Mushroom Risotto

I was speaking to Nina last night and she was somehow dubious that dried mushrooms and rice could approximate anything close to Italian food. So I told her I would send her the recipe. Before I post it a few words on risotto. Risotto is actually short grain Italian rice that is cooked by slowly adding liquid rather than the common drown and boil of most rices. There are three kinds of risotto - arborio, carnaroli, and vialone nano. If you are shopping at a regular grocery store you will most likely only encounter arborio rice which is fine. But if you really get into cooking and eating risottos like I have you will want to seek out the other grains at specialty food shops they differ from arborio and each other in firmness and creaminess.

Nigella Lawson's Mushroom Risotto

4 tbs. unsalted butter

2 Tbs. evoo

1/2 an onion, small dice

15 g dried porcini mushrooms (about 3/4 cup)

3/4 cup hot water for soaking mushrooms

1 cup arborio rice

3 cups chicken stock

2 to 3 Tbs. grated parmesan

a handful of Italian parsley rough chopped for garnishing

black pepper

Soak the mushrooms in water for 20 minutes or so. I have never actually sprung for porcinis because they are so expensive (and I am so cheap). I use dried shiitakes that I buy from the Asian grocer for a song. Make your stock and keep it warm on a neighboring burner to this add your leftover mushroom soaking water. Melt 2 Tbs. butter in a large skillet. Add the evoo and the onions and on medium heat saute until translucent. Add the rough chopped mushrooms and the uncooked rice. Stir the rice in the fat until the grains are glistening and become translucent at the tips. To this add a ladel or two of stock and allow the rice to absorb it before adding more. This is how the rice is cooked, slowly, adding moisture a bit at time. The whole process takes about twenty minutes. Be sure to occasionally stir the risotto so that it cooks evenly. When the stock is almost gone taste the risotto for doneness. It should be firm like al dente pasta. You will finish the risotto with the remaining 2 Tbs. of butter and the grated parmesan cheese. Add black pepper as needed for flavour and garnish with fresh Italian parsley.

This portion only serves Tyler and I, but we tend to eat A LOT of risotto and nothing else as a side dish.

Tomato and Cream sauce

I made this sauce last night to go with homemade spinach and ricotta gnocchi. They were awesome - an attempt to use up wilting spinach as well as containers of ricotta cheese lurking in our fridge from previous endeavours into baked ziti. The recipe is from Marcella Hazan's Classic Italian Cooking. It was easy, tasty, and the leftovers can be frozen for those nights when cooking dinner is a desperate task.

1/4 pound unsalted butter, that's one stick, typically 4 ounces. (I know, don't tell my husband.)

3 Tbs. finely chopped onion

1 stalk finely chopped celery

2 carrots, finely chopped

1 28oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper

Combine all the ingredients except the cream in a large skillet and cook at the slightest simmer for one hour. Remove from the heat and process in a Cuisanart. Be sure to turn off the machine before the sauce looses all of its texture. Return the sauce to the heat on low and add the cream, taste and adjust seasoning.

The gnocchi recipe was also from her book, and if anybody is interested, I will post that as well. Otherwise I would recommend a tubular pasta for this sauce like penne, or perhaps a broad, flat, noodle like fettucini; but I am sure I am breaking some solemn Italian custom of shape and sauce matching...

My Mother's Chicken Cacciatore

That she found in Craig Claiborne's New York Times Cookbook...

This is not only my favourite Cacciatore recipe, it is my favourite way to eat chicken and spaghetti; even though Tyler makes a killer chicken parmesan. It is my mother's secret weapon in her culinary arsenal; and she would often entertain with it. Inevitably, she would rather proudly confide to her guests that the recipe contained vast quantities of alcohol. But don't worry, it boils off during cooking; and you can omit it; but then...

