (Certainly, it was not because we needed more food, or had extra time!) It was similar to jarred red cabbage only waay better. I made that again as soon as I got home. The skewered beef was the wrong cut and too tough, but the relishes with it were very tasty, really complimented the good flavor of the beef. The pork and mushrooms were delicious, as good as the lamb, but so different. The braised swiss chard was perfect with this combination of foods. Finally, how can you go wrong with ice cream?

It was altogether too much food for the seven of us, plus the chef and two student helpers. We invited more people to join us, until we were 20 or so friends and colleagues celebrating our success cooking the bounty of local farms. We deserved to celebrate. We all worked together to put this meal on the table, and we all earned the passing grade – “Plays Well With Others!”

The Culinary Institute of America is a leader in the Farm-to-Fork movement. They believe in buying the freshest and best ingredients, and try to buy from local purveyors when possible. As proof of their commitment, the CIA hired a local farmer to coordinate local farm purchases. As an example, they buy 750,000 eggs locally every year. By next year they will all be free-range chicken eggs.

Sign up for the CIA Boot Camps online. They have all manner of classes from basic to advanced, and from baking to Asian cuisine, lasting from one day to 5 days. You’ll have a great time, you’ll learn new cooking techniques, and make a whole new bunch of foodie friends!

The Culinary Institute of America
1946 Campus Drive
Hyde Park, NY 12538
877-334-6464

Pasta with Garlic and Olive Oil

By Peter Francis Battaglia

Here is my argument to all those people — take a good look at yourselves, you know who you are — who think they need to spend hours in the kitchen for a decent home-cooked meal.  You couldn’t be further from the truth.

Don’t be scared. Go for take-out or fast food when you feel like it; but really, you could make something on the fly and be shocked at how easy it is.

Pasta comes in all its shapes, sizes, varieties and is probably my most favorite food to cook and eat.  My grandfather, Innocenzo Scaramuzzi, who I take after in many ways, probably ate it everyday. Innocenzo, a New York city Italian immigrant from Grassano, Provincia di Matera, Basilicata, Italy (now that’s a mouthful), was a genius in the kitchen.  I would watch him and my grandmother cook for hours.  Couldn’t get enough of it.  And, everything they cooked was awesome, except maybe some of the more hard core old world dishes which included items that would make a voracious carnivore go ultra vegan.

This brings me to one of the simplest of all Italian dishes ever: pasta with garlic and oil, or Pasta con Aglio e Olio. Basically, it’s pasta, cooked al dente, drained and then sauteed in a big pan with three cloves of sliced garlic and good (I mean good) olive oil. Season with hot pepper flakes or black pepper (never both) and some salt.  After several trips to Italy I learned a pasta-serving style I prefer and I’m going to pass it on. Pasta should never be swimming in a sauce, especially one that’s oil-based.  How many times have you had pasta with garlic and oil and the macaroni hydroplanes on the plate because there is too much oil?

The pasta should have a nice coating of oil, but not an inch of oil in the dish.  In fact, in Italy from Venice to Palermo the oil based sauces almost appeared dry; but they were not and they were full of flavor.  For one-half pound of cooked angel hair use less than 1/8  an inch of olive oil in the bottom of the pan.  Heat the oil and add the garlic.  Don’t let it get to that brown stage. If it does you’ve gone too far. About one minute in the sizzling pan will allow the garlic to release its heady perfume into the oil.

Add the drained pasta, carefully and incorporate the oil and pasta. Add salt and pepper and then taste it. If it’s too dry for your liking add a little of the pasta water (I said “a little).

Sprinkle some grated parmigiano or pecorino, up to you, and you are done.  Not rocket science or a 12-hour ordeal.  Serve with a green vegetable or salad.  Garnish the pasta with chopped parsley — or not, again, not a deal breaker here.

Tonight I opened a can of no salt organic green beans, and drained it. I sauteed one minced shallot, then added that to the beans. A little kosher salt, one teaspoon of fig balsamic and I let that cook for five minutes. Then I drizzled extra virgin olive oil, infused with Meyer lemon (a Christmas gift). Gave it a quick stir and added a little fresh orange juice. Dash of black pepper and it as done.
The bright sour sweet and citrus flavors combined with the other ingredients perked up that dreary can of green beans, and brought a little sunshine into our kitchen on a dark, cold night.  It played off nicely with the Agli’Ugli (southern Italian dialect, I’m channeling the grandparents again).

So bundle up, it’s a cold one here at the Jersey Shore (no Snooki or The Situation in sight) and stop whining that you can’t cook a quick meal during the week.  It’s good for you.

And by the way, you can add capers, anchovies, small shrimp, cherry tomatoes — whatever you love — into the oil and garlic.

Read more of Peter’s work at: www.blog.afoodobsession.com/2009/12/29/italian-classic.aspx.

