tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20378157396778430412024-03-13T10:50:03.821-07:00Naomi KookerRecipes for Life.Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-74704414479443031732015-06-21T20:29:00.000-07:002015-06-21T20:29:17.611-07:00Carbs of My Father; Best Blueberry Muffins
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">My father loved carbohydrates.
I think this as I dunk some of my blueberry muffin in my coffee the way he
would. The tender, warm muffin tears, releasing a summary of our lives at The
Lake: Blueberry picking; the plop of each berry in the large, old metal pot
with a thin handle that swung like a bucket; the cobbler mom made in the
electric skillet; dad’s deliberate footsteps on the floorboards. Him dunking a
wedge of muffin in his coffee, leaning in to catch the drenched sweet in his
mouth before it fell to the table. The piece of white silver birthday cake
placed on the plate so the icing fell to the right or was it the left? So he
could approach it handily. He was left-handed. He attacked the remaining cake batter
with a spoon, controlling the silence with every lick of the lips—his fix, his
salvation. Now it is my turn.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">BEST BLUEBERRY
MUFFINS <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Using the “Mostly
Muffins” book (St. Martin’s Press, 1984), I turned to the blueberry muffins
recipe as the foundation; I found when I substituted part of the sugar for
brown sugar, the muffins turned out wonderfully moist with a hint of nuttiness
that went beyond the walnuts’ inclusion. Enjoy warm out of the oven; they
freeze well and make an excellent <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">INGREDIENTS: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1-1/2 cups
all-purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/2 cup
old-fashioned rolled oats (preferably not quick oats)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/2 cup plus 1
tablespoon granulated sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/2 cup firmly
packed light brown sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 teaspoons
baking powder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/2 teaspoon
salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/2 cup milk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/2 cup (1
stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 egg, lightly
beaten<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 teaspoon
vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 cups fresh or
thawed, drained frozen berries*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/2 cup walnut
pieces <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">DIRECTIONS:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Preheat
oven to 375 degrees F. Grease or coat with vegetable spray six large muffin
cups. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> In
a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and brown
sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, stir together milk, butter, egg
and vanilla until well blended. Make well in center of dry ingredients. Add
milk mixture and stir slightly. Mash 1/4 cup of the blueberries and add to
batter, folding just to combine. Add rest of whole blueberries and walnut
pieces with just a few quick strokes. (It’s important not to over-mix muffins,
as they will become tough.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Spoon
batter into prepared muffin tins until nearly full and sprinkle with remaining
tablespoon of sugar. Bake in middle oven rack for 20 to 25 minutes or until top
of muffin springs back when lightly touched and they are slightly golden brown.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Place
muffin tin on wire rack and cool 5 minutes before removing muffins; remove
muffins and finish cooling on rack. Serve warm or cool completely and wrap
snugly in aluminum foil and freeze. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> To
reheat in the microwave, take muffin out of foil and place on plate in center
of microwave. Heat 1 to 2 minutes, reposition muffin and microwave until
completely warmed. In oven, heat frozen muffins at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20
minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> *For
frozen blueberries, use one 16-ounce bag, thawed and drained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-10120855589975399872014-09-28T08:58:00.000-07:002014-09-30T04:29:05.083-07:00Killing Me Softly: The Dentist and the Lobster<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BIbm2eMuAsRFU7zRWt3NxFFxVwFJJlv2UkxmN4cVcS_Q5WGEMJWSBkSm9F4jvHfsxgNaTIDLqnms5J0QSiMwpYo_8QG_1Hn7vNltjamnTEyg-UAAboFB5uMi7LI6i_foWdXKHbw6_AlU/s1600/grilled+lob1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BIbm2eMuAsRFU7zRWt3NxFFxVwFJJlv2UkxmN4cVcS_Q5WGEMJWSBkSm9F4jvHfsxgNaTIDLqnms5J0QSiMwpYo_8QG_1Hn7vNltjamnTEyg-UAAboFB5uMi7LI6i_foWdXKHbw6_AlU/s1600/grilled+lob1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">I get hungry
when I go to my dentist. We talk food. I catch him up on the latest restaurant
openings; he shares the latest dish he’s whipped up. I trust a dentist who
cooks. Just his demeanor when he talks about food and cooking leads me into the
inner sanctum of someone who not only loves what he does but also knows how to
do it well. Our conversation starts easy, then, the more we talk food, the
faster we go, working our taste buds into a lather. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.framinghamcosmeticdentist.com/">Dr. RonaldKolodziej</a> (Dr. K) talks about my teeth and gums in the same excitable manner. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">My last visit revolved
around lobsters. “I haven’t steamed a lobster all summer,” he said. “My recipe
is inspired by one of my favorite chefs, Jasper White [<a href="http://www.summershackrestaurant.com/">Summer Shack</a>]. Now with the abundance
of high quality garlic infused EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), this recipe is a
snap.” He grills the lobsters instead. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">The caveat, of course, is killing the
lobster first.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">I, too, have
killed lobsters, but by boiling them. I’ve also snipped off the faces of squirming
soft-shell crabs, cleaned their gills before sautéing. I hated it. Hated it.
Hated it. My stomach squirmed. I stomped my feet in protest as though shaking
off my actions would make them kinder. It is true. I ate those soft shell crabs
with a side of guilt. You want sea-to-sauté? I’m not your gal.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Dr. K ticked off
his recipe for grilled lobster: Garlic infused EVOO, lobsters from Market Basket.
Market Basket? He explained they are just as good and less expensive. “My knife
of choice is a 7-inch Global chef.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">I jotted down
notes in my illegible scrawl, bought my lobsters at Roche Bros., and made sure
my mother’s gas grill was good to go. If I were going to grill lobster it would
be under the fading light of day on Cape Cod—a quintessential New England late
summer supper.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">My nerves
mounted as I thought about the lobsters kicking inside the brown paper bag. I
needed support. An online search led me to a Fine Cooking <a href="http://www.finecooking.com/item/11058/video-how-to-kill-a-lobster">video</a>: “How to kill a
lobster”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">“It’s more
humane to kill your lobster before cooking,” says the nice, apron-clad young
woman while a banded-clawed lobster frantically gropes the air with his spindly
legs on the cutting board before her. “That way it dies a quick death.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">First, you freeze
the lobsters for 20 minutes to numb them, surely easing the pain and slowing
down its movements so, as the woman says, “It’s easier to work with.” A bedtime
story is optional. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Second, you need
a sharp knife to conduct your business. The idea is you cut into the brain
behind the eyes and then down the middle of the lobster, delivering a quick
“painless” death. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Here’s where the
plan started to go wrong. I didn’t have a 7-inch Global chef’s knife. Though I
love my mother dearly, she didn’t have a sharp knife in the house. My father’s
fishing knife, once used for gutting his soft-belly catch, was duller than a
Latin lecture series. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Impatience and
hunger interfered. I pulled the lobsters out of the freezer five minutes early,
which was just enough time to freak them out without slowing down anything. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">The lobsters
flailed against my dull knife. My rant, intended for the lobsters, was a bad
attempt at calming myself. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Traumatized and
exhausted by the botched operation, I took a deep breath and slathered on the
olive oil as best I could and placed the lobsters on the grill. I turned their
reddening bodies over the sizzling heat without relief. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">When we sat
down, I said grace. I asked for forgiveness. What we received in their curled garlicky
grilled tails was a morsel of gratitude and hard-shelled humbleness I was
forced to digest. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">QUICK & EASY
GRILLED LOBSTER WITH GARLIC EVOO<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Though summer is equated with lobster,
after Labor Day and through late November is also a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/lobster-tails/lobster-season-what-is-the-best-time-of-year-to-buy-lobster/291209194230852?ref=nf">great time to buy lobster</a>.
