Bear Cuisine

My Favorite Cookbooks of 2011

 

Jennifer McLagen received the James Beard Foundation Award for Cookbook of the Year for her book FAT published several years ago.( I felt very smart becuase I had given it my own vote for being an outstanding cookbook before I learned of her award.) Now, she is back with a new book, ODD BITS, HOW TO COOK THE REST OF THE ANIMAL. She is a meticulous researcher and a fine writer as well as a brilliant chef. In this book, she continues the exploration of offal begun by Fergus Henderson in The Whole Beast. She gives very thorough explantions of what to do with parts of the animal that Americans typically ignore. When you read through the book, you can't help but notice how much we throw away. In these lean times, we would do well to recapture a pioneering spirit in our approach to food. McLagen offers help to those who would like to be more adventurous.

I've sung the praises of Christopher Hirscheimer and Melissa Hamilton everytime a new issue of their serial cookbook, CANAL HOUSE COOKING,has been published. They still remain among my favorite go-to cookbooks. They are a visual delight and the recipes are specifically designed with the home cook in mind. I learn something new in every issue and it's fun to find a surprise that you actually like in the mail.

HOW TO EAT WEEKENDS is a follow up to How to Eat Supper. This book is meant for those times when you have more than 45 minutes to pull dinner together. Dedicated to the total experience of planning, foraging, cooking and serving, Kasper and Swift assume that you enjoy cooking and want to spend more time doing it than weeknights customarily permit. They tell you how to stock the pantry for a particular ethnic cuisine and what books would give your library depth. Their pleasure is catching and will inspire you to try something new or to cook something familiar with a new tweak or two.This book is as much fun to read as it is to cook from.

SARA MOULTON'S EVERYDAY FAMILY DINNERS has become a favorite of mine this year for its immense practicality. Much as I like to cook, I don't aways have time to spend most of the day at it. Life gets busy and when it does this book is a splendid aid for preparing quick, easy and delicious meals. My family likes this book as much as I do;they like the results when I use it. That is probably the best recommendation of all.

Diana Henry's PLENTY is one of those very pretty books which also contains dynamite recipes.(An all-too-rare combination.) Her British approach to food is frugal and tasty. She tells you how to give a different twist to traditional dishes and suggests ways to use the leftovers. Respect for food in its proper season and for the people eating it are hallmarks of her work. As I said in an earlier review, I like this book and refer to it often for new ideas and inspiration.

I love Japanese food, but have thought that it was beyond my abilities. MY JAPANESE TABLE is a great gift to people like me. Debra Samuels is an American who has spent years in Japan and learned to cook the classic dishes that are the staples of Japanese home cooking. Here she has translated her experience so that we can cook this food without fear. Indeed, she is so clear and understands how westerners think about food so well that her directions and guidelines can even inspire confidence. I will be using this book a lot in the coming year.

That's my list for this year. I would enjoy hearing about your favorites.

Peruvian Baked Chicken Thighs

This is Sara Moulton's take on a dish from a restaurant in Manhattan--Pio Pio. It is very simple to make and fantastically delicious. In my opinion it is the Green Sauce which makes this dish. After you have tasted it, I'll bet you can think of a lot of other dishes that could this sauce.
PERUVIAN BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS

(4 servings)

1. 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2. 1/2 cup soy sauce
3. 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
4. 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5. 1 tablespoon ground cumin
6. 1 1/2 teaspoons hot paprika
7. 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
8. 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
9. 6 cloves garlic
10. 12 small bone-in chicken thighs with skin ( about 4 pounds)
11. Green Sauce

Combine the cilantro, soy sauce, vinegar, vegetable oil, cumin, paprika, oregano and the desired amount of cayenne in a blender; press in the garlic (about 2 tablespoons) and puree for the marinade. Combine the marinade and the chicken in a resealable plastic bag, and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning the bag once.

Place an oven rack on the top shelf of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Drain the chicken, discarding the marinade, and pat the chicken dry. Arrange the chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until crisy and cooked through. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. (Reserve 4 baked thighs for Chicken and Tomatillo Salsa Nachos) Top each portion with some of the Green Sauce.

 

GREEN SAUCE: Combine 3 large scallions, trimmed and halved, 1/4 cup sliced serrano chile with seeds and ribs, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese (1/2 cup), 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/2 cup half-and-half in a blender and puree until smooth.

Christmas Dinner

My favorite Christmas dinner is an aged, prime standing rib roast. Kay's favorite Christmas feast is ham. I've had my way for several years;so, this year it was Kay's turn to have her choice. I found a beautiful ham at the Chef Shop in Seattle. ( You can look forward to subsequent posts about using ham leftovers in a myriad of ways.)

Glazed Baked Ham

 

The glaze recipe is from Volume 3 of Canal House Cooking.

1. 1 small jar of Dijon mustard
2. 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3. 1 cup real maple syrup
4. 1 cup orange marmelade
5. One twenty-pound bone-in smoked ham

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Mix together the mustard, brown sugar, maple syrup and orange marmalade in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Remove the rind from most of the ham, leaving a band around the end of the shank bone. Leave a thin layer of fat all over the am and score the fat. Spread the sugar and mustard mixture over the whole ham. But the ham in a large roast pan or other big pot.

Bake the ham for about 6 hours, basting it every now and then. Remove from the oven and allow it to reast for 30 minutes before slicing.

If your ham is smaller, you adjust the cooking time accordingly. The important thing is for the ham to reach an internal temperature of 135 degrees F. Cooking at this lower temperature keeps the meat juicy and flavorful.

