tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71236662838118016692024-02-20T05:28:37.070-05:00Culinary StudioAdventures in and out of a small kitchen in NYCEddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.comBlogger245125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-50390644715187015972012-07-09T21:22:00.004-04:002012-07-09T21:23:49.036-04:00"Real" Baby Carrots Roasted with Thyme and Garlic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Carrots roasted with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil at 450F for 20 minutes. Sliced garlic and thyme tossed in and roasted for an additional 3 minutes. Simplicity at its best.Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-14001975067199672782011-12-30T21:31:00.000-05:002011-12-30T21:31:17.041-05:00Tuna Ceviche<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wyueT_5PkKyHo0KbNAFDVj5vF0OqoHBqPhiv8-VM0tcwOMhN0mKuwRX3vv_L_6P8sdOOBHh14N89bZSQITQddasp1UZnR_YJc5XyhBMWdswthObN2y8j_jzXRRaQP8OzT1hC59sBH7c/s1600/Tuna+Ceviche-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wyueT_5PkKyHo0KbNAFDVj5vF0OqoHBqPhiv8-VM0tcwOMhN0mKuwRX3vv_L_6P8sdOOBHh14N89bZSQITQddasp1UZnR_YJc5XyhBMWdswthObN2y8j_jzXRRaQP8OzT1hC59sBH7c/s400/Tuna+Ceviche-9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>I'm forsaking the local and seasonal mission of this blog, but it's cold and dreary here in New Hampshire, and given that its my first post in quite some time, I wanted to post something bright and cheery. Besides, spring is only three months away...</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Tuna Ceviche</b></div><div><i>Serves 2</i></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div><i>Ingredients:</i></div><div><ul><li>1/2 lb tuna fillet, sliced against the grain in 1/4-inch slices</li>
<li>juice of 3 limes</li>
<li>1/2 red onion, thinly sliced</li>
<li>1/2 avocado, diced</li>
<li>2 tbsp cilantro, minced</li>
<li>sea salt, to taste</li>
<li>tortilla chips</li>
</ul></div><div><i>Directions:</i></div><div><ol><li>Put the tuna in the freezer for 15 minutes so that it becomes firm (so that it can be easily diced). </li>
<li>Dice the tuna into 1/4-inch cubes and add to a medium bowl.</li>
<li>Add the lime juice and onion to the bowl with the tuna and stir the ingredients to ensure that each piece of tuna is covered with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for an hour, stirring every 20 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove the tuna from the refrigerator and stir in the avocado, cilantro, and sea salt. Serve the tuna on a bed of tortilla chips.</li>
</ol></div>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-82490126427223275742011-07-05T21:54:00.000-04:002011-07-05T21:54:25.995-04:00Saveur's Second Annual Summer BBQ in NYC - June 27, 2011I had the good fortune of getting invited to <i>Saveur</i>'s Summer BBQ last week at The Frying Pan in NYC. The weather was perfect for being boatside on the Hudson enjoying a bounty of grilled meats from some of New York's top toques and refreshing drinks courtesy of Ommegang Brewery and Grey Goose Vodka. <br />
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Things started out favorably with glazed pork belly sandwiches from Marc Murphy of Landmarc and Ditch Plains.<br />
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The lamb burger with basil mayonnaise from Sean Rembold of Marlow & Sons was a highlight for me.<br />
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No BBQ is complete without some grilled corn. Hill Country did a very nice job with theirs.<br />
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While grilled sausages are also a summer BBQ mainstay, Missy Robbins of A Voce upped it a notch with her grilled lamb sausages. These reminded me to add A Voce to my list of restaurants I would like to try. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Geoffrey Zakarian served up a pretty standard plate of saucy ribs from his new restaurant, The National. While the ribs were low on the excitement spectrum, they were still pretty high on the taste spectrum. <br />
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John DeLucie's (The Lion, Waverly Inn) lamb ribs were a bit too fatty for me, but it may have just been that I was too full by the time I got to them.<br />
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Unfortunately, I was much too full before I spotted Marco Canora's smoked lamb ribs. I am sad that I did not try one of my favorite chefs' dishes, especially one that looked this good. <br />
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Marcus Samuelsson and his crew from Red Rooster were there cooking a fabulous blackened catfish with fried caper slaw, a dish I was pleased to have once again after enjoying it only a week ago at his restaurant. I have been told by some that the photo of Chef Samuellson is equally satisfying as his catfish.<br />
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Dan Kluger of ABC Kitchen prepared some massive brisket sandwiches topped with potato chips. Although one of these guys made me too full for much of anything else, it was a lot of a very good thing. <br />
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If only food served on boats could always be this good! Kudos to <i>Saveur </i>for an outstanding event.Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-79606765975981055132011-06-12T20:45:00.000-04:002011-06-12T20:45:39.339-04:00Big Apple BBQ Block Party - Day 2 - June 12, 2011This weekend marked that most wonderful time of the year in NYC with the Big Apple BBQ Block Party, a 2-day meatathon in Madison Square Park featuring some of the country's top pitmasters. This year's festival was as mouthwatering—and as crowded—as ever. I attended the second day of the event, and had the pleasure of stuffing my gullet with what in my not so humble opinion was the cream of the crop of the event.<br />
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Pitmaster Ed Mitchell of Wilson, NC was in town for the event once again, serving his divine pulled pork sandwiches (with cracklin'!) and—new for this year—smoked turkey.<br />
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To get my rib fix, I went visited tent for Memphis' 17th Street Bar & Grill. <br />
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The Salt Lick from Driftwood, Texas, offered up brisket and sausage that were well worth the wait in line. <br />
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As it does every year, Eleven Madison Park offered Mint Juleps, glasses of bourbon, and good music. <br />
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Pitmaster Bob Lilly of Big Bob Gibson's in Decatur, Alabama, smoked some amazing pork butts. The line to the Big Bob stand was by far the longest of any at the festival, but I'm glad I waited it out. <br />
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Finally, Jim 'N' Nick's is always a go-to for some excellent smoked sausages.<br />
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And with that, I can't wait until Big Apple BBQ Block Party 2012!Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-91023189904651469992011-05-08T19:34:00.000-04:002011-05-08T19:34:41.593-04:00Springtime at Union Square GreenmarketRamps, asparagus, and fresh flowers. What more can you ask for? And spring only gets better from here on out.<br />
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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixv8NRmOT1dXfQgeH8oFQLOi-cFskwIuyQbrAAMSG-TBrf5NEZW6-juRz2O0P34nHf8XWGqWjiCrfhBHKOzUwuUz0gZlC0_Bax6wv0w_ZXVZ6tBkLetBbIMhKrpl5ycFcOT2_-krmH11g/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixv8NRmOT1dXfQgeH8oFQLOi-cFskwIuyQbrAAMSG-TBrf5NEZW6-juRz2O0P34nHf8XWGqWjiCrfhBHKOzUwuUz0gZlC0_Bax6wv0w_ZXVZ6tBkLetBbIMhKrpl5ycFcOT2_-krmH11g/s400/002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-9725321309785861712011-04-28T19:18:00.000-04:002011-04-28T19:18:19.821-04:00Mako with Fennel and Cherry Tomato Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDiHW4Lee6JSPjQWLMoF2UnQ4fmvdX1K0n6UXIy6xicmAP6Vx4NWBzznBsAsGl9uH327d13RjcjIGV6F_ohhnehD386Ly0590QWBC4j9j9hmF9sTOQrO9q_sfw9IoooG-I8fugqOClLM/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtDiHW4Lee6JSPjQWLMoF2UnQ4fmvdX1K0n6UXIy6xicmAP6Vx4NWBzznBsAsGl9uH327d13RjcjIGV6F_ohhnehD386Ly0590QWBC4j9j9hmF9sTOQrO9q_sfw9IoooG-I8fugqOClLM/s400/012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
In just a few month, I will be a broke student, so I have started to be a bit more thrifty when it comes to my food purchases. The other day, I went to the fishmonger looking for a firm, meaty fish that I could serve with a sauce I intended to make with some fennel and cherry tomatoes I had on hand. Swordfish seemed like the obvious choice, but when I saw mako, which the fishmonger's sign described as "similar to swordfish," for half the price, the budget-conscious half of my brain told me to give the shark a try. While I'm not completely sold on mako—the texture of the meat is not quite as firm as that of swordfish nor is it as flavorful—the bright tomato and fennel sauce more than made up for it and made me thankful that I still had a few extra dollars in my pocket.<br />
<br />
<b>Mako with Fennel and Cherry Tomato Sauce</b><br />
<i>Serves 2</i> <br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<ul><li>1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil </li>
<li>1 small yellow onion, diced</li>
<li>1/2 fennel bulb, cored and diced</li>
<li>1/2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted</li>
<li>2 tbsp red wine vinegar</li>
<li>1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, stemmed</li>
<li>2 6 oz. mako or swordfish fillets</li>
<li>salt and pepper</li>
</ul><i>Directions:</i><br />
<ol><li>Preheat the oven to 375F.</li>
<li><i> </i>Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. </li>
<li> Add the onion, fennel, and fennel seeds to the saucepan and season with salt. Cook until the onion and fennel soften, about 5 minutes. </li>
