Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Ravioli

I've always been a huge fan of ravioli. There seem to be endless varieties that satisfy any palate, and it's really pretty easy to make from scratch. Honestly. What I find so fascinating about it is the way pairing sauces and fillings is really a science. Favorites I've tried in the past include a portobella ravioli with smoked cheese sauce (unbelieveable stuff), standard cheese filling with a nice light, zesty, meatless marinara, Italian sausage with meat sauce, and lobster in cream sauce. One of my real favorites, however, is butternut squash ravioli. I've had it in a pretty standard, run-of-the-mill cream sauce, but this time around I've gone with a lemon cream sauce that I think better complements the sweet, slightly spiced richness of the squash filling. The Chelsea Grill actually serves it in a cider broth that I'm told is very good, but that's just not my thing. Also delicious with the standard brown butter sage sauce.

On the menu this week

After I got over my cravings for Indian, Creole, and frozen pizza (UGH! "Frozen pizza? NEVER."), I moved on to stuffed pastas. Last night I was in such a bad state that I actualy nuked a Healthy Choice cheese manicotti dinner and had to settle for the syrupy sauce, mass-produced pasta, and gluey ricotta filling of the kind that could only come in a black plastic dish. To my pregnant tastebuds, it was kind of tolerable, but I would normally never settle for something like that when all the ingredients for fresh cheese tortellini are in my kitchen already. This got me thinking about why I was aparently too lazy to make fresh pasta, and then I realized it was because I HAVE NO PASTA MACHINE.

Don't get me wrong, I think the electric ones are a total crock. But what I'm talking about are the stainless steel, clamp-on-the-counter, hand-cranked variety that turn out beautiful fresh dough with slightly less effort and slightly more consistent results than doing it by hand. I immediately found one online and made my partner order it for me. However, since it will take about a week to arrive by standard ground shipping, I will be forced to hand-roll a small batch of dough to get me through until then.

So for this week, I am making homemade tomato sauce from fresh roma tomatoes, ratatouille (the recipe I found was in fact adapted from the one that was created for the adorable movie of the same name, which is in my opinion the best movie Disney or Pixar has ever made), butternut squash ravioli in a lemon cream sauce (MMM!), cheese tortellini, and something with fresh green chile (probably chili and maybe a nice tortilla soup) to commemorate my last chile season in New Mexico.

Food For Thought: Boys and Girls

Why is it, do you think, that while most of the people you know who are really great cooks are generally women, most of the professional chefs out there are men? And no, I really don't count Miss Yum-O. I can count on one hand (or maybe just a few fingers) the number of successful female professional chefs I've heard of, while the list of male ones is pretty much endless.

Monday, September 10, 2007

A few words on dairy, part two.

I really do like dairy products. I was allergic to milk for the entirety of my early childhood years, and when I finally outgrew the allergy (which I'm told will probably come back later in life), I went nuts. When I was a kid, we didn't have all the great dairy substitutes we have today. I used to have to eat my cereal with juice, as soy milk was pretty much unheard of. So when I was finally able to eat dairy products again, it was something of a novelty, and I've been a nut for anything milk-related ever since.

Lately, since my accidental butter making session one day (the cream didn't whip, it just turned solid!), I've had an odd interest in making fresh dairy products at home. Sure, I've always made the occasional batch of homemade ice cream, but nothing more. So when I recently came across instructions for making homemade yogurt, I was impressed by how easy it seemed. Fresh yogurt, without all the thickeners and preservatives and nasty things I don't want to feed my children, born or unborn - it can't get much better than this!

