Pumpkins – Don’t Be Spooked

 

Pumpkins are a culinary metaphor for fall and winter menus. And think of those yearly holiday feasts - what would a Thanksgiving feast be without pumpkin pie?

Their protective hard shells give them an extended shelf life and their unique earthy sweet taste make these squashes delicious additions to salads, soups, side dishes and desserts. With a little imagination you can easily discover new and exciting ways to add them to your menus. Pumpkins love cinnamon, cloves, mace, nutmeg, ginger, sage, thyme and cumin and pair well with apples, pecans, walnuts, coconut and bacon (doesn’t everything)

The pumpkin is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family - this includes: cucumbers, melons, squashes, hard squashes and gourds. This “New World” fruit is believed to have evolved in Central America. Seeds dating from 5500 B.C. have been found in Mexican archeological sites. The shelled pumpkin seeds – pepitas - are still an important element in traditional Mexican cooking today.

Of course we know that the pumpkin was one of the many foods used by Native Americans during colonization by Europeans and were a supposed part of the first Thanksgiving dinner. Christopher Columbus was the first explorer to introduce them to Europe.

Native Americans had many food uses for the pumpkin including soups, breads and dried as a winter food source. They also made pumpkin mats for trade. Pounded strips were dried and then woven into useful shapes.

As with the other delicious discoveries the colonists made, the pumpkin became a staple American food joining corn, beans, squashes, cranberries and maple syrup.

The word pumpkin comes from the Greek, pepon, - large melon. The French changed the spelling to pompon, and the English named it pumpion or pompion, a term that dates back to 1547. American colonists completed its evolutionary nomenclature naming it pumpkin.

A plethora of varieties : Aside from giant contest varieties like Big Moon, Bix Max and Atlantic Giant, many pumpkins like the Ghost Rider, Spooktacular, Harvest Moon, Frosty and Jackpot are grown just for carving. But our favorite edible varieties include: Sugar Pie, Baby Pam, Baby Bear and Triple Treat.

Interestingly some varieties are also grown to feed livestock.

Pumpkins and fitness: The pumpkin is particularly rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, and potassium. It is known to prevent arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which can lead to strokes and/or heart attacks. Pumpkin seed oil and pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc and unsaturated fatty acids, which are effective fighters of prostate ailments. A study by the USDA suggests that diets high in pumpkin fiber tended to curb the appetite. Subjects also tended to absorb less fat and calories from their food. My wife also found an article that suggested that adding pumpkin to a cat’s diet helps prevent hairballs.

 Cooking with pumpkins – don’t be spooked

The Sugar Pie pumpkin, my favorite and the easiest to find, is perfect for baking, soups and side dishes.

The easiest way to prepare these three to five pound squash is to cut them in half, scoop out the seeds (remembering to save them for snacks) and then roast at 350°F - cut side down - on a parchment - lined baking sheet. This takes about an hour. Let them cool and then scoop the cooked flesh out of the shell with a large spoon. The cooked “meat” may then be mashed, buttered and seasoned as a vegetable or pureed and used in pies, cakes, ice cream and other desserts. Another easy cooking method is to peel and seed the pumpkins then dice the flesh for sautéing, steaming or roasting.

If want to make pumpkin soup, use the seeds and skin for a vegetable stock then boil the skinless meat in the broth. When the pumpkin is tender strain off the stock and reserve. Puree the cooked pumpkin in a blender or food processor adding the broth a little at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. Return the pumpkin puree to the pot and add cream or yogurt and other flavorings like rum and nutmeg to create a fall soup like no other - easy peasy.

Side Bar: Roasting the seeds  

Tips: wash first to remove most of the stringy material, and then toss with a little salad oil and kosher salt. Toast on a baking sheet at 350°F for about 5 minutes. These should be eaten outside since you will still have to deal with the shells.

Le Menu

Pumpkin Risotto Fritters 

Fettuccine Pasta with Pumpkin, Gorgonzola Cheese and Pancetta

Pumpkin- Pecan Swirl Cheesecake With Caramelized Pears

 

Pumpkin Risotto Fritters

Ingredients

Makes 16 pieces

2 c. chicken or vegetable stock

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 tbsp. butter

3/4 c. Arborio rice

1/2 c. canned pumpkin

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. salt

1 3 oz. ball of fresh mozzarella or cheese of choice,

1 c. panko breadcrumbs

1 tbsp. salt

Preparation

Heat stock. In separate pan, sauté onion and pepper in butter until soft. Add rice, cook, stirring about 1 minute. Add 1/2 c. stock and stir until it is absorbed. Continue to simmer adding stock, 1/2 c. at a time until rice is tender and creamy looking but still al dente, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Cool. Cut cheese into 1/2 - inch dice (16 pieces).

Make 16 golf ball sized balls. Place a ball in the palm of your hand (moisten palm with water to ease sticking). Push 1 piece of cheese into center of each ball and wrap risotto around it so that it is completely enclosed. Mix the breadcrumbs with the salt. Roll the balls in the panko breadcrumbs and set aside. When all risotto balls are coated, fry in hot oil until crispy.

