Since then, we have had the honor of sharing with you our thoughts and views on food, recipes, travels, musings. Most importantly, we have met and gained a lot of wonderful foodie-friends! So thank YOU for your encouragement, support and friendship.

To learn a bit more about us,  check out our Contributors page.

In addition to year 2 of new blogs, stories, and recipes, this weekend was a happy birthday to other new phases of lives.

Cake from my sister’s shower – baked by a new baker in Massachusetts!

Happy Birthday #1: new contributors
With two new regular contributors, the Zomppa ladies bring their multiple voices from different perspectives. We have vastly different experiences and come from all backgrounds, representing every continent (except Antarctica – anyone out there?), ethnicities, religions, professions. Some are married, some have babies, some are single, some have pets, some have plants. What brings us together is our love and passion for food, and belief that, well, food is more than what we eat.

We always welcome new voices from guest contributors, so please let us know if you are interested!

Happy birthday #2: new soon-to-be-life
In addition to Zomppa, happy birthday number #2 came in the form of celebrating soon-to-be-new-life. I’m about to be an aunt for the first time. The Kid decided to keep his gender a secret until Friday (first boy in my family! Yes, my poor dad in a house full of five women….). So months ago, my little sister (aka Monkey) decided on a surprise baby shower – the theme: “It’s Under Wraps.” Get it?

Teresa and Mary, two of the most gorgeous, kind-hearted people I know, hosted. Teresa is one of my sister’s best friends and her sister, Mary, is one of my oldest friends from high school). Confused yet?

Long story short, we spend the last couple months devising a secret shower, complete with a menu of all appetizers “under wraps” (everything had to wrapped, rolled or stuffed like well-kept secrets or swaddled babies).

Unfortunately, due to another set of events , the whole thing almost fell apart because of happy birthday to #3. So instead of the menu I wanted, thank goodness for Whole Foods and their prepared foods section. I was still able to make my smoked salmon pinwheels, but adapted a few items: including sopressata wrapped with Parmagiano-Reggiano, stuffed tomatoes, orzo pasta stuffed in pita, and chicken sausage hoagies. This was topped off by Italian sodas and one of the best cakes I’ve ever had – not too sweet but perfect – baked by Mary’s friend.

For shower gifts, I pushed a bit of my agenda…I made reusable lunchbags out of old burlap coffee bags I got from Counter Culture Coffee. I included bulk items: quinoa, chocolate covered almonds, oats, cherries, sunflowers, and an Odwalla bar…trying to push healthy, economical, and environmentally friendly eating on the new mom and friends!

Although I didn’t get to make everything I wanted to, I have included a couple recipes of EASY party recipes that you can make ahead of time but sure to delight.

Happy birthday #3: new house
I didn’t get to really cook because of happy birthday #3 to new beginnings. After over 30 years, my parents decided this was the weekend to move from my childhood home to be closer to my preggers sister. Instead of hanging out and enjoying the last night, however, I spent 48 hours with 2 hours sleep moving, lifting, moving…I’m still recovering. It was kinda nice to clean out, but wish I had more time to enjoy seeing the old toys and childhood memorabilia before tossing them out.

What a weekend. New beginnings in so many areas – scary sometimes but in the end, always good.

Happy Birthday, Zomppa!

Quinoa Stuffed Pita
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 TB olive oil
1/2 cup chives, chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Salt
Pepper

1. Toast quinoa in oven or skillet for a couple minutes (adds great depth)
2. Heat oil over medium heat in skilled
3. Add chives and cook until soft (about 1 minute)
4. Meanwhile, heat broth in another panel until simmers
5. Add quinoa and stir a couple minutes until dry
6. Add broth to quinoa, season with salt and pepper
7. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes until quinoa is tender
8. Add in cherries and pecans

Parmagiano-Reggiano Stuffed Dates
1 chunk Parmaginao-Reggiano
Dates
Marcona almonds

1. Simply put the three together

Smoked Salmon Pinwheels
1/2 package whole wheat Lavash bread
8 oz. smoked salmon
1/4 red onion
1/2 bunch dill
4 oz. organic cream cheese spread

1. Spread cream cheese with hands on Lavash bread
2. Add chopped dill
3. Add chopped red onion
4. Add smoked salmon
5. Roll and slice

So who was St. Patrick? Known as the patron saint of Ireland, he was actually born in Britain and was taken captive by Irish raiders. Subsequently, according to biography.com, he became a Christian missionary, but rather than try to eradicate native Irish beliefs and culture, he honored and incorporated their traditions into Christianity (i.e. the sun – an Irish symbol – onto the Christian cross, now the Celtic cross, the three-clover shamrock and the Holy Trinity).