Truly, it does not get much better. My first batch of yogurt finished incubating a couple of hours ago, and I was absolutely delighted with the results. While not as thick as commercial yogurts, it is smooth, velvety, and CREAMY. Really creamy. The creamiest yogurt I have ever tasted. Seriously, I can't emphasize the creaminess enough. Even my partner, who is incredibly picky about anything dairy (it's not good enough unless it's Dutch, apparently) was impressed and proclaimed it far superior to any American store-bought yogurt he'd ever tasted. Go me! Homemade yogurt also gives you the ability to control the tartness of the finished product. The longer it incubates, the tangier it becomes. Personally, I like a medium yogurt, not quite as tart as some commercial brands (like Brown Cow). And not only does it taste great, but it's unbelievably economical as well. All it takes is milk (whole, lowfat, or skim, whichever you prefer) and a little yogurt to use as a starter culture, about a quarter cup per quart of milk. The whole batch I made (a whopping 2 quarts) cost less then $2.50, and is totally free from gelatin, food starch, and other icky fillers. Great way to save on organic yogurt as well - just use organic milk.

A few words on dairy, part one.

I love Indian food. My favorite dish, hands down, is matar paneer, or curried peas and cheese. It's not the traditional overpowering yellow curry that some might think of; the fresh peas and mild cheese are wonderfully balanced with just the right note of fragrant spices, fresh tomatoes, and yogurt. It's available where I live in canned (Jyoti brand) or frozen (Amy's Kitchen) form, but as with anything, homemade is much better. The only obstacle in making matar paneer, really, is the paneer (mild, firm Indian cheese). It's not the sort of thing you can buy, unless you're very lucky. A former coworker of mine had made paneer from scratch for a potluck once, and she described the process to me. Having since forgotten the details, I looked around online and found a plethora of sites giving pretty much the same instructions. I won't go into details here, because if you Google "how to make paneer cheese" you'll be inundated with results. Or you can just go here for the best (illustrated) instructions I found. Also great fun to make with young children - my daughter, Maya, loves 'helping' in the kitchen and had a blast with this one. Makes a very cool science lesson for school-aged children as well, and company will always be impressed that you made your own cheese. And all it takes is whole milk, and a little lemon juice or white vinegar.

But what to do with your homemade cheese? There are the traditional Indian dishes, but I know enough people who really don't care for Indian food (two of them live in my house). So for the less Asian-inclined, here are a few creative uses I've discovered myself:
  • Use in place of fresh, whole-milk mozzarella in lasagna and other recipes. Just keep in mind that paneer does not melt, so if it's gooeyness you're after, stick with the mozzarella.
  • Slice and layer with fresh sliced tomatoes, basil, and a little olive oil, salt and pepper for a delicious first course, light lunch, or summertime snack.
  • Chunk up on a salad. Goes great with baby field greens, cucumber, avocado, and even a few shrimp if you like, tossed with a light vinaigrette (balsamic is a bit strong - try something with red wine vinegar instead). Avoid creamy and/or strong dressings, which overpower the delicate flavors of the cheese and avocado.
  • Cube and add to a homemade tomato bisque. The light, creamy taste perfectly complements tomatoes, and the nonmeltingness (is that a word?) is ideal for hot dishes that need a little more texture.
  • Grilled cheese sandwiches. Brush bread with olive oil and stack with sliced paneer. Grill on an actual grill for best flavor, or in a heavy skillet til golden. Particularly good with Jewish rye or another strong-tasting bread, as the cheese lets the flavor of the bread shine through while adding a marvelous note of sweetness. Slip in a couple fresh basil leaves before serving if desired.
  • Just eat it. My three year-old's favorite way to enjoy paneer; chunk it up and enjoy.

I'm sure there are a thousand more things you could do with it, but I'm out of ideas for now. Come up with a few yourself, and let me know what they are!

A cure for the common Warcraft addiction.

I've been so busy in my kitchen the last couple of days I've all but forgotten about World of Warcraft. I couldn't even tell you right now what level my night elf druid is. Instead, I could ramble on about homemade cheese and yogurt, Creole food, and (hold your breath) Thai iced tea. The last is my proudest accomplishment this weekend. Forget that I made half a gallon of the creamiest, most delicious yogurt you've ever tasted. Never mind that there's a vat of red beans and rice, Leah Chase style, waiting in the fridge for tomorrow night's supper. And that jambalaya? A thing of the past. Sure, it's GOOD, but I have not been waiting ages to taste some only to find it's even better than I ever could have remembered.