 

 

Fettuccine Pasta with Pumpkin, Gorgonzola Cheese and Pancetta

Serves four

Ingredients

1 lb. of fresh fettuccine or 8 oz. of dry pasta (we've been using gluten free pastas available in most markets)

1 pound of fresh “sugar pie” pumpkin (about 1/4 of a 5 pound pumpkin)

1/2 bunch sage

1 tbsp. sweet butter

2 cloves garlic

2 shallots

4 oz. of pancetta or bacon

2 oz. of dry vermouth*

1/2 c. of dry white wine (*you can substitute chicken stock for alcohol)

1 oz. of white wine vinegar (we like the white balsamic from Trader Joe's)

2 c. of whipping cream

salt and pepper to taste

2 c. of chard leaves

4 oz. of Gorgonzola cheese

1 tbsp. pumpkin seed oil (optional)

Preparation

Peel and dice pumpkin into 1/2 cubes. Place pumpkin chunks on an oiled cookie sheet, sprinkle with sage. Roast at 350°F 10 to 20 minutes or until soft. Mash half of the cooked pumpkin and set aside.

In a 2-quart sauce pot, sweat garlic and finely chopped shallots until soft. Add diced pancetta and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Drain off as much of the oils as possible. Add wine, vermouth and vinegar. Reduce by 1/2. Add the cream and mashed pumpkin, blending well. Simmer for 5 minutes taking care not to let the sauce boil over.

In a separate pot cook the pasta in salted water, do not add oil to the water, this will retard the cooking process. Cook 2 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta, 8-10 minutes for dry.

Wash chard; remove the stem and chop leaves into one-inch dice (stems may be reserved for use with other dishes)

Add the chard and pumpkin chunks to the sauce, season and cook 2 minutes. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce, divide into 4 serving bowls and top with crumbled or diced Gorgonzola and sprinkle with pumpkin seed oil.

 

Pumpkin- Pecan Swirl Cheesecake With Caramelized Pears

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

Crust;

1 1/2 c. graham cracker or gingersnap crumbs

1 c. finely chopped candied pecans

Pinch salt

6 tbsp. butter, melted

Cheesecake

Ingredients

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs (room temp)

1 c. canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

dash ground cloves

2 c. ground candied pecans

whole candied pecan halves for garnish

 

Candied Pecans

Ingredients

2 c. water

2 c. sugar

4 c. pecan halves

Preparation

Bring water and sugar to a boil. Lower heat and add pecans. Gently boil (adding more water if needed to keep nuts covered) for about 1 hour or until nuts are translucent in center when broken. Sauté, fry or bake until crisp.

Makes 4 c.

 

Caramelized Pears;

3 ripe pears, peeled, halved and cored

2 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

Preparation

Sprinkle pears with sugars and broil or bake in the oven until browned.

Preparation for cheesecake assembly

Combine crust ingredients together and press into 9-inch spring form pan. Set aside.

For pears mix sugars together. Make several cuts lengthwise 3/4 way through pear halves and fan out. Place pears on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugars and bake in 350 oven until nicely browned.  Set aside.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Reserve 1  1/2 c. of the plain batter. Stir pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. Spoon 1/2 of the pumpkin batter over crust, top with spoonfuls of 1/2 of the reserved plain batter, and 1/2 of the ground pecans. Repeat cheese layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect, taking care not to dislodge the crust. Make a small border around the edge of the cake with the remaining nuts.

Bake 325 about 1 hour or until center is almost set. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Serve with additional candied pecans and caramelized pears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair Fowl Fare

Roast Quail wrapped in Bacon with Orange Pomegranate Sauce

Pheasant, Poussin, capon, squab, quail, goose, duck, — choices, choices; how does one make up his or her mind? First, forget the turkey and make the meal truly memorable. Its not that turkey isn't wonderful if cooked properly, its just that there are other domesticated birds that can bring a excitement to the table with just a little extra effort and usually a lot less cooking time. Holiday dinner plans should take into consideration the tastes of the guests or family partaking in the feast. Oddly, some people don’t do fowl.

Flavors range from the familiar Poussin and game hen, to the more exotic such as Muscovy duck and goose. Also take into account appetite— quails for the lighter feast or as an appetizer; larger and richer birds, like goose and duck, for the famished. 

Many butchers in the area do carry many of these non-mainstream birds, however they are usually frozen. If you want a fresh bird plan ahead and order well in advance of your feast.

A large portion of the population dines on chicken several times a week, broilers or fryers, averaging around 3 1/2 to 4 pounds, being the bird presented in most meat counters. However there are other delicious options in this family.

Poussin or squab chicken (baby chickens usually weighing between 18 and 22 ounces) and the Rock Cornish Hen, a species of chicken usually harvested at about the same weight as a poussin; make a wonderful single serving bird. Both of these birds are can be cooked in similar manners. Roasting or grilling at higher temperatures provides the best result, sealing in the juices and reducing the cooking time: the meal on the table in less than an hour. Whole birds may be stuffed with vegetables, wild rice or any other preferred mixture before roasting, however, I favor splitting the birds in half and grilling or sautéing. These birds benefit by seasoning, basting and or marinating, as they have a mild flavor. This tendency gives the chef a chance to show off his or her favorite sauces.

Capons

Are neutered roosters that have been grain feed and fattened. Weighing as much as six pounds, they can feed an entire family of six. Stuffed and simply seasoned, this succulent bird roasted for a holiday dinner will have the diners applauding.

Domesticated Game Birds

The farming of game birds is quite different than the rearing of commercial chickens. They are not fed hormones or steroids and are usually not crowded into pens, therefore, they are not as susceptible to salmonella bacteria and do not require cooking to over 160°F as most mass-produced chicken is.

