AREPAS

Thank you Mark Bittman...source of this morning's inspiration.
The article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/dining/02mini.html?ref=dining
The Recipe -
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/dining/021mrex.html?ref=dining

This is yummy - tho we didn't exctly follow the recipe - we didn't put cheese in batter, which maybe enhances the corn taste....purer. Tho we did use a little creme fraiche for richness. And we didn't have cilantro. With grilled tomatoes and bacon, this is Sunday Brunch.

GAZPACHO - c. 1970

After a month-long roadtrip, eating uninspired restaurant food by the truckload - I can now cook!! The food of the season....summer food. I overbought on tomatoes from the farmer down the road which leads one to think about gazpacho.

I have an old Time-Life series of cookbooks, c. 1970, that introduced world (ethnic) food to Americans. They seem a little dated now, what with a Thai restuaurant in every town, But with “The Cooking of Spain and Portugal,” I found a starting point - tho I changed the quantity ( to the end of rebalancing the proportions) of nearly every ingredient.

Basically I lessened the green pepper and onion, increased the tomatoes and cucumber. I used less vinegar and much less water, and eliminated the bread crumbs in the soup mixture which I suppose gives it a different consistency (like bread soup?), to arrive at:

3 med. cucumbers, chopped

2 tsp chopped garlic
6-7 med tomatoes, chopped, peeled (this the only fussy part)

1/2 large onion, chopped

1/2 med. green pepper, chopped

1-2 cups water - (start with one)
2 TBL tomato paste
2-3 TBL red wine vinegar, (careful!)
4 tsp salt or more to taste

4 TBL olive oil

Mix in bowl , everything rough-chopped - cuisinart in 2 batches - blender if you want it finer .

At this point, taste - add more water or vinegar or whatever it needs. I can imagine a modern version would have lime juice and cilantro.

Add croutons (forgotten in photo) I also put a dollop of uncalled for creme fraiche on it - it works - but purists may object.

And now on Day #5 – it is still good, I suppose the vinegar acts as preservative.

hiatus over - into food mood again

Puerto Rican pork, with red pepper/lime relish, served with beans and rice, tostones.

Pork shoulder (can use leg, but really too lean) puncutated with garlic, rubbed with vinegar, then oregano and salt and pepper - in abundance. Let transform for 12-36 hours

Roast at 300-350 degrees.

Comfort food.

Photos at last ?

Bigoli con Ragu di Anatra

Molto Mario a favorite source of food inspiration these days, and Mott couldn’t wait to try the Venetian bigoli con ragu di anatra. On a summer evening the recipe was begun. The noodle can be extruded with the Kitchen Aid meat grinder attachment. They were beautiful. And the winey duck ragu was sumptious. We just needed a fire in the fireplace.


Ragu of Duck

4 duck legs and thighs, skin removed
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
8 ounces red wine (Chianti preferred)
1 (28-ounce can) tomatoes, peeled whole
1 cup chicken stock
2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash the duck legs and remove all fat. Pat dry.
In a heavy-bottomed casserole or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil until smoking.
Add the duck legs and cook until brown on all sides and remove, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Add the onion, carrot, garlic and celery and cook until softened, about 7 to 9 minutes.
Add the wine, tomatoes, chicken stock and dried mushrooms and bring to a boil.
Add the duck legs and return to a boil, lower the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 1 hour. Remove the duck legs and allow to cool.
Pull all meat off the bones and return to pot, without the bones.
Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until quite thick.
Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Basic Bigoli Recipe:

4 cups whole wheat flour, plus a little more for bench flour [we used regular flour - just fine]
4 eggs
1/2-cup warm milk, with 2 tablespoons butter melted in
To make the dough: Make a mound of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs and milk mixture. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and milk mixture and begin to incorporate the flour starting with the inner rim of the well.
As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape. Do not worry that this initial phase looks messy. The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated.
Start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands. Once you have a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up any leftover crusty bits. Discard these bits. Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 3 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Continue to knead for another 3 minutes, remembering to dust your board when necessary. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Push through Kitchen Aid meat grinder. If sticky, add extra flour.