*Editor’s note: What an exciting addition to Boston’s cityscape. I’m curious to see what kind of magic Lydia and Jasper create at Towne.  Please share your experiences. Send them to Denise@globalfoodie.com and I’ll post them after the story. Thank you — Denise

Lydia Shire and Jasper White Collaborate on Towne stove and spirits

By Regan Dillon, Public Relations official for the Moxie Agency

Front of Towne. Photo by Eric Levin

Towne stove and spirits (or simply Towne) opened July 30 at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center with a great culinary combination. Lydia Shire and Jasper White, two of Boston’s best chefs, head this new 397-seat restaurant. It’s the city’s first private-public partnership and combines the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA), its Executive Director James Rooney and developers Patrick Lyons and Ed Sparks. Towne opens its doors to convention attendees, tourists, residents and workers.

“This restaurant serves the people of Boston, from the thousands of visitors to the thousands of workers and residents in the Back Bay,” Lyons said.  “We believe in Boston, so as ambitious as this project is, we built it with the future of this city in mind.”

Towne stove and spirits has three dining rooms, just as many bars, a 90-seat outdoor balcony within 13,000 square feet. Even with all that space Towne is cozy and comfortable.  This two-story urban brasserie combines the farming and fishing of  New England’s best products, created cooked and served with a cosmopolitan flair. Reasonably priced, some of the menu includes: Peking chicken; a 12-course lobster tasting menu; a special rice menu that highlights the grain and its many cultural interpretations; and handmade pastas.

“Jasper has been my friend and confidante for 30 years and Mario has executed my menus to perfection since opening BiBa,” Shire said. “Our love and dedication to great food is at the core of Towne’s menu.”

Conversations about a restaurant in the Hynes began four years ago at the MCCA. After submitting proposals and competing against major restaurant chains, Lyons and Spark were selected by MCCA officials.

“We couldn’t imagine a better addition to the Hynes Convention Center.  With two of Boston’s best chefs and the creative business insight of Patrick Lyons and Ed Sparks, Towne is poised to not only enhance the experience of our convention guests but also create a new benchmark for city dining,” said Rooney.

Towne's interior (Photo by Eric Levin).

For more information: Towne at: www.towneboston.com

Hours: Daily open from 11:30 a.m. – midnight. Bar: 11:30 a.m. – 2 a.m. – Telephone: 617- 247-0400.

Welcome to globalfoodie.com!

August 19, 2010

Yesterday, I made one of my favorite sandwiches. Egg salad with whole grain bread. Then I read about the egg recall. My eggs were not on the recall list, but I threw them away anyway and bought a new dozen. Better safe than salmonella.

Make sure your eggs are not on the list:  www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/08/19/US-recall-of-suspect-eggs-widened/UPI-95351282241439/

August 13, 2010

My ricotta and mozzarella cheese-making kit arrived yesterday and I’ve already devoured the instructions, watched videos (thank you Barb Freda) and purchased supplies. My reward, if I finish two stories that have been sitting on the proverbial back burner, is cheese. Maybe I’ll make marinara too. With more time and a little semolina  I’d make pasta. Unfortunately, as we all know, you can have it all — just not at the same time. So,  I’ll report back on Monday and let you know if (and how) the cheese making went … and how well I wrote those stories.

My best to you, –Denise (Globalfoodiegal)

July 30, 2010

The summer is moving too fast for me. How about you? It’s almost August and I’m still in an April/May mode. The blooms are off the perennials and the garden is starting to produce.

July 2010

Yes, it’s been awhile since I posted here. It is becoming easier as I learn to navigate this site. This month Vivienne wrote about Marula trees, Peter Francis Battaglia shared his cooking expertise, Susan McKee served cognac and Rosemary reviewed New Hampshire eatery.

I’ve been traveling, cooking and reading. Quebec City restaurants were memorable — and were matched by Montreal’s exclusive offerings. I must admit Jardin Nelson in Saint Jacques Cartier was probably one of the most impressive dining experiences in the last year. The award-winning gardens, a kitchen that has won awards for its cleanliness and spectacular food made even the hottest day in Montreal more than bearable. I’ll be writing more about Quebec, Montreal and France in the coming months.

My next foray is to Geneva for a new travel show. I’m just the writer behind the camera, but it is fun — and I get to sample food, which gives me fodder for more magazine (and globalfoodie) stories.

Off to finish a deadline. Talk to you soon.

–Denise AKA Globalfoodiegal

August, 2009

Greetings! Our site keeps gettting better and better, so bear with us as we work through the small web-world glitches. We’re writers, so only one side of our brain works. The other side — the one that figures out the cyber universe– is missing a few beats. Even so, we’re moving in the right direction; just a little slowly.

Take a look at a few of our stories. Shannon Hurst Lane’s story, “Grits” is funny and educational. Keith Kellett always keeps me entertained with his UK stories.  His “Aussie Pies” and a visit up Snowdonian’s peak are great, so take a look.  Deston Nokes explains why North Carolina biscuits are so popular in Oregon and Richard Frisbie takes us to the French country side.