<li>Pour the vinegar into the saucepan and bring it to a boil. Let the vinegar evaporate completely, about 1 minute. </li>
<li>Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes to the saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes burst, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste the sauce for seasoning and keep warm over low heat while you cook the fish.</li>
<li>Season the fish with salt and pepper.</li>
<li>Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook until they are golden on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes.</li>
<li>Put the skillet in the oven and cook until the fish is just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Do not overcook the fish.</li>
<li>Serve the fish immediately, topped with a generous amount of the fennel and tomato sauce.</li>
</ol>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-23657783719993889902011-04-25T21:56:00.000-04:002011-04-25T21:56:22.313-04:00Bucatini with Pancetta, Fava Beans, and Tomato Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MkEnfDADTi-ekDGzgpKVjSyF2yzmvLu5K1WTibG9ISvvEDzZnY4YljVCjyDPxHeSUIDH7nqgIKuCocGmjjrjFf4C9SsfvrUMVMFZ1jz67kARSeb_yh7gXDDKjQUgQPBGPAp05zawCog/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MkEnfDADTi-ekDGzgpKVjSyF2yzmvLu5K1WTibG9ISvvEDzZnY4YljVCjyDPxHeSUIDH7nqgIKuCocGmjjrjFf4C9SsfvrUMVMFZ1jz67kARSeb_yh7gXDDKjQUgQPBGPAp05zawCog/s400/001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Bucatini is my favorite dried pasta. Nice and thick—about twice as thick as spaghetti—,it has a wonderful texture that allows a sauce coat each tube perfectly. Although bucatini can be difficult to track down, I was fortunate enough to spot some at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Eataly</a>. The traditional method of serving the pasta i is <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><i>all'Amatriciana</i></a>, and I decided to go a similar route with the tomato sauce and pancetta, but it being the beginning of spring after a long, harsh winter, I couldn't resist tossing in some blanched fava beans for good measure. The beans added wonderful texture and color to the buttery tomato sauce and al dente pasta.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXnTZxsCQVarQXa2efmHZcpJyF1jk5SonsE7aIrkMf5pFCiTMExPnvYSI04zBOrGNlfgmmtbi-SZRW8WeAQRPMoi1-ccosgMeFpZ-FWqC0F32LWKt_uHC_jABVO_qQYC4MGMbDXVxEjY/s1600/040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXnTZxsCQVarQXa2efmHZcpJyF1jk5SonsE7aIrkMf5pFCiTMExPnvYSI04zBOrGNlfgmmtbi-SZRW8WeAQRPMoi1-ccosgMeFpZ-FWqC0F32LWKt_uHC_jABVO_qQYC4MGMbDXVxEjY/s400/040.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b>Bucatini with Pancetta, Fava Beans, and Tomato Sauce</b><br />
<i>Serves 4</i><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<ul><li>2 lbs fava beans, shelled </li>
<li>2 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>1/4 lb pancetta, diced </li>
<li>2 cloves garlic, minced</li>
<li>1 cup simple tomato sauce (I used <a href="http://steamykitchen.com/8375-marcella-hazan-tomato-sauce-with-onion-butter.html">Marcella Hazan's</a>) </li>
<li>1/4 tsp red pepper flakes</li>
<li>1 lb bucatini </li>
<li>grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving</li>
</ul><i>Directions:</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ol><li>Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fava beans and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the fava beans with a slotted spoon and put them in a bowl of ice water. Once cool, peel off the skins of the beans and set aside. Keep the water at a boil. </li>
<li>Add the bucatini to the boiling water and cook for one minute less than the package suggests. </li>
<li>While the bucatini boils, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until it begins to crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and let it cook until it is fragrant, about one minute. Add the tomato sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer. Stir in the fava beans and taste for seasoning. </li>
<li>Drain the pasta and stir it into the simmering sauce. Let the pasta and sauce cook for another minute, stirring to ensure that the pasta strands are coated by the sauce.</li>
<li>Serve the pasta in bowls, topped with grated Pecorino Romano cheese. <i> </i></li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwVeBRE8ILJ-a8e268xoSddMaW6xu4ArzW94TNpgR60eTxrqmyDlGA1Ao46wKNz057hdfZSZKXhDuDFduB9_CmBpWvpSAPNzzybl76I7zlX3qwDAniwPVcKnDsaFuJfC3WHiWV85M_w8/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwVeBRE8ILJ-a8e268xoSddMaW6xu4ArzW94TNpgR60eTxrqmyDlGA1Ao46wKNz057hdfZSZKXhDuDFduB9_CmBpWvpSAPNzzybl76I7zlX3qwDAniwPVcKnDsaFuJfC3WHiWV85M_w8/s400/010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-44265547214062062002011-04-12T12:00:00.001-04:002011-04-12T12:00:08.946-04:00Scallops with Fava Beans, Dandelion Greens, Ramps, and Pancetta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfAjIHNZJYa9o59fRCsNJIP2z5sDvmMqJ8zE_a30pv1kxtrHsUq2lx2WeurBxQmmbxBQ3jvspJPa4GQGMuZRW9Jai6ZWXAHhgVZTsnczjY7AClxbfnOou9AgNPphyo8cEyLcr2PCZr_M/s1600/107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfAjIHNZJYa9o59fRCsNJIP2z5sDvmMqJ8zE_a30pv1kxtrHsUq2lx2WeurBxQmmbxBQ3jvspJPa4GQGMuZRW9Jai6ZWXAHhgVZTsnczjY7AClxbfnOou9AgNPphyo8cEyLcr2PCZr_M/s400/107.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This dish hardly requires a recipe, as it consists of little more than the ingredients listed in the title. That's what I love about spring produce; it is so delicious on its own that gussying it up with any other ingredients usually does more harm than good. In this case, I've paired seared jumbo sea scallops with blanched fava beans and dandelion greens, ramps, and crispy pancetta that I have sauteed in a bit of olive oil. A drizzle of sherry vinegar, a few cracks of salt and pepper, and you have spring on a plate.<br />
<br />
<b>Scallops with Fava Beans, Dandelion Greens, Ramps, and Pancetta</b><br />
<i>Serves 2</i><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><i> </i><br />
<ul><li>1 lb. fava beans, shelled</li>
<li>2 tbsp </li>
<li>1/4 lb. piece of pancetta, diced</li>
<li> 1 bunch of ramps, cleaned, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces</li>
<li>1 bunch of dandelion greens, cleaned and trimmed</li>
<li>8 large sea scallops</li>
<li>salt</li>
<li> pepper</li>
<li>1 tbsp butter </li>
<li>Sherry vinegar</li>
</ul><i>Directions:</i><br />
<ol><li>Bring a large<i></i> pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shelled fava beans to the water and boil for 2 minutes. Immediately drain the favas and add them to a bowl of ice water to cool. Once cooled, peel each fava and place the beans in a bowl.</li>
<li>Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the pancetta begins to crisp. Add the ramps and cook until some of the pieces begin to brown. Add the dandelion greens and cook until they begin to wilt. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle a bit of Sherry vinegar over the greens. </li>
<li>Meanwhile, as the dandelion pancetta cooks, prepare the scallops. Pat them dry with a paper towel and season them with salt and pepper. Heat a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the scallops and cook, undisturbed, until they are well-browned on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the scallops and cook on the other side until it is well-browned, another 2 to 3 minutes. Set the scallops aside on a plate.</li>
<li>To plate the dish, divide the ramps and dandelion greens among two plates. Quickly heat the fava beans in one of the skillets just until they are hot and surround the greens with the beans. Top the greens with the scallops. Serve immediately.</li>
</ol>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-58539441308514049472011-04-10T14:09:00.000-04:002011-04-10T14:09:32.269-04:00Ricotta Gnocchi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwuET8lDmCPGfH3C2DyvnNPYCtPCgKuAuG53UsT1YCchvWbJYTKhtrSMv7VHRiNylsxJizmOYakxT1-mJHhD5wDFLIyFFcsg6B5O-pXRdXQt3zsvBGmMTBVoa1Sq0koZCxEFJIUGW8B7E/s1600/048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwuET8lDmCPGfH3C2DyvnNPYCtPCgKuAuG53UsT1YCchvWbJYTKhtrSMv7VHRiNylsxJizmOYakxT1-mJHhD5wDFLIyFFcsg6B5O-pXRdXQt3zsvBGmMTBVoa1Sq0koZCxEFJIUGW8B7E/s400/048.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I made gnocchi <a href="http://www.culinary-studio.com/2009/04/ricotta-gnocchi-with-ramp-pesto.html">once before</a>, and while they weren't bad for a first attempt, they were not the light and fluffy pillows of pasta that I crave when I think about gnocchi. Nearly two years later (time sure does fly, doesn't it!), I have made another attempt at gnocchi, and I think I finally figured it out this time around. The key is to have extremely delicate touch when handling the dough. As someone who has never been known for having a light touch—watch me do ten layups on a basketball hoop you'll see what I mean—I found this to be easier said than done. But just remind yourself every step of the way to have gentle hands, combining the ingredients of the dough just enough and rolling the dough as delicately as possible, and you will be well on your way to perfect gnocchi. If my clumsy hands can do it, great gnocchi is certainly within anyone's reach.<br />
<br />
<b>Ricotta Gnocchi</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/A16-Food-Wine-Nate-Appleman/dp/1580089070?ie=UTF8&tag=culinar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">A16: Food + Wine</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=culinar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1580089070" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></i><b> </b><br />
<i>Serves 4</i><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<ul><li>2 cups fresh sheep milk ricotta<i> </i>cheese<b> </b></li>
<li>2 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>3/4 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 egg yolk</li>
<li>1 egg, lightly beaten</li>