It’s when the shells are hard and there’s more meat per pound. As an
alternative to the chill-and-kill method, Chef Corey Marcoux of <a href="http://brineoyster.com/">Brine OysterBar</a> in Newburyport said another method is to hold the lobster upside down so
the head touches a hard surface. “Puts them to sleep,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">INGREDIENTS:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">2 1-1/4 to 1-1/2
lbs. lobster (1 lobster per guest) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Garlic infused
EVOO <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">PREPARATION:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Purchase the
lobsters live. Kill the lobsters before grilling and butterfly in half. Rinse
lobsters under cold water. Place them on a baking sheet and dry. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Brush entire
lobster with garlic-infused EVOO, season with salt and pepper. Place lobsters
on medium grill and tent with an 8-by-12-inch disposable aluminum pan. Grill
for about 7 minutes, turning occasionally. Apply more EVOO half way through the
cooking. The meat should be opaque when done. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Sides: Serve the
lobsters with Tom Colicchio’s <a href="http://naomikooker.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-summer-of-creamless-creamed-corn.html">creamless creamed corn</a> and my <a href="http://naomikooker.blogspot.com/2009/05/one-potato-two-potato-three-potato.html">potato salad</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">Wine: As Dr. K
says, “I’ve been enjoying this recipe with Oregon Pinot Noirs.” The dentist
knows he’s talking about. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">Disclaimer: This is not a post for PETA.
I’ve taken to heart what it means to be a carnivore, an omnivore, a picador and
a metaphor—none of it is easy. But I’m not giving it up. A steak or burger
feeds my occasional craving. The salmon sushi is a buttery bite carrying
Omega-3s. Giving up beef, chicken, fish or pork in my diet would be like Mario
Batali giving up his orange Crocs. It’s not happening. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-73630007387257734142014-08-31T03:55:00.000-07:002014-08-31T06:36:34.574-07:00The Summer of Creamless Creamed Corn<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzDzaBldYldGq7ztvqWfzPJlFWzbdGE8qRbX8y3tA9r-BejA0tq6hPGjCzbC11I8cOUa0m1c3jN95kYivCe0AislCtDgJ0c3QP4cAx6w9mJKQgZ7hKe2EeaBhTGDclJ1RKos_qVejJ9OF/s1600/buttery+corn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzDzaBldYldGq7ztvqWfzPJlFWzbdGE8qRbX8y3tA9r-BejA0tq6hPGjCzbC11I8cOUa0m1c3jN95kYivCe0AislCtDgJ0c3QP4cAx6w9mJKQgZ7hKe2EeaBhTGDclJ1RKos_qVejJ9OF/s400/buttery+corn.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buttery corn kernels on their way to becoming "creamed".</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Back in May I interviewed Mr. Tom Colicchio (<a href="http://www.craftrestaurantsinc.com/craft-new-york/">Craft Restaurants</a>, <i><a href="http://www.bravotv.com/people/tom-colicchio/bio">Top Chef</a></i>) in Boston. We happened to be at a special screening of <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2883512/">Chef</a></i>, the feature film starring Jon Favreau, who also wrote and directed the comedy. Favreau plays a one-time popular chef (Carl Casper) who loses his creative mojo and finds it on a food truck. Integral to the story is how the chef’s time-strapped career keeps him away from his family. He’s divorced from Inez (Sofia Vergagara) and has a son, Percy (Emjay Anthony), whom he barely spends time with.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">After the credits rolled at the end of the movie (thanks to <i><a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/#">Food and Wine</a></i> magazine for the screening), Mr. Colicchio graciously answered a few questions. I wanted to know how he liked the movie.
“It’s a fun movie,” he said. “It was really important for Jon to get the food right, and I think he did. The food is a great part of the film, you know.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And then he kept talking, but not just about the food. Colicchio is a dad of three sons—ages 21, 5 and 3. What he loved about the film, he told me, was seeing the relationship between the chef and his son. “When I was a much younger chef, when my 21-year-old was little, there was a lot of time I didn’t get to spend with him,” Mr. Coliccho explained. “And so the story between the father and the son, to me, was really special. It brought a lot of memories back and it’s time you can’t make up.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In Mr. Colicchio’s first cookbook, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Chef-Tom-Colicchio/dp/0307406954"><i>Think Like a Chef</i> </a>(Clarkson Potter, 2000), his version of Creamless Creamed Corn is a “modern interpretation” of the creamed corn he loved as a kid. In <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Craft-Cooking-Recipes-Restaurant-Kitchen/dp/0609610503/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409434450&sr=1-1&keywords=craft+of+cooking">Craft of Cooking: </a>Notes and Recipes from a Restaurant Kitchen</i> (Clarkson Potter, 2003), he writes: “This is my son, Dante’s, favorite summer dish at Craft, and it’s not hard to figure out why; the white corn, already sweet to begin with, is served in a ‘cream’ derived naturally from puréed corn, further intensifying the corn flavor.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">There was the movie and the lost time between father and son. Then there was the father-and-son shared love of the creamless creamed corn.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When I got home I looked into my vegetable bin and wondered—what bit part could my three ears of week-old corn play? This corn well on its way to becoming cornbread? But behind the taffeta husks were still-juicy kernels. I shucked, sliced kernels off the cobs and made the corn “milk” by pureeing kernels in a blender with a little water. At the stove I sautéed diced onion in butter—adding salt and pepper at every turn, like a chef—and left the heat on low so the onions would become tender, translucent, slowly without browning. The sharp onion muted into a buttery aroma. Ten minutes, that’s all it takes, suggested the recipe.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I added the remaining corn kernels to the buttery onions and kept the flame low.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Patience. Cooking pulls you into a reality sphere, where time slows to the present and all you have to do is show up. You think all might be lost with week-old corn, but it isn’t. Relief came from Mr. Colicchio’s recipe in Craft: “Unlike corn on the cob, which is best eaten straight from the field, corn that is a day or tow old may work even better here, since some of the natural sugars will have converted to starch, allowing for thicker cream.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">After squeezing all the liquid from the puréed corn kernels, I poured the pale yellow corn “milk” into a makeshift double boiler and heated it until it clung to the back of a spoon just like the consistency of heavy cream, the way Mr. Colicchio said it would thicken. “Wow!” “Insane” and “Holy Molly!” I caught myself saying out loud as I stirred the “milk” into a heavy-cream thickness. Mother Nature is never too late.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When I added the thickened “milk” to the corn-onion mixture and stirred, it became creamy like risotto. Instead of using tarragon as the recipe instructed I improvised with weeks-old thyme that had dried and sat crumbled in the bottom of my vegetable bin. I used what I had on hand. The corn tasted of summer even at its end.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“The second time around with my 3-year-old and 5-year-old, I spend more time with them,” said Mr. Colicchio, “because I’m a little more established in my career. I’m not going in the restaurant at 8 in the morning and leaving at 1 o’clock the next morning anymore.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The father-and-son angle? “I thought that was a great story,” Mr. Coloicchio said. “But, the food scenes were just awesome.