There’s more to come. Susan McKee has two stories on deck and Deston promises to tell a few more tales. Rosemary has another book review and is writing about Pamela’s gluten-free products.

There are two winners in our now bi-monthly cookbook contest. Congratulations to Roberta Beach Jacobson, from Greece, and Tera Crain, from Austin, Texas. We’ll get those out as soon as possible.

We are still collecting recipes, so send in whatever you have. Include its history and family ties. Eventually we’ll have our “Recipe Center” up and running.

We’re almost into September and we foodies know that means it’s time to enjoy your local bounty. Peaches, tomatoes, corn-on-the-cob, herbs, lettuce, you name it, your local farmer has it all and more.  Although supermarket offerings are fine, the local farmer’s market or farm stand is the only way to go this time of year.

Talk to you soon,

Globalfoodiegal, Denise

Savor the Spirit of Africa

Text and photos by Vivienne Mackie

The African continent is home to a variety of fascinating ancient trees and plants, a fact that enhances the mystery and appeal of this continent.

Amarula tree.

One is the Marula Tree, often called “The Great Provider,” because of its many uses. The Marula tree grows naturally in the warm, frost-free regions of southern Africa, especially Botswana, Zimbabwe and South

Although not commercially cultivated the Marula is part of the mango, cashew and pistachio family. Its fruit, which looks like a worn tennis ball, is used for making jam, beer, and wine, and it is the basis for a Amarula Cream Liqueur, one of South Africa’s most successful exports.

The Marula is also known as “hard walnut” from the Greek, refers to the hard stone inside the fleshy fruit. It is a medium sized deciduous tree that has been extremely important to the indigenous Bantu peoples and their migrations for at least 10,000 years, according to archeological evidence. The ripe Marula is the size of a small yellow plum, its fleshy fruit high in vitamin C (more than 4 times that of an average-size orange), the nutty kernel is high in protein and oil, while the bark has medicinal properties that are helpful in malaria prophylaxis, for pain, and for scorpion or snake bites. The inner bark can be used to make rope and the soft wood is good for carving.

Marula fruit.

Held sacred among those who inhabit the region, the Marula tree plays a prominent role in tribal legends. Commonly nicknamed “the Marriage Tree,” it is widely believed to bestow vigor and fertility upon those who marry beneath its branches. Even today, tribal wedding ceremonies occur beneath its branches. The hard stones inside the soft yellow fruit are often dried and strung together in a necklace that traditionally symbolizess love.

During southern Africa’s spring and early summer when the ripe Marula fruit hangs on the tree, animals travel for miles to collect and enjoy their share of this delicious, natural bounty. Warthog, waterbuck, giraffe and kudu all eat the fruit and leaves of the tree, but foremost are the herds of African elephants that have roamed the continent for thousands of years. For this reason, some communities also refer to the Marula tree as the “Elephant Tree.” This age-old relationship between these two African symbols is why both this majestic creature and the Marula tree feature as icons for the Amarula Cream Liqueur.

Amarula Cream Liqueur

A popular centuries-old myth is that elephants and other animals eat the rotting Marula fruit and get intoxicated. It was put to rest by a National Geographic story. (See: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/12/1219_051219_drunk_elephant.html )

Once a year, the Marula tree is responsible for a remarkable event – the annual Marula harvest. Celebrations occur as the bountiful fruit is gathered from across the plains. A single tree can produce over 10,000 fruit.

Here is where the process of making Amarula Cream begins. After it is collected by hand, this lush and exotic pale yellow fruit is pulped and fermented before undergoing slow and careful distillation in copper pot sills. This process further concentrates the flavor of the fruit, yielding the unique-tasting Marula spirit that is then matured for at least two years in small French oak barrels.

When the tasters say that the contents of each barrel are ready, the Marula spirit is blended with the finest, freshest cream. This is final step toward creating this distinctively smooth liqueur. Amarula Cream has been enjoyed by people who live in and visit its native African continent, and in the last decade or so, has become available to other regions, allowing connoisseurs and and the no-so-experienced to discover this unique flavor. Many people have commented that if you like cream liqueurs, then you owe it to yourself to try this one.

There are also wonderful Amarula Cream chocolates, if you’d like to savor the Spirit of Africa in yet another form.

Amarula Cream can be enjoyed on its own, splashed over ice, or in a variety of delectable cocktails. Many locals and visitors love the southern African tradition of “Sundowners.” A splash of Amarula Cream over ice is one perfect way to watch the sun go down in one of Africa’s spectacular sunsets.

For more information:

Amarula Cream, www.amarula.com (You must include a birth date to enter the site).