<li>1 cup "00" pasta flour or all-purpose flour, plus more as needed</li>
<li>1/2 cup semolina flour</li>
</ul><i>Directions: </i><br />
<ol><li>In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, olive oil, and 3/4 tsp salt. Taste the mixture for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. It should be fairly salty since the flour will even out the salt level. </li>
<li>Stir the ricotta mixture until it is smooth in appearance, with no large curds visible.</li>
<li>Stir in the egg yolk and half of the beaten egg and stir until just combined.</li>
<li>Find a large, clean work surface and coat it with 1/2 a cup of the "00" pasta flour. Spread the ricotta mixture on top of the flour, and top it with the remaining 1/2 cup of "00" pasta flour.</li>
<li>Using your hands, gently fold the flour onto the ricotta mixture. Continue to do so just until the dough comes together. The dough should be slightly sticky, but should not stick to your fingers. If it is too sticky, fold in a bit more flour. </li>
<li>Lightly dust a large cutting board or other large work surface with semolina flour. </li>
<li>Divide the gnocchi dough into 6 pieces.</li>
<li>Take one piece of the gnocchi dough and, using a very gentle touch, roll it in the semolina flour until it forms a long long about a 1/2 inch in diameter. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.</li>
<li>Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each log of dough into 1-inch pieces. At this point, the gnocchi can be cooked or frozen for a later use.</li>
<li>To cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and wait for the pasta to float in the water, about two minutes; let the gnocchi cook for an additional minute after they float. Using a mesh strainer, remove the gnocchi from pot. Serve immediately with the sauce of your choice. Pesto or a simple tomato sauce work particularly well. </li>
</ol>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-75204041808627153552011-02-27T17:36:00.001-05:002011-02-28T09:53:08.354-05:00The Final Countdown begins with Pho<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSOzIxmO_6uxHdat_YrXjq0EbSwmfn4iGf2BG53-KC0A0Lq9vsHiXqNrpeYsZUdXVLX9s8YfdOeR980zWj9H4pxsg8DYVS-PxpVBIlvlH00Ukan7IriPgJ3ec0H4_bn-0yIbZ-xwOxS0/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSOzIxmO_6uxHdat_YrXjq0EbSwmfn4iGf2BG53-KC0A0Lq9vsHiXqNrpeYsZUdXVLX9s8YfdOeR980zWj9H4pxsg8DYVS-PxpVBIlvlH00Ukan7IriPgJ3ec0H4_bn-0yIbZ-xwOxS0/s400/055.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I recently received the exciting news that I will be leaving New York in six months to become a full-time student for the next two years in a place that is a very far cry from New York. While I am ecstatic to begin this new chapter in my life, I am going to be sad to leave behind all the people, places, and activities that have made my five years in New York so special, so like a person who's been told he has six months to live (and for me, the thought of enduring two years of cafeteria food and microwave dinners feels a bit like that), I have created a list of things to do before I leave this great city. While my list includes a lot of special, only in New York activities (picnic in Central Park, run around the island of Manhattan), it also includes a category of items that most New Yorkers would not dare do: "Challenging Foods to Cook!" In six months, I'll not only to be kitchen-less, but I'll also have limited time to do much cooking, so I have decided to try to make an effort all those foods that I have always wanted to make, but never made the time or the effort to cook.<br />
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First up on my cooking list was pho, the Vietnamese soup. After making it, I realized that making pho is not at all the challenge I assumed it would be, although after about four hours of preparing it plus a couple more hours wandering the streets of Chinatown in search of the right ingredients, a $5 bowl at a pho joint seems like an even better deal. I made <i>pho bo</i>, or beef pho, using thin slices of cooked brisket and raw sirloin, but the technique for<i> pho ga</i> (chicken pho) is fairly similar.<br />
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The first step to a great pho is to char the skins of the onions and ginger that go into the broth. If you don't have a hood or a well-ventilated kitchen, it's best to do this step under a broiler or outside on a grill. If you do, or you don't like me, but know you will be moving out of your apartment in six months, you can roast the vegetables over an open flame. You want to char the ginger and onions completely, about 15 minutes, turning them frequently as they roast. Once they are done, let them cool down. Rinse the vegetables under cool water, peeling off the charred skins.<br />
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The central component of pho broth is, of course, the beef bones. I used about 5 pounds of 2-inch thick shin bones. The first thing you'll want to do is to boil the bones in water for a few minutes, which will remove some of the impurities from the bones, allowing for a clearer broth. Once boiled, drain the bones.<br />
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To make the broth, you combine the beef bones, the onions and ginger, a cinnamon stick, a spoonful each of cloves, star anise, sugar, and salt, a generous pour of fish sauce, and thick strips of brisket with six quarts of water. Allow this mixture to simmer for an hour and a half. Then, remove the brisket and continue simmering the broth for another hour and a half. Drain the broth through a fine mesh sieve and refrigerate it overnight so that the fat solidifies. The following day, remove the fat from the broth.<br />
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The day that you plan to serve the pho, prepare all of the condiments and set them on the table. Lime juice, Thai basil, mint, blanched bean sprouts, Sriracha sauce, and hoisin are all go nicely with pho.<br />
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Once the broth is ready, prepare the bowls: boiled rice noodles, scallions, cilantro, thinly slice onions, thinly sliced cooked brisket, and thinly sliced raw sirloin. Then pour the hot broth on top of it all. It's perfection in a bowl. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-9445267145519587112011-02-13T21:45:00.000-05:002011-02-13T21:45:10.418-05:00Cavatelli with Sausage & Browned Sage Butter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKiFN9Uz4I_kP1BSh1-LzQGicbCdL0yN-KvsdaeXPbMpI2Bw4UQ-z5-eYh4vSW0ws7reA8q7EWgtNSGelEZbDYflZiMyGelq4a_gfBURDnR-qeMY4qq7H4LYtfDbd0B5D9L-PgxupyjU/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKiFN9Uz4I_kP1BSh1-LzQGicbCdL0yN-KvsdaeXPbMpI2Bw4UQ-z5-eYh4vSW0ws7reA8q7EWgtNSGelEZbDYflZiMyGelq4a_gfBURDnR-qeMY4qq7H4LYtfDbd0B5D9L-PgxupyjU/s400/002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
As you may have noticed from the lack of posts on this blog the last few weeks, I have been very busy of late. When I don't have time to cook, I usually fall into a boring routine of eating leftovers and takeout meals, but I do keep a few super simple recipes up my sleeve that take so little time and make such use of pantry and freezer staples that I have little excuse not to cook when pressed for time. This pasta dish falls right into that category: store-bought fresh cavatelli (okay, maybe that's not such a pantry staple) tossed in a sausage and sage butter sauce. The recipe, adapted from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Frankies-Spuntino-Kitchen-Companion-Cooking/dp/1579654150?ie=UTF8&tag=culinar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=culinar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1579654150" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, </i>which has quickly become a favorite of mine for simple recipes like this one, takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and you'd never know it because it's so full of flavor. <br />
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<b>Cavatelli Sausage & Browned Sage Butter</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Frankies-Spuntino-Kitchen-Companion-Cooking/dp/1579654150?ie=UTF8&tag=culinar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=culinar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1579654150" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></i><b><br />
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<i>Serves 4</i><b> </b><br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<ul><li>1 lb. hot Italian sausage links</li>
<li><i> </i>7 tablespoons butter</li>
<li>10 sage leaves</li>
<li>pepper, to taste</li>
<li>1 lb. fresh cavatelli</li>
<li>1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese</li>
<li>1/2 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped</li>
</ul><i>Directions:</i><br />
<ol><li>Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, place the sausages in a large saute pan. Fill the pan with enough water to come half way up the sausage links. Heat the pan over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the sausages and cook on the other side for 5 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pan and slice into 1/2 inch slices. Set the sausage aside.</li>
<li>Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat in a clean saute pan. Add the sausage slices and let them cook, undisturbed, until they are well browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the sausage slices and brown the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the sausage slices with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate. </li>
<li>Return the pan to the burner and add the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter, pepper, and sage leaves to the pan. Stir the butter with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits. Let cook until it is well browned, about 5 minutes.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, while the butter sauce is browning, place the cavatelli into the boiling water and cook until al dente.</li>