Most game birds are suited to roasting; grilling and sautéing, however boiling and stewing generally take away flavor rather that add it. To truly receive the most out of the bird, a little kosher salt and a few turns of fresh ground black pepper will suffice.

There are many wonderful cookbooks that cover the subject of preparing game birds in great detail, but even a basic book such as my favorite, “The Joy of Cooking,” can give helpful hints.

 Squab

Or pigeon are similar to Poussin and game hen in size, the difference being that the flesh is darker and the flavor is mildly gamy. Today’s farm raised squab is usually ring pigeon or rock doves that have not yet developed feathers. These young pigeons are raised on grain diets until they are about a month old. The squab farming industry has been well established in Northern California for many years with one of the largest American producers located in Modesto.

Squab was immensely popular during the 18th and 19th centuries. With a plentiful supply they appeared on banquet menus braised in sherry, Madeira or Marsala or briefly grilled or spit roasted. Also, highly prized by the Chinese and Middle Eastern cultures, numerous recipes abound. Marriages to exotic sauces, like hoisen, and unusual preparations such as baked into pies or wrapped in lettuce leaves and steamed, give this bird tremendous versatility.

More modern approaches to cooking require techniques similar to that of preparing Poussin, these birds should not be over-cooked; this would result in dry and gamy tasting flesh.

Quail

The smallest of the farm-produced fowl are raised in California, Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina with the California species being the larger. They are one of the more popular domesticated game birds their availability is steady. The three main varieties include the coturnix from Japan, the most common farm raised breed, the American Bobwhite and the Pharaoh Quail.

Quail are very small, eight ounces or less on average, so at least two birds person are needed to satisfy an appetite for an entree, however, a single fowl is quite satisfactory when served as an appetizer course with wild grain salad or endives in raspberry vinaigrette.

Quail, as with the previous birds, may be purchased “de boned,” that is, with the breast and backbones removed. This is done to make them easier to eat but most chefs agree that it also changes the flavor and degree of moistness. Quail cook quickly and may be prepared in a variety of ways-but simply butterflied and grilled with a little lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil lets you reap the most from the least.

Pheasant

Of all of the farm-raised game birds, the pheasant has been deemed one of the most valued. From the tables of the Roman Emperors and French aristocracy to the banquets of the noblemen of England, it has held a place of gastronomic history. The Caesar's served the bird with its elegant plumage and beaks and legs gilded. King Henry the VIII employed only his most trusted servants to take care of his flock and Philip Duke of Burgundy, in 1453, had his knights swear allegiance in front of his pheasants before going on the Crusades.

The ring-necked pheasant is the most common variety of these domestically raised birds and California is noted as one of its largest producers with its many farms. There they are raised on a corn and soy bean diet and harvested when they weigh between 2 and 3 pounds.

When preparing pheasant great care needs be taken to avoid over-cooking the mild flavored breast. The traditional technique describes roasting the bird until the breast of the bird is just starting to become opaque (just past pink), then removing the breasts to a warm plate and returning the carcass with the legs back into the oven or barbecue until they are medium well.

Goose

A bird of many celebrations, goose had been served to celebrate Saint Michael’s Day on September 29 in Germany and Christmas in England as Bob Cratchit’s famous family fed on this fleshy fowl. Saint Martins Day, November 11, was the traditional day for eating goose in Northern Europe as a punishment to the geese that gave away his farmyard-hiding place from the admirers who wanted him to be pope. The ancient Romans considered the goose to be sacred and valued them as watchdogs to warn them of coming barbarian invasions.

The Toulouse goose is the most common species that is domestically raised. These succulent birds are usually butchered before they are 9 months old and weigh about 8 to 12 pounds. A larger bird will serve 4 to 6 people. Geese do not need barding or larding (the adding of extra fat by inserting into the meat or under the skin) as they usually have a savory layer of fat. Geese may be roasted or barbecued much the same way, as you would cook a turkey, but watch for barbecue fires. * See duck

Duck

The most sumptuous and commonly used of all domesticated game birds is the duck. From tables of the Chinese Emperors to four-star restaurants of France, duck is a gastronomic mainstay. Its moist and juicy flesh without the gaminess of its relatives, make it a perfect foil for sauces of fall fruit - apples, pears and persimmons or in spring with cherries or in summer with berries. The recipes are endless. In China, duck rules. It is prepared in hundreds of ways and is the primary food animal.

In the United States the first farm-raised ducks theoretically arrived in San Francisco from China in 1873. These Peking ducks were on their way to New York, but about a dozen of them ended up on Northern California farms to become the basis of our modern duck farms. Since these birds were on their way to Long Island they became Long Island ducklings. Other popular and common varieties include the Muscovy duck, a large goose-like South American species, moulard-sterile offspring of the Muscovy and Peking duck, the French Rouen or smaller Nantais duck, Barbary-offspring of the Rouen and Muscovy and the English Aylesbury. All but the Muscovy are descendants of the Chinese Imperial Peking duck species. “Duckling” was once a strict description for birds under two months of age, now it includes duck aged six months or less.

The two most famous preparations of duck are the French and Chinese versions of “pressed duck.” In the French version the duck is roasted, and while still rare to medium rare, the meat is removed from the bones and the bones placed in a “duck press.” This wine-press-like machine then is used to extract the remaining blood and juices from which a sauce is made. In the Chinese version, the duck is boiled with star anise and ginger until the meat easily falls off of the bones. The meat is blended with water chestnut flour and some of the cooking broth to make a flat loaf on a large oval platter. This loaf is steamed, cooled, cut into chunks, and fried in peanut oil. It is usually served with plum sauce and cashews, almonds or peanuts.