Editor’s note: Peter Francis Battaglia doesn’t just cook, he teaches. When I couldn’t find my mom’s manicotti crepe recipe I asked Peter for help. He gave me the recipe and a lesson. It brought back memories and I noticed the fillings and the methods are the same. Thank you, Peter for helping me fill another page in my mother’s handwritten cookbook and giving me the last piece of her manicotti puzzle. — Denise

Making Manicotti with Pancetta Tomato Sauce

By Peter Francis Battaglia

Peter Francis Battaglia's manicotti.

This is my all-time favorite, then good cheese ravioli, lasagne, and  cavatelli.  Truly, there are no pastas I don’t like; but manicotti has a special place in my heart. Growing up, when these were being made my anticipation went through the roof.  Back then manicotti were always reserved for a special holiday or celebration.

I had the craving on a recent Saturday night; but we had already eaten.  So, around 10 p.m. I went to the kitchen, and started making them for Sunday dinner.  Crazy?  Maybe.

It’s worth the effort. Remember, as with all good things, have patience. It’s work, not really hard work. Let’s face it you’re not installing new kitchen cabinets here. But this kind of work will reward everyone with a spectacular feast – Southern Italian style.

Make the sauce first.  You can make your favorite or usual sauce, but for the love of all that is good in the world, don’t use jarred sauce. You can make it yourself.

I opened the fridge and took a nice piece of Pancetta. Pancetta is an Italian form of bacon, cured, but not smoked.  You cannot use smoked bacon in a recipe that calls for pancetta.  The flavor is not the same and will alter the end result.

If Pancetta is unavailable, don’t panic.  Every supermarket is carrying it now, but, if you happen to live in an area where it is unavailable, use salt pork.  Dice about 1 cup of the pancetta and sauté in a large pot with some fruity olive oil. Let it sizzle for about 8 minutes. Add 1 large or 2 small onions, finely diced. Let this simmer in the oil for about 20 minutes so that the onions sweeten and meld with the pancetta flavor. This is a crucial step in creating this particular sauce. If you are using salt pork – after the onions have started cooking for about 5 minutes — add a splash of wine and a good grinding of black pepper. This will make the salt port take on the flavors of pancetta. It works.

Now add two cans of San Marzano good tomatoes that you have crushed with your hands. Add a couple of torn basil leaves, taste for seasoning, and let this cook for at least 1 hour. You will be happy with the concentrated flavor the onions and pancetta give the sauce.

Saute for five minutes to meld flavors.

See that bright, sunny red color? It comes from San Marzano tomatoes and not overcooking the sauce.

While the sauce is cooking you make the manicotti.  The Battaglia-Scaramuzzi family recipe (that would be my Mom’s way of making them) is crepe-style.  I find the manicotti made with macaroni or pasta dough – whether it be fresh or dried – very foreign.  I think cannelloni which are quite similar, are made with a fresh pasta dough.  I also don’t like a well-known “Italian” franchise restaurant’s mentality of taking a dish and embellishing it with extraneous ingredients.

Manicotti should be stuffed with a mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, pecorino romano, black pepper, and fresh parsley, with an egg to help bind the filling.  Serve it all with a tasty sauce – tomato please, never Vodka sauce. Garnished with shrimp? No. Why the tirade?  This latest restaurant’s disaster pairs a ricotta stuffed manicotti with a cream (OMG) sauce and shrimp. What?  I’m just sayin …

Making the Crepes

OK, let’s start making the crepes. Sift 1 1/2 cups flour into a bowl. Add 3 well-beaten eggs, 1 teaspoon olive oil, pinch of salt, 2 cups of milk. Somehow this always changes, so be sure it has the consistency of a loose pancake batter, which hovers between thin and not so thin.

The crepe batter should have this consistency.

Rub a non-stick small omelette pan with olive oil. Place it over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Now ladle a thin layer of the crepe batter into the pan, smoothing it out with the bottom of the ladle.  It should be thin, but not transparent. Cook for 2 minutes on each side and continue making the crepes until the batter is used. This should yield about 20 crepes. Stack them on a place and move to one side. Let cool for about 1/2 hour.

Cooking the crepes.

Manicotti Filling

In a large bowl add one-half pound small diced mozzarella, 2 teaspoons freshly minced flat-leaf parsley, 1 beaten egg, 1 cup pecorino romano, lots of fresh ground black pepper, One-and-one-half pounds good ricotta. Polly-O is a good supermarket brand, but, if possible get fresh ricotta from an Italian Store, or Salumeria. It makes for a heavenly manicotti. Fresh ricotta just can’t be beat.

Manicotti filling.

Preparing the Manicotti

Add some sauce to the bottom of a baking pan.  Take a crepe and put abut 3 tablespoons of the filling down the center. Roll it up and place into pan. Do not stack them on top of each other. One layer only.

Put the filling across the crepe and roll.

Place manicotti in a single layer.