St. Patrick recognized the uniqueness of culture, which is dynamic. A recent New York Times article raised an interesting question whether there is such a thing as an “ethnic” or “culture” diet. We’ve heard about diets by blood type, but what about by ethnicity? Author Nicholas Wade talks about certain genetic selection that have to led to differences, such as lactose tolerance in northern European as opposed to many Asians. Sarah Kagan of Epicurious also chimed into the debate. What do you think? Are the Irish genetically disposed to milk and corned beef?

While you’re considering this question, I thought I’d offer my own twist to the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage. I went to my local Whole Foods, where master butcher Jeremy has been curing his own corned beef…yum.

How could I resist? I’m on this orzo kick and love how the salty beefiness soaks into the fleshy mushroom.

Twisted Corned Beef and Cabbage

1/2 lb. corned beef brisket
1 cabbage
6 peppercorns
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 bunch cilantro
2 bay leaves
2 cloves, whole
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup orzo
4-5 cups stock (vegetable, chicken or beef)

1. Cover corned beef with stock
2. Add cabbage, mushrooms, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, cloves pepper and stock
3. Bring to boil
4. Skim off foam and reduce heat. Simmer for 2 hours until meat is tender
5. During last 15 minutes, add orzo and chopped cilantro, cook until orzo is tender

Not traditional, but as St. Patrick did, incorporate, integrate, and celebrate.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Valentine’s Day is coming up…need something to spice it up? This year, Valentine’s Day is also Chinese New Year (it comes on a different day every year so it’s a bit of a moving target), so I get to cheat.

I get to restart my resolutions and celebrate TWO New Year’s (what kind of cheating were you thinking of?). Whatever I f***ed up the first time around on the 1st or didn’t get around to (like cleaning my house), I get to do now. I actually love purging and throwing things out (grew up in a house of packrats), and look forward to this time of year when I literally throw out the old to make room for the new and good.

I started with my kitchen.

I realized I had some old, old spices that I had lugged with me from when I was living in Manhattan years ago. They had all but lost their identities. The parsley had gone from a vibrant green color to a dull gray…

The cardamom pods went from fragrant green to a washed out tan…

The chili went from vibrant red to a deep chimney brick.

It was time to spice up my spices.

Now I love spices. I love to cook with them, eat them, look at them. All kinds of spices, though I do have some of my favorite go-tos (i.e. basil, chili, coriander, cumin, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme).

Several years ago, I realized how much spice I was wasting buying those store-bought bottles, spending a fortune only to use a little bit and then the rest goes stale. I found these little metal tins on-line, some some double-sided magnets, and the bulk spice aisle.

I have never looked back. I keep my spices on the side of my refrigerator and use peelable stickies on the back so I know what they are. Since my I knew my spices had likely or were going stale. I tossed everything out, took my tins and went to Whole Foods. Why do I go there? Because:

• Some of their spices are organic
• Buying bulk is SO much cheaper (less than $1.00/tin to fill most of these) and I don’t end up with a huge bottle that will go stale in a few months
• I can bring my tins and fill them directly and they take out the weight – so I don’t waste a plastic bag and I don’t have that hassle of pouring it into a bag, then into the tin, and then having a little too much over to toss out and it ends up cluttering my shelves.

Some things to keep in mind if you want to store your spices like this (or use all metal and label on front):

• Keep spices away from direct sunlight
• Keep spices in airtight containers
• Keep them dry
• Keep them in alphabetical order (or some other method, but not by color or usage…(if you put cayenne, chili, and paprika next to each other, you may easily pick up the wrong one!)
• Be careful if your refrigerator gets too warm on the side because that can affect the quality and taste of quality
• Don’t keep them over the stove (heat and steam can affect them)

How long can spices keep? Rule of thumb is that whole spices can keep far longer than ground ones. Whole spices that are freshly ground also have give a greater punch, and so are great to have on hand. Keep a mortar and pestle and a spice grinder (automatic or manual – like this little one from Turkey) nearby. This way, you can quickly grind spices that often do best when freshly ground – like coriander – their flavor just pops. Nutmeg is also good to have some whole when you just need to zest a bit.

Sometimes, though, you just don’t have the time to grind spices, so ground ones are great to have around. They just don’t keep as long. Some say 1 year, others say 2-3 years. It depends. If the ground spice has sat around for awhile and you’re not sure if it’s stale, gently shake, open the container and sniff. If it’s lost the flavor or color, it’s probably too old. If the spices are not as fresh, you may have to add more than the recipe requires. Toasting them slightly before cooking also can help to refresh the flavor.

Are spices good for you? You’ve probably heard it before – yes! For example:

• Cinnamon: can lower blood sugar (1 tsp equals 1/2 cup of blueberries!)
• Cumin: help digestion and bloating
• Paprika: can lower risk of cancer
• Rosemary: prevent damage to blood vessels
• Turmeric: has curcumin, which inhibits cancer cell growth

For more information, check out Corinne Lutton‘s article or Fitness Magazine.