Home preparation of duck is quite easy as long as you remember that a lot of fat will be rendered during the cooking process. This means that you should first score the entire duck by making small slashes over the skin of the bird. This helps to release the oils. Have a deep enough pan under the duck to collect the fat (save for making confit or sautéing) while roasting. Warning!!! Do not barbecue a domestic duck without taking these precautions. Precooking or de fatting before putting over an open flame will reduce any fire hazard.

Many recipes require the cooking of the breast of the fowl separately from the legs. In this instance, cook the legs ahead of time or simmer in duck fat until well done. Score the breast with a sharp knife and sauté in a hot pan that has been sprinkled with kosher salt. Place the breast into the pan and reduce the flame. The trick is to render most of the fat out of the breast and crisp the fat before turning over to cook the other side. When medium rare to rare, remove and slice thinly before serving. Cautionary note: all meats keep on cooking after you remove them from heat. For a medium rare result, remove the meat from a pan or oven while still rare to medium rare and let rest before slicing.

The method that I use most often is to remove the breasts and place the seasoned legs attached to the carcass in a 350° oven for two hours. I sauté the scored breasts in a small amount of oil until the skin is crispy and the meat is medium rare. For service I remove the legs from the carcass and fan the sliced breast meat on the plate.

Follow the recipes below that fit the bill and you won’t have to wing it - your guests and family will flock to the table and get down. 

Cumberland Sauce

This traditional sauce for game birds is delicious with all poultry.

Cumberland Sauce

Ingredients

1 orange - juice and zest

1 lemon  - juice and zest

1 c. red currant jelly

1 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 c. port

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Technique

Zest the orange and lemon, using a potato peeler or zesting tool. Take care not to use the white part of the rind. Blanch in boiling water for one minute and drain. Julienne into thin strips. Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan, bring to a simmer reduce by 1/2 and cool.

May be served warm or cold.

Quick and Easy Orange Sauce

Ingredients

1 small can of frozen concentrated orange juice (with pulp)

Soy sauce to taste

Honey or Agave syrup

Method

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and reduce until thickened

Brush on fowl during the last half hour of cooking.

Roast Quail wrapped in Bacon with Orange Pomegranate Sauce and Almond Couscous

For 4 people

Ingredients

8 quail or you could substitute 4 small game hens

4 slices thick sliced bacon

Sauce

Ingredients

½ medium yellow onion, diced fine

1 large clove garlic

2 tbls. Olive oil

1 tsp. fresh rosemary finely minced

1 c. pomegranate juice

1 c. zinfandel or other decent red wine – you can substitute wine with a red grape Verjus

1 c. orange juice concentrate thawed

Salt

Method

In a two-quart saucepan sauté the onion in olive oil until slightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds. Remove from heat. Mix the pomegranate juice; wine, rosemary, and orange juice concentrate in a large bowl. Add the quail or game hens to the mixture and marinate for 30 minutes. Remove birds and pat dry. Wrap the quail in half a slice of the bacon or if using game hens use a whole slice per bird. Add the marinade to the saucepan and reduce over low heat until syrupy.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Turn the oven down to 375°F as the bird are placed in the oven. Roast the quail until bacon is browned and birds are firm, about 15 to 20 minutes. If using game hens use the same technique but they will take about 40 minutes. Pour sauce over the birds. Serve with the couscous and grilled endive or steamed broccolini.

Almond Couscous

Ingredients

1 c. couscous

1 c. water

½ tsp. salt

 ½ medium yellow onion, diced fine

½ c. slice almonds

2 tbsp. Olive oil

Method

Follow the recipe on the box for cooking the couscous. Sauté the onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the almonds and cook for a few seconds longer. Mix with the cooked couscous.