Just a suggestion (not really), use Polly-O whole milk mozzarella. Fresh has too much liquid and it makes the filling watery. Top the finished tray with sauce and add some grated pecorino.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Cover the tray with foil and bake for 1 hour.  Let the manicotti sit for a good 5-10 minutes before serving.  The foil prevents the heat from drying the manicotti and scorching the top.  Too much cooking and the tomato gets bitter. When serving, figure at least 2 manicotti per person, so make enough. This is an easy recipe to double.

I'll have three please ...

Those of you who want to wow your family and friends with a homemade pasta dish, this is just the one to try.  You can make the shells and sauce a day or two before serving.  You can even roll and stuff them, but you must cook them less than 24 hours after you they are stuffed. Just tightly cover and refrigerate. Serve with a meat ball or sausage – or not.  Just one makes a great starter to an Italian meal, or use it as the entrée.

Cannelloni I like with a veal and spinach stuffing, asiago cheese, onion, garlic, carrot, celery. Oops, that’s another recipe.  Sorry. Once I get started, I just want to keep going. Drop me a comment if you try this!

To see more of Peter’s recipes visit his blog at: www.blog.afoodobsession.com. Peter can be reached at: Peter@globalfoodie.com.

Award Winning Chef, Peter Sheedy, Offers Exceptional Vegan

by Emilie C. Harting

Set on a hill overlooking New Hampshire’s Squam Lake and the White Mountains, the Manor at Golden Pond, with its sprawling main house, croquet setups, swimming pool, and surrounding woods, brings to mind an English country house.  Books line the lower half of the walls in the spacious and light-filled main lounge.  The latest magazines and periodicals are at hand on coffee tables in front of comfortable chairs and couches, the chess games and jigsaw puzzles wait for players to come back and finish, and the all day tea on the sideboard speaks the language of relaxation.

The inn draws a diverse crowd of families, hikers who return each year in summer, skiers who come in winter, couples celebrating milestone events, and those who want to stay put and relax on the grounds. One family had bicycled a hundred miles north from Massachusetts so they could see their favorite ski area when it was green rather than snow covered. A sixty something couple, theater producers from New York, had motorcycled up from Long Island.  Other guests talked about how they like to come each year because they love the lake and mountains, and want to spend time on the grounds and in the spa.  However, food and wine are the major draw.

Chef Peter Sheedy has won accolades for his cuisine, which he calls New American, a fusion of New England classics with French, Thai and Spanish influences. The inn has also won awards from Wine Spectator for its food and wine pairing.  Though one of his favorite cooking moments is when the marbling of a roast has reached just the right point, he is equally exited by vegan food. He’s developed an exciting vegan tasting menu; but that you must order in advance. Translate: vegan means no animal products whatever.  Sheedy is a purist and uses vinegar and lemon juice rather than wine when creating vegan dishes because ox blood, egg whites, or some other kinds of animal protein, are often used in the clarification process. Providing vegan fare, he says, is as important as accommodating diets for guests with  allergies, medical conditions, or certain religious practices.  

Always alert for new trends, Chef  Sheedy  began developing vegan recipes as he worked in kitchens across the country—in New England, where he cooked in top restaurants and attended culinary school, in Oregon, where he stirred pots alongside a number of leading chefs, and in Atlanta, where he mentored the staff of a restaurant in the Marriott chain.  At each location he noticed a growing core of health conscious eaters who wanted vegan food. 

Dishes on both the traditional and vegan menus abound with flavors that one can only get from high quality produce that reaches the table soon after it is picked.  On the way to work, Sheedy often stops at local farmers’ markets in the surrounding valley.  He also rings up nearby growers who deliver.  In off seasons the vegetables and fruit come daily from special Boston purveyors.

Organic heirloom tomatoes in my tomato panzanella, a sliced bread and fresh tomato dish native to Tuscany, had their sweetness intact, and in my carrot and parsnip soup, the sweetness of the parsnips balanced out the slightly bitter carrot taste.

However, the highlight for me was the summer squash cannelloni stuffed with legumes and topped with crème sauce.  A base of shredded cauliflower mixed with fennel, and a stiff puree of garbanzos and white beans takes the place of the traditional cheese stuffing.  Each variety of beans has a subtle taste of its own, and Sheedy says that with several types of beans, mushrooms or apples, you get more than the sum of the parts.  He uses a cauliflower puree enriched with a good bit of extra virgin olive oil to make it as rich and satisfying as a traditional crème sauce.  Since cauliflower is mostly water, and oil and water don’t generally mix, he uses plant-derived liquid lecithin, a binder which is becoming increasingly common in vegan cooking because it emulsifies the way egg yolks do.

Also the particles of cauliflower help hold the ingredients together in the same way that a little mustard helps keep a vinaigrette smooth, or the way that whipping a bit of cream, along with the butter, into mashed potatoes before they begin to separate makes them seem less greasy.