<li>Drain the pasta and add it to the butter. Stir in the sausage and Pecorino Romano cheese and serve immediately, topping each serving with a pinch of the chopped parsley. </li>
</ol>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-50362954866509949292011-01-27T23:00:00.000-05:002011-01-27T23:00:59.310-05:00Trippa alla Parmagiana in PhotosI'm not sure what's gotten into me of late, but I've cooked more offal in the last two weeks than I've ever eaten in my life. Maybe it's a quarter life crisis I'm going through. Or maybe it's the weekly six-plus inch snowfalls that NYC has been experiencing of late. Or maybe it's the impending financial armageddon that all those loud mouths on CNN and Fox News keep speaking of that's persuaded me to master cooking the less desired cuts of meat. Whatever's causing my recent fascination with offal, I'm enjoying the challenge.<br />
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My latest offal experiment was Trippa alla Parmigiana, a tomato-based stew full of the rubbery stomach lining of a cow that we all know as tripe. It's a classic Italian dish, and I used Andrew Carmellini's recipe from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Urban-Italian-Simple-Recipes-Stories/dp/159691470X?ie=UTF8&tag=culinar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Urban Italian</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=culinar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=159691470X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />.</i> Below is a photo log of the technique for making this simple stew that is so full of flavor that those who are horrified by the thought of tripe might not even hate it all that much.<br />
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I have to admit, tripe is not one of the better-looking cuts, even as offal goes:<br />
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The rest of my mise en place:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhX2zHb6i6e0OoWVLHeOcWH-fB7Hn0oPDDRpKJe5Tf4mLzFZa510ihjCOoYXwuXINsKe-Ltk87mWewKhg9lBtEOg2lGIOCdROraBj-cAy5VrX7-zIQhIzJQn6RVgLW57nBhMZ0wq87R4/s1600/044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhX2zHb6i6e0OoWVLHeOcWH-fB7Hn0oPDDRpKJe5Tf4mLzFZa510ihjCOoYXwuXINsKe-Ltk87mWewKhg9lBtEOg2lGIOCdROraBj-cAy5VrX7-zIQhIzJQn6RVgLW57nBhMZ0wq87R4/s400/044.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>First, I boiled the tripe in salted water for about 15 minutes:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmM_dMXN3fvz8vIIhDOfR_QVdABVXhwCQOh_BGh5BGKPU9jbPzbSdVr_wuIbrPLyHgX69TvZD5J73qb7MGxS5Ab4Hh6RZW_kOIJlscw5M7qX5L2eeEt9aBZocP49ZtQVjTGUGBkP8u6e4/s1600/042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmM_dMXN3fvz8vIIhDOfR_QVdABVXhwCQOh_BGh5BGKPU9jbPzbSdVr_wuIbrPLyHgX69TvZD5J73qb7MGxS5Ab4Hh6RZW_kOIJlscw5M7qX5L2eeEt9aBZocP49ZtQVjTGUGBkP8u6e4/s400/042.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Then I cut up the tripe into medium-size strips:<br />
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Next, I moved onto making the stew. First up was the onions, which I sauteed in olive oil:<br />
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Then I coated the tripe pieces and the onions with a mixture of melted butter and red pepper flakes:<br />
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I added a white wine, a can of San Marzano tomatoes, and a mixture of veal and chicken stock and brought everything to a boil. <br />
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I then covered the stew and popped it into a 300F oven for 3 hours. Once out, uncovered it, added a bunch of sliced carrots and celery, and allowed it to simmer on the stove for another hour until it was nice and thick:<br />
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I seasoned the stew and voila:<br />
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Oh wait, it needs one more thing to make it perfect:<br />
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</a></div>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-84750063742494617312011-01-20T22:50:00.001-05:002011-01-23T18:53:00.248-05:00Red Curry Snapper Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aQ2JTleP-TxtQXKbZorplN_UvaNJha4ndbtdzrw47GdyQT0ge6cJqjytNiKs46Vx3pnBdDS-k7K222oM8jCcXzDxVsI4F4WUTR9Bcc6D26zSz-5cFXzZa4nNlGod4eRCBTJRzIiz0c8/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aQ2JTleP-TxtQXKbZorplN_UvaNJha4ndbtdzrw47GdyQT0ge6cJqjytNiKs46Vx3pnBdDS-k7K222oM8jCcXzDxVsI4F4WUTR9Bcc6D26zSz-5cFXzZa4nNlGod4eRCBTJRzIiz0c8/s400/029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I love a traditional Southeast Asian curry made with coconut milk and served over plenty of Jasmine rice. But if you want to lighten it up and make something that is just as flavorful, you can make curry soup by using pretty much the same ingredients, but subbing out the coconut milk with water, just like I have done here using my recipe for <a href="http://www.culinary-studio.com/2010/09/project-food-blog-challenge-2-classics.html">red curry paste</a>. While I find the curry flavors complement seafood, curries made with coconut milk tend to overpower the fish, so I used the opportunity to make a curry soup with a whole red snapper that I marinated in lime juice. Although the dish has a soupy consistency, it is best served over a bed of steamed Jasmine rice to sop up all the liquid.<br />
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<b>Red Curry Snapper Soup</b><br />
<i>Serves 4</i><br />
<br />
<i>For the curry paste: </i><br />
<ul><li>1 tsp cumin seed</li>
<li>1 tbsp coriander seed (use another teaspoon if not using coriander root)</li>
<li>1 tsp white peppercorns </li>
<li>5 dried Thai chilies, seeded and soaked in warm water</li>
<li>1 tsp salt </li>
<li>5 small shallots, thinly sliced</li>
<li>10 garlic cloves, peeled</li>
<li>1 tsp galangal, thinly sliced</li>
<li>1 tbsp lemongrass, thinly sliced</li>
<li>1 tbsp Kaffir lime rind, thinly sliced (discard the green peel and use the white pith)</li>
<li>2 tsp coriander root, finely chopped</li>
<li>1 tsp shrimp paste <i> </i></li>
</ul><ol><li>Toast the cumin, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat until they are fragrant and begin to pop. Place them in a mortar and pound them with a pestle until they are finely ground. Remove the spices from the mortar and set them aside.</li>
<li>Add the dried chilies and salt to the mortar. Pound the chilies to a paste.</li>
<li>Add the shallots, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, lime rind, and coriander root to the mortar. Pound the ingredients with the pestle until they form a paste. </li>
<li> Return the ground spice to the mortar along with the shrimp paste and use the pestle to mix the paste together. </li>
<li>Set three tablespoons of the curry paste aside for the curry. The remaining paste can be frozen for up to 6 months. </li>
</ol><i>For the soup:</i><br />
<ul><li>1 whole red snapper, cleaned and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces</li>
<li>juice of 2 limes</li>
<li>3 tbsp peanut oil</li>
<li>1 batch curry paste, see above </li>
<li>8 kaffir lime leaves</li>
<li>1 1/2 cup water</li>
<li>salt, to taste</li>
<li>palm sugar, to taste </li>
<li>leaves from 1 bunch of Thai basil</li>
</ul><ol><li>Place the snapper in a nonreactive bowl. Toss it well with the lime juice and allow it to marinate for 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring frequently so that it does not burn. Cook until the curry paste is deeply fragrant, about 5 minutes.</li>
<li>Add the snapper, its marinade, the lime leaves, and the water to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, flipping the snapper pieces occasionally, until the fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Add the Thai basil and taste the soup for salt and palm sugar. Serve immediately.</li>
</ol>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-46392838647538662232011-01-18T21:51:00.000-05:002011-01-18T21:51:41.430-05:00Bay Scallops with Orange Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LnvJE1SB8EMvKPTmadfsP2tG7Cy12j2ekLIYGWNSVDHBO3fOcy5S1bHXRTekZ2eH92ZuzOx-inbyBKnb0BXmIKdBNHhUXsZd4YrF4OixBbBln6Qtg3Zh88Au5gjTpO8zzhHgUmnsO6w/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LnvJE1SB8EMvKPTmadfsP2tG7Cy12j2ekLIYGWNSVDHBO3fOcy5S1bHXRTekZ2eH92ZuzOx-inbyBKnb0BXmIKdBNHhUXsZd4YrF4OixBbBln6Qtg3Zh88Au5gjTpO8zzhHgUmnsO6w/s400/018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I'm not usually a fan of citrus-based sauces, which are all too often much too sweet for my taste. I was apprehensive about making this dish—sweet scallops combined with an orange sauce sounds like a cloyingly sweet combo—but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Thanks to the smart inclusion of a bit of lemon juice in addition to the orange juice, the sauce has tart undertones, and the addition of herbes de Provence and dried oregano give it just the right savory notes to ensure that it stays well shy of being a melted creamsicle. I wish I could pat myself on the back for creating the perfect citrus-based sauce, but all credit goes to Andrew Carmellini and his cookbook in which the dish appears, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Urban-Italian-Simple-Recipes-Stories/dp/159691470X?ie=UTF8&tag=culinar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Urban Italian</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=culinar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=159691470X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGP2Dhyphenhyphen2GI6VVaeSN3awC3irysqRLTJFhT2rcSsR0IPsenUhxD1lFbAmGPRktOU77NMPvYnQ7_CjtesYd1S3Vz_Qw3GQGdWK3QYnUrA8WG4F-OjJFY_BdN6f5cbA4byu0ZFonm2Tnfhk/s1600/2011-01-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGP2Dhyphenhyphen2GI6VVaeSN3awC3irysqRLTJFhT2rcSsR0IPsenUhxD1lFbAmGPRktOU77NMPvYnQ7_CjtesYd1S3Vz_Qw3GQGdWK3QYnUrA8WG4F-OjJFY_BdN6f5cbA4byu0ZFonm2Tnfhk/s400/2011-01-17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-72621358995215560452011-01-17T11:30:00.000-05:002011-01-17T11:30:47.509-05:00Ribeye with Thyme, Shallot, and Garlic Pan Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFiTkOlo4wPQgWIHEDUpDZBpyb_4jHH-ByhigU-LBdyNmNZ0puLEiye1Zwy_K7lSM1cHMA-Cih-EmxEFqpD0oC25NLLdh0IoR-jRkqfNFBMiqlgtYp31c6vdEgKFeaqgbw3GxlGdOkQs/s1600/079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFiTkOlo4wPQgWIHEDUpDZBpyb_4jHH-ByhigU-LBdyNmNZ0puLEiye1Zwy_K7lSM1cHMA-Cih-EmxEFqpD0oC25NLLdh0IoR-jRkqfNFBMiqlgtYp31c6vdEgKFeaqgbw3GxlGdOkQs/s400/079.