Tag Archives: appetizer

Spring Rolls with “No-Peanut” Sauce

Posted on February 28, 2013 by | 5 Comments

Spring Rolls with Almond Butter Sauce 1 (1)

Are there foods that you suddenly have an powerful desire for?  I’m sure this happens to us all, whether it is for chocolate fudge or Chex Mix (ahem).  I wonder what drives those cravings.  Is it simply the power of suggestion, or is there some physical or psychological need that is begging to be filled?

I started craving fresh spring rolls – with enough intensity to send me to the crowded Dekalb International Farmers Market for rice paper wrappers and Thai basil.  It started with a suggestion – photos found on Pinterest.  I have avoided browsing that time-pit up to now, but two friends kept posting recipes there and made me look.  (Thanks LGO and TFM!) Once I got there, it was non-stop pinning of things I wanted to make – including these spring rolls from Chaos in the Kitchen.  There were other inviting recipes, but the idea of spring rolls would not let me go.  After being on vacation and eating indulgently, perhaps my body was telling me some crispy, raw vegetables would be a nice change.  Or maybe my soul needed the promise of freshness and spring after returning to dreary, damp, cold weather.

Whatever the reason, these colorful spring rolls brightened my day and made my taste buds simply ecstatic.  I was intimidated with the prospect of working with the fragile rice paper, but this photo tutorial from White on Rice Couple made it really easy.  You don’t really need a recipe – just gather ingredients that you like and roll them up!  If you’re looking for inspiration, here’s a start! I’m looking forward to also trying cucumber, jicama, avocado, and cabbage in the rolls.

Ingredients (for 8 rolls):

  • 8 rice paper wrappers (spring roll skins)
  • Lettuce leaves (Boston or butter lettuce, hard spines removed)
  • Several sprigs of Thai basil (about 24 leaves).  Other varieties of basil will also work.
  • Small bunch of cilantro, large stems removed
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
  • 2 carrots, julienned (I use this wonderful kitchen tool)
  • Small, cooked pink shrimp (4 or 5 per roll)

“No Peanut” Sauce ingredients:

Okay, before you get started make sure you look at these wonderfully photographed instructions.  Right here!

Prepare sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a small bowl; stir well to combine.  Adjust to taste (more hot sauce, etc.).  Adjust consistency of the sauce by adding water, a tablespoon at a time.  Set aside.  Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator, but you may want to warm it up to room temperature for serving. (A few seconds in the microwave will help.)

Have all the spring roll filling ingredients washed and prepped before starting.

Add hot water (bath-like temperature) to a large bowl.  Take one rice paper wrapper and dip it completely in the hot water for 10 seconds (or less).  The paper should be wet, but still stiff.  Place the paper flat on a non-porous surface.

Starting layering the other ingredients on the lower third of the rice paper.  I started with the shrimp because they look nice through the paper, once rolled.  Add lettuce leaves, 2 or 3 basil leaves, carrots, bell pepper, a couple sprigs of cilantro, etc.  Try not to overfill the wrapper because it will be difficult to roll.  (After a little practice, you’ll be able to figure out the right amount of filling.  You can eat your “mistakes” right away.)

Carefully pull up the rice paper from the bottom (nearest you) and pull it over the filling.  Use your fingers to tuck the filling in toward you, to make the roll tighter.  Start rolling away from you.  After one rotation, fold in the rice paper on the left and right sides to enclose the filling.  Continue to roll until the rice paper meets at the top – it will seal itself.  Set the roll aside, and cover lightly with cellophane and a damp towel.

Continue making the rest of the rolls and set them aside with the others.  The wrappers will stick to each other and tear if they touch each other at first, so space them out or place cellophane between them.

They are best served immediately or within a couple of hours, while fresh.  The rice paper will start getting stiff and dry pretty quickly, especially in the refrigerator.  If you want to have them for a later time (within 24 hours or so), wrap each roll individually in cellophane and place in a resealable plastic bag with a dampened paper towel.  I kept a few rolls overnight this way, and while not as delicate as fresh, the rice paper was still relatively soft.