Sheedy says that the vegan summer squash cannelloni is a variance of a dish that would usually have a lot of animal products in it.  The cheese filling of the traditional dish, for example, has a “platform” taste—rich neutral protein that is satisfying to the palate.  Pureed beans are an obvious substitute.  They’re rich in protein, and they readily take on the flavors of whatever seasonings they’re cooked with.  He says it’s fun to create this kind of “costume” dish—vegan food “dressed up” as traditional fare—but he warned me that even though the cannelloni was one of my favorites,  he doesn’t like to offer more than one or two dishes of this kind on a menu. “Vegan cooking, when it’s done well, can stand on its own merits, and doesn’t have to pretend to be something it’s not,” he said emphatically.

When I asked for advice on wine to pair with the cannelloni, Sheedy suggested 2006 Viognier, Callaway, a Coastal Reserve.  ”Viognier is a white wine varietal that is somewhat uncommon,” he said.  “It has traditionally been used in blended wines.  It is crisp and acidic, though, and has some ‘funky’ and floral qualities that will complement the cauliflower — which is a member of the cabbage family — and the herbaceous fennel).  Being on the richer side– with the cauliflower cream–this is the sort of food that will stand up to a slightly denser wine.”

Another favorite on the menu was the sweet corn risotto, which Sheedy said is an example of a vegan entree that does not imitate animal food.  He uses corn on the cob that’s a day or two out of the garden, high quality rice–carnaroli or abrorio–and excellent olive oil such as extra virgin California arbequina, which is buttery and delicately fruity.  He also chooses tofu that has been handled and stored properly.  When guests object to tofu because they say the flavor is objectionable, Sheedy tells them they have probably been eating tofu that was cooked along with subpar ingredients or was not properly stored.

Charring corn on the grill, he says, adds hints of smoke and bitterness.  The process combines the flavors of the rice and tofu, which are slightly floral but essentially neutral, with the corn, which is “flatly sweet.”  Without the charring of the corn, the dish could be quite “dull and pappy.”  On the other hand, that char flavor has to be added subtly; if there’s too much charring, the more delicate qualities of the other ingredients can be overwhelmed.

He finds that braising bean curd or tofu is a technique that makes it more appealing to those who have avoided it previously.  Tofu is virtually taste-neutral, and it absorbs flavors like few other foods.  It’s important to braise the outside of the curd in medium-hot oil; the process not only adds flavor, but it also gives it a little bit of a crust.  The result is a textual contrast between the slightly chewy exterior and the silky inside.

For the sweet corn risotto Sheedy advised a 2007 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Brancott, Reserve, for the sweet corn risotto.  “It’s is a crisp, dry white and tartly acidic — the sour wine contrasts the sweetness of the dish, and the more subtle qualities of the wine are highlighted by the contrast.  Like many New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs the Brancott has wide-ranging tropical fruit and floral notes that fit with the sweetness and floral character of the corn.”

Near the end of my stay, I was in heaven while slowing eating Sheedy’s sorbet in the Van Horn Dining Room with its dark woodwork, splashes of flowered wallpaper, and mullioned windows.  Sorbet has long been the preferred dessert of vegans because it is pure and does not contain any animal fat.  The delicacy may date back to the Roman Emperor Nero, and is said to have been brought from Italy to France in the 16^th century by Catherine de’ Medici.  How succulent it is now when the chef uses fresh fruit from a New Hampshire Valley.

For more information visit: www.manorongoldenpond.com

Summer Squash Cannelloni (on Chef Sheedy’s tasting menu):

Serves Two

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized zucchini

1 medium-sized fennel bulb, diced fine

1/2 medium-sized onion, diced fine

1/4 cup garbanzo beans, dry

1/2 cup cannelloni (white) beans, dry

2 shallots, peeled and diced fine

1 parsnip, peeled and diced medium

1/2 head cauliflower

1 ml liquid, plant-extracted lecithin

1/2 cup very high quality extra-virgin olive oil

3 drops (2 ml) white truffle oil

2 cloves garlic, slivered

3 sprigs thyme

juice of 1 lemon

neutral vegetable (soy) oil as needed

kosher salt as needed

black pepper as needed

1/8 th cup micro arugula

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar reduced to a think syrup

For the Zucchini “Pasta”

Cut the ends off the zucchini. Using a mechanical deli slicer or very sharp vegetable slicer, cut the zucchini from end-to-end into 1/8th inch slabs. In a pot of boiling, salted water blanch the slabs of zucchini for about 20 seconds so that they are flexible enough to roll around the fennel-legume stuffing.