4 pounds chicken, bone in thighs and breasts

1/4 to 1/2 cup all purpose flour for dredging

1/4 cup evoo

2 tbs. shallots, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup dry white wine, my mother always used Chablis

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

3/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 of a bay leaf

1/8 tsp. dried thyme OR 3 sprigs fresh

1/8 tsp. dried marjoram

1/2 to 1 cup mushrooms, preferably crimini or baby bellas

1/4 cup Brandy

Begin by dredging the chicken in flour and setting it aside. Pour the olive oil into a skillet large enough to accomodate the chicken - you should also have a lid for this skillet. Heat the oil to medium high and begin by browning the chicken. Remove the chicken and add the mushrooms. Again, the mushrooms should be added on a high heat for a good carmelization, so if you don't hear a good sizzle when they are added, raise your temperature. You may also need to add more oil as the mushrooms love to soak it up. When the mushrooms are carmelized with the heat at medium to medium high add the onions and sweat until translucent. Add the garlic at this point. I usually don't chop garlic because it will burn more easily if it is smaller - and burnt garlic is terribly bitter. I will peel the garlic and then crush it under the side of my knife so it breaks open. Once you smell the garlic, add the tomato paste and let it cook for thirty seconds to a minute. At this point add the wine and scrape up the brown bits clinging to the pan. The wine will evaporate. When there seems to be only one or two tablespoons remaining add the rest of the ingredients, return the chicken to the pan, bring the pan to a slow simmer, cover and cook until the chicken is finished 45 to 60 minutes. I prefer a runny sauce and have, at times, cooked the cacciatore with too much heat thereby thickening the sauce. If this happens you can add water or chicken broth, but taste the sauce for saltiness and adjust. This recipe is best served alongside spaghetti dressed with olive oil.

My brother, Sean, recommended I make wine parings for the recipes I list, but I have to admit that he is much better at something like that than I am. Perhaps he'll contribute and I can post it here. But for now I'll tell you that we had a Toad Hollow, Paso Robles red table wine with our dinner that we enjoyed very much.

Bomb A** Pork Chops

This recipe came from Jerry Traunfield's Herbfarm Cookbook, a seredipitous purchase in our household that holds the position of The Cookbook. We always turn to him for fantastic recipes. The recipe is easy enough to make after work - seriously. If you are willing to spend a half hour in the kitchen, you can whip these up. And if you are as talented as Tyler you can produce some mashed potatoes with gorgonzola cheese and collard greens boiled then sauteed with garlic and red pepper flakes. He's such a good wife!

Pork Chops with Sage, Onion, and Proscuitto

2 thick-cut loin or rib pork chops (about 1 1/4 inches thick - he suggests 10 to 12 ounces each, but I think ours were smaller)

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 Tbs. evoo

1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh sage

4 ounces thinly sliced proscuitto, cut into 1/4 inch-wide strips

You can substitute bacon for the proscuitto in a pinch.

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

2 tsp. Dijon

Season both sides of the chops with the salt and pepper. Heat the evoo in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown pork in pan on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove chops from pan and set aside. Reduce heat on skillet to medium-low and add the onions and sage. Cook uncovered stirring often until the onion is softened and lightly browned. Stir in the proscuitto and cook until it loses it's color. Add the stock and mustard. Return the pork to the pan, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and gently simmer the chops until they reach 145F to 150F. You can check with a thermometer. We never do. They take about twenty minutes, and seem to stand up to overcooking. Transfer the chops to a warm plate and raise the heat on the skillet. Boil the sauce until it thickens slightly. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if neccessary. Serve.

*If substituting bacon for the proscuitto add it to the skillet after the chops are removed. Render the fat on a low heat and cook the bacon until it begins to brown. Now add the onions and sage to brown.

Last Night's Dinner

We had some good luck last night when we made dinner for our friends. Tandoori chicken, curried green beans, and almond raspberry tart. I am including the recipe for the tart here because it was so gosh darn easy. If you find nice raspberries at the store, I highly recommend it. I found it in last month's issue of Sunset magazine.

Raspberry Almond Tart

The crust of this tart tastes more like a frangipane than a sugar dough and you simply press it into the bottom of the tin - no pesky walls to break. Then pop it in the oven for baking without pastry weights or docking!

Crust

3/4 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup All purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1 egg + 1 yolk

1 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 350. In a food processor, pulse almonds and sugar until finely ground, being careful to stop before they turn into nut butter. Add flour and salt and pulse to blend. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. With motor running, add egg, egg yolk, and almond extract. Stop as soon as dough comes together. Press dough into the bottom of the tart tin and bake until golden - about 25 minutes. You may need to turn the tart once if your oven heats unevenly. Let tart cool and remove from tin.