Enjoy!Spring Rolls with Almond Butter Sauce 2 (1)

sonvoltJay Farrar has been one of the leading figures in the roots music scene since he days heading up Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt. To my ears, he’s rarely sounded as good and as open as on the new Son Volt release Honky Tonk. Created as an homage to the great Bakersfield country sound of the ’60s, this record is a winner, full of fiddles and pedal steel guitar. Glorious!

fastmoveFarrar and Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard teamed up to do the soundtrack to a documentary to one of my favorite books, Jack Kerouac’s Big Sur entitled One Fast Move Or I’m Gone: Music From Kerouac’s Big Sur. Low-key and intriguing, it captures the book and it’s time well. Recommended.

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Shrimp Fritters aka Shrimp Puppies (gluten-free)

Posted on November 4, 2012 by | 6 Comments

When shrimp meet hush puppies….

As I’ve mentioned before, I rarely fry anything.  Me and a hot vat of oil just don’t get along.  Every once in awhile, however, I get this craving for crispy battered objects and out comes the cast iron pan and the clip-on thermometer.  Who doesn’t love fried shrimp…and who doesn’t love hush puppies?  These Shrimp Fritters are a bit of both.

For people unacquainted with hush puppies – bless your unclogged hearts.  Where I grew up, these tasty bits of fried cornbread are served by the basketful in barbeque and seafood joints.  Some people make them sweet, some people make them savory – I like a little of both.

Friday nights have become our night for dining indulgence, and we try to have fun-food.  Chicken wings, hot dogs with gluten-free buns, gluten-free pizza…yeah, not exactly 5 Star cuisine, but it feels like a reward for slogging through another work week.  We enjoyed these fritters with two dipping sauces – one spicy mayonnaise-based sauce with Srichacha, and the other sweet honey butter.  It was all good!

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup corn meal (organic if you can find it)
  • 1/4 cup rice flour
  • 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon honey (more if you like ‘em sweet)
  • 1/2 cup milk (buttermilk would be best)
  • 2 cups shrimp, coarsely chopped *
  • sea salt/kosher salt and pepper, to taste
  • Oil suitable for high heat cooking (I used grapeseed oil)

*Note:  I used tiny pre-cooked tiny “salad” shrimp that I had in my freezer, but this should work with pre-cooked or raw regular shrimp, if chopped up.

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl (or large measuring cup), combine the milk, butter, egg, and honey.  Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined.  Stir in the chopped onion, shrimp, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

In a deep fry cooker or heavy, deep pan, heat about 1-inch (at least) of oil to 350F.  You want enough oil in the pan to “float” the fritters.  When the oil reaches temperature, drop the shrimp batter into the oil by the spoonful.  I cooked about 4 at a time – you don’t want to crowd them in or the temperature will drop and they will be greasy.  Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked throughout.  Scoop out and drain on paper towels.

As you cook, try to maintain the temperature between 350F and 375F, and add oil if necessary between batches.  You also will want to use a mesh strainer to scoop out any stray bits or foam so they will not burn and mess up your oil.

Serve hot, with or without sauce(s) of your choice.

Recently scored two LPs at Tall Stax- the great Al Green! First up, I’m Still In Love With You featuring hits such as the title cut and the grand “Love And Happiness”…so soulful, so romantic!

Al Green Explores Your Mind is a masterpiece of Memphis soul, with “Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)” and “Take Me To The River”, since redone by Levon Helm and more famously, the Talking Heads. These early albums of Al Green are classics…much like the Shrimp Fritters!

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Roasted Cauliflower Soup (gluten-free, dairy-free)

Posted on October 14, 2012 by | 14 Comments

Inspiration: Puree of White Bean Soup from Brasserie le Coze

Avoid doing this.

This week I got a blender, a powerful one, something that incredulously was missing from my arsenal of cooking tools.  I could not wait to take it for a spin.  After making a couple of smoothies, I thought I had the hang of it.  Let’s just say there is a learning curve… more on that later!

Years ago there was a French restaurant in one of Atlanta’s Buckhead shopping malls.  It was in a strange location, but Brasserie le Coze had some fantastic dishes.  I’m sure it was the first place I encountered skate wings in browned butter, one of their classics.  Another favorite was a puree of white bean soup, served in a crock with a drizzle of white truffle oil.  That soup is the inspiration for this recipe, in which I’ve replaced the beans with roasted cauliflower, and taken out the dairy.  (To be honest, I meant to add cream to the soup but forgot during the fiasco with the blender.  However the soup absolutely does not need the cream.) The result is a soup lower in carbs, but with all the depth of flavor of the original.