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Creamless Cream Corn from Mr. Colicchio’s <i>Craft of Cooking</i> </span></b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Mr. Colicchio has his own description of this dish—his son, “Dante’s, favorite summer dish at Craft.” I have offered it here verbatim with permission from his publicists. </span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Serves 6</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">10 ears of white corn</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5 tablespoons unsalted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2 teaspoons roughly chopped fresh tarragon</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Shuck half of the corn and remove the kernels from the husks[sic]. Place the corn in a blender and discard the cobs and husks. Purée the corn with 1/3 cup water. Press the purée through a fine sieve and reserve.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Shuck the remaining corn, cut the kernels from the cobs, and reserve. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and pepper and cook until the onion begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved corn, salt, and ½ cup of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is almost tender, about 7 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Meanwhile, transfer the strained corn purée [sic] [the intention, I believe, is to transfer the corn “milk” that was extracted from the purée] into a double boiler set over barely simmering water. Cook gently, stirring frequently, until the liquid thickens to the consistency of heavy cream, about 3 minutes. Season the purée with salt and pepper. Remove the corn and onion mixture from the heat and stir in the corn cream. Add the tarragon and adjust the seasoning if necessary with salt and pepper.
</span>Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-19144661387248222542012-11-21T19:31:00.000-08:002012-11-23T09:09:26.743-08:00Homemade Cranberry Sauce Makes Thanksgiving A Grateful Endeavor<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpO4-bd-5W6yxhU7XoZLKWFIZgmJLjbl133w9ochdKSQZVVaLXaiJfeayGhd4Q9nkjHsxxTJn_dm3XtPG-FL3s8Lc4ExAN_MHNnpH6-LgUsMtCxxU4CyRs14tZmzTjnV8R14hSZsQj8_v/s1600/cran+sauce+this.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpO4-bd-5W6yxhU7XoZLKWFIZgmJLjbl133w9ochdKSQZVVaLXaiJfeayGhd4Q9nkjHsxxTJn_dm3XtPG-FL3s8Lc4ExAN_MHNnpH6-LgUsMtCxxU4CyRs14tZmzTjnV8R14hSZsQj8_v/s1600/cran+sauce+this.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kellerman Cranberry Sauce Photo by Naomi Kooker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You make your
own cranberry sauce?” says the lady at the checkout counter, eyeing the fresh
cranberries. Yes, I’m last minute shopping the day before Thanksgiving. Her
tone of voice is incredulous as though I told her I tan my own hides.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It’s a family tradition,”
I tell her. “My turn this year.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Normally, it’s
Mom. Mom makes it every year. That and the banana bread she swears she doesn’t
have a recipe for, says she makes it differently every year, yet it always
tastes the same: like Mom’s awesome banana bread.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tradition gives
Thanksgiving that sense of continuity; it gives families a focal point, helps create community. It's a meal that connects one
year to the next, the familiarity with a dish comforting. Everyone has his or her own staple – sweet potato casserole;
green bean casserole; a certain way you do mashed potatoes; the way you cook
your turkey (Our dad was the turkey chef, butchering it in half, basting it with Crisco, foil tent and all -- a method we employ to this day because I have never -- brined and all -- had a better turkey.); or the stuffing or cranberry sauce. It’s your family’s DNA. Which is
why, I suppose, many people like to break with tradition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I often thought canned,
jellied cranberry sauce was exotic. It was so…so clean, a perfectly shaped cylinder, a still life among the chaos.
Contained. How come ours didn’t come out so smooth with ridges at the ends?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">My mom, Demaris, remembers
her mom, Ruth, making cranberry sauce from scratch. “I can remember
her screwing the old grinder at the end of the table, a bowl under it,” says
Mom. “Now we can do it more easily.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I am thankful
for my blender.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">For each package
of fresh cranberries, u</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">se one navel orange, skin and all. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Raw?” I ask about the cranberries. “Yes.” </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Sugar to taste, says
Mom. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I tamper with a
chromosome: I blanch the cranberries so they become a dark burgundy,
get a little soft and lose some of the bitterness yet remain tart. Cut up the
orange so your food processor or blender can take it. Spoon in the sugar, keep
tasting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s not exotic
like the jellied kind, and you can’t cut it with a knife. But the freshness of
the tart cranberries, the juicy oranges, the balance of sweetness from the
sugar -- it will likely elicit a
pleasant surprise at the table. “You made this?!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">RUTH'S CRANBERRY SAUCE <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">TIME: 40 minutes
to an hour, depending how much cranberry sauce you make and whether or not you
have a blender (like I do) so you have to grind up the cranberries in batches<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">INGREDIENTS:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 12-ounce packages
fresh cranberries <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 navel oranges <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 to 2 cups of
sugar <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">pinch of salt <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">P 1. Put a 4-quart pot of water onto the stove
to boil. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;">Set up an ice bath – that’s a large bowl
with some water and lots of ice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;"> 2. Slice the orange in quarters, then again into smaller pieces. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;"> 3. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-indent: -0.25in;">When the water is boiling, put the
cranberries in the water. Cook for 1 minute only. Drain the cranberries then
dunk them in the ice bath immediately, stir them around so the ice melts and
the berries cook down quickly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-indent: -0.25in;"> 4. <span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-indent: -0.25in;">Once cooled down, drain the cranberries.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 5. <span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In using a food processor, you can go by
1 cup batches; if you’re using a blender use smaller batches to grind the
cranberries and oranges. Place a handful of cranberries in the blender squeeze
in the juice and add a quarter piece of orange, rind and all. Blend on high
until almost pureed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;"> 6. Add a heaping tablespoon of sugar with
each round of cranberries. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;"> 7. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-indent: -0.25in;">Repeat until all the cranberries and
orange are ground; repeat to create a course, purred sauce. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-indent: -0.25in;"> 8. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-indent: -0.25in;">Once all the cranberries and the orange
is ground, stir together and add more sugar to taste.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Best made at least
a couple hours if not a day or two in advance. It gives time for the flavors to
blend. Serve with turkey dinner, great with roast chicken and delishous with