How do you cook with spices? So many ways! It can be as easy as sprinkling some cinnamon on your oatmeal. Cooking with spices can be a more affordable and healthier way to flavor your food without lots of oil or butter. Mixing and matching the same spices can also give you a totally different flavor profile. A fabulous way to use spices is to drink them, especially on cold days. I found a fabulous Masala Chai mix, but it’s easy to do your own. ZomppaTsering has an easy, fabulous Chai recipe here.

Regardless of how you use them, it’s always handy to have a few favorite spices on hand to enhance, add, and alter your flavors. Life, after all, is yummier with a bit of sugar and a lot of spice.

BPA, or Bisphenol A, is an organic compound, a chemical that is used in many food packages, such as the lining of cans, baby bottles, and water bottles. It’s used because it’s lightweight, durable, and versatile. But BPA has been suspected of being bad for humans starting in the 1930s. Since it mimics the body’s hormones, research over the decades have found correlations between exposure and negative health effects, from infant brain development, obesity, cancer, sexual dysfunction…and also bad for the ecology. In Japan, industry VOLUNTARILY (strange concept, eh?) removed BPA lining 10 years ago.

Source: Wikipedia

Prior to January 10, 2010, the FDA assured the public that there was no risk to human. In On January 10, 2010, the FDA announced:

“on the basis of results from recent studies using novel approaches to test for subtle effects, both the National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health and FDA have some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children.”

SOME concern? Yikes! Even if you don’t care about the environment, maybe you care about pregnant moms and babies? OK, maybe you don’t care about babies, how about getting fat? OK, how about messing up your sex lives?

What can you do?

• Educate yourself about what companies are doing to ensure your foodstuffs are BPA-free.

Stay up to date with sites like the Bisphenol A Free with news, product reviews, and downloadable guides to protect you and your family. Whole Foods has been blogging about their efforts to ensure transparency. Bloggers like ZRecs review baby-safe, BPA-free prodcuts.

• Stay away from #7 plastics (look at the bottom), including food containers and water bottles (buying bottled water is another issue for another time).

A couple years ago, I started hearing about this, recycled any plastic bottles, and switched to SIGG bottles. I spent a nice little chunk of change for my pretty little bottle and even bought Cake Mountain Man his own.

Then last year, reports came out that the original SIGG bottles weren’t safe. Now they have come out with BPA-free bottles and I’ve heard they even replace your old ones. I admit, though, mine now sits in the back of my shelf because I bought it before 2008.

• Find out which companies are or going BPA-free. Use glass jars rather than plastic or canned, especially for tomatoes.

ZomppaPatty uses the Lucini brand and has a great recipe for pizza sauce here. My parents always told me to avoid canned tomatoes, but they never had an explanation other than it’s “bad for you.” Guess they may have been on to something. The high acidity of tomatoes can lead to greater leaching of BPA. Glass tomatoes are hard to find, but if I can’t use fresh or frozen tomatoes (ones that I do), I use bionaturae. Yes, it’s more expensive, but I figure I might as well spend a bit more now than pay thousands of dollars in medical care later on.

• Don’t microwave plastic containers.

I recycled all my plastic containers and use Pyrex to cook, freeze, heat my food. Yes, they’re heavier than plastic, but they don’t get that funky smell or that discoloration.

• Carry your own utensils – especially for infants.

I carry around these fabulous collapsible bamboo chopsticks. Granted, I don’t always use them, but they fit in my little bag (I don’t carry a purse, so yes, they’re small).

Are the studies conclusive on BPA? No. But now the FDA is serious about investigating it. In the meantime, stay aware and the results? TBA.

I had a quiet, lovely holiday with Cake Mountain Man and our dear friend, L. Our Christmas dinner was capped by L’s Cornish Game Hens with homemade gravy and butternut squash stuffing…

…and his HOMEMADE pumpkin bread pudding…

breadpudding

…but let’s step back for a minute. You didn’t think this was it, did you? Join me on my holiday feast overload where I discovered two things about limits: 1) I have none when it comes to cooking for the holidays, and 2) I’m not a good baker. This entry is LONG and it tests YOUR limits and patience, but this pretty much parallels my few days of feasting so I hope you join me in reliving the limitless pleasures of eating. Enjoy!

A week before Christmas, I started out with some easy-to-make peppermint bark, using candy canes made from cane sugar. These Pure Fun Candy Canes make them delightfully sweet but not too sweet (recipe below).

I also made little ice cream sandwiches using Cake Mountain Man’s famous chocolate walnut cookies with what I discovered as one of the best vanilla ice creams out there: Green & Black’s Organic Vanilla Ice Cream. So creamy.

Christmas Eve morning, I followed ZomppaPatty’s recipe for Thyme and Parmesan Popovers. Oh my, my, my.