You may be wondering how I managed to make such a soupy kitchen disaster.  Well, when the instructions with the blender say “do not overfill”, they aren’t kidding.  Of particular note, hot liquids tend to steam quite a bit when you enclose them in a jar under turbo-blending conditions, and even with the vents in the lid, that steam will lift the lid right off the jar and erupt like Mauna Loa.  Lesson learned, thankfully without injury.

Ingredients:

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 8 cups)
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 leek, white and pale green parts, chopped and rinsed well
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 8 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • ~1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
  • ~1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 t fresh thyme)
  •  salt and pepper, to taste
  • Optional: white truffle oil, bacon bits, to garnish*

* Note: I used ~1/2 teaspoon of truffle salt in the final seasoning, since I did not have any white truffle oil.  Instead I garnished the soup with crumbled bacon bits.

Preheat oven to 400F.  Place the cauliflower in a shallow roasting pan and toss with enough olive oil to coat the cauliflower and the pan.  Roast for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is browned in spots and tender.  Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until it renders its fat (do not crisp).  Add a glurg of olive oil, and the onion, leek, carrot, celery and garlic; saute until tender.  Add the roasted cauliflower, chicken broth, rosemary, and thyme.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 1 hour.

Puree (carefully!) with a blender, immersion blender, or food processor – in batches, as necessary.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish each serving with a drizzle of truffle oil, or with crispy bacon bits.

Delicious soup needs a delicious soundtrack, yes? Who better than Catherine Irwin, leader of the great, but unknown Freakwater! Her first album in a decade, Little Heater is a sparse but moving set of songs, born by Irwin’s haunting vocals, akin to Hazel Dickens or Hank Sr.

What, you don’t know Freakwater? Perish the thought! They came around in the initial stages of the “alt-country” movement, and their debut album, Feels Like the Third Time is a classic. Take a listen to the first track- “My Old Drunk Friend”, and I guarantee you’ll be sold on their old country with a kick sound. Tremendous!

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Summer Squash Hummus (Bean-less, Gluten-free)

Posted on July 3, 2012 by | 2 Comments

I find myself with a surplus of white, patty pan squash.  I have roasted it, baked it in a casserole, and eaten it sliced and sauteed in butter.  It’s all good – but I know there are gardeners (and cooks) out there that are looking for more things to do with their bounty of summer squash.

I have seen recipes for raw zucchini hummus, so it only seemed logical that other varieties of summer squash might work just as well.  What do you know – the patty pan squash worked just great.  This recipe is especially good for people that like hummus but don’t tolerate bean dips well  – and of course it is handy for people following a low-carb diet or paleo / primal diet.  Just look at the carbs in a half cup of chickpeas (22.5) vs a half cup of summer squash (2.5).

Serve this with raw vegetables, gluten-free crackers, or even use it as a salad dressing.  You will need a food processor or a powerful blender to get a smooth texture. For this recipe, I used a good-sized patty pan squash that I somewhat peeled (it is hard to peel around all the curves on this space-ship shaped squash).  Don’t worry if you leave some peel on!  Also, since this squash was biggish, I cut it in half and scooped out the seeds and pulp, using only firm, white flesh for the hummus.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups peeled, de-seeded and chopped summer squash (I used patty pan, but other varieties of summer squash can be used.)
  • 1/3 cup lemon or lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons good quality olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 3/4 cup tahini
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 3 tablespoons almond flour (optional, for added texture)
  • a few shakes of smoked paprika
  • a few shakes of cayenne pepper

Add all the ingredients to the food processor except for the tahini.  Blend well, until smooth.  Add tahini and blend for several minutes until the hummus is very smooth, scraping down the sides occasionally.  Adjust seasoning, to taste.  I think that allowing it to mellow in the refrigerator for a while improves the texture and taste.  Serve drizzled with more olive oil or sprinkled with a little paprika.

Two from the incredible Albert King today, focusing on his great work in Memphis! First up, a new reissue of his classic ’70s album I’ll Play the Blues for You. Backed up by The Bar-Kays and the Memphis Horns, this is soulful blues that only Albert could play.