 

The accompaniments for this meal were Cauliflower Gratin and Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts.

Cauliflower Gratin

1. 1 cauliflower
2. 2 tablespoons butter
3. 4 tablespoons flour
4. 2 cups milk
5. Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Generously butter a gratin dish and set aside.

Cook the whole cauliflower in salted water until just done. Break into flowerets and put in the gratin dish.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the milk and whisk until the sauce is thickened.  Season with salt, nutmeg and just a bit of pepper. (You don't want the bechemel to get too thick because it will cook with the cauliflower and will evaporate in the oven.)

Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and put in the preheated oven. Cook for 35 minutes or until bubbling and brown on top.

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts

(6 servings)

1. 1 pound Brussels sprouts
2.  1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3. 1 shallot, finely chopped
4. 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
5. 1/4 cup butter
6. 1 cup cooked chestnuts

Wash and trim sprouts. Soak in 4 cups cold water, in which one teaspoon salt is dissolved, for 20 minutes. Drain.

Place sprouts in saucepan with onion, broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes longer or until tender. Drain.

Melt butter; add chestnuts and cook until butter is golden brown. Pour over sprouts and toss lightly to mix.

(adapted from Christmas Memories Cookbook published by Mystic Seaport)

A Christmas Prayer

One of the places we visited on our east coast trip this september was the Bluestone Farm and Living Arts Center in Brewster,NY.  Our friend, Sr. Catherine  Grace, is a member of the Community of the Holy Spirit, an Episcopal religious order, which has ministries in Manhattan and Brewster. I had intended to write about Bluestone at some point, but then my incredibly talented partner asked to me read her Christmas letter. She expressed our reactions to our visit so beautifully that I asked her if I could share her thoughts. She graciously gave her permission.

                To those who long for the

                Flowers of Spring

                Show the young grasses

                That push up among

                the snowy hills 

                                        (Sen Rikyu)

 

"The convent in Brewster was established in 1961 but in 2004 the Sisters began to pursue a more intentional ministry in sustainable living.  Now there is much to tend at Bluestone. Rows of beans, eggplant, tomatoes, squash, kale, carrots, radishes, Brussels sprouts, chard and so much more.   Chickens and ducks and bees and maple trees…eggs and honey and syrup.  Compost and prayer.  Daily meals and apple orchards.  Water systems and an 1870’s farmhouse/convent.   Seasons flow one into another with bread baking, canning, preserving, weaving, sharing the fruits of the farm with the local food pantry, seed-saving, and nurturing souls who seek retreat and renewal.      

On their website, the Sisters write:

       'We, like many others of our time, are working faithfully and joyfully

        toward a world in which all beings are valued, Earth and her resources

        are respected and cherished, local communities become increasingly

        resilient, and the rich diversity of all Earth’s living communities is seen

        as a necessary and marvelous aspect of the Sacred One.'

At times this year I have grown discouraged and seen our world from winter eyes.  With such great capacity for kindness I wonder that we so often choose to live with cold spirits, unwilling to treat others with respect and wonder.  I have despaired of our stewardship of our earthly home and our denial of the poverty of body and spirit that so many face each day.  I have longed for the Flowers of Spring and the hope that accompanies them.

And then…I was gifted a day at Bluestone Farm and Living Arts Center.

And so…I end this year and begin the next with sustainable memories…the beauty of the land, the very hard work of the Sisters and those who companion them, the generous hospitality and  delicious meal we were served, the tenacity and imagination and commitment to a faith journey that holds up a vision of our world that says we can, you and I, make a difference by the way we choose to live each day.    

All over the world young grasses are pushing their way up!  May we be among them!"

Sr. Catherine Grace, C.H.S.

 
Bill Consiglio hard at work on the farm

The humble cabbage is a thing of beauty and when properly preserved a joy for practically forever

Lunch in the making

"It is solved by walking"

Both Kay and I pray that this is a season of hope for you and for our world.

 

 

 

Toad-in-the Hole Italiano

This is another quick-and-easy dish for a family supper from Sara Moulton's Everyday Family Dinners.As it happens, all of these ingredients are available in our fridge and freezer most of the time. So for us this is the perfect fallback dinner. Sara calls it Italiano because she uses Italian sausage rather than an English variety and she has added bell peppers and cheese to make it a legitimate one-dish meal. If we think of recipes as guidlelines rather than blueprints, we should feel free to make changes that suit our tastes as well.

TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE ITALIANO

(serves 4)

1. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2. 1 1/4 pounds sweet or hot Italian sausages or a mixture of the two
3. 1 medium red bell pepper
4. 1 medium green bell pepper
5. 1 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano
6. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
7. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
8. 4 garlic cloves
9. 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
10. 2 large eggs
11. 3/4 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet with an overproof handle over medium heat until hot. Add the sausages and cook until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the red and green bell peppers (about 1 cup each). Grate the cheese using a microplane or the fine side of a box grater (about 1/2 cup) and , if using the fresh herb, chop the oregano (about 1 1/2 teaspoons). Chop the garlic into a small dice.

Remove the sausages to a plate and let cool; reserve the drippings in the skillet. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the bell peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Cut the sausages into 1-inch chunks and stir into the mixture.

 

Combine the flour, cheese, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. whisk the eggs in a large glass measuring cup until frothy, whisk in the milk, 1/3 cup water, and the remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil. Gradually whisk the milk mixture into the flour mixture just until the batter is combined. It can still be slightly lumpy.

 

Pour the batter over the sausage mixture and bake until puffed and golden 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve immediately.