These were sinfully good – Cake Mountain Man and I certainly showed limitless delight for these.

Lunch was a simple pork and beef franks from Whole Foods with caramelized onions. Generally, I avoid hot dogs, but these are grass-fed AND local.

Before I started dinner, however, I received a LOVELY package from one of my idols, Jaden from Steamy Kitchen, who chose this adorable, charming apron from the Hip Hostess that I won from my dear foodie friend, Stephanie from Lick My Spoon. (my excuse for looking so dumpy is that I was wearing two sweaters!)

With my new apron in place, I prepared for Christmas Eve with Purple Sweet Potato Fries (with the potatoes I wrote about previously). (see recipe below)

I also took a twist on the traditional Standing Rib Roast…

…and did a Chinese Black Mushroom-Rubbed one (see recipe below). Cake Mountain Man and I finished it off what we couldn’t the next day in 0 time.

WAIT! Are you tired of reading yet?? I haven’t even GOTTEN to Christmas morning yet! I tried ZomppaPatty’s recipe for Cinnamon Buns, and though mine are not as pretty, that Patty sure knows how to put a recipe together. I made the dough before and did not use cake flour. Still worked!

Then for Christmas dinner, I did a Pork Wellington as one of the appetizers (recipe below)…

I also did a Southern-Eastern Firecracker Shrimp  with Foster’s Seven Pepper Jelly and wonton wrappers… (recipe below)

And of course, Christmas Kale.

I know, this list is ridiculous. I told you from the beginning, I have no limits when it comes to eating. But, as I mentioned, I realized a very important lesson. I am no baker. ZomppaPatty, as you know, is a genius baker. Me. Am. Not. I don’t think I have the right temperament. I’m not horrible – I even crushed my own almonds – but I did manage to turn what should have been an easy Clementine Cake inspired by Nigella Lawson to something that was almost good to a complete disaster.

Disaster or not, we topped off with the best sparkling apple from Kristian Regale. This was my holiday! Learning my limits and learning not to limit myself in the pleasure of friends and food. Time to detox…oh, wait, too many leftovers. There’s always next year.

Cheers.

Peppermint Bark
8 oz. semi-sweet organic chocolate
6 crushed organic candy canes
1/2 bag (4 oz.) organic white chocolate chips

1. Melt semi-sweet chocolate over double boiler
2. Spread thin on wax paper over a cookie sheet or Silpat
3. Chop candy canes in food processor and spread over warm chocolate
4. Let set in refrigerator
5. Melt white chocolate
6. Spread over hardened chocolate
7. Set in refrigerator
8. Break and enjoy!

Purple (or Regular!) Sweet Potato Fries
2 medium sweet potatoes
3 TB cinnamon
Salt
Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Peel and cut potatoes into thin strips
3. Sprinkle cinnamon, salt
4. Bake for about 30 minutes until crispy

Chinese Black Mushroom-Rubbed Standing Rib Roast
3 lb. standing rib roast
10 dried Chinese Black Mushrooms
Salt
Pepper

1. Rehydrate Mushrooms
2. In food processor, chop mushrooms, salt, and pepper
3. Rub over standing rib and let stand for at least 1 hour
4. Preheat oven to 450F
5. Bake for 20 minutes
6. Reduce heat to 350F and bake for about 2 hours (temperature should be about 110F)

Pork Wellington
(adapted from Recipezaar)
1 lb. pork tenderloin
6 oz. prosciutto
4 oz. boursin cheese
2 sheets puff pastry
1 egg white mixed with water
Olive oil

1. Butterfly pork tenderloin the long way and stuff with cheese
2. Wrap prosciutto around it so it’s completely wrapped
3. Brown in skillet on all sides until prosciutto is crispy
4. Chill in refrigerator
5. Wrap entire tenderloin in puff pastry (decorate if so desired)
6. Brush with egg white
7. Wrap in plastic and chill in refrigerator for up to 24 hours
8. Preheat oven to 400F
9. Unwrap from plastic and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown
10. Rest, slice, and serve

Southern-Eastern Firecracker Shrimp
(inspired by Steamy Kitchen)
24 medium shrimp
12 wonton wrapper
5 TB Foster’s (or other) Seven Pepper Jelly
Canola oil

1. De-shell (but leave tail) off shrimp
2. Marinate in jelly for at least 30 minutes
3. Cut wrappers in two and wrap each shrimp
4. Heat oil (I ran out and used olive oil – needs more heating time but do not let it smoke)
5. Fry

For those of you who are not familiar, it’s the story by Crockett Johnson of little Harold who uses his purple crayon to draw his adventures – it’s a lovely story about imagination, creativity, and making possibilities real.

Well, art, media, and food are all mediums for turning the imagination into reality. Harold, in fact, has now become a TV show for children. One great site capitalizing the power of media to create and imagine and educate is Fooditude. They are an up and coming food TV show for kids to get them aware of where their food comes from and how to eat better.