Born Under a Bad Sign has King recording with Booker T and the MGs, and the title track and “Crosscut Saw” became staples of Albert’s live set for years. A classic!

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Balsamic Pork Belly

Posted on June 6, 2012 by | 11 Comments

Recipe adapted from Ian Knauer’s Sticky Balsamic Ribs

I hope you are not tired of pork belly, for a couple of reasons.  First, this is the best version yet!  (Yes, I say that every time.)  The second reason is because I still have a few pounds of it in my freezer, so chances are you are going to see more of it.

While looking for a marinade for ribs, I came across what has to be the most highly praised recipe short of when the ancient Mesopotamians recorded the first recipe for beer, as handed down from the god Enki.  Ian Knauer, a former food editor for Gourmet magazine, said “These ribs just might be the best thing I’ve ever come up with.”  Food 52 proclaimed the recipe “Genius”.  Ruth Reichl wrote about them in her journal after making them again and again.  Review after review – serving these ribs made you the most popular person in the world. Well heck, I thought, if this is good enough for ribs, it should be heavenly on pork belly!

Looks heavenly, right?  To use Ms. Reichl’s words – “Smokey, Sweet, Tangy, Sticky”  – that’s all you have to know.

I halved the original recipe since I was marinating a small slab of pork belly vs 8 pounds of ribs.  Also I substituted coconut palm sugar for the brown sugar, to decrease the glycemic load.  We were smoking ribs, so the pork belly went in the Big Green Egg with the ribs.  However, you can also roast it in the oven using these instructions from Jamie Oliver.

The last time we smoked a pork belly, we found that the skin was very tough and ended up cutting it off.  This time I borrowed Jamie Oliver’s technique for crackling the skin before putting the belly in the smoker, which resulted in a crispier, edible rind.

Ingredients:

  • 1 slab of pork belly (1-3 pounds, or whatever you have)
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + 2 teaspoons kosher salt (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the glaze:

  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 1/4 cup water

Rinse the pork belly and dry with paper towels.  Using a very sharp knife, cut crosshatches just through the rind (skin).  Place pork belly in a resealable bag.

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with the 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.  Stir together in a small bowl with rosemary, sugar, vinegar, cayenne, remaining salt, and black pepper. Pour the marinade in the bag with the pork belly.  Seal bag (squeezing the air out) and massage the marinade into the pork belly, coating it thoroughly.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours (go for 24 hours if you can).

To prepare the glaze, bring the vinegar, sugar, and water to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Continue to boil (watching carefully) until the mixture is thick and syrupy and reduced to about 1/2 cup.  Set aside.

Continue reading →

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Roasted Eggplant and Sweet Pepper Dip

Posted on April 17, 2012 by | 12 Comments

Back when I played tennis, which was one broken ankle and more than a few years ago, my team may not have always have won the match but, by god, we always had a great table of food.  Not being one of the best players on my team, I liked to think that I somehow made up for having lead feet by bringing a homemade offering of something tasty .  Making “dip” was my favorite contribution – it doesn’t sound like much, but hey, they kept me on the team!  I wish I had known about this dip back then, although it might have been too distracting to the people on the court for all the oohing and awing that would have ensued.

This recipe is a hybrid of Ina Garten’s Roasted Eggplant Spread and a basic recipe for baba ghanoush.   I couldn’t decide which recipe to go with, so I came up with a blend of the two.  Call it indecision or call it inspiration – as long as you call me when it’s ready!  (Har…)  I roasted the vegetables in the oven, but this would be even better with grilled vegetables!  We ate this as a mid-afternoon snack with some gluten-free almond crackers; you can be sure it would disappear equally fast with pita triangles, vegetable sticks, bread of any sort, or even as a topping for pasta or zucchini noodles.

Be sure to pour some high quality extra-virgin olive oil over the top – the sweet fruitiness of the olive oil contrasted with the more earthy and spicy eggplant and peppers is phenomenal!  I highly recommend Kotinos Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Kasandrinos Imports.  (Join their facebook page and look for special deals.)