An Italian Holiday Feast

Braciole

Anchovy Balls

Calamari Soup

Like a scene from a science fiction movie where everyone is frozen in time or victims of sleeping gas — the bodies are strewn on couches and chairs, the television flickering - muted and ignored by the comatose multitude while Bing Crosby softly sings carols in a distant room. The Christmas feast is finished.My Mom had begun this attack on our gustatorial senses days before. The menu and traditions were ingrained in her holiday organizational scheme, most of the recipes memorized. She had repeated this yearly routine so many times that it was automatic. Amazingly she did it while juggling a full time job at the phone company and taking care of a family of eight. She did most of the shopping by herself and practically all of the cooking.The major meals to be prepared were for the post Midnight Mass “snack” and the All – Day feast on Christmas day. She also made hundreds of traditional cookies during the weeks preceding Christmas, which were saved in tins for the big event.The people to be fed included a mix of friends and relatives including my uncle Emmanuel, his family, and my cousin Vinny (really).  During later years, with the many grandchildren, there were as many as twenty seated at the main and satellite tables throughout the house.
Italian Tradition
As was the custom, when my father and mother were married, the young bride had to apprentice in the kitchen of the husband’s mother. She was taught all of the traditional soups, sauces, entrees and desserts including dishes that were prepared on religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter. My mother spent weeks cooking with Grandma and Aunt Daisy, Vinny’s mom. Many of these recipes have been passed down for hundreds of years.She also has some great stories of cooking in the basement of Daisy’s house in Brooklyn while my uncles sat around tasting from the illegal barrels of wine that they had made.An interesting note, though she made the calamari soup every year since I was born, it wasn’t until I was in my thirties that she actually tasted it, announcing in a somewhat surprised voice that it was pretty good.
Another odd fact is that my Mom is very slight and has never weighed more that 100 pounds, so as a chef, it took me years to figure out how she didn’t gain weight while cooking all of these highly caloric dishes. The secret was that she nibbled constantly instead of sitting down and having one large meal.
Christmas Eve
As was at that time part of the Catholic Ritual, meat was not consumed on Christmas Eve. This is when the anchovy balls and calamari soup were served after Midnight Mass.  However, she did provide a sumptuous platter of Italian deli meats, cheeses and breads for the non-Catholics spending the night.
My favorite, the savory calamari soup, was served with fresh Italian egg bread and the fried anchovy balls were passed around the table. These salty - addicting treats were treated with respect by those in the know. If you ate one too many of these babies you had to bring a pitcher of water to bed with you.
Christmas Morning Madness
My Dad would have been up by dawn and was on his way to St. Cecilia’s to serve as an usher at the early Christmas mass. Of course all of the younger children also woke at this time, and despite firm parental warnings, ran madly squealing around the Christmas tree with mounds of presents to be opened. Someone with good sense always made sure the adults got a quick eggnog and brandy before the cacophony became too irritating.
Amazingly Mom, who probably hadn’t slept, had fried eggs, cooked bacon, and made toast and was wandering around the crowded room trying to pass off plates saying, “You better eat something, dinner is not for awhile.”
The Onslaught Begins
Aside from the many Italian entrees prepared, my Mom also threw in a roast turkey with all of the fixings, a large salad, crudités, sliced tomatoes and don’t forget the pumpkin pie to round out the feast.  At around three or four in the afternoon we began. All of the extensive counter space in my parent’s house was filled with hot casseroles and platters of eggplant Parmesan, city chicken, lasagna, braciole and turkey. We would wander around with our plates in hand sampling each of the dishes. My father, the patriarch, would sit at the head of the table smiling and wait for someone to serve him, while my Mom, on the other hand, rarely sat; she just nibbled while serving the rest of the hoard claiming she was full.
Eventually everyone succumbed and as lethargy set in we all smiled, pleased with our fabulous triumph over the festive fete.
My sisters and I over the years have made notes on these incredible recipes and have managed to recreate them one or two at a time but we have never been able to make a feast like the great ones my Mom used to produce.

Recipes
Anchovy Balls
Calamari Olive Soup
Egg Plant Parmesan
City Chicken
Lasagna with Spicy Italian Sausage
Braciole

Anchovy Balls
Ingredients
1 c. warm water
1 tbsp. dry yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. Kosher salt
 3 to 4 oz. anchovies (depending on the size of the tin.)
oil to fry
Method
In a 1 gallon bowl mix 90°F water with sugar and yeast. Let proof for 5 minutes. Add the flour olive oil and salt. Mix until a moist dough is formed. Do not over mix. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Heat oil in fryer to 325°F. brush a large plate with olive oil and using a soup spoon take 1 heaping spoon of the dough (about 1 ½ oz.) and flatten slightly on the oiled plate. Roll up a large anchovy filet or two small filets and gently press into the center of the dough. Using the spoon roll the dough to completely cover the anchovy. Repeat. Fry about 3 of the balls at a time to avoid crowding. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges while hot. They may be held in a warm oven for a few minutes until service.

Calamari Soup
Ingredients
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
8 cups canned tomatoes in juice
2 cups pitted green olives
2 lbs. cleaned calamari tubes and tentacles
2 cups dry white wine
1 tbsp. kosher salt
Method
(You will need a very heavy duty soup pot for the long cooking time or a crock-pot.)
Chop the onion and garlic finely in a food processor. In a 1 gallon soup pot sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil stirring constantly until translucent. Clean the calamari and slice the bodies into rings. Puree canned tomatoes in a blender or food-processor, add to the sautéed onion – garlic mixture. Add the calamari, white wine, olives and salt. Bring to a slow simmer and cover. Cook at least 18 hours. I found that the best method is to bring everything to a boil and transfer every thing to a crock-pot and cook on low for 18 hours. The long cooking time will make the calamari very tender.

Serve with a baguette that has been sliced open and brushed with olive oil and either grilled or broiled.