mayonnaise on the day-after-Thanksgiving sandwiches. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-51902334489965014332012-02-26T04:45:00.008-08:002012-05-23T05:52:53.614-07:00Home Run Blueberry and Walnut Pancakes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LYCuAQ83RvMzY1hnqwtW2iik-crvQG-1xH6eGPMrdCFuugU7V4UhX015iqdAmHrfQqj53oz5VCUlKhkfQoNdLz8AdLt2B9GqNdjElbLsREXr9xcAJgtD26-PQYdhSXxTxyN71R7cCXRG/s1600/pancakes.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713427027248559826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LYCuAQ83RvMzY1hnqwtW2iik-crvQG-1xH6eGPMrdCFuugU7V4UhX015iqdAmHrfQqj53oz5VCUlKhkfQoNdLz8AdLt2B9GqNdjElbLsREXr9xcAJgtD26-PQYdhSXxTxyN71R7cCXRG/s200/pancakes.JPG" style="display: block; height: 132px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">This post was in honor of National Pancake Week earlier this year. In my mind, however, Pancake Week is every week. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br /></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I took my three nephews - David, Michael and Tommy - when there were small to Boston's legendary </span></i><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie's_Sandwich_Shoppe">Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe</a> in the South End. I had just moved out of the apartment I shared with my husband, soon to be Ex. Charlie's was an oasis, and it was a way to thank my nephews for having come to my place to help pack boxes and hang out. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">At Charlie's we shared some precious moments over pancakes (griddlecakes in their lexicon) and serendipity broke out when a famous Red Sox player walked in. You can read the whole post in </span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/WhereHashRules">Where Hash Rules</a><i>, a delicious narrative about the people - past and present - surrounding this iconic diner, which opened in 1927. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Where Hash Rules<i> is available at </i><a href="http://www.powells.com/s?kw=Where+Hash+Rules&class=" style="font-style: italic;">Powell's Books</a><i> (great indie bookseller based in Oregon), </i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Where+Hash+Rules" style="font-style: italic;">Amazon</a><i> and other retailers. Buy </i>Where Hash Rules<i> in May and fight childhood cancer: One dollar from each sale will go toward </i><a href="http://www.alexslemonade.org/newsroom/news/george-aaron-cuddy-author-where-hash-rules-joins-childhood-cancer-fight" style="font-style: italic;">Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation</a><i>. Oh, and if you try this recipe, let me know how it goes! </i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I often bribe my nephews with food. So, when they came to help their city-living aunt pack boxes to move, I rewarded them with breakfast at Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe. Now, picture three brothers—ages 12, 10 and 9-ish—from the ‘burbs in the South End for the first time. Even looking for parking was exciting.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">We took our seats at the counter and marveled at the action in the short-order kitchen. We all got pancakes. They came as these giant, steamy discs hanging over the sides of the plates with gobs of melting butter.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The guy at the counter, covered in tattoos, engaged the boys in banter, adding color to the morning as we ate. It was rumored that then Boston Red Sox star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra often came in for breakfast. David, the oldest, joked, “Oh, there he is!” He wasn’t. “Oh, Dave,” the boys teased. We tore into the pancakes, creating gooey goodness sweetened by maple syrup.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Five minutes later, guess who walks in. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><i>Though the cliffhanger can wait, the pancakes cannot. </i></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Home Run Blueberry Pancakes with Walnuts</b></div>
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Thanks to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 13<sup>th</sup> Ed. </i>(by Marion Cunningham, Alfred A. Knopf, 1996), I discovered a foolproof recipe for delicious blueberry pancakes. This version is my own recipe, earning kudos from friends who love the combination of brown-sugar sweetness, walnuts and blueberries. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Serves 4 to 6</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Ingredients:</span></div>
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1 ¼ cups milk<o:p></o:p></div>
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4 tablespoons melted butter<o:p></o:p></div>
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2 eggs<o:p></o:p></div>
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2 cups flour <o:p></o:p></div>
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2 tablespoons light brown sugar<o:p></o:p></div>
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2 tablespoons sugar <o:p></o:p></div>
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4 teaspoons baking powder<o:p></o:p></div>
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3/4 teaspoon kosher salt<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried; if using frozen blueberries, thaw thoroughly and drain<o:p></o:p></div>
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¼ cup chopped walnuts <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">In a large mixing bowl lightly beat the milk, melted butter and eggs. In a separate bowl sift the dry ingredients—flour, sugars, baking powder, salt—together until blended. Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture, stirring just to coat the flour. Add the blueberries and the walnuts and gently mix in, be careful not to stir the batter too much or the pancakes will be more tough than fluffy.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Heat butter in a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Once the pan or griddle is hot, spoon about ¼ cup of batter onto the pan to create the pancakes. Make sure you leave room to flip them. Reduce heat to medium. Once bubbles form on top and along the sides, and pancakes are lightly browning on the bottom, they’re ready to flip with a spatula. Brown the other side—about 2 minutes. Remove and keep the pancakes warm in an oven-proof dish in a 200-degree oven. Place a lightly damp, clean dish towel over the pancakes to keep them soft and warm.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Serve with butter and real maple syrup.</span></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br /></span></div>Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-19530230689002145792012-02-14T15:44:00.000-08:002012-02-15T09:39:56.808-08:00Secrets to Heavenly Hot Chocolate with M. Jacques Torres<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCR48l3w4syRdnrdgnsLYkOdNqvrKDt9B2RqyiKGG9zLjfUlvO5m2rWOtX-J1Z6LlIbn9R2hwUKLwAJVb5gp7Q3vUaj4MqNum8HFdXyS6V3mfDK1D-kufR1ECX3fPX-m55LWU2tZRXJvb/s1600/hot+choc.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCR48l3w4syRdnrdgnsLYkOdNqvrKDt9B2RqyiKGG9zLjfUlvO5m2rWOtX-J1Z6LlIbn9R2hwUKLwAJVb5gp7Q3vUaj4MqNum8HFdXyS6V3mfDK1D-kufR1ECX3fPX-m55LWU2tZRXJvb/s200/hot+choc.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709142289109716610" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>471</o:Words> <o:characters>2686</o:Characters> <o:company>Boston University </o:Company> <o:lines>22</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>5</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>3298</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">If there’s anyone who knows how to make exceptional hot chocolate, it’s master pastry chef Jacques Torres—<a href="http://www.mrchocolate.com/">Mr. Chocolate himself</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">A few years ago I took my teenage nephews (all three of them) on a Christmas jaunt to New York City. The weekend included a Knicks vs. Bulls game at Madison Square Garden; dinner at Blue Smoke; a stroll down 7<sup>th</sup> Avenue in Brooklyn (We stayed with a friend there); and a pit stop at <a href="http://www.mrchocolate.com/">Jacques Torres Chocolate</a> in DUMBO before hitting the highway home to Boston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">The last stop made the most lasting impression. The hot chocolate was how I recalled it at <a href="http://www.angelina-paris.fr/#/home/">Angelina </a>in Paris (sorry, M. Torres, if you find the comparison unfavorable). For an impressionable American, taken there by a Parisian, it was a culinary “Aha!” moment: thick silky creamy chocolate—not cocoa—poured from a pitcher with a bowl of whipped cream to do with what I wanted. It was heaven.