Seriously, you may want to double this recipe – or if you are taking it to a tennis match, triple it and keep some at home for yourself!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large eggplant
  • 2 red bell peppers, seeded
  • 4 garlic cloves, whole, peeled
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (to start with…)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt; freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons tahini paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • cayenne pepper, to taste
  • juice of one lemon
  • lots more good extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F.

Cut the eggplant up into 1-inch square pieces.  (Before cutting, I like to take off some of the skin in stripes around the eggplant.  Up to you.)   Cut the red bell peppers into 1 inch strips.  Toss the eggplant, peppers, and garlic in a large bowl with olive oil, salt, and several grindings of pepper.

Spread the vegetables on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer.  Roast for 35-45 minutes, tossing once during cooking, until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

Place the vegetables in a food processor; add the tahini, cumin, cayenne, lemon juice, and another glug (or two) of olive oil.  Process in pulses until blended.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  (Try to avoid over-processing or it will become paste-like in texture.)

Drizzle with more olive oil on top, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Today we hail the “corndog from Pedro”, Mr. Mike Watt! Originally a Minuteman with D. Boon, Mike has been one of the busiest players in the punk rock scene for many years. I interviewed him in 2001, and found him to be as nice a guy as you can find in the business. Since then he’s played bass for the reformed Iggy and the Stooges, among others. The band he formed after the D. Boon’s tragic death called fIREHOSE has been the subject of a reissue, lowFLOWs: The Columbia Anthology (’91 – ’93) (2 CD), and it gives you a glimpse of his energetic trio in all their glory.

Second up is a interesting piece of work, Spielgusher. Watt on bass, and rock journalist Richard Meltzer on “spiels”…its a rambling, woozy affair with an eclectic backing, from punk rock to surf music and all in between.

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Clams in Wine, Garlic and Herb Broth

Posted on April 4, 2012 by | 16 Comments

Over the last decade (or two), I seem to have developed quite an aversion to crowds of people.  The feeling of being hemmed in, the annoyance of trying to get where I’m going while people stand obliviously in the center of the walkway, frustration with children running over you while their self-adsorbed parents text and check their email…the list goes on.  Life is hectic out there and I don’t often have the patience for it.  (Yes, I’m old – and get off my lawn.)  However, for something really worth the risk of leaving my controlled surroundings, like a Willie Nelson concert or traveling to an exciting destination, I will steel myself against the onslaught of humanity and march with the crowd.

Patty at Chowstalker.com recently wrote about visiting the Dekalb Farmer’s Market; she drove for an hour to get there to stock up from the incredible produce and unbelievable meat selections.  This reminded, or maybe shamed me, into remembering that I live not 10 minutes from this great, international farmer’s market.  Why haven’t I been shopping there?  Primarily because it is IMMENSE  and full of people.  By immense, I mean 140,000 square feet, and by full of people, I mean they serve 100,000 customers per week.  Every aspect of shopping there feels like a battle, from parking to maneuvering through the store to getting though the oddly-arranged check out area.  (Really, a big rectangular room with cashiers against the walls does not have a traffic flow.)

I sucked it up…this was a worthwhile trip to go on.  I decided to go mid-week in the morning, to lessen the crowd aspect.  I was pleasantly surprised to see only half the huge parking was full.  Sure, there were plenty of people and carts inside, but it was manageable – especially when you see the rows and rows of fresh fruits and vegetables of all descriptions (organic included).  Please don’t get me started on all the meats, seafood, cheese, and wine.  This is a great place if you love food – a shopping paradise.  If you want selection – here it is – mounds of it!   I didn’t have much of a list prepared so I would be more open to suggestion (which is often dangerous when grocery shopping), so I did a lot of browsing.  I came home with a lot of stuff – grass-fed beef, veal rib chops, chicken thighs, pork chops, littleneck clams, parsley, eggplant, broccoli, garlic, lemons, strawberries, an assortment of mushrooms, olives, a couple bottles of wine, and a bag of Georgia-ground cornmeal.  There’s probably more that I don’t remember.  Forgive me for listing all of that, but I did it for a reason.  It all cost less than $125.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t begin to stroll through Whole Foods for that!

I’m a convert – I just have to remember to avoid the place in the afternoon, on weekends, or holidays, and always bring my checkbook (they accept cash, check or ATM only).

Here’s our first meal with the goods from that visit!  Thanks, Patty!