Braciole
Braciole is commonplace throughout Italy, but very popular in the southern regions. The filling can have a variety of ingredients including: pine nuts, peppers and various dried fruits. Our family version of this recipe uses a tomato-based sauce to simmer the meat rolls in, while other versions may use beef stock.
Ingredients
2 lbs. tri tip steak, 1/8 inch thick slices
1 tbsp.  olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic chopped fine
1/4 lb. dried currants
¼ c. dry white wine
1 c. breadcrumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 tbsp. fresh oregano chopped fine
1 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
Technique
Using a large saucepan, slowly sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the currants, parsley and oregano. Add the white wine and cook together for 3 or 4 more minutes so that the flavors blend together. Drain off any excess oil and place the mixture in a large bowl. Blend in the breadcrumbs, cheese and eggs. Season with fresh ground pepper and add any salt that is needed. Cool the mixture.
Pound the slices of beef between sheets of plastic wrap using a meat mallet. Take care not to tear the meat or plastic during this process. Divide the stuffing between each of the sheets of meat and roll. Tie the ends and middle of each roll gently with cotton string or carefully skewer with toothpicks to hold the rolls together. Season with a small amount of salt and pepper. Heat a small amount of light olive oil in a large sauté pan and brown each one carefully removing with a slotted spoon to an appropriate casserole dish. Pour off any excess oil from the sauté pan, add red wine to de-glaze, tomato sauce. Heat to a simmer and pour over the rolls. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 11/2 hours or until tender. Remove the rolls to a serving platter and remove the string or toothpicks. Pour the sauce over the Braciole just before service.
Serves six
Basic Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
1 c. chopped celery
1 finely chopped yellow onion
1 c. chopped carrots
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1/4 c. oil
4 c. tomatoes pureed
4 c. diced tomatoes
1 tbsp. sugar
1 c. red wine
1 pinch white pepper
1/2  tsp. Dry leaf thyme
1/2  tsp. Dry leaf oregano
1/2 bunch fresh chopped basil,
2 bay leaves
1/2 bunch chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt to taste
Method
Slowly saute vegetables and garlic in olive oil for 10 minutes. Vegetables may be chopped in a food processor as long as they are not liquefied. Add diced tomatoes (fresh vine ripe tomatoes may be used during the season) then add the pureed tomatoes. These may be chopped and thrown in a blender.  Add seasonings, herbs and red wine. Simmer 2 hours over low heat.
This is a great sauce with pasta, or on chicken or fish. Store in the refrigerator or freeze in small, easy to use containers.
yield approximately 1/2 gallon

City Chicken
1 lb. boned veal shoulder cut into 1" cubes
1/2 lb. lean pork cut into 1" cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup butter
Season meat with salt and pepper. Alternate cubes of pork and veal on 6- inch wooden skewers). Roll first in bread crumbs, then dip in egg; roll again in crumbs. Saute onions in large skillet with butter until tender. Add meat and brown on all sides. Add water; cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Makes 6 to 8 "legs".

Classic Holiday Side Dishes Redux

The holiday table — that celebratory feast — a table of spectacle and aroma, a pinnacle of gastronomy covered with colorful serried plates and platters heaped high with holiday love – the kind of love that will drive us into a surfeited lethargy at the end of the feast. The Stars:  Steaming salvers of fresh-from-the-oven standing rib roast, Virginia ham, rack of lamb, or free-range turkey.  These grasp your attention at first, but soon your eye wanders to the other culinary wonders – plates and bowls of mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, rolls, bread and butter, cranberry sauce and those others - the traditional supporting dishes that you truly would miss if they hadn’t been prepared. These are the ones - American standards - ones that your mom made and maybe her mom made — accompaniments rich, tasty and filling.
We know what they are, but I decided to take an un-official poll of friends and family to list favorite recipes. These originally were inventions of ease, formulas that were supposed to save time and energy so the chef could focus on the main courses. They took advantage of modern convenience foods - ones that were canned, frozen or “instant” products. But as fortune would have it they were also satisfyingly delicious. Some were invented by famous soup companies or ones that made canned foods, others came from the makers of cheese products and the like – but they all had a few things in common – their recipes were easy to find, easy to make and economical.
And the winners are – drum roll please; Green Bean Mushroom Soup Casserole with Fried Onions, Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Broccoli with Cheese Whiz and Ritz Cracker Crust, Cranberry Jell-O Ring and Creamed Spinach.
But these same recipes can also be created from scratch with fresh products, and as you would have guessed, resulting in a far superior dish – hence, redux – from the French to bring back, revive, recreate.
Following are some of the original recipes with recreations.
Happy Holidays and Bon Appétit.
The Original – String Green Bean - Mushroom Soup Casserole with Fried Onions
Ingredients
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. milk
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans string cut green beans, drained
1 1/3 c. canned French-fried onions
Method
Combine soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2 qt baking dish; stir until blended. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup fried onions. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot. Stir. Sprinkle with remaining 2/3 cup fried onions. Bake 5 more minutes or until onions are golden.
Served 4

The Redux - String Bean and Creamy Mushroom Sauce Casserole with Crisp Onion Rings
(For this recipe I had to find a green bean “stringer”. This is a kitchen tool that you insert the trimmed green bean into and it cuts it lengthwise. I found one at a culinary store in Walnut Creek for $6.95, and it worked great. If you want to avoid this step then simply cut the beans into 2 inch lengths after trimming and before blanching)
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs. fresh green beans – ends trimmed “string” cut and blanched
for “soup”
1 lb. fresh Crimini or button mushrooms thinly sliced
½ c. chardonnay or sherry wine (depending on what’s in the cupboard)
6 tbsp. sweet butter or salad oil (butter is better)
7 tbsp. all purpose flour
2 c. low fat half and half
1 c. chicken stock
4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
for onion rings
2 small yellow onions peeled and sliced into ¼ inch wide rings
batter =
½ c. all purpose flour
1/3 c. corn starch
1 pinch paprika
2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/3 c. beer
1 egg white
½ c. canola oil for frying
Method
Green beans – trim off stems and “string cut beans”. Blanch in boiling salted water for 2 minutes then drain and plunge into ice water. Drain well. Reserve.
For “soup”
In a 2 qt. sauce pan a heat stock, wine and half and half to a simmer.
In a separate sauté pan melt butter and sauté sliced mushrooms over medium heat until they start to soften. Add flour and remove from heat. Stir until flour is incorporated. Add mushroom - flour mixture to the stock, wine – half and half mixture and bring to a slow simmer stirring constantly until it starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for at least 5 minutes, remove from heat. Taste to adjust seasoning. (remember this is the major flavoring agent for the green beans so add enough salt and pepper.)
**You can do these two steps a day or so in advance.
For onion rings - these can be made an hour or so before assembly.
Pre-heat oven to 400°F
First of all take note that canned onion rings are not going to be as good as these. These are the BOMB so you need to protect them from the wolves!!.
Gently separate rings before dipping in batter. For batter mix dry ingredient together and slowly add the beer while whisking. Add the egg white and blend until smooth.
Heat oil in a high-sided sauté pan until just before it starts to smoke – turn heat down to medium. Dip onion rings into batter and start lightly browning onion rings a few at a time. (great tools – chopsticks and exam gloves). Remove to cooking sheets for final cooking. Bake for 10 minutes until brown and crispy.
Final assembly
Mix green beans with mushroom sauce and 1/3 of the onion rings. Place in a large casserole and top with remaining onion rings. Bake a 375° for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Serves 6 to 10 depending on how many other side dishes you have.
I will note that the entire process took more than 1 hour compared to the 20 minutes of the “prepared product” method. But you will be rewarded with oohs and ahhs.