For the Fennel-Legume Stuffing

In a medium-sized, non-reactive pot, combine two sprigs of thyme, the diced onion, 1 of the diced shallots, 1 clove of slivered garlic, the diced fennel and the diced parsnip. Toss with a pinch of kosher salt and a tablespoon of neutral vegetable oil. Set over a medium-low flame. Cover with a parchment paper lid and sweat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and fragrant, about 20 min. Do not allow the vegetables to brown. Once the vegetables are soft, add the dried beans to the pot and enough water to cover by four inches. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are soft, about 1 hour. Drain the beans, reserving their cooking liquid. Remove the thyme spring from the cooked beans and puree. Pass the resulting puree through a fine-meshed sieve to ensure a silky texture. If the puree is too stiff — the texture should be fairly soft, like the texture of the warm ricotta it’s intended to mimic — thin it slightly with the reserved cooking liquid. Hold warm.

For the Cauliflower Cream

In a small, non-reactive pot, combine one of the thyme sprigs, one of the diced

shallots, one of the cloves of garlic, and most of the cauliflower (reserve four of the choicest florets for use as a garnish). Toss with a pinch of salt, half of the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of neutral vegetable oil. Set over a medium-low flame and cover with a parchment paper lid. Sweat until the cauliflower is very soft and fragrant, about 30 minutes.

Once the cauliflower is fully cooked, remove the thyme sprig and puree, thinning tothe consistency of heavy cream with the reserved cooking liquid from the beans. After the cauliflower cream has been adjusted to the correct consistency, force it through a chinois to ensure it is silky smooth and homogeneous. Hold warm.

For the Cauliflower Garnish

Slice the cauliflower florets into four, 1/2-inch thick slabs. Season with a pinch of salt and pat dry with absorbent paper towels. In a small saute pan, heat an 1/8th of an inch of neutral vegetable oil until it flows readily around the pan and shimmers slightly. Add the cauliflower to the pan, pressing down gently. When the cauliflower is crisp and well browned on one side, remove with a slotted spatula and place on absorbent paper to blot away any excess oil. Finish with a sprinkle of kosher salt.

To Finish and Plate

Spoon a small quantity of the fennel-legume stuffing onto each of four blanched zucchini ribbons. Roll the zucchini around the filling gently so it doesn’t crack or break. Smooth any excess filling off the ends of the zucchini rolls. Arrange two of the zucchini rolls in the center of each of two plates. Flash the plates in a moderate oven briefly to warm the zucchini. Top each with a grind of fresh black pepper from the mill and the remaining lemon juice. Combine the cauliflower cream, truffle oil, liquid lecithin and extra-virgin olive oil in an over-sized bowl. Season to taste with kosher salt. Using an immersion blender submerged only two thirds in the cauliflower cream mixture, blend the ingredients together until they are emulsified and slightly foamy. Use a serving spoon to draw some of the liquid from the beneath the foam. Use until it has the ability to coat the back of a spoon.    Top each cannelloni with a crisped slice of cauliflower. Use the foam from the cauliflower cream to top the browned cauliflower florets, dotting some around the plate. Dress the micro arugula with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and arrange above the zucchini cannelloni. Drizzle the plate near the cannelloni with some of the balsamic vinegar reduction. Serve immediately.

Reach Emilie at: echarting@hotmail.com. You can view more of her work at: www.emilieharting.com.

Churros and Hot Chocolate

By Keith Kellett

When I attend one of the Vaughantown English-language programmes, I’m always being told that the meals, while good, aren’t typically Spanish. So, any serious research into Spanish food usually is confined to tapas and snacks, which is fair enough. We’re there to give Spanish people experience in speaking English, not to eat.

The programmes don’t start until breakfast at 9 a.m. Now, I’m an early riser and often have a considerable amount of work done by then. So, while I  pass the time by writing notes and reviewing pictures it nevertheless seems a long time until breakfast. And, I usually feel peckish, or at least, in need of liquid.

A short way down the street from the Salamanca hotel where we were staying is an establishment, which opens very early, called a churreria, which serves something with which many Spanish people like to start their day.

Chocolate con Churros is hot, sweet drinking chocolate, so thick you could almost stand your spoon in it. It’s served with baton-like deep-fried pastries, freshly cooked in the same way as doughnuts, which are dunked in the chocolate before eating. Guide book lore has it that the party-loving Spaniards sometimes go straight from a party to work, and like to take on the energy jolt given by a chocolate con churros. However, most Spanish people I know deny this strongly — although they will admit it’s a good way to end a night out, as well as start a morning.

Hot chocolate beside a plate of freshly made churros. (Photo by Keith Kellett.)

Of course, it doesn’t do to indulge in this treat too often.  The words “calories” and “cholesterol” spring to mind. But, a lot of people have similar guilts about bacon and eggs, so why not occasionally!

The churreria itself, called the Graci, is a small room, most taken up by the bar, the machines for making the chocolate and the churros and the stove for frying the churros. There were one or two cramped tables and chairs, so it’s better to belly up to the bar to have your chocolate.

You can make your own churros, but you need to have a special machine, or a doughnut maker. The mix is a typical doughnut recipe: flour and water in approximate 1-1 proportions, salt and olive oil, according to how many you want to make. Boil the water, oil and salt, and add the flour till it becomes a smooth, thick paste.