Ganache

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 tbsp. cream

This most definitely flies in the face of any ganache I have made, but really the quantities are so small that the method works. Heat chocolate in a bowl or double boiler over steaming water. Make sure the water is never too hot, and remember to stir the chocolate less it burn; and never, never, drip any water into your bowl of chocolate. Once your choclolate has melted add your cream. The chocolate will cool and not readily combine with the cream. Simply continue to stir the mixture over the hot water with a spatula until it all comes to a consistent temperature and combines. Pour ganache on top of cooled crust and spread it out to the edges. You can leave a little crust bare around the edge like a pizza for a better appearance.

Cheesy Goodness

4 oz. mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup cream

Beat whipping cream with a whisk in a stand mixer or with any other sufficient kitchen contraption. Once it begins to gain volume but before it has much stiffness add the mascarpone. You will need to turn down the mixer a little until the cheese softens, and it will not combine right away. Give it a moment. As the mixture begins to smooth add the powdered sugar with the beater on low. Once the ganache is set and cooled spread cheese on top of tart.

2 pints raspberries

Decorate tart with lots of raspberries!

Wonton Soup

I was craving wonton soup last week. But what began as an intended trip to PF Chang's quickly degenerated into ordering delivery pizza. This week now that Tyler is back from vacation, I have cleaned up my act. Starting with the wonton soup I made last night. The recipe is from a supplemental recipe book I received with my Saveur subscription.

Wonton Soup

4 cups chicken broth
1 half inch piece of ginger, sliced
4 scallions rough cut, whites only

Combine in a pot and bring to a simmer on medium high. Reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes. Remove solids when finished and hold broth on a low burner to keep warm.

1 head bok choy, washed and chopped in bite sized pieces

Cook bok choy in a large pot of boiling water until tender 3-5 minutes. I typically trim the stems at the base of the leaf.

1/4 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined and chopped
2 oz. ground pork
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. cornstarch
Wonton wrappers

Combine the sesame oil and soy sauce. Add cornstarch and mix until it dissolves. Fold in the raw meat until evenly combined. To make wontons, work on a clean surface with a small bowl of water nearby. Place a wrapper flour side down on the surface with the point towards you, so it looks like a diamond. Place a small amount of the filling in the middle of the wrapper 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. Wet the top 2 edges of the wrapper then press them together with the bottom 2 edges. The wonton should now be triangle shaped. Wet the left and right hand corners of the triangle and bring them together pinching lightly. They should look like little tortellini. Cook the wonton in boiling water in batches of 4 or 5. When they are done, they will float.

Place wontons in the bottom of the soup bowl, add some bok choy, and ladle the hot broth on top. Use fresh chopped scallions to garnish.

Anniversary Orzo

Tyler and I went away last weekend to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We ate dinner one night at a fun local, woodsy eatery that had been frozen in time in the 1970's, "Would you like Thousand Island with that?" And the next night we cooked Cornish Game Hens on the grill at the cabin we were renting. Here is the sidedish we made to go with the hen. I have to give a little warning about this recipe. This is something I made up on the spot, five days ago. My memory of quantities could be effected by time.

Anniversary Orzo
2 Tbs. oil
6 oz. mushrooms sliced
1/3 cup diced red onion
3 cloves garlic
2/3 cup orzo
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1 Tbs. dried oregano
1 12oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives

I am particular about mushrooms. I liked them cooked on a high heat so they are deeply carmelized and flavourful. I hate spongy, moist, insipid mushrooms and spend most of my time picking them out of food. So begin this dish by heating the oil to medium high in a dutch oven. Saute the mushrooms first. You want to hear an angry sizzle when you add them to the pot. If you don't, it's not hot enough. Once the mushrooms have a good color on them, reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and sweat until translucent. To this add the garlic and uncooked orzo. Have your chicken broth ready and warming on very low heat on an adjoining burner. You will cook the orzo like a risotto. Once the orzo is covered with oil and you can smell the garlic, begin slowly adding the chicken stock a ladelful at a time waiting for it to absorb between additions. This is where my quantities could be a little rusty. You should test the orzo throughout cooking. Once it is almost done stop adding broth. During the addition of broth add the dried herbs. When the orzo is still a touch firm add the tomatoes and their water. This additional moisture will help to cook the orzo completely - you can always add more broth if I'm lying. Lastly add the olives and serve the dish once they are heated through.