Another site you MUST check out is SnagFilms. They have HUNDREDS of documentaries you can watch for free, including Super Size Me and the Future of Food (if you haven’t seen these, YOU MUST IF YOU CARE!)

Take 45 minutes to watch this…it’s important…about why we are getting fat as a nation just by eating what is often offered out there are “food:”

My own purple creation to pay more attention to the source of my food came in the form not of a crayon, but of a sweet potato. Yup. It’s purple. Not orange.

In Stokes County, North Carolina, there is a movement to promote rural economic development through the Stokes Purple Sweet Potato. I found this at Whole Foods, and this wonderful, LOCAL produce both honors the region’s agricultural heritage and local entrepreneurship. Since it’s getting cold, I figured I’d create my own dish with my own purple crayon, er, potato,…and since it’s not a traditional gumbo, I’m calling it Gumby.

It’s super easy, perhaps not the prettiest dish when it first comes out, but it’s so cool and delicious. Just check out the colors.

Purple Sweet Potato Gumby

1 purple sweet potato
1 regular sweet potato
1/2 pound chorizo sausage (you can do sweet or spicy but I like it SPICY!)
1/2 pound ground turkey
10 cloves whole garlic, softened in olive oil
Chicken stock
Salt and pepper
1 cup orzo
1/4 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 cups chicken stock

1. Preheat 350F.
2. Slice potatoes into thin slices and layer on bottom of casserole dish.
3. Cut sausage into 1 inch slices and layer on top
4. Season turkey (can use turkey breast) with salt and pepper and layer with the sausage
5. Add garlic cloves
6. Add chicken broth (just enough to cover)
7. Bake for about 45 minutes until done
8. Meanwhile, make orzo with chicken stock with mushrooms
9. When casserole is done, add orzo.

The casserole will come out somewhat liquid-y since the juices from the sausage and turkey will be running, but don’t worry! The orzo will soak all those juices up and even turn a little purple!

Sweet potatoes are loaded with antioxidents, not to mention they are so sweet and yummy (even for people like me who hated veggies for so long;they are a fantastic way to get some good vitamins!). This is also a fun way to get kids excited about their food while being aware of the source of your food – who doesn’t like purple food?

Imagine we could take our little purple crayons and create a world where  we honored where our food comes from, where everyone has something GOOD to eat….

Cake Mountain Man and our dear friends, L&P, came over for a “small” dinner with enough food to feed twelve. We ate, played board games, ate, played more. Even our ice skating (aka me falling) didn’t do much to cancel out the calories we consumed.

My certified organic turkey from Whole Foods cost 10x the amount of the discount turkey at a larger grocery store, but the quality, taste, and knowledge that it was raised humanely and heathily helped me to swallow the cost…and raised my continued ire that we as Americans have become too used to cheap, processed, industrial food. Anyways, I digress…

No company sponsored/paid for my use of anything – they don’t even know I used their products, but I wanted to share what ingredients I used to note that it is possible to put together meals that are organic and natural without ridiculous costs.

I love cooking for Thanksgiving – the planning and preparation is half the fun, and I adapted some fabulous recipes I found on some great sites:

• Cooking Light’s Apple Cider-Brined Turkey: this brine filled with ginger and allspice is FABULOUS.

I don’t remember eating or making a juicier turkey. I brined it for about 18 hours. During the first 30 minutes of baking, I freaked out at how brown the underside got, but realized it was to sear the juices in.

• Saveur’s Rich Gravy: this takes a little while as you are making your own stock, but oh my gosh, the flavor and richness is beyond good. Just start it right after the turkey goes into the oven – you don’t need to really watch it while it simmers.

• Saveur’s Corn Bread-Sausage Stuffing with homemade Southern Corn Bread: I hate to brag, but this turned out pretty darned good. I made the cornbread the day before so it could sit overnight.

I baked them in muffin tins so that it would be easier to freeze and reheat them in single servings.

• Sweet Beet and Green Bean’s Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Pumpkin Pie: I used Newman-Os (no hydrogenated oils and YUM), Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate, and Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin.

I’m not sure if I did this correctly as it didn’t set properly, but the taste sure was good! Not too sweet, just right.

L&P brought over the best green bean casserole I’ve ever had, butternut casserole with Grand Marnier, bread pudding, a bourbon pecan pie, and a pumpkin pie. I also had some fabulous Rofumo cheese (hickory-smoked) slathered with what may possibly be the best Seven Pepper Jelly from Foster’s Market.

Before you think me wealthy (trust me, I’m not!), I borrowed some things, like brining bags from L&P from Williams-Sonoma, which made life easier, and had some leftover Tracklement’s Cranberry Sauce with Port as a complement to turkey sandwiches the next day (the Foster’s pepper jelly also serves as an amazing accompaniment to leftover turkey).