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">chocolat chaud</i> at M. Torres’ cozy shop “down under the Brooklyn Bridge” brought me back to Paris and opened my nephews’ eyes to what good chocolate could do if you let it. Truth is, they were so taken aback by its richness they couldn’t finish it. Me? I happily drank the leftovers and zinged eastbound on Interstate 278 toward home.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">M. Torres graciously spoke to PressureKooker, recently, imparting the three most important elements in making great hot chocolate:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">1. Use good</span> chocolate. “The quality of chocolate is very important,” he says in a lovely French accent. “Do not use cocoa powder—cocoa is a byproduct of chocolate. …It’s not a finished product.” (He special orders chocolate from <a href="http://www.belcolade.com/">Belcolade</a> in Belgium.)</p><p class="MsoNormal">2. Boil the milk twice. While there’s no need for cream or anything richer than milk, M. Torres does recommend boiling the milk twice: once before you add the chocolate, then again after you’ve added the chocolate.</p><p class="MsoNormal">3. "Forget the marshmallows—I love marshmallows, but not in hot chocolate,” he says. “I think people put in marshmallows because they’re too lazy to make whipped cream. …Not Chantilly. Chantilly has sugar.” In fact, he prefers unsweetened whipped cream, softly whipped. “The cold cream on the top, once it starts to melt and the hot chocolate, together it’s heaven.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">Heavenly Hot Chocolate for Two</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">Time: About 5 to 10 minutes to make the whipped cream; five minutes to make the hot chocolate</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">12 ounces whole milk</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">4 heaping tablespoons good quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (for this recipe, I used Ghirardelli, 60 % cacao bittersweet chocolate</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">2 tablespoons sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">2 tablespoons water <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">1 pinch kosher salt <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">1 pint whole cream, lightly whipped by hand with a whisk</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">In a medium-sized, thick-bottom saucepan, heat the milk over medium-high heat until it softly comes to a boil.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">Once the milk gets frothy, remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate, whisking quickly until it’s completely melted.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">Put the mixture back on the heat and slowly bring to a soft boil. Keep whisking. Add the sugar, water and salt. Whisk for a minute while softly boiling.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">Remove saucepan from heat. Pour hot chocolate into pre-warmed mugs (a good way to keep the chocolate hot). Top with whipped cream. Serve immediately, savor slowly.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-81686848432775901692012-02-12T08:07:00.000-08:002012-02-12T08:16:36.922-08:00Sundays are for French Toast<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>474</o:Words> <o:characters>2703</o:Characters> <o:company>Boston University </o:Company> <o:lines>22</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>5</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>3319</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">There’s nothing like the wafting smell of browning butter, the sizzle of placing your egg-soaked bread in the pan and smelling the mix of cinnamon and warmth as you await your French toast. The first time I made French toast as a kid I confused the process with pancakes. I loved both, and at home would alternate between the two for Saturday breakfast. OK, my mom was really the one who made them. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">But when I slept over at a friend’s house, the next morning I offered to make French toast. I was so sure how to make it. I mixed up flour and milk, baking powder and a little oil. That was it, wasn’t it? Hmm. Something didn’t look right, but I didn’t let on that I wasn’t sure. I dipped the bread in the lumpy batter and laid it down in the bed of hot Pam. One flip and it didn’t look like the French toast at home.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">I called my mom. “Oh, honey [insert: dumbass]. That’s pancake batter. For French toast it’s just eggs and milk and a little cinnamon.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">For the record, my mom has never called me dumbass.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">We scrapped the pan-toast (which to this day might be a bigger hit than chicken and waffles, but we never tried it), and got going on the French part: beating the eggs, adding a dollop of milk, a sprinkle of cinnamon and frying it up. I’m sure it was fine.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">Fast forward to high school when I waited tables at a rustic resort in Maine during the summer. Our cook was a groovy dude, Carey. And, for the record, I had a bad crush on Carey. He wore fringed suede boots, touted a thick beard and said “man” a lot. At dinner he and the sous chef fired up white Russians once the mis en place was complete—smart. It didn’t hurt he was a graduate of the CIA. I just didn’t know why someone would hire a spy to cook at a resort. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">Then Carey blew my mind. To make French toast he whisked some eggs, added cream, and sprinkled in cinnamon. But he didn’t stop there. He shaved in some fresh nutmeg, a pinch of sugar, a few grains of salt, a dash of vanilla, then, true to his line-cooking expertise, added a healthy tablespoon of rum. That was the closest I was going to get to loving Carey. I’ve always made it the same way since, often without the rum.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">Carey’s Sunday French Toast</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">3 large eggs</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">1 tablespoon cream or half and half, or whole milk<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">2 teaspoons cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">3 shaves of fresh nutmeg <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">1 teaspoon vanilla <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">1 tablespoon dark rum <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">1 teaspoon sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">1 pinch salt <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">Butter</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">6 slices regular bread, white or whole wheat <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">Real maple syrup<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">Whisk all the ingredients, except butter, bread and syrup, together in a shallow bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">Over medium-high heat, heat up enough butter to coat the bottom of a large skillet. Once the butter is lightly browned (you can smell it’s nuttiness), soak each piece of bread in the egg mixture and, two at a time, lay them in the skillet to cook. Turn down the heat to medium so you do not burn the bread. Once each side is cooked well, about 2 minutes each, turn them over. You may want to turn them over again to brown each side evenly.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">Serve with butter and real maple syrup. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">HOSPITALITY NOTE: One way to keep it all warm: warm the plates (provided they are oven proof) in about 150-degree oven. Heat the syrup. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-73902798734139747852012-02-06T08:30:00.000-08:002012-02-06T09:34:00.716-08:00Omi's Spicy Walnuts & It's A New Day Salad<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-JZPrs3Aa0U5ApzdzB5YqD4rKTWt8QPkAyf5LscwAnWy9UeDRLCjfoTsH2MHKsD6oT7SO7_S3k0DLah2MTCxl6Z7Nu16IEb5gPnvBjYNHBaCb6IYWGKTVN6PiKxMzROFx9PBw9gOaX7m/s1600/spiced+nuts.