Ingredients (All amounts are negotiable – pretty much anything will work!):

  • Cleaned and ready for the pot!

    4 tablespoons unsalted butter, grass-fed (Kerrygold is my favorite)

  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2-3 tablespoons shallot, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 1 cup white wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)
  • 3 pounds littleneck clams
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
  • handful of fresh parsley, chopped
  • juice from 1 lemon
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

Before cooking the clams, keep them on ice, outside of a plastic bag (they need to breathe).  I put a shallow tray of ice in the sink and left the clams on top of that until I was ready to cook.  Just before cooking, scrub the shells with a brush under cold, running water.

Nothing can help you now, my little pretties...

In a large saute pan, melt the butter over medium high heat.  Add the garlic and shallot; cook until fragrant, without browning (1-2 minutes).  Sprinkle in desired amount of crushed pepper flakes and add wine.  Bring to a boil and add the clams and oregano.  Cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes until clams have opened up, shaking the pan occasionally.

As the clams open, carefully take them out and set aside in a bowl.  Discard any clams that have not opened after about 8 minutes.

Continue to simmer the broth until it has reduced some in volume (how much broth you would like with your clams is up to you).  Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir in the parsley.  Season with a few grindings of black pepper.  Taste to see if salt is needed (probably not, because clams are salty!) Add a touch of heavy cream to the broth, if you’d like.  Return the clams to the pan to reheat.

We served this with gluten-free cornbread.  It would also be great over some gluten-free pasta.  Enjoy!

An international shopping experience deserves some international music, don’t you think? First up is a concept that I truly love, Songs Around The World. Musicians from all around the planet collaborating, just remarkable. South Africa, Ireland, New Orleans…but all with a song in their hearts.

Next, something for the little ones…after you’ve had the clams! Dreamland: World Lullabies & Soothing Songs, “quiet time” music from around the world…lull them to sleep and broaden their worldview, all at once!

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Beef and Vegetable Soup

Posted on February 22, 2012 by | 1 Comment

It has been cool and a bit blustery in New Mexico this week – and what better to warm up with than a big pot of soup.

This soup has an Italian twist to it, so I wanted to add just a bit of pasta.  Here’s my big confession (followed of course by my justification) – I did not use gluten-free pasta!  I fully intended to use gluten-free pasta, because I had no desire to intentionally add wheat to our diet.  However, as I was browsing the shelves of Whole Foods for a suitable gluten-free rice-pasta to add to the soup, I suddenly found myself looking at boxes of Jovial einkorn pasta.  I squealed and literally jumped up and down with excitement, as James backed away, looking askance at me.  I have read about Jovial pasta, but have never seen it in person.  It was like finding the holy grail!

Einkorn is the purest, most ancient species of wheat known, grown more than 12,000 years ago before wheat was hybridized by man to increase the gluten content and yield.  You can read more about einkorn wheat and the history of wheat here.  Since this einkorn pasta is much lower in gluten, I was interested in how my body would react to eating it.  I am happy to report that there were no adverse affects.  However, I do not have celiac disease, and the makers of this pasta warn that more clinical studies are needed to determine if it is safe for celiac patients to consume einkorn wheat.  Jovial also produces gluten-free pastas which are reported to be among the best available in taste and texture, and I am also going to try those pastas.

All that said, the addition of pasta (of any kind) to this soup is optional.  The beef and vegetables are quite substantial on their own.  Also, since this is soup, the actual quantities of the ingredients are not all that important.  Feel free to add a little more or less of anything.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground beef (grass-fed)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 cup green beans, snapped into ~1-inch pieces
  • ~28 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup dry pasta (optional)
  • kosher or sea salt, freshly ground pepper
  • grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

In a large skillet, heat ~ 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat.  Saute the onions until softened, then add the ground beef.  Brown the beef, and season lightly with salt and pepper.  (If beef is excessively fatty, pour off and discard some of the fat.)

Partially cook the pasta in salted, boiling water.  I  like to boil it for just a little over half the time recommended on the package.  The pasta will finish cooking after you add it to the soup, and will adsorb more of the soup’s flavor.