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Like a beautiful woman, a great piece of beef needs little done to it to make it drool-inducing. Here, I used my usual <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_82837880">sear on the stove, roast in the oven method</a><a href="http://www.culinary-studio.com/2009/03/cooking-steak-in-studio-apartment.html"> for steak</a> on a well-marbled ribeye, serving it with a buttery thyme, shallot, and garlic pan sauce. Oh yeah, and fingerling potatoes roasted in duck fat. It was date night with a beautiful steak, and boy was she delicious.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9FdfCsVGq-s9ezwSEs1rw3G_PAkCIL6BZ-byLgbcBHgnglGM9pUuQSuRUEH6nQiYEehcCyyhcYbqzDumwW22JUkI1iVVumFQ2rn_g7Jt-zsVNi1Plf9IWEAWPc-7ltNhBLAB5q9u2V4/s1600/041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9FdfCsVGq-s9ezwSEs1rw3G_PAkCIL6BZ-byLgbcBHgnglGM9pUuQSuRUEH6nQiYEehcCyyhcYbqzDumwW22JUkI1iVVumFQ2rn_g7Jt-zsVNi1Plf9IWEAWPc-7ltNhBLAB5q9u2V4/s400/041.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0Z_0FlQhMDVP8P7sxZ0P0JqyEQqeG5pgsasERenRqgZe1CIn-yicvrd_o-y_CrUAlKaRgdjHF8Oj16kK4NgcK3p-9fxcNGqRAKpKcggtw-t29mnu18yZ21bE-QxCRB1EBNZKJOmIMM0/s1600/060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0Z_0FlQhMDVP8P7sxZ0P0JqyEQqeG5pgsasERenRqgZe1CIn-yicvrd_o-y_CrUAlKaRgdjHF8Oj16kK4NgcK3p-9fxcNGqRAKpKcggtw-t29mnu18yZ21bE-QxCRB1EBNZKJOmIMM0/s400/060.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9N07Z4MUR8FlLhC2qgNor_se_NUzERteGt5gq5CoLeoaE_BvdHRxUNxbLnHeupErLnTQ5nbu1r9KxKnUE8BI176waryaZ9Rl2aggr99W6rDYjLdR4IPA9DIGHnROw13HXP5mRghqMdQo/s1600/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9N07Z4MUR8FlLhC2qgNor_se_NUzERteGt5gq5CoLeoaE_BvdHRxUNxbLnHeupErLnTQ5nbu1r9KxKnUE8BI176waryaZ9Rl2aggr99W6rDYjLdR4IPA9DIGHnROw13HXP5mRghqMdQo/s400/064.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-76537168288745031982011-01-13T09:00:00.005-05:002011-01-13T09:00:02.852-05:00Prosciutto-Mozzarella Frittata<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaxyD6t7JVV9GsFel8dgSpHa5J0jq4A9cU5Ktle62cg7PDnl6BACGu4GtQ7ZM2R3WRy4iYVeJpGayLln-sb2wwKjMVY-BWF-a36T7wz_W5yPf_bQ1cG-En9UaCkIDylBQTxQoWXAnbTQ/s1600/119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaxyD6t7JVV9GsFel8dgSpHa5J0jq4A9cU5Ktle62cg7PDnl6BACGu4GtQ7ZM2R3WRy4iYVeJpGayLln-sb2wwKjMVY-BWF-a36T7wz_W5yPf_bQ1cG-En9UaCkIDylBQTxQoWXAnbTQ/s400/119.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Prosciutto, mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes go well together in almost anything, whether it be a pizza, a salad, or a panini. Frittatas happen to be my favorite vehicle for playing the game of "let me throw a bunch of ingredients together and see what happens," so when I spotted <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">this</a> recipe from <i>Food and Wine </i>for a frittata containing the Italian quartet of ingredients, I couldn't resist. As expected, they worked flawlessly together even when mixed together with lots of eggs, producing a very filling and satisfying brunch dish.<br />
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As a note, I make all of my frittatas using <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/8843500/">Calphalon's frittata pan</a>, a two skillet set that allows you to flip the frittata without creating a mess. Given my tendency to be a klutz in the kitchen, the frittata pan has saved me many hours of wiping eggs from my stove and walls. I highly recommend it.<br />
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<b>Prosciutto-Mozzarella Frittata</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/prosciutto-mozzarella-frittata">Food and Wine</a></i><br />
<i>Serves 6</i><br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<ul><li>10 large eggs</li>
<li>1/4 cup milk</li>
<li>2 tbsp Pecorino Romano cheese</li>
<li>2 tbsp chopped basil</li>
<li>3/4 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/2 tsp pepper </li>
<li>3 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>2 medium shallots, thinly sliced</li>
<li>1 plum tomato, cored, seeded, and diced</li>
<li>4 slices prosciutto, cut into strips</li>
<li>4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed</li>
</ul><i>Directions:</i><br />
<ol><li>In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, Pecorino Romano cheese, basil, salt, and pepper.</li>
<li>Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in the deep half of a frittata pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until they soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the prosciutto and tomato and cook for a minute. Use a spatula to spread the tomatoes and prosciutto across the bottom of the pan so that they are well distributed.</li>
<li>Add the egg mixture to the pan. Use a spatula to push the cooked pieces of egg to the middle of the pan and allow the uncooked eggs to flow to the outer edges. Cook for 3 minutes.</li>
<li>Poke the mozzarella cheese into the eggs so that the cubes are evenly distributed. Continue to cook the frittata until it is nearly set, another 5 to 7 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the shallow half of the frittata pan set over medium heat.</li>
<li>Place the shallow pan on top of the deep pan and flip the frittata. Keeping the shallow pan covered with the deeper pan, cook the frittata for 4 minutes. </li>
<li>Uncover the shallow pan and continue to cook the frittata until it is completely set, approximately 5 minutes.</li>
<li>Use a spatula to slide the frittata onto a plate and cut it into wedges for serving. </li>
</ol>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-57383451367806962082011-01-11T07:02:00.000-05:002011-01-11T07:02:00.159-05:00Lamb Tongue Confit with Lentils and Gremolata<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrTOFbOHOKOo02Oinu1VnvXEupS6pXEpFMdML53sP8H28vMAAJJLbdISwCMt2QuLWqBVHQeKAUiwV0OnBxxeNY7rY6XVY644Q-c9YFx9h2YSfOzL8AmXuasR25DsdtsT5-7w5h4tg2L0/s1600/039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrTOFbOHOKOo02Oinu1VnvXEupS6pXEpFMdML53sP8H28vMAAJJLbdISwCMt2QuLWqBVHQeKAUiwV0OnBxxeNY7rY6XVY644Q-c9YFx9h2YSfOzL8AmXuasR25DsdtsT5-7w5h4tg2L0/s400/039.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5PJkpg9JwxN8Wzz4Tsr4Xu3kqQU3aKSKAjyQay5Adszl7rOVsQ2RF6rZjiW0mb_Mi3iYWuShDtq9Ur-srPg4-lBlk9zuc0svE83b864t7p66jbI4BCelGdk7qjm2RBv7M8e5HmHvDIeI/s1600/037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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After posting about my <a href="http://www.culinary-studio.com/2011/01/lamb-tongue-confit.html">lamb tongue confit</a> last week, the reaction I received ranged from intrigue to disgust. This post is more for those who were curious as to how I would serve the lamb tongues, although I hope that it just may win over a few of you horrified readers as well. An under-appreciated (at least when it comes to the culinary world) organ like tongue deserves a similarly under-appreciated accompaniment, so I served it over a humble bowl of lentils. In order to brighten up both the flavor and the color of this heavy, brown dish, I topped each bowl with a spoonful of gremolata. The one rule to follow with lamb tongue no matter how you serve it is to disguise it by slicing it thinly. The meat is delicious—distinctively lamby and not too far off from lamb shank—and has surprisingly appetizing texture, but no one really want to be confronted with a shimmering tongue on a plate. So whether you tell them about the mystery meat or not, do your guests a favor and slice it thin. That way, few will complain when you slip them a little tongue. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFB4A3kY7HP-aedd_QQNKEkvawR7C7XW36h5lEn3aMyiWW2aNSvgGbBDwAzL7vSM89aEu0-Cj59kSdQw20Xs-AITKjfV1NrxN2EC7K36m7_5Mwk1ObC90DwlEaX5LTtPu9GbJudtquDk/s1600/2011-01-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFB4A3kY7HP-aedd_QQNKEkvawR7C7XW36h5lEn3aMyiWW2aNSvgGbBDwAzL7vSM89aEu0-Cj59kSdQw20Xs-AITKjfV1NrxN2EC7K36m7_5Mwk1ObC90DwlEaX5LTtPu9GbJudtquDk/s400/2011-01-10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b>Lamb Tongue Confit with Lentils and Gremolata</b><br />
<i>Serves 4</i><br />
<i> </i><i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<ul><li>8 <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">confit lamb tongues</a><i> </i></li>
</ul>For the lentils:<br />
<ul><li>2 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped</li>
<li>1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped</li>
<li>1 celery stalk, finely chopped</li>
<li>1 garlic clove, minced</li>
<li>salt and pepper </li>
<li>1 tbsp tomato paste</li>
<li>3 sprigs thyme</li>
<li>1 bay leaf</li>
<li>1.5 cups water</li>
<li>1 cup French lentils</li>
</ul>For the gremolata:<br />
<ul><li> 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped</li>
<li>1 tsp garlic, minced</li>
<li> 1 tsp grated lemon zest</li>
</ul><i>Directions:</i><br />
<ol><li>To make the lentils, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium sauce pan. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown, approximately 10 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper as they cook. </li>
<li>Add the tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf to the pan. Stir to coat all of the vegetables with the tomato paste and let the mixture cook for about 2 minutes.</li>
<li>Pour the water into the pan and bring to a boil.</li>
<li>Stir in the lentils and let the mixture return to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. </li>