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-JZPrs3Aa0U5ApzdzB5YqD4rKTWt8QPkAyf5LscwAnWy9UeDRLCjfoTsH2MHKsD6oT7SO7_S3k0DLah2MTCxl6Z7Nu16IEb5gPnvBjYNHBaCb6IYWGKTVN6PiKxMzROFx9PBw9gOaX7m/s200/spiced+nuts.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706064482448625970" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>344</o:Words> <o:characters>1963</o:Characters> <o:company>Boston University </o:Company> <o:lines>16</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>3</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>2410</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">Yesterday (February 5, 2012, Super Bowl XLVI), my salad was a Super Bowl salad. Today, it’s consolation leftovers. Well, not exactly. It’s still a salad, and given it was even a surprise to most <a href="http://www.patriots.com/">Pats</a> fans that we (it’s still <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">we</i>, no divorce) even made it to the Super Bowl, I’m consoled. It’s a new day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">Take my mom, a 76-year-old woman.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';"> She was depressed for two minutes after New England lost the game. Then she went like this: " 'Demaris, what are you thinking? Football is a violent game. You just lost your husband, and you've been through two cancers. Get out of your depression,' I said something like that to myself," she told me.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">"The whole thing is if you can keep a <a href="http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009/08/top-10-tips-for-maintaining-positive.html">positive attitude</a> you can get through most anything." </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">To help kick-start <a href="http://careerstrategyroadmap.com/clean-slate-day-season-year">a clean slate</a> and promote a positive attitude, I invented these spicy <a href="http://www.walnuts.org/walnuts">walnuts</a>. I know I’m not the first person to make spiced nuts. There are many brands out there. But these are pretty kickn’ and so simple to make you barely need a recipe. Now that's positive. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">Inspired by the bleu cheese/buffalo heat without-the-wings combo, these nuts are delish in the It’s A New Day Salad with Gorgonzola dressing (See recipe below) or they can disappear on their own. Warning: They can be addictive.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;"><b>Omi’s Spicy Walnuts</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">1 cup walnut halves</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">1/4 cup sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">1 heaping teaspoon cayenne pepper<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">1 teaspoon kosher salt<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">2 tablespoons butter, melted <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">Three shakes of Tabasco sauce<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';">Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">Toss all the ingredients in a Ziploc or other plastic bag. Shake until the nuts are well coated. Spread into a shallow pan and bake at 400 for about 8 to 10 minutes or until you start to smell the nuts. Shake them periodically and taste one (but careful, it’s hot, blow on it—I am not responsible if you burn your tongue) to make sure it’s lightly toasted. Monitor the nuts carefully as they get to the end of their baking time; they can go quickly from just rightly toasted to burnt.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">Take out of the oven, cool and sprinkle over the salad or serve alone as a party snack.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;"><b>It’s A New Day Salad</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:130%;">1 small head of iceberg lettuce, leaves washed, dried and chopped</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">2 handfuls baby carrots<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">3 celery stalks, chopped <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">1 pint grape tomatoes, washed & dried</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">1 whole red pepper, julienned <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">2 Tablespoons red onion, chopped <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">Serve with Gorgonzola or bleu cheese dressing <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">Omi’s spicy walnuts <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:130%;">Note: In <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/google">Googling</a> It’s A New Day, I discovered that I do not want to link to the Website using the same phrase; on the other hand, I do like the <a href="http://careerstrategyroadmap.com/clean-slate-day-season-year">“clean slate”</a> link, which talks about fulfilling career/personal goals. </span></i></p> <!--EndFragment-->Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-32200147067150519522012-02-04T16:09:00.000-08:002012-02-04T19:18:34.848-08:00Simon's Swans...And Other Latte Art<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq40aYJH9tAp3PNp1dYrpRgOw8R1YpD5QWe-4s3H9VgFhVgF-6l9Xf9fEyHJhPX2DwD4wPk1FR_cumLluaoH-I-ivC2SfI1qf-kZIV8arDhRA-10fDssEvoNSrGkNYDBy9cv_5PU66uPHs/s1600/photo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq40aYJH9tAp3PNp1dYrpRgOw8R1YpD5QWe-4s3H9VgFhVgF-6l9Xf9fEyHJhPX2DwD4wPk1FR_cumLluaoH-I-ivC2SfI1qf-kZIV8arDhRA-10fDssEvoNSrGkNYDBy9cv_5PU66uPHs/s200/photo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705439897833474770" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Coffee in Cambridge, Mass. is like chocolate in Paris</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">, Fran</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">ce—you got to go for it while you’re there because it’s the right thing to drink/eat. It’s like going to the moon and not meeting the man or going to Fenway and not using the restroom.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">It took me a while to get to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/SimonsCoffeeShop?sk=info">Simon's Coffee Shop</a> but now I’m hooked and it’s not just because of the caffeine. These are serious coffee people. They buy their coffee from <a href="http://barismo.com/">Barismo</a>, a small-batch coffee roaster in Arlington started by former Simon’s baristas. (I love that about Boston. Toss a penny in the Swan Boat Public Garden pond and it doesn’t sink to the bottom—it’s too shallow—it casts off ripples. And not only that, Barismo folks are just about to open <a href="http://dwelltimecambridge.com/">dwelltime</a> in Inman Square. Ripple.)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Before adding cream I taste the house coffee, El Bosque (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">the forest</i>) from Guatemala. It’s balanced, not too acidic, a nice medium roast. My friend calls me over to admire the foam on her latte. “Look!” There’s a swan swirl on top. Think the mark of Zorro or the X in Malcolm X. We think Erick did it, or it could be Jay.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Simon’s is narrow. The coffee bar and counter is on one side, tables and chairs on the other. When we go around 1 p.m. on a Saturday all the seats are taken. There’s a woman with her open laptop, and a man who appears to be waiting for someone or something. Nifty photos hang on the burnt-orange walls.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Jason Rayner (a barista) tells me they all practice “latte art”—swans, rosettes. “All of us can do ‘em,” he says, crediting <a href="http://weburbanist.com/2010/04/15/designer-baristas-50-incredible-works-of-coffee-latte-art/">David Schomer</a> in Seattle, Wash. for starting latte art.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">I’m taken with the swan. “Do you do skulls?” I ask the guy with tattoos, feeling self-conscious. “I’ve seen them done,” he says politely.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">We take our coffees and leave for chez friend.