I also stretched the dollar as far as possible by cooking down the carcass for some fabulous turkey stock, which I turned into a turkey-macaroni soup with homemade tomato sauce, mushrooms, celery, and salt and pepper.

Last but not least, I used Whole Food’s affordable, private-label 365 Organic Mayonnaise and Trader Joe’s Orange Flavored Cranberries to make a scrumptious turkey salad sandwich using leftover meat.

Eating healthy is not cheap, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. I am grateful for more healthy options when I cook, and I am grateful for friends with whom to share them.

]]> http://www.zomppa.com/2009/11/29/thanks-to-quality-friends-quality-ingredient/feed/ 5 http://www.zomppa.com/2009/11/17/cider-house-rules-butternut-soup-roast-chicken-root-vegetable/ http://www.zomppa.com/2009/11/17/cider-house-rules-butternut-soup-roast-chicken-root-vegetable/#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:21:56 +0000 Belinda http://www.zomppa.com/?p=3963 In my house, there aren’t many rules. One condition is that you must be my guinea pig.

After a week of cold downpours when the sun took a vacation, my dear friends came over for a comfort supper. They are far too kind in their accolades (which by the way, I never discourage them from dispensing), but the best part for me is when they keep going back for seconds (and thirds and fourths) and I know that they have truly enjoyed the meal I have wholeheartedly prepared for them.

As you know, I love cooking seasonally…and tis the season for apples, squashes, and root vegetables. I went searching from some recipes and got inspired. I decided to use apple as my theme and found seasonal, organic, and local ingredients, a roasting bird raised with compassion and vegetarian feed. The trick for me is that I like to prep earlier in the day (all the chopping) and put them in little bowls back in the fridge so they are easy to pull out when ready. This meal needs a bit of planning but trust me, it’s EASY. Don’t let the long list turn you away – I’m just being wordy.

Just prep ahead: start the day (or night before) by brining and then chopping things that need to be chopped. Then when you’re ready to cook, start by roasting the butternut squash for the soup FIRST. When they’re done, roast your chicken and vegetables in the oven while you make the soup on the stove top. They both come up nearly the same time and ready to be devoured.

Cider Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
Adapted from Je Mange la Ville and Cooking Light

Make the brine in the morning, stick it in your fridge and you can forget about it until ready to cook supper. The brine makes the chicken oh-my-gosh-juicy. The juices from the chicken give the root vegetables this unbelievable flavor and heartiness.

The brine:
3 1/2 quarts water
1/2 quart apple cider
1/4 cup kosher or sea salt
1 TB peppercorns
1 bay leaf

The chicken:
2 cups apple cider
1 3-lb roasting chicken (organic or free-range tastes great)
1 red onion, chopped in large eighths
1-2 tsp dried rosemary
2 TB butter, softened
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

The vegetables:
3 carrots, chopped in 2-inch chunks
6 red potatoes, quartered
1 turnip, chopped in 2-inch chunks (I’m not a big fan of turnips, it turns out. You can use parsnips or other hearty root vegetables in place)
2 shallots, quartered
10 cloves garlic (peeled, whole)

1. Put all the brining ingredients in large stockpot that is big enough for the chicken but small enough for your refrigerator.
2. Bring to boil, then cool.
3. Put rinsed chicken into brine (make sure it sits under the brine), stick in the refrigerator for about 7-8 hours.
4. Drain chicken, rinse, dry, and toss out brine.
5. Preheat oven to 375F.
6. Put chopped vegetables on bottom of oven-proof casserole or roasting pan. I used a casserole dish and a metal trivet big enough to hold the chicken just high enough over the vegetables and it worked beautifully.
7. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
8. Add garlic and dried rosemary to butter and add under the skin of the chicken breast. To ensure you don’t break the skin, use one hand to pull the skin taut and using the index finger of the other, gently use a hooking motion to tear the connecting fat tissues to loosen the skin.
9. Stuff the chicken with the red onion.
10. Putting the chicken wing side up on the trivet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
11. Roast for about 40 minutes (check and if need, cover loosely with aluminum foil so not to burn).
12. Meanwhile, boil apple cider and reduce to about 1/4 cup.
13. Turn chicken breast side up and drizzle the apple cider reduction and roast for another 30 minutes (thigh should be about 170)
14. When done, remove chicken from vegetables and let cool.

Your home will also smell amazing.

Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Soup
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa and ZomppaPatty

This soup freezes really well and perfect for cold days. The apples make it delectably sweet – don’t use as many apples or cider if you want it less sweet. The ginger and curry adds layers of flavors. While the squash doesn’t have to be roasted, it brings an extra depth and nuttiness that makes the soup something else. I also made some homemade croutons by simply chopping up sunflower bread and baking them in the oven until crispy and crunchy. Sunflower bread works perfectly with this soup because of the nutty saltiness.