At the churreria, they place the mixture in a special machine, from which the churros are taken as required. The machine is right over the pan they’re fried in, so they can be dropped straight into the hot oil.

There’s another version, larger than the churro called the porra. You have to be careful when you’re asking for these, as the word is similar to porro, which I’m told is Spanish slang for a joint or a spliff! Or, is it the other way around? Or, have I been completely misinformed?

Maybe it’s best to stick to churros?

Keith, our UK correspondent, can be reached at: Keith@globalfoodie.com.

SPICE WINGS WITH THIS FLAVORSOME RUB AND MARINADE

By Peter Francis Battaglia

I’m not one of those chili and hot sauce fanatics, however, I love the intensity of heat, sweetness and the all around flavor profile it adds when one is not stupid with the amount added to a dish.  If you are at all put off by hot foods, maybe you’ve been force fed too much heat in a particular
recipe.  My style is to add the touch of heat, and its flavor and then put some extra heat on the side. You be the judge on how hot you want your food.

Personally, I put chili flakes on tons of my dishes, over and above what my recipes call for. And that is my decision — to make it hotter for my palate, but your palate I must respect.  Over the weekend — with the sun shining, no wind, no humidity, just perfect Jersey Shore weather — I had to grill.

One of my favorite grilled items are chicken wings.  Recently I had bought in the Mexican section of Shop-Rite, a variety of chili powders in the Mexican section of Shop-Rite. Not the American multi-ingredient blend, but powders made of a single type of chili.  I purchased a bag of Arbol Chili Powder and one of Pequin (or Bird) Chili Powder.  Nothing in the bags except the finely ground flesh of those particular peppers. Both carry a searing heat.  So why would I use one of these on a wing recipe?  Heat and wings are a classic combo and Buffalo Wings are a perfect example. My girls had a friend over for the weekend and wings seemed to easily fit the bill.

I started with a rub

1 tbs. granulated garlic; 1/2 tsp. brown sugar; 1 tsp. oregano; 1/2 tsp. black pepper; 1 tsp. Pequin chile powder (OMG it’s sooo good): 1 tsp. kosher salt; 1 tsp. thyme leaves; 1/2 tsp. cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. sage.

Blend this well.  Now add 20 chicken wings, washed and dried with paper towels. Coat the wings and let them sit covered in the refrigerator for one hour.  Mix 3 tbs. olive oil, 4 tbs. of balsamic vinegar and pour over the wings. Let it all marinade for one more hour.

Turn your grill to high 15 minutes before you start cooking the wings. Keep the cover on. In a large foil tray layer the wings and sprinkel 4 tbs. of soy sauce over the wings and add a little more oil. Place the foil tray on the rack and let them cook undisturbed for 10 minutes. Then turn the wings and let them cook another 10 minutes. They should be nice and golden. Turn the wings and let them cook another 10 minutes.  They should be nice and golden now.

Carefully remove the partially cooked wings from the on and place them on an oiled grill. Lower the heat to low and cook for another five minutes on each side.

Garnish the hot wings with fresh sage and thyme. This adds a little more flavorto the wing and gives it an earthy and fragrant herb essence. To finish these wings my way,  add a squirt or two of my favorite condiment Sriracha Rooster Chili Sauce.

I love this stuff so much I actually posed the bottle. I think it’s photogenic, don’t you? A little of this drizzled over the wings adds more depth and just the right amount of heat without leaving your screaming for the NYFD to put out the fire in your throat.

Isn’t that pretty — or handsome? The different chilies, with soy, which does wonders for the color of the wings, and the tenderizing tang and carmelizing properties of the balsamic all make these wings special. The car from the grills adds more intensity. Serve this with homemade kidney or pinto beans.  I sauteed a strip of smoked pork jowl (a staple in my freezer — don’t make fun of me, I’m sensitive) in some vegetable oil; added a diced small onion; 1 sliced clove of garlic; and let it all meld together. Then I  added 1 can of beans with half the liquid poured off. To that I added 1/4 cup of ketchup (Heinz preferably); 1 tsp of mustard powder; 1/2 tsp. pequin chil (just because); 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. black pepper; 1 tsp. molasses; 1 tbs. brown sugar. Mix well and let this simmer on low for about 45 minutes. It beats that can of B&M in the pantry.

Check out those beans, the perfect foil for the wings. This summer, spring or whatever your grilling season, experiment with rubs, oils and chilies. And try a few side dishes too. If you need some extra help post a comment on my blog and I’ll do my best. Life is too short to waste it on the same old same old. Get out and grill. It’s the season!

This article appears on Peter Francis Battaglia’s site where you may leave your comments. It’s:  www.blog.afoodobsession.com/2010/04/12/get-out-and-grill–spice-your-wings-up-with-this-flavorsome-rub-and-marinade.aspx.