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:78%;">Photo courtesy @lvanderpool</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-64975401097007073762011-12-23T13:54:00.000-08:002011-12-23T14:18:03.947-08:0012-Hours-Left Food Lover Finds for the Holidays<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>702</o:Words> <o:characters>4003</o:Characters> <o:company>Boston University </o:Company> <o:lines>33</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>8</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>4915</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;">Still not sure what to get your food lover? Don’t panic. PressureKooker has you covered.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><span style="Times New Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;">BOOKS BY LOCAL AUTHORS<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="Times New Roman"">“Shucked: Life on a New England Oyster Farm”</span></b><span style="Times New Roman""> by Erin Byers Murray (St. Martin’s Press, 2011, $25) is a wonderfully woven memoir about a lifestyle writer turned oyster farmer turned author. Through Byers Murray’s passion we learn about oyster farming at Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, Mass., follow her through the wicked winters and gracious summers on “the flats”, and taste the “merroir”—the essence of an oyster from where it’s grown—through her salivating descriptions. Fun, moving and delicious read. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="Times New Roman"">“The Apple Lover’s Cookbook”</span></b><span style="Times New Roman""> by Amy Traverso (W.W. Norton & Co., 2011, $29.95) is a lovely ode to all the favs we know, from McCoun and McIntosh, to the other 57 varieties of apples we don’t. The handsome hardcover is chock-a-block of apple knowledge, history and 100 great recipes that take you beyond the usual apple pie while offering time-saving techniques—all wonderfully inspiring.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><span style="Times New Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="Times New Roman"">“Wine Lover’s Devotional: 365 Days of Knowledge, Advice and Lore for the Ardent Aficionado”</span></b><span style="Times New Roman""> by Jonathon Alsop (Quarry Books, 2010, $19.99) encourages wine lovers to find their own language about something they want to know more about but might be too intimated to ask. The informative, irreverent and entertaining read is also practical with recipes, travel and buying tips.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="Times New Roman"">“Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe”</span></b><span style="Times New Roman""> by Joanne Chang with Christie Matheson (Chronicle Books, 2010, $35) is for anyone with a sweet tooth, or anyone who can appreciate the art of baking with real butter, sugar and flour, all guided by the insightful, instructional hands of Joanne Chang, who’s built a sweet empire of her own. Go with her motto: “Eat dessert first.” </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;">HOT TICKETS</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><span style="Times New Roman"">Two of Boston’s biggest wine events are upon us in the New Year. Give the gift of attending the </span><a href="http://www.wine-expos.com/wine/boston"><span style="Times New Roman"">Boston Wine Expo</span></a><span style="Times New Roman"">, a five-day celebration of wine tasting and seminars January 16-22, 2012 at the Seaport World Trade Center and Seaport Hotel. Save $10 per ticket for the Grand Tasting when you purchase them in December. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><span style="Times New Roman"">The other is the </span><a href="http://bostonwinefestival.net/#home"><span style="Times New Roman"">2012 Boston Wine Festival</span></a><span style="Times New Roman"">, a three-month long extravaganza of vintner dinners, a jazz brunch, seminars and tastings bookended by an opening reception January 6, 2012 and a closing reception March 30, 2012 at the dazzling waterfront Boston Harbor Hotel. Buy tickets for a reception, a dinner or indulge in a hotel package for an overnight.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><a href="http://bostoncae.augusoft.net//index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=6888&int_category_id=2&int_sub_category_id=6"><span style="Times New Roman"">Cupcakes and Cocktails</span></a><span style="Times New Roman"">: Make adult cupcakes in this cooking class at the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Boston Center for Adult Education</b>, January 20, 2012, 6-9 PM. Cosmo or sangria cupcakes, or other seasonal flavors will be part of the menu. Buy two tickets and make it a party ($55 per person, plus $22 for materials).</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><span style="Times New Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;">MEMBERS ONLY</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><span style="Times New Roman"">Cheese lovers will love the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Formaggio Kitchen</b> “Cheese of the Month Club”. With membership, you get a taste of cheeses from around the world and a selection of milk types and information on each one for a total weight of one and a half pounds, monthly ($199 for three months; $186 for six months; $541 for a year, all shipping included, at </span><a href="http://www.formaggiokitchen.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=216&products_id=1465&osCsid=86gsn7o7m7jaiqu328ko1mtmp7"><span style="Times New Roman"">formaggiokitchen.com</span></a><span style="Times New Roman"">).</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><span style="Times New Roman"">Trust </span><a href="http://www.centralbottle.com/services/wine-clubs"><span style="Times New Roman"">Central Bottle</span></a><span style="Times New Roman""> in Cambridge to find three bottles a month that will woo you, if not (hopefully) blow you away. The “Three Bottles a Month” club includes three wines, handpicked by the owners who go out of their way to find wines off the beaten consumer path. ($50/month)</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><span style="Times New Roman"">Feel like an outsider obsessed with food? You’re not alone. Become a member of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">The Culinary Guild of New England</b> and receive discounts to specialty food stores, discounts to cooking classes, plus special invitations to guild-sponsored events like dinners and tastings, and hobnob with other members who are professional cooks, writers and all around food fanatics. Most of all, you’ll feel right at home. ($75 per person, annually/$35 for ages 30 and younger, and 65 and older; </span><a href="http://www.cgne.org/"><span style="Times New Roman"">http://www.cgne.org</span></a><span style="Times New Roman"">).</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><span style="Times New Roman"">Cross the velvet ropes and get a membership to </span><a href="http://metbackbay.com/about/met-townhouse"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="Times New Roman"">MET Back Bay’s Townhouse</span></b></a><span style="Times New Roman"">, an exclusive, elegant club with a separate entrance from the restaurant, MET Back Bay. The $2,500 membership works like a debit card: You pay the fee and spend down your balance by wining, dining, and holding private parties in a townhouse that feels like yours. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>41</o:Words> <o:characters>236</o:Characters> <o:company>Boston University </o:Company> <o:lines>1</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>1</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>289</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;">“Sexy apron” might seem like an oxymoron until you check out the frilly, halter-style ones from <a href="http://www.kitschnglam.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#663366;"><u><span style="text-decoration: none; ">Kitsch'n Glam</span></u> </span></a>(found in Paper Source stores, $37.99-$39.99). There’re so fun and fashionable (love the owls!) they can double as a dress. Sort of.