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat; add ~ 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Saute the zucchini, carrots, and green beans for 6-8 minutes in the oil until they are starting to get tender.  Add the tomatoes and chicken broth, with oregano, thyme, crushed pepper flakes, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, then add the cooked beef and onions, and the cooked pasta.  Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove bay leaf and discard. Serve hot, with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Two today from the great Aimee Mann. Years ago I worked for a band that opened for Til Tuesday (“Voices Carry”), and was impressed by Mann’s stage presence and artful lyrics. Since those days she’s gone on to be one of our great songwriters. First up is her debut, Whatever. It featured one of her best songs, “I Should Have Known”, as well as fan favorite “Jacob Marley’s Chain”.

Mann did the soundtrack for “Magnolia”, featuring some of her finest songs, such as “Deathly” and “How Am I Different”. More from that era is collected on her 2000 release, Bachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo. If you haven’t given her a spin, why not?

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Grilled Chicken Wings Mole

Posted on February 11, 2012 by | 6 Comments

Greetings Huffington Post readers! Join us on Facebook for more treats!

Always on the lookout for another way to serve chicken wings, I read quite a few recipes before the “big day”.  I am of course referring to Superbowl Sunday, unquestionably the biggest day of the year for chicken wing consumption.  According to the National Chicken Council‘s 2012 Wing Report (really, I am not making this up), more than 1.25 billion wing portions will be consumed during Super Bowl weekend in 2012, totaling more than 100 million pounds of wings.  That’s a lot of freakin’ chicken wings!

Chipotle hot wings sounded interesting, but I decided to take that idea a step further with a nod to mole sauce.  Technically this marinade is not even close to the depth of flavor you would experience from an authentic Oaxacan mole, but it does have discernible elements of chile, cocoa, cinnamon, and honey – - mild heat, sweetness, and smokiness.  This is my “first draft” of the recipe, and it may need to be tweaked a little to get just the right balance.  If you give it a try, I welcome your suggestions to take this recipe from “tasty” to “killer”!

I used apple cider for the base of this sauce since I have a lot of it in the refrigerator, but other fruit juices could potentially be substituted.  I recommend marinating the wings overnight, if possible, or for at least 6 hours.

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 pounds chicken wings (either whole or separated)
  • 1/4 cup apple cider
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Lime quarters, for squeezing (optional)

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all the ingredients (except the wings and limes) until well-mixed.  Place the wings and marinade in a large resealable bag; shake and squeeze the bag to coat the wings thoroughly.  Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.  Turn bag occasionally.

Prepare a grill for indirect cooking at 375-400F.  (If using a Big Green Egg with inverted plate setter, add a drip pan to help with clean-up.)

When coals are ready, grill the wings for 15 minutes, then flip the wings and grill for another 15 minutes.  Move them around as necessary to cook the wings evenly.  Keep flipping them until the skin is crispy and they are done  – around 45 minutes for wing portions, or around 60 minutes for whole wings (when they start getting loose at the joints, they are usually done).

Serve with a squeeze of lime and Citrus and Avocado Salad.  Enjoy!

My goodness that’s a bunch of wingless chickens wandering around…but I digress. Couple of new releases this morning. First is a guy I saw perform in a small record store to about 10 people several years ago, and I was struck by his unique sense of place and language, and his haunting, sparse style. His name was Jim White, and his new album, Where It Hits You is a barren, emotional landscape of despair, based on the end of a relationship. Sounds like a downer, but it grows on you.

Mark Lanegan, formerly of the Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age has a new album, Blues Funeral and its already being touted as the album of the year. It’s moody, provocative rock with an edge. Fans of Nick Cave and Tom Waits will dig this.

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Braised Pork Belly with Cherry Sauce

Posted on February 1, 2012 by | 8 Comments

Succulent Braised Pork Belly with Cherry Gravy...pictured here with roasted sweet potatoes and fennel

Happy Anniversary to She Cooks, He Cleans!  We published our first post on February 1, 2011 and we’ve made it for an entire year!  We appreciate all the support everyone has given us, and every day we are amazed to see how the blog has grown.   The blog started as a way to share our passions, food and music, with friends and family.  The crazy thing is it has helped us discover “kinships” with people that we have never met, and we have learned and benefited from these connections.  Thank you all!