2 medium-sized butternut squash
4 McIntosh (or other sweet cooking) apples
2 TB unsalted butter
2 TB olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 TB curry powder
1 TB ground ginger
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 cups organic chicken stock
1 cup apple cider
3 TB heavy cream
Parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Peel and chop squash and apple to 2-inch chunks.
3. Lay butternut squash on two foil-lined cookie sheets, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 45 minutes or until tender (fork will pierce)
4. In large stockpot, add butter, olive oil, onions, curry powder and ginger, cooking over low heat for about 20 minutes until onions are translucent. Stir.
5. When squash and onions are done, add the squash, apples, and stock to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Bring to boil, then cover and cook over low heat for about 40-45 minutes or until squash and apples are really soft.
7. Mix immersion blender while on low heat and blend. Add apple cider until it is as smooth or thick as you want it.
8. Blend some heavy cream.
9. Season with salt and pepper according to taste and garnish with parsley.

Our meal didn’t end with apples, but my friends brought over a pecan-pumpkin pie from Whole Foods baked in a graham cracker crust. It was amazing. We topped it off with some tea I had bought in Oman – it was quite heavy at the first pour, but the second in the French Press was so smooth and perfectly steeped.

What a comforting way to spend a cold rainy week. As long as you’re willing to play by these rules.

This is definitely a dilemma for me. I love animals. I love dogs. I think pigs are really smart animals. I care about the environment. I recycle. I reuse bags. I pay extra for the recycled business cards.

Am I a hypocrite?

For those of you who eat meat, I’m sure you understand. For those of you who don’t, please don’t prejudge me yet. I have tried to go vegetarian, but I really like meat and my body doesn’t really do well with only vegetables (or only grains).

A few weeks ago, we joined Blog Action Day on the issue of climate change. BTW, I thought I was so clever today and made up the word “carbon fooDprint.” Turns out, there’s a neat organization – Cool Foods Campaign –  where you can learn more about how to reduce your carbon “foodprint” via your food!

ANYWAYS, this issue just gets more interesting…let’s see a run-down just the last couple weeks…

Lord Stern of the UK (not a vegetarian himself) warned the public they need to turn vegetarian in the Times October 27, 2009. You’re probably familiar with the argument that cattle and pig emissions (i.e. farts and stuff) are more dangerous than carbon dioxide to global warming.

The first country to take this connection seriously is Sweden. In Elisabeth Rosenthal’s October 22, 2009 article, she reports that the Swedish  government is taking steps to literally track their food by labeling the carbon dioxide emissions on food products and menus, from pastas to burgers.

Has this changed anything? Well, it seems that restaurants have found up to 75% of their carbon footprint attributable to meat. But even when they put these labels on their menu items and the more “climate-friendly items” have seen an increase in sales, some people just want a burger. They may feel a bit guilty ordering it, but they do anyways.

Moreover, she notes that the environmental cost is not just because of meat. Rosenthal notes that there are other factors like the type of soil used to grow the cattle’s food. So if we cannot cut meat entirely out of the human diet (which I don’t anticipate happening), then as Michael Pollan and others argue, we really should be paying more attention to where the meat comes from and how the animals are raised.

Rancher Nicolette Hahn Niman wrote in the New York Times on October 30, 2009 about this exact dilemma and raises some provoking points, affirming Rosenthal’s contention that it’s not as simple as meat/no meat, but how the land and surroundings are cared for in the raising of said meat. She points out that smaller, traditional, local farms don’t really have these carbon emissions that lead to global warming whether it is because of distance to market or little reliance on machinery (which sucks up energy).

And can vegetarians eat completely guiltless? Niman points out the reliance on soy for protein…and the most common soy and tofu found in supermarkets are from deforested lands overseas. Between large agribusiness emitting carbons to ship soy from overseas to large agribusiness companies like Monsanto destroying entire ecosystems in the Midwest to grow soybeans, we might have to think again whether meat is the only culprit to massive carbon “foodprints”.

Photo Source: Ecolitics Now

So what does this all mean? As Michael Pollan says, eat less meat. Eat more locally. By buying organic and local meat (which is also more expensive), I naturally buy and eat less. If I can’t get to the farmer’s market, I buy my meat at Whole Foods, where I know they have actually walked the walk with their involvement with the Animal Compassion Fund and Animal Welfare Standards.

I’m not sure I can ever fully resolve this dilemma. I sleep on organic cotton sheets, but my towels are not. I bike or walk where I can, but my car still gets lots of usage. But if Elisabeth Rosenthal is right that “”changing one’s diet can be as effective in reducing emissions of climate-changing gases as changing the car one drives or doing away with the clothes dryer,” then is it possible for me to care about the planet and animals, but still eat a little locally-, organically-, humanely-raised meat once in a while?