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";"><br /></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-10586155475693590242011-11-27T07:53:00.000-08:002011-11-27T08:19:11.365-08:00Wine 101<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWebLC65MB71xNfgpaWsSoCMMUhnBemjeaZGjk7U_tdMSbX8dNdj1KPJHplx3PYqB_mIZ5x1AwwYXpWoscp6RJl-q3NlNOH2912iMIKGPhfBOT8RNbsPwJdi1_v-PbFXwpG8mhQR6XRQ6/s1600/DSC_0691_2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWebLC65MB71xNfgpaWsSoCMMUhnBemjeaZGjk7U_tdMSbX8dNdj1KPJHplx3PYqB_mIZ5x1AwwYXpWoscp6RJl-q3NlNOH2912iMIKGPhfBOT8RNbsPwJdi1_v-PbFXwpG8mhQR6XRQ6/s320/DSC_0691_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679707073209625602" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><b>Wine </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;">doesn’t need to be intimidating. And more sommeliers or beverage directors at restaurants go out of their way to make you feel comfortable with the wine list. Same thing with a reputable wine store; not only should they welcome your business, but it’s their business to introduce you to great wines and offer customer service by being engaging and helpful.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;">I’ve put together five tips for quick wine knowledge:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><b>One</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">befriend </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">your local wine merchant. Find a store you like and frequent it, establishing a relationship with the same person there so they get to know your tastes and they can introduce you to some great stuff. Peter at Marty’s Liquors in Newton is that guy for me.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><b>Two</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:100%;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">attend a lot of tastings. Visit your liquor store when they hold them. You’ll only know what you like after you try a lot of wine. And you wouldn’t dream of imbibing it all, would you; there’s always spitting</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';"> as the professionals do. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;">(Check out the <a href="http://www.wine-expos.com/boston">Boston Wine Expo January 21 & 22, 2012</a>; it's a great opportunity to sample dozens of wines.)</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><b>Three</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:100%;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;">once you find a wine you like focus on the producer--the winery that makes the wine. Get to know them as you would anything you’d have a passion for—where are they located? Where do their grapes come from? You’ll gain confidence through knowledge, and enjoy it all the more.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><b>Four</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:100%;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;">if you are dining out with a group and are nervous about ordering wine, get the wine list ahead of time and discuss what you’re looking for and your budget with the beverage director. It takes the sweat out of being put on the spot.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Five</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">take a class at the <a href="http://www.bostonwineschool.com/">Boston Wine School</a> with Jonathan Alsop—his down-to-earth, irreverent approach along with his deep knowledge will not only put you at ease but you’ll have fun. Imagine: Wine = fun.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';font-size:130%;"><i>Thanks for listening to "Talk with Francesca" Sunday, November 27th AM-1510. For restaurant recommendations and more recipes, please check back with PressureKooker. If you're looking for the chili recipe, please <a href="http://pressurekooker.blogspot.com/2009/03/turning-heat-on-chili.html">click here</a>. And keep cooking! </i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-66481138343544331902011-07-22T14:35:00.001-07:002011-11-26T16:07:26.285-08:00My Private Tour de France<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinR0W4Coqo0OC4CbqjYEBDFHIGAgRSl5Z_W6opnh7-cKuH_p04U2L7i6NBEcf4immAHYlPWy2yv17cMUS5WsUMdwqh2FcYNDfX2e0hzH9fa2t8hrCcLs-La_Vk9-ksmGmu7hKFxgjfWbF4/s1600/Naomi+%2526+The+Pirates.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinR0W4Coqo0OC4CbqjYEBDFHIGAgRSl5Z_W6opnh7-cKuH_p04U2L7i6NBEcf4immAHYlPWy2yv17cMUS5WsUMdwqh2FcYNDfX2e0hzH9fa2t8hrCcLs-La_Vk9-ksmGmu7hKFxgjfWbF4/s320/Naomi+%2526+The+Pirates.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679459553503663282" /></a><br /><i>Be forewarned: This blog post is an out-of-the-kitchen experience, though it ends with a mean limeade recipe because there's nothing like an icy lime drink to cool off with this triple-digit heat. The biking? Don't try that at home. I am training for my second <a href="http://www.pmc.org/profile/NK0031">PanMass Challenge</a>, a two-day, 192-mile bike ride that raises money for cancer research and to eradicate the disease. </i><div><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></p></i></div><div><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">First confession: I’ve learned to love hills, even the straight-up kind. The long, slogging kind, not so much. OK, so I don’t love, <i>love</i> them per se. I find when I’m on them, I might as well surrender. Because I’m not going anywhere but up, and there’s always a down. The key is to keep pedaling, especially when you don’t feel like it.</span></span></span></p></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Second confession: Tour de France rider I am not—while my focus remains on the road ahead, I tend to greet my fellow riders with at least a nod, sometimes a four-finger salute from the handlebar, or an all out Hello. I could’ve missed something, but all the hours watching Alberto Contador pace-lining the Pyrenes on the TV’s Tour de France coverage, he doesn’t give a damn about his fellow riders, not even a nod to establish they exist. Oh, the rudeness of competition.</span></span></span></p></i><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Many fellow riders, heading in the opposite direction, like to keep their heads down. That’s fine. I’ve clocked it; I can say Hello and keep riding at just about the same pace, sometimes picking up a few seconds—just like when I slip in a sip from my water bottle. Being friendly, I find, pumps me up; not slows me down.</span></span></span></p></i><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I’m not exactly fast. My 90-mile ride recently, while neither leisure nor a race, cost me seven hours and 7.26 minutes, not bad for a formerly chubby-legged girl who had a hard time finding a sport to call her own. But I am rewarded by enjoying the accomplishment and feeling solid-legged not spent the next day.</span></span></span></p></i><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And while I’m not racing against anyone except my own time, I have made improvements. One of my first rides in May I clocked 12.3 mph at about 12 miles. My latest 12-mile ride in July? 14.5 mph.</span></span></span></p></i><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I contribute four things to being better: my own consistent training rides and determination to improve; a few rides with the <a href="http://www.crw.org/">Charles River Wheelman</a>—a local cycling club, where veteran cyclist Richard taught me the rules of the road, let me draft and find my own cadence, and cheered me on; my boyfriend, Chris, whose peanut butter-and-honey lectures and road-crew support allow me to traverse the tundra; and, most importantly, my mom Demaris, my friends Andrea, Steve, Sarah, Patty and many others whose lives have been interrupted by cancer. Yet, they continue to win their own private Tours de France every day.</span></span></span></p></i><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So, it’s not about Contador or the mini pelotons I pass—or that, more truthfully, pass me—coming and going along the leafy green roads of MetroWest. It’s the fact that I am able to ride and do, and in the moments of finding beauty in a flowering pink geranium on a windowsill or dodging a chipmunk scampering across the road, I realize this is living. Hills and all. </span></span></span></p></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">No-Pressure Limeade</span></b></span></span></p></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">4 Tablespoons sugar</span></span></span></p></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">4 Tablespoons hot water</span></span></span></p></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">2 limes</span></span></span></p></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1 lemon</span></span></span></p></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Water </