The Original - Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Now the original recipe that my mom made used canned whole or sliced yams, brown sugar, butter and marshmallows, which were browned on top. The yams were layered in a casserole with melted  butter and brown sugar then topped with the sliced marshmallows and baked till the marshmallows browned.

The Redux - Sweet Potato Casserole with Meringue (instead of marshmallows)
This recipe is very similar to the classic casserole with marshmallows but unbelievably superior.
Ingredients
2 ¼ lb. -  2 to 3 garnet yams (all American yams are actually sweet potatoes)
1/2 stick butter
juice and zest of 1 orange (1/4 c. juice)
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. chopped toasted pecans
1/4 tsp. cinnamon to taste
1/4 - 1 tsp. nutmeg to taste

3 egg whites room temperature
4 tbsp. granulated sugar
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
Method
Peel sweet potatoes and rub with salad oil. Cover with foil and bake in a 350°F oven for 1 hour 20 minutes. You should be able to easily pierce the potatoes with a toothpick. Remove foil and let cool to room temperature. Slice into ¼ inch thick slices and lay in overlapping in rows in a 9” by 7” casserole.
Melt butter in a small saucepan add orange juice and zest and bring to a boil for 30 second or so. Pour over sweet potatoes. Then sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, pecans and salt evenly over the top. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 30 minutes while you are making the meringue. (Actually you can have this done early in the day and let the casserole wait to top with the meringue later.)
Preheat oven to 400°F.
For meringue: whip egg whites until frothy add sugar and cream of tartar. Beat until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Spoon or pipe meringue over yams and bake until meringue begins to brown about 5 minutes – watch closely as it can brown too quickly.
Serve immediately. This is looks and tastes really good, as you will find out.
Serve 6 to 8.

The Original - Broccoli with Cheese Whiz and Ritz Cracker
This recipe is just what it sounds like. Take de-frosted frozen broccoli flowerets and mix them with Cheese Whiz, place in a casserole and top with crushed Ritz Crackers then bake until hot and bubbly.
For a Redux simply make a cheddar cheese sauce with mild cheddar cheese, blanch fresh broccoli flowerets, toss with sauce, place in a casserole or individual baking dish, top with bread crumbs or cracker crumbs and bake until hot.
For complete recipe visit www.worldcooking.com

The Original - Cranberry Jell-O Ring
Ingredients:
1 (3 oz.) pkg. strawberry or cherry Jello
3/4 c. pineapple juice
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup boiling water
1 cup apples, diced
1/3 c. pecans, chopped
Method
Dissolve Jell-o in water. Add juice and sauce. Chill until slightly thickened. Stir in apples and pecans. Pour into 4 cup mold and chill until firm. Can be doubled but use only 1 cup pineapple juice. This is delicious with turkey.

For a Redux use fresh cranberries that you have cooked in orange juice according to the recipes on the package of cranberries.
Note – never use fresh pineapple in jello recipes as it will keep the jello from setting up.

The Original Creamed Spinach recipe that my mom used to make was nothing more that thawed frozen chopped spinach – well drained and mixed with heated cream cheese.
For a Redux visit www.worldcooking.com.

Cranberries - the Cure for Holiday Menu Malaise

Try serving your holiday turkey without cranberry sauce and see what kind of a reaction you get. Without its refreshing sharp acidic flavor to cut through the richness of the turkey, gravy and other side dishes your holiday meal would be like a flat tire. But the traditional cranberry sauce is not the only thing that you can do with fresh cranberries. They are also wonderful in salads, soups and desserts.

The cranberry is only one of three fruits native to North America - the Concord grape and the blueberry are the other two. For centuries American Indians recognized the cranberry as an important food source and as a medicine. Aside from making sauces and other dishes, they also used cranberries to preserve fish and meats.

Cranberries are common throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere but are known to grow as far south as the Carolinas.

The vines are grown in dry sandy beds that are only flooded at harvest time during the fall months.