Starting today, I’ll start by cutting out meat 3 days a week.

Every day.

Now, I love cooking for people…on my own, however, the creative motivation is not always there. I admit, there are times when what I eat and how I eat I would never DREAM of serving or sharing with someone else. I eat on the computer, I eat on the couch, I eat straight out of the pot sometimes (why wash an extra dish?). After all, who am I trying to impress?

The good thing about cooking for one, though, is I get to be lazy, I get to eat leftovers, and I get to try things that may turn out disastrous. Plus I feel less bad about making me the guinea pig (and I have served me some rather tasteless food) for new recipes.

So for those of you single ones out there  – or those of you with a rare opportunity to dine on your own – here is one real week of what a single Zomppa eats (and some easy recipes – proven to taste okay).

Day One: I generally make a huge batch of one or two dishes on Sundays that I freeze for the week. This weekend was a bit different because ZomppaTonija and her rambunctious family came for a visit. By Monday, I still had some leftovers from a *gasp* Americanized Chinese place, and I was not about to let it go to waste. So I took the sweet ‘n’ sour chicken, tossed out the sweet ‘n’ sour sauce that looked a bit like tar, popped the chicken and rice in the microwave and added some hoisin sauce to give it a kick. Yes, this is what I ate. But, I did put it in a bowl.

Day Two:  I felt a little bad about eating leftover take-out, so I decided to make Penang Curry with some grass-fed ground beef from the Hogan’s Magnolia View Farm.  I had some Penang Curry paste that I brought back from Thailand, but you can find this at many supermarkets. I put the curry on whole-wheat, flaxseed pasta to add a twist.

Penang Curry

5 TB Penang curry

1 can coconut milk

1 lb ground beef

1 cup haricot vert

1 TB sugar

1-2 TB fish sauce

A couple lime leaves

Spiral pasta

1. Heat coconut milk over medium-high heat
2. Add Penang curry, mix until well blended
3. Add ground beef until browned
4. Add haricot vert
5. Add sugar, fish sauce
6. Meanwhile, make pasta
7. Add lime leaves and continue to heat for a few minutes
8. Take off heat and pour over pasta – mix well

Day Three:  A friend decided to come over for dinner, but I didn’t have any time to go to the store, he doesn’t eat red meat, and I couldn’t serve him ramen (my weakness, which I will discuss another time). I only had frozen shrimp and legumes. So I made a seafood medley in garlic butter over a vegetable bulgar pilaf. It was a big hit – whew! I didn’t embarrass myself too much. The chickpeas in the pilaf made the dish extremely filling and satisfying. Easy to make.

Beurre del Mar (okay, I made this name up, but it’s pretty fitting)

¼ pound shrimp, shelled

A few fish balls (find in Asian supermarkets, although you can use any seafood)

¼ pound butter

6 cloves garlic, minced

Salt

Pepper

1. Melt butter in Dutch oven or deep skillet
2. Add garlic and cook for a few minutes to infuse flavor
3. Add seafood and cook
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Pour over pilaf

Vegetable Bulgar Pilaf

1 cup bulgar wheat

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chili flakes (or as hot as you want)

1 can chickpeas

1 cup haricot vert

1 ¼ cup water (approximately)

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

Salt

Vegetable oil

2 eggs, hard-boiled

1. Heat vegetable oil and add garlic and onions until translucent
2. Add spices until fragrant, but be careful not to burn
3. Add chickpeas
4. Add wheat
5. Add green beans
6. Season with salt
7. Cover with water about 2 inches
8. Once water boils, lower heat and cover for 20 minutes
9. Meanwhile, hard-boil eggs (put in cold water, boil water, once boiled, take off heat for about 10-13 minutes)
10. Fluff wheat and season accordingly
11. Slice eggs and add to pilaf

Day Four: See Day Two. Leftovers! Ate straight out of the Pyrex. I must say Penang Curry over Pasta is even better several days later. The flavors really soak in.

Day Five: Didn’t feel like leftovers, so I succumbed to my cabinet of ramen (I love trying new ones out), and this one I had never tried before. It was pho, the Vietnamese noodles, and I added fish balls to it. Oh, wow. Probably full of preservatives, but this is really my weakness. And it was good. And easy. And I didn’t feel bad feeding myself ramen.

Day Six: I happened to have some ham and cheese left from preparing lunch, and I also had some of my favorite freshly, baked Italian bread from Whole Foods ($1.99 for the whole loaf!).  So I made my own little Monte Cristo, making French Toast with thick slices of Italian bread and layering Virginia Honey Ham and Pepper Jack cheese. Yum. This I would serve someone.

Day Seven: See Day Three Leftovers, sans seafood.

So what do YOU eat when you’re alone? WHERE do you eat it? HOW do you eat it?