<li> Partially cover the pan and cook until the lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Taste the lentils for salt and pepper and keep warm over low heat.</li>
<li>As the lentils cook, make the gremolata by combining the parsley, garlic, and lemon zest in a small bowl.</li>
<li>Heat the lamb tongues (a minute or two in the microwave works fine) and slice them thinly.</li>
<li>Serve the lentils in individual bowls, topped with slices of lamb tongue and a spoonful of the gremolata. </li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhzMkC5kYh9_j4rKfhZGmeWDtHRgWpwGnTkl_ri8ea9gNuVGd-x48fUx7OnHpALsAo1rxdhh03GY0Oit_jtq3U_jqDigsE6ivXf5stLMsHKnngzBJ3aeaTrNdssDopqDDouPPEsuTh8E/s1600/030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhzMkC5kYh9_j4rKfhZGmeWDtHRgWpwGnTkl_ri8ea9gNuVGd-x48fUx7OnHpALsAo1rxdhh03GY0Oit_jtq3U_jqDigsE6ivXf5stLMsHKnngzBJ3aeaTrNdssDopqDDouPPEsuTh8E/s400/030.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<ol></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-45458454684636565932011-01-09T17:00:00.000-05:002011-01-09T17:00:21.188-05:00Shrimp Wrapped in Pancetta and Sage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38o9f_Vg6PIxw4JRsNwsMVF7okjhZcDOeJCIOtqKkVTApeSsGESmrreXKOKDH8hfjuzGC7wVSK2QCerE1rPUjPK8iBReWvoIafYfwS9q2Wc5k3yCa4NdmfhRKez_o_EyilBxpmp6Bu7g/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38o9f_Vg6PIxw4JRsNwsMVF7okjhZcDOeJCIOtqKkVTApeSsGESmrreXKOKDH8hfjuzGC7wVSK2QCerE1rPUjPK8iBReWvoIafYfwS9q2Wc5k3yCa4NdmfhRKez_o_EyilBxpmp6Bu7g/s400/033.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
For my weekday meals, I tend to fall into a monotonous rotation of sauteed chicken breasts and pork chops served with not very imaginative pan sauces. It's not that I especially love these meals (although I have been known to throw together a <a href="http://www.culinary-studio.com/2009/06/pork-chops-with-soy-and-sriracha-pan.html">darn good pan sauce</a>), it's just that after a long day of work, the last thing I want to do is to struggle with a new recipe, so I stick to the familiar. I'm always excited when I do go out on a limb and discover a new recipe like this one for shrimp wrapped in pancetta and sage that is simple enough for weeknights. Thanks to my Manhattan stomping grounds, I do have the luxury of having a market between my office and my apartment that sells both very fresh shrimp and high-quality pancetta, so assuming you can find those two components of the ingredient list, this recipe is as easy as it gets. It is also quite tasty with the shrimp and crispy pancetta creating somewhat of a high-end hot pocket, perfect for eating on the couch after a harrowing day. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJO2SjOh0XHrbhdTaBcqCiImsP9-mRA6_2iOyM8UXu-mKcGnHe63uA8AM9y-P3qdS3tL8sFpeQyRsTlERWvijT_IoS-ai4Xzxlnuk1p1SYgE-zd0Be_aFOm9BxK7gUzKwoA-k6_dI7Ak/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJO2SjOh0XHrbhdTaBcqCiImsP9-mRA6_2iOyM8UXu-mKcGnHe63uA8AM9y-P3qdS3tL8sFpeQyRsTlERWvijT_IoS-ai4Xzxlnuk1p1SYgE-zd0Be_aFOm9BxK7gUzKwoA-k6_dI7Ak/s400/024.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<b>Shrimp Wrapped in Pancetta and Sage</b><br />
<i>Serves 2 to 3</i><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<ul><li>1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on</li>
<li>pepper</li>
<li>1 bunch sage</li>
<li>1/4 lb pancetta, thinly sliced</li>
<li>1 tbsp olive oil</li>
</ul><i>Directions:</i><br />
<ol><li>Lay the shrimp out on a cutting board.</li>
<li>Season the shrimp with pepper. There is no need to salt the shrimp as the pancetta is very salty.</li>
<li>Place a sage leaf on top of each shrimp.</li>
<li>Wrap a slice of pancetta around each shrimp.</li>
<li>Heat the olive oil in a large skillet until just before smoking.</li>
<li>Gently place the shrimp in the skillet. Cook without disturbing for 2 minutes then flip each shrimp using a spatula. Cook the other side until the shrimp are pink and no longer translucent, another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan and serve immediately. </li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1h72CKUZZPYjuETvYnzpnOjA0Zcp6v-IuVlILHeaEJ0UQ1qlpsVPK9kxi2IIGTOL4lh_b6AZbRaiweyZXsn3buKATe2TEBrbGaEkIbcW68g8kNc9zb5wSjsEEtCCPL5cHt7CTUCspTCs/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1h72CKUZZPYjuETvYnzpnOjA0Zcp6v-IuVlILHeaEJ0UQ1qlpsVPK9kxi2IIGTOL4lh_b6AZbRaiweyZXsn3buKATe2TEBrbGaEkIbcW68g8kNc9zb5wSjsEEtCCPL5cHt7CTUCspTCs/s400/015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-20196038605361866662011-01-06T09:00:00.004-05:002011-01-06T09:00:02.810-05:00Porchetta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRPl_1BearICnSs48gpHhe8RQBIvNpgYFJ9Z1Ck5ldg9FDgn2Wn1zzPoVWd56gF0jF-yVUItC19dWT_1-OVf1kNIg73gtgUhLShskebgLmn2I5I2fQDr980ns2UtvThTqrXwRxRqCGYE/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRPl_1BearICnSs48gpHhe8RQBIvNpgYFJ9Z1Ck5ldg9FDgn2Wn1zzPoVWd56gF0jF-yVUItC19dWT_1-OVf1kNIg73gtgUhLShskebgLmn2I5I2fQDr980ns2UtvThTqrXwRxRqCGYE/s400/008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
As the second weekend of the new year approached, I’m assuming that everyone’s resolutions to eat better are about to be postponed until January 1, 2012. Who wants chicken breasts and brown rice when you can have a succulent pork shoulder wrapped stuffed with fennel and onions and wrapped with pancetta? It’s time to fall of the wagon and have some porchetta.<br />
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Although the traditional porchetta involves roasting a whole pig, I decided that that may be just slightly too ambitious to do in a studio apartment, so my porchetta only uses meat from shoulder, one of the most flavorful and economical cuts of the pig. Porchetta comes in many shapes and forms, and I like to keep mine simple so that the meat shines rather than the filling. The only thing to really focus on is the pork. Be sure to pick out a well-marbled pork shoulder with a thick fat cap on top which will keep the meat moist throughout the cooking process. A fatty piece of pork will make falling off the wagon for porchetta all the more worth it. <br />
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<b>Porchetta</b><br />
<i>Serves 6 to 8</i><br />
<br />
<div><i>Ingredients:</i></div><ul><li>1 3 to 4 lb. boneless pork shoulder, butterflied </li>
<li>salt and pepper</li>
<li>3 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced</li>
<li>1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced</li>
<li>6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed</li>
<li>1 tbsp rosemary, chopped</li>
<li>1 tbsp fennel seeds, toasted</li>
<li>1 tbsp black peppercorns, toasted and ground</li>
<li>1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>1/4 lb. pancetta</li>
</ul><div><i>Directions:</i> </div><ol><li>Preheat the oven to 350F</li>
<li>Season the pork on all sides with salt and pepper. </li>
<li>Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.</li>
<li>Add the fennel, onion, garlic, fennel, rosemary to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove the onion and fennel from the pan and allow to cool to room temperature in a medium bowl.</li>
<li>Once the fennel and onion mixture is at room temperature, mix in the fennel seeds, peppercorns, breadcrumbs, and egg, stirring well to combine. </li>
<li>Tie the pork shoulder with butchers twine, tying knots spaced one-inch apart across the length of the pork shoulder.</li>
<li>Put the pork shoulder in a small roasting pan or large skillet so that the fat cap is facing up. Drape the pancetta on top of the pork loin so that it is entirely covered. You will likely have some pancetta leftover. </li>
<li>Roast the pork shoulder until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the meat reaches 160F, 1.5 to 2 hours. </li>
<li>Remove the porchetta from the pan and allow it to rest for 10 minutes. </li>
<li>Slice the porchetta in 1-inch thick pieces and serve with the crispy bits of pancetta. </li>
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<ol></ol>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-10683080552466446922011-01-04T09:00:00.006-05:002011-04-10T12:44:56.303-04:00Lamb Tongue Confit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmWcrR65FydojIC3wRdiNwWuB1ivT2FzHsrbN5eI46T21XNqvT2d15wvxjHukMIHi6dqca7LUTWp17zCvNTCS532nH6D8KmMvt-Vf89duEnGMnpaXGh65OmkbD2tvm9sXoyzVIew38fM/s1600/106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmWcrR65FydojIC3wRdiNwWuB1ivT2FzHsrbN5eI46T21XNqvT2d15wvxjHukMIHi6dqca7LUTWp17zCvNTCS532nH6D8KmMvt-Vf89duEnGMnpaXGh65OmkbD2tvm9sXoyzVIew38fM/s400/106.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
My curiosity tends to get the best of me when I see strange cuts of meat at the butcher. I may be in line to buy pork chops, but if I see duck hearts behind the glass, all thoughts of pork go out the window. God help me the day I spot a bull penis.<br />
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The other day, I went to one of my favorite butcher's, <a href="http://dicksonsfarmstand.com/">Dickson's Farmstand Meats</a>, to pick up some pretty standard fare: lamb chops, bacon, and pork shoulder. As I was picking out my lamb chops, I noticed a small pile of what looked exactly I imagined a lamb tongue would look like. Sure enough, the butcher confirmed that the ugly things that looked just like tongues, were indeed tongues. I never imagined that one could even eat a lamb's tongue, so after seeing them, I had to buy them. I purchased all seven of the tongues, which I assume must be exactly how many lambs the shop had butchered in the past few days because who else in their right mind would purchase the things?<br />
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Being from Dickson's, the lamb tongues I purchased were from local, sustainably raised lambs, which I'm going to <strike>assume</strike> hope means that my tongues had only touched wholesome things (one can only imagine what Lindsay Lohan's tongue must taste like...eek). In other words, I had to do these tongues justice. My first thought was to braise them which is usually the method I choose when I have no clue how else to cook something, but I wanted do something that was less familiar. After doing some research, I found that confiting was a popular method of cooking lamb tongues.<br />