Al dente ( but not raw) is 8-9 minutes. A substantive noodle.

And if you are an anchovy lover...

Quick Anchovy Sauce

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ( a little butter not a bad thing)
8 salted anchovies, filleted and soaked in milk for 2 hours
1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 bunches Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/2 cup
Bring 6 quarts water to boil and add 2 tablespoons salt.
Place the noodles in boiling water, and allow 8 to 9 minutes to cook. In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, place the oil, anchovies, and onion over medium heat and cook. Stir often to break up the anchovies until a paste is formed, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss into the pan. Add the parsley, toss over high heat 1 minute and place on a plate. Serve immediately.

Inspired by fine dining in Chicago, I wanted “cuisine” and Stop and Shop had duck breasts. I sort of winged it. Pierre Franey was my best technique guide, but I didn’t like his sauce. All the recipes I looked at suggested cooking times varying from 13 minutes to 25. Pierre’s at 15 was just about perfect….for two 7 oz breast pieces.

I scored fat and put fat side down in moderately hot skillet and let the fat ooze out - my, my what a quantity of goodness. (and surprise, this AM, the fat left in bowl on kitchen counter had not solidified – am taking this as sign it is not all that unhealthful so will use it to roast potatoes) . When fat sides turns nicely brown – 8-9 minutes – turn to meaty side. I also did a turn on the sides of breast, as they were rather thick . Total cook time – 15 minutes, and during this time I constantly removed fat from pan with baster to cut down splattering and need to rewallpaper.

Moved to side plate – most (not all) fat removed from skilled, I added shallots to pan and softened them; they became a rich mahogany brown, then added slurps of balsamic vinegar and wine making a couple-three TBL of sauce.

In Chicago I had eaten delicious tiny whole potatoes that had a crisp exterior, soft interior and coarse salt atop. Simple. It was as if they were briefly thrown into a deep fryer before serving. I was sort of heading for something similar but got derailed. I steamed potatoes (tho I did cut them in half – very different thing) in Creuset, than added some olive oil, hoping to get a crisp crust. Instead the crisp bits stuck to pan and the potatoes collapsed into mush.

Red cabbage – slice it and cook it in a little water for easy preparation. But I started with enhancements - some diced bacon and onion, sauteed for a couple of minutes before adding cabbage. It cooks in about 30 minutes ( I think ) can cook more for softer texture. Other possible additives – diced apple and vinegar – but I was using latter in duck sauce and didn’t want same flavors.

Easy and Savory Favorite - Marcella’s Stovetop Pork

Salt then brown a 2-3 pound hunk of boneless pork roast in generous amount of oil in casserole - center cut loin works, can use other
Add vinegar – I use Balsamic for a bit of sweetness, but any will do.- so that it comes up side of meat approx 1 ½-2 inches. ( Pan diameter should be about that of meat)
Add a couple bay leaves, fresh if possible and…
Add a TBL of peppercorns – whichever type you like.
Cover and braise, keep at low simmer, for approx 1 ½ hours, turning over once or twice.
Remove meat to plate, raise heat and boil down sauce a bit
AND taste for seasoning – surprisingly, it might not be very sour, as pork juices have diluted it and you may have to add more vinegar for a proper tang – and maybe more salt. Marcella puts a knob of butter in this - rounds out taste, but not necessary.

Here the Creuset or other enameled cast iron casserole works well – can simmer slowly – but any pan will work. You can approximate ingredients and it doesn’t matter that much.

I serve with a potato/carrot mash – you can also add onion, celery, turnip, parsnip, etc.
My technique – boil veg just covered in water until tender
Drain then add cup milk or cream and butter, and let come to simmer
Mash with hand masher – adjust seasoning and consistency with more liquid if necessary.

Another use for enameled cast iron – will hold heat when covered.

Charred Bok Choy – an experiment
Cut small ones in half and put in hot dry skillet ( no oil) until they sear on both sides.
Season – can add oil if wanted