Now the Thai tea - that's a whole other story. Thai iced tea has been my favorite iced drink ever since my first sip at Lemongrass in Las Cruces over 8 years ago (yeah, I actually remember when and where. It's that freaking good). I couldn't get enough. The tea is lightly and sweetly spiced with cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, and most notably (but not noticeably) star anise. It's rather heavily sweetened and usually tinted with a touch of red food coloring to give that signature reddish orange hue. Then it is poured over ice and topped with a generous amount of either half and half or evaporated milk, and is usually a rich sunset of pale peach to deep, burnt brown-orange when served (the trick is pouring in the milk very slowly so it stays mostly on top, tea on bottom. Sadly, you stir up this work of art before drinking). I once saw a beautiful glass of fresh Thai tea sitting on the shelf of a small Buddhist altar in my favorite Thai restaurant, Dodge City's little-known Thai Angel (no idea if it's still around, but they serve the best Thai food I have ever eaten. Two words: Angel Wings). My only gripe with Thai tea is that no cokbook I've ever come across will tell me how to brew the tea itself; they all simply give instructions for assembling the finished beverage. The closest I ever came was in Victor Sodsook's True Thai, which gave a vague mention of it being spiced mainly with star anise. This is, to this day, the only reason that spice resides in my kitchen.

Anyway, while surfing CHOW during a random bout of insomnia and yogurt-making tonight, I came across a recipe for Thai- and Vietnamese-style iced coffee, and it got me to wondering if they had a recipe for Thai tea. They did, and I immediately rushed to the kitchen and made some in my spiffy Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker. I don't actually use this appliance for iced tea all that often - generally I just brew hot in it, as it makes a really lovely pot of strong hot tea without my needing to attend to anything. Anyway, I brewed it hot and stuck the pitcher in the fridge to chill, but not before I thoroughly spoiled myself with a fresh glass over ice, topped with that customary rich, creamy swirl of half and half. It was better than I could have imagined. The black teas I had on hand worked perfectly with the blend of spices, and I was immediatey transported to another galaxy. Fellow Thai tea lovers, you know what I'm talking about. This is not the kind of beverage you can enjoy halfheartedly. For those of you who have never had the pleasure, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! Make some now. You can thank me later.

NOTE: All recipes linked to in this post are gluten-free. If making the Creole jambalaya or red beans linked above, be sure to check your sausage and ham labels for gluten!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Pregnancy cravings

I know, this is a food blog, and you expect recipes, but I must digress for a moment.

Pregnancy is tough business. There's nothing normal about a pregnant woman. Right now I have more pimples than I did in high school (ok, not quite, but pretty close) in places where I didn't even know you could get them. Between the morning sickness and the heartburn I have too much trouble getting a decent night's sleep. Most mornings all I can choke down are some dry saltines, sometimes with peanut butter, and we won't even go into what's happened to my sex life the last couple months (horrible first trimester, when will you be over?!). But the worst part? I can honestly say it's the cravings. With my daughter I craved Big Macs and Spaghetti O's. That I could deal with. They're easy to come by and require no effort on my part. After all, that's what the man is able to help out with during pregnancy. They fetch, and though they complain, they're good at it and more than obliging. Mine even brings me things that I've previously craved without me even asking, like McDonalds double cheeseburgers (but I need to explain to him at some point that hese cravings are kind of a one-time thing right now).



This time around, however, I crave the weirdest, most varied foods that are usually impossible or difficult to purchase ready-made and require hours of effort on my part to prepare. And the cravings do not just go away if I don't eat whatever my hormones demand. Oh no, they linger until I manage to find the time and energy to make, say, Eggs Benedict in the middle of the night. Or they stick around til I finally fire up the grill and make just the right burger with bacon, cheddar, sliced tomato, grilled sweet onion slices, ketchup, relish, and mustard (yes, I really do demand tomato AND ketchup on a burger. Don't judge me).



What is it today, you might wonder? Matar paneer (Indian curried peas and 'cottage' cheese).