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This marked my first time confiting anything, but the method is pretty standard no matter what meat you choose to confit. The first step is to cure the meat in a mixture of salt and herbs. I purchased about a pound of lamb tongues and used one-and-one-third teaspoons of salt, a minced shallot, a minced garlic clove, a teaspoon of black pepper, and a teaspoon of herbs de Provence. So long as you keep the meat to salt ratio the same, you can experiment with any combination of seasonings. I rubbed this mixture all of the lamb tongues, covered them, and placed them in the refrigerator overnight to soak in all the good flavors.<br />
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The next day, I removed the tongues from the refrigerator, rinsed off the seasonings, and patted them dry. I then place the tongues in a cast iron pot, covered them with olive oil, covered the pot, and placed them in a 225 degree oven. I cooked the tongues until they were tender, which took about 3 hours. I then let them cool enough so that I could handle them. <br />
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Once cool enough to handle, I peeled the skin off of each tongue and cut off the core. I have to admit that this part made me slightly squeamish as the tongues feel like...tongues. Once I got over that, it was easy as the skin peels right away. Here is how they looked after removing the skins:<br />
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I then placed the tongues back into the oil, making sure that there was enough oil to cover them, and put them in the refrigerator for a later use. They will keep for a couple of weeks.<br />
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Now that I have a container full of lamb tongue confit, I have a few ideas of how to use them. In salads or over lentils or beans are my first thoughts, but what about you? How would you serve lamb tongue confit?Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-64377930590146901552011-01-02T21:22:00.000-05:002011-01-02T21:22:35.759-05:00Lamb Chops with Artichokes, Olives and CapersAfter having this blog for over two years, I've managed to cook a lot of foods that I otherwise might not have attempted if I did not have the blog to keep me searching for challenges. Artichokes are one ingredient that I had not yet gotten myself to cook. With their green pineapple-like appearance, they just look like they would be a lot of work to prepare. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IpTnrM3H2_tPLxfaFacyfqZdFwOdB_fO3223FGWQnmTtpEKNO6myStt7Zd9A7WrWrbVYcJ6KQLPUHMTMdPYdGymfRhD-cVPdDkj8p8AVY768LTmAPrJEI6jriJLqnnqXBLB9SUINqt0/s1600/059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IpTnrM3H2_tPLxfaFacyfqZdFwOdB_fO3223FGWQnmTtpEKNO6myStt7Zd9A7WrWrbVYcJ6KQLPUHMTMdPYdGymfRhD-cVPdDkj8p8AVY768LTmAPrJEI6jriJLqnnqXBLB9SUINqt0/s400/059.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
While I like artichokes, I do not love them, and I assumed the effort they would take to cook would outweigh they satisfaction they would bring. However, it being New Year's Day yesterday, I was feeling particularly ambitious despite being slightly under the weather from the previous evening's debauchery. I had purchased some lamb chops and wanted to do something interesting and festive with them. I spotted a box of baby artichokes at the store and recalled a recipe in Thomas Keller's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ad-Hoc-Home-Thomas-Keller/dp/1579653774?ie=UTF8&tag=culinar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Ad Hoc at Home</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=culinar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1579653774" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></i> that paired lamb chops with artichokes. Given my apprehensions about cooking artichokes in the first place, I'm not sure why I even considered a Thomas Keller preparation, which surely would be extremely nitpicky about trimming the vegetables just so and take twice as long as any other recipe; I'll blame my decision on the alcohol from the night before. <br />
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To my surprise, even going by Chef Keller's precise directions, the preparing the artichokes was no more difficult than peeling a carrot (and a lot less dangerous!). Trim off the stem. Cut off the outer leaves at the base. Trim the top 1/2 inch of the artichoke, and then they are ready to cook. It's exactly as easy as it sounds. As for the lamb chops, well they went perfectly with the Mediterranean sauce of the artichokes, olives, capers, and tomatoes. I can only hope that this dish bodes well for 2011.<br />
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<b>Lamb Chops with Artichokes, Olives and Capers</b><br />
<i>Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ad-Hoc-Home-Thomas-Keller/dp/1579653774?ie=UTF8&tag=culinar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Ad Hoc at Home </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=culinar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1579653774" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></i><br />
<i>Serves 2</i><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<ul><li>6 baby artichokes, cleaned and trimmed as per the instructions above </li>
<li>juice of 1 lemon</li>
<li>salt and pepper</li>
<li>4 lamb loin chops</li>
<li>3 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>2 garlic cloves, crushed and skin left on</li>
<li> 4 thyme springs</li>
<li>1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives</li>
<li>1 tbsp capers, drained</li>
<li>1/4 cup canned roasted tomatoes</li>
</ul><i>Directions:</i><br />
<ol><li>Preheat the oven to 350F. <i><br />
</i></li>
<li>Put the trimmed artichokes in medium bowl and cover with the water and lemon juice. Stir the artichokes for a few seconds.</li>
<li>Pour the artichokes and lemon water into a medium sauce pan. If necessary, pour in additional water to cover. Add a pinch of salt and place a damp kitchen towel on top of the artichokes to ensure that they remain completely submerged. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until the artichokes are completely tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the artichokes to a medium bowl and add just enough of the cooking water to cover. Set aside.</li>
<li>Season the lamb chops on both sides with salt and pepper. </li>
<li>Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.</li>
<li>Add the lamb chops and cook until well-browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the lamb chops and cook the other side until well-browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and thyme to the pan. Baste the chops occasionally with the fat in the pan.</li>
<li>Place the skillet in the oven and cook until the lamb chops are cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from the oven and allow the chops rest for 5 to 10 minutes. </li>
<li>While the lamb chops are in the oven, prepare the sauce. Pour 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium sauce pan and heat over medium heat. Add the artichokes and cook for about a minute. Add the olives and capers and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.</li>
<li>Serve the lamb chops immediately, topped with the artichoke sauce. </li>
</ol>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-69238152722828958922010-12-31T11:54:00.002-05:002010-12-31T12:15:46.779-05:00So Long, 2010!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9EQd9KFQ9SeiNJxtC4VugmwnLK77z7IjWL_SxNYRUvFy6wqdZATa3I-fgc1Cb3caqVx_uldgOZiHITyaMX0-qs-E6pB6QoF8lK9lqCmlrwoWccQQTfynDkuApYnRJrHK5hoq2u6vtqo/s1600/Collages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9EQd9KFQ9SeiNJxtC4VugmwnLK77z7IjWL_SxNYRUvFy6wqdZATa3I-fgc1Cb3caqVx_uldgOZiHITyaMX0-qs-E6pB6QoF8lK9lqCmlrwoWccQQTfynDkuApYnRJrHK5hoq2u6vtqo/s400/Collages.jpg" width="400" /></a> <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Looking back on 2010, I have to say that it’s been a pretty darn good year for me in terms of food. I bookended the year with trips to the foodie paradise of San Francisco, </span><a href="http://www.culinary-studio.com/2010/01/where-to-eat-and-drink-in-san-francisco.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">first for New Year’s</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, then for the </span><a href="http://www.culinary-studio.com/2010/11/foodbuzz-blogger-festival.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Foodbuzz Blogger Festival</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> in November, and maintained a frenetic pace of cooking and eating in between. Sure, I didn’t meet all the goals I had set for myself this year—</span><a href="http://www.culinary-studio.com/2009/12/my-top-food-memories-of-2009.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">that jar of squid ink still lingers in my fridge</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, now contending for space with </span><a href="http://www.culinary-studio.com/2010/12/ground-pork-with-shrimp-paste-and.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">a pesky jar of shrimp paste</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">—but I am pretty darn satisfied with 2010 overall. If there’s anyone who deserves my credit for making this such a good year for me food-wise, it is the people at </span><a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Foobuzz</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, who provided two of the biggest highlights of my year in Foodbuzz Fest and Project Food Blog. Both events exposed me to some incredibly talented and kind bloggers and showed me just how much fun I can have with this blog. Oh yeah, and Project Food Blog got me to make a </span><a href="http://www.culinary-studio.com/2010/09/project-food-blog-challenge-2-classics.