For our anniversary post, we tried something new for us – Pork Belly!  We joined a CSA recently, Moonshine Meats based in Athens, Georgia. I love this statement off their website:

Moonshine Meats is just meat the way it should be: raised on pasture by producers who have a deep sense of humility, humanity and awe for both animal and land.

We picked up our first allotment of “Dig the Pig” from Darla and Rick in the parking lot behind Farm Burger.  Buying meat out of a trunk of a car in a parking lot was a unique experience, which reminded us of similar transactions in our misguided youth.  (Ha!)  I knew there was some pork belly coming to us, so I had been planning a braise.  I was inspired by these recipes – Cider-Braised Pork Belly with Cranberry Chutney and Apple Frisée Salad, at Houseboat Eats;  Michel Nischan’s Braised Pork Shoulder with Cherry Gravy, in this month’s issue of Food & Wine; and Roasted Pork Belly with Sweet Potatoes, at Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide.  You might notice that I borrowed elements from each of these recipes.  Yep, and it worked out pretty well too! Thanks, guys!

A note about pork belly – it is lusciously, decadently, deliciously fatty.  It is the holy part of the pig that provides us with bacon.  If you don’t enjoy the sensation of crispy fat melting in your mouth, for goodness sake don’t even look at this recipe.  Skip along now, and leave the pork belly to the rest of us!

Every bite was sinfully good, but was possibly a little too much on the sweet side.  I may have pushed it over the top by serving it with sweet potatoes AND cherry sauce.  Next time I make this, I will try it over something like polenta or mashed vegetables to give it more balance.  However, I found that a nice glass of Pinot Noir complemented it well!  If you’d like to try it with sweet potatoes and fennel, the recipe is here – just leave out the bacon when you roast it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 to 1.5  pounds pork belly, including rind
  • Kosher or sea salt, freshly ground pepper
  • ~3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 tablespoons oil, suitable for medium-high heat
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
  • 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1 cup meat stock (I used veal stock)
  • 1/2 cup dried sour cherries
  • ~1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Melts in your mouth!

Preheat oven to 325F.  Season the pork belly all over with salt, pepper, and ground coriander.  In a Dutch oven or heavy braising pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat.  Brown the pork belly deeply on both sides.  Remove the pork and set aside.  Pour off the used oil from the pan (but don’t lose the browned bits).  Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.  Add celery, carrots, and onion; cook over medium heat until  vegetables are softened (around 6 minutes).  Add tomato paste and stir for a couple of minutes;  add red wine and bring to a simmer.  Deglaze pan by loosening up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Add cider and meat stock; bring to a boil.  Return pork to the pan and place in oven.  Braise for around 3 hours, covered, gently turning the pork occasionally.

Remove the pork from the liquid, careful that it doesn’t fall apart.  Strain the pan juices through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, and pour off accumulated fats from the top (a measuring cup with fat separator does a nice job of this).  Return the stained sauce to the pan, and add cherries and vinegar.  You want these pan juices to have a nice, saucy consistency.  If necessary, increase heat to a boil and reduce the sauce to about 1 cup or to desired consistency.  Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and pepper.  Keep sauce warm on low heat while finishing the pork belly.

Preheat the broiler.  Place the pork belly, skin side up, on a cutting board.  Slice the pork belly into pieces around 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick, and place the slices in a shallow roasting pan or heavy baking sheet.  Broil briefly until the fat is sizzling and crisping, then turn the slices and crisp up the other side.  Watch it carefully – it should only take about a minute per side.  It would be a crying shame to burn it at the last minute!

Serve the pork belly over roasted vegetables (as pictured), or over polenta, mashed potatoes or other pureed vegetables.  Spoon a little cherry sauce over the top, and enjoy!

Today’s soundtrack is a tribute to the great jazz drummer, Paul Motian, who died last year. A monumental career, with stops behind the kit for Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett and more. Here are two excellent works he released last year. First is Lost in a Dream, featuring Motian with Jason Moran and Chris Potter live at the Village Vanguard. Sublime but intense, it features his unique, underscored method of using brushes and a minimal drum kit to propel the music softly but surely.

Second is an all-star gathering, Live At Birdland, featuring Motian, Lee Konitz, Charlie Haden on bass, and Brad Mehldau, the “kid” of the foursome on piano performing standards. Truly breathtaking.

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