The cranberry’s scientific name, Vaccinium macrocarpon – the large American cranberry, implies medicinal properties. Nutritionists have discovered that cranberries are an excellent source of antioxidants. They are noted to help maintain the urinary tract and heart functions and are a rich source of the flavonoid quercetin, which has been shown to effectively inhibit the development of both breast and colon cancers. They also is known to help prevent strokes and heart disease and as most know, the juice has been a traditional remedy for bladder infections. As scientific studies continue, the list of healthful benefits will grow.

Cooking with Fresh Cranberries

So how difficult are they to cook with? Well not very. The side of every package gives a few basic recipes, and in two to three minutes a sauce can be produced. My personal preference is to use orange juice as the liquid in the syrup that will poach the berries. Bring the juice and sugar to a boil, add the berries and reduce the heat. Within a few minutes they will become tender. A few will pop in the process, due to the chambers of air in each berry. At this point you can scoop out the cooked berries and reduce the poaching liquid to a thick syrup. Add the cranberries back to the reduction at the conclusion. This method will keep the integrity of the berry and make for a more attractive presentation. If this is too much trouble, just keep cooking the sauce with the berries incorporated. They will break down quite a bit, and the result will be a homogenous sauce.

If you are more adventurous - try any of the following recipes – they surly will make your guests croon a holiday-cranberry-carol.

Recipes
Cranberry Poached Pears Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Cranberry Vinaigrette, Frisée Salad
and Walnuts

Grilled Maple Marinated Breast of Chicken with Roasted Cranberries

Cheesecake with Glazed Pecans and Glazed Cranberries

Cranberry Poached Pears Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Cranberry Vinaigrette, Frisée Salad
and Walnuts

Serves 4 

Ingredients

6 oz. fresh cranberries (1/2 pack)

1 c. orange juice

½ c. rice wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar

½ c. sugar

+½ c. sugar

4 large firm pears (ripe bosc pears are best)

4 oz. goat cheese

1/2 c. toasted walnuts

One head of frisée, plus a few
handfuls of spring mix lettuce

Method

Gently simmer cranberries in OJ, vinegar and ½ c. sugar mixture until they are tender and not all popped. Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon and toss with remaining sugar. Refrigerate.

Peel pears and cut in half, core out seed with a melon baller and place pears in the cranberry poaching liquid. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes on low heat. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Do not over cook. Remove and refrigerate. Next reduce the poaching liquid until it starts to thicken into a syrup. Cool to room temperature.

Cranberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients

pear poaching liquid
(about ½ c.)

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Method

Mix ingredients in a blender until emulsified. Season to taste. If it doesn’t have enough acid add a little more vinegar.

Assembly

Lay pear halves out and place a 1 oz. ball of goat cheese in the hollow created with the melon baller.

Clean the frisée and toss with spring mix and the vinaigrette. Place a little on each plate. Top with stuffed pears. Drizzle more dressing on each plate and garnish with walnuts and cooked cranberries.

Grilled Maple Marinated Breast of Chicken with Roasted Cranberries

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Ingredients for marinade

4 tbsp. maple syrup

4 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. kosher salt

Method

Mix well and pour over chicken breasts. Marinate for 1 to 2 hours.

Grill till done. Top with roasted cranberries (see below)

Ingredients for roasted cranberries

Yield 1 cup

6 oz. cranberries (1/2 package fresh or frozen)

½ c. sugar

½ tsp. cracked black pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 orange zest and juice

Method

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cranberries, sugar, pepper, olive oil and orange zest together and place in a pie pan or glass baking dish. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the juice from the zested orange. Stir and let sit.

Serve over grilled chicken breast. This is great with wild rice or rice pilaf.

Cheesecake with Glazed Pecans and Glazed Cranberries

Yield 1 Cake = as many as 12 slices

Ingredients for the Crust:

1/4 lb. butter, melted

2 c. vanilla-wafer crumbs

1/4 c. sugar

Ingredients for the Cake:

2 lbs. cream cheese, soft

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. salt

4 large eggs

Ingredients for the Sour Cream Topping:

2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Method

Combine crust ingredients and press into a10-inch spring form pan, going up side of pan about 1 inch. Bake for 5 minutes at 350° F and let cool.

Whip cream cheese for 5 minutes on high speed, then add sugar and whip for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla and salt and blend. Add eggs, one at a time, with mixer on low, beating just until each egg is incorporated. Carefully wrap the bottom of the cheese cake pan in 2 layers of foil so that foil comes up the side to the top of the rim (this is so water won’t get in). Pour batter onto crust. and place in a baking pan with about an inch of water and bake at 330° F for 55 minutes to one hour. Test doneness with a toothpick before removing from oven. When done run knife around edge. Allow to rest 10 minutes.

Mix sour cream topping ingredients together well. Spoon onto baked cake. Return cake to oven for 10 minutes. Refrigerate immediately to prevent cracking.
 

Glazed Cranberries

Yield 2 Cups

Ingredients

1 package cranberries

2/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. grated orange peel

1 cinnamon stick

1 pinch salt

Method

Combine all ingredients in 10-inch pan. Cover and cook over low heat 30 minutes, or until sugar dissolves and cranberries are glazed and skins pop (essentially caramelizing the cranberries). Discard cinnamon stick. Cover and chill thoroughly.
 

Glazed Pecans
Yield

1-1/2 Cups

Ingredients

1 c. water

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. pecan halves

Method

Combine water and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add pecans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and boil gently 25 minutes. Drain pecans well. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350° F. for 15 minutes. Pecans will harden as they cool. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Assembly

slice