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">pretty mean batch of curry</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">! </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So what’s in store for 2011, the third year (gasp!) of this blog’s existence? Well, I’m going to push myself to make some big-time improvements. You should see more frequent posts, more original recipes, and better photography on this blog. All in all, I’m going to aim for every post on this blog to be Project Food Blog-worthy. It will mean I have to spend a little more time in my kitchen and working on this blog, but it is a fun challenge that I can’t wait to begin. </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And with that, I am tipping my hat to 2010 and plunging into 2011! I wish you all a happy New Year!</span></div>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-27408867092851861772010-12-25T00:00:00.001-05:002010-12-25T00:00:03.987-05:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzipdBKyUBGkQwmN7W_0K_r0-Dneo7VqKdrCVdHyJIWIfN6izT9DMbzj69FALdj3qGTlpXFeL24exUyCKa5YzZM-Gs1h1641J0a6N2KSmsohEBmyjgd0PexXuzIVNv7gN0QZpXEwPGvwg/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzipdBKyUBGkQwmN7W_0K_r0-Dneo7VqKdrCVdHyJIWIfN6izT9DMbzj69FALdj3qGTlpXFeL24exUyCKa5YzZM-Gs1h1641J0a6N2KSmsohEBmyjgd0PexXuzIVNv7gN0QZpXEwPGvwg/s640/004.JPG" width="302" /></a></div><br />
Bugs and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiX7wQJFQhqmv_T2ooKr2lvZRZSPGgW_mgpriKCN-RLAaIb6VIyjlBN1pXpaDf0hwYrlz-UzGoLdhOWTzyxt73b3ubEW38dzKjr_yankBX0y4QfHSTqi86b3-TMhxrDJTrHWtJWigtw8w/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiX7wQJFQhqmv_T2ooKr2lvZRZSPGgW_mgpriKCN-RLAaIb6VIyjlBN1pXpaDf0hwYrlz-UzGoLdhOWTzyxt73b3ubEW38dzKjr_yankBX0y4QfHSTqi86b3-TMhxrDJTrHWtJWigtw8w/s400/001.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-6872910870452860382010-12-23T23:28:00.000-05:002010-12-23T23:28:24.660-05:00Manicotti filled with a Little Something Something<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Hgnn8oRUUgVtFZvSuxsRfhn5ipY_8JVqm0ORAvH27zFX6ddgiK7BFOf2RP1Q5E2DG4jrLNtIdU5lRVlCkqJYnxedCR6dy50gx1VCAiZKuZn7wbHHm2sb5_CcOZiHFSAGKXvJnx2rjS0/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Hgnn8oRUUgVtFZvSuxsRfhn5ipY_8JVqm0ORAvH27zFX6ddgiK7BFOf2RP1Q5E2DG4jrLNtIdU5lRVlCkqJYnxedCR6dy50gx1VCAiZKuZn7wbHHm2sb5_CcOZiHFSAGKXvJnx2rjS0/s400/003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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One of my favorite meals growing up was my mother's manicotti. I always assumed it just like all the other mom foods we love. Crepes filled with ricotta cheese and topped with a little tomato sauce. Easy, right?<br />
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I thought wrong. After making these lamb-filled crepes this weekend, I now realize that I should have given my mom more credit for her manicotti. Everything on down to the crepes was easy to prepare, but those pancakes sure were a doozy! The technique sounded easy enough to me: a little butter in a non-stick pan, swirl the batter around, cook, flip, and cook a bit more. But after several ugly, broken crepes and more batter over the Significant Eater's stovetop than she wants to know, I realized that I had to make some changes to my crepe technique. I finally figured that the key to a good crepe is to keep it thin, stupid. By putting just enough batter to cover the pan, the crepe will nearly cook through so that when you flip it, it will stay in tact. Once I figure that out, I was a crepe-making machine, turning out a flawless crepe every few minutes.<br />
<br />
Aside from the crepe part, this dish is the simple kind of component cooking I love. It sounds intricate— braised meat, crepes, tomato sauce#151;but every component can be made well ahead of time. Even better, you can turn this dish into anything you please by using the flavor profile of your choosing. While I used braised lamb and flavored the ricotta with mint, you could try braised pork shoulder and sage-flavored ricotta, or short ribs with rosemary ricotta. Even crab and parsley ricotta with a pink sauce. To that end, in order to keep you all on your creative tiptoes, I've made this recipe as ambiguous as possible. <br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Manicotti filled with the Cook's Choice</b><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
<br />
<i>For the crepes:</i><br />
<ol><li>2 cups whole milk</li>
<li>1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp flour</li>
<li>4 eggs, lightly beaten</li>
<li>4 tbsp butter, melted</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
</ol><br />
<i>For the ricotta filling:</i><br />
<ul><li>2 lbs braised meat of your choice, shredded with a fork </li>
<li>1/4 cup herbs of your choice</li>
<li>1/4 tsp red pepper flakes</li>
<li>3 cloves garlic, minced</li>
<li>2 cups good-quality fresh ricotta cheese</li>
</ul><ul><li>Tomato sauce of your choice, preferably homemade</li>
<li>Pecorino Romano cheese, grated</li>
</ul><i>Directions:</i><br />
<ol><li>Mix the crepe ingredients together in a large bowl. Strain and refrigerate overnight.</li>
<li>Mix together the ingredients for the crepe filling.</li>
<li>Heat the tomato sauce.</li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 375F. </li>
<li>To make the crepes, heat a medium-size nonstick pan over medium heat and brush it with melted butter. Ladle a quarter cup of the crepe batter into the pan and swirl the batter around so that the bottom of the pan is entirely coated (you want the crepe to be very thin). Let the crepe cook for 1 to 2 minute until it is nearly cooked through. Carefully flip the crepe and cook the other side for another minute. Remove the crepe to a plate. Repeat this technique with the rest of the batter, stacking the crepes on a plate. This should make approximately 15 to 20 crepes.</li>
<li> To make the manicotti, fill the center of each crepe with about 1/3 cup of the ricotta filling. Wrap each crepe and place seam-side down in a greased casserole dish. </li>
<li>Place the casserole dish in the oven and cook until the sides of the manicotti begin to brown, 7 to 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Top the manicotti with the heated tomato sauce and grated Pecorino Romano cheese and serve immediately. </li>
</ol><br />
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</a></div>Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7123666283811801669.post-40849006278621250952010-12-14T21:56:00.001-05:002010-12-14T21:57:45.771-05:00Ground Pork with Shrimp Paste and Lemongrass<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBoqXm7N7gfBre47Vv68M3zrIfvfsxUkF9iBFQQhZ9a2ssPZEMn6CgGPmZb7k_YUNYtlyWTcLH3D5h7KfBMbLtnwcTsG1VyEDoxnhQSaknRfHD0qWnUtEBDIMATZLJm_CVC09lcYK5-s/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBoqXm7N7gfBre47Vv68M3zrIfvfsxUkF9iBFQQhZ9a2ssPZEMn6CgGPmZb7k_YUNYtlyWTcLH3D5h7KfBMbLtnwcTsG1VyEDoxnhQSaknRfHD0qWnUtEBDIMATZLJm_CVC09lcYK5-s/s400/008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I'll be the first to admit that shrimp paste isn't for the squeamish. Pungent—and not in a good way—and pasty, for lack of a better word, the ingredient made of ground fermented shrimp might scare away even the most adventurous foodies. However, as any lover of Southeast Asian cuisine is aware, shrimp paste makes pretty much everything taste better. Just take Thai curry or papaya salad: yup, you guessed it, shrimp paste is an active player in their deliciousness. As much as I try, I can't quite live off of curry and papaya salad, so I'm always looking for new ways to use up some of the jar of shrimp paste in my fridge. This pork recipe, loosely adapted from Andrea Nguyen's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Into-Vietnamese-Kitchen-Treasured-Foodways/dp/1580086659?ie=UTF8&tag=culinar-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Into the Vietnamese Kitchen</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=culinar-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1580086659" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />,</i> was one of those attempts. Typical of most Southeast Asian dishes, this one plays off of a contrast of flavors, with sweet, salty, and spicy well represented. I still have half a jar of shrimp paste left, but I suspect I'll be purchasing more in no time.<br />
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<b>Ground Pork with Shrimp Paste and Lemongrass </b><br />
<i>Serves 4</i> <br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
3 tbsp peanut oil<br />
3 dried Thai chiles<br />
4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
3 lemongrass stalks, trimmed, cut in thirds, and pounded with the flat side of a knife <br />
1/2 pound ground pork<br />
12 shrimp, peeled, deveined, and minced<br />
1 tbsp sugar<br />
2 tbsp shrimp paste, diluted in 1/4 cup warm water<br />
1 tsp sesame seeds<br />
2 Kirby cucumbers, thinly sliced<br />
<br />
<i>Directions:</i><br />
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.<br />
Add the chiles to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until they are fragrant and blackened.<br />
Add the garlic and lemongrass to the skillet and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.<br />
Add the pork to the skillet. Use the back of a wooden spoon to break the pork up as it cooks, and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.<br />
Stir in the shrimp, sugar, and shrimp paste and cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture caramelizes, turning a reddish brown. If the pan dries out, add a tablespoon of water at a time. <br />
Remove the mixture from the pan and serve immediately with rice, topped with sesame seeds and garnished with the cucumbers.Eddie Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04852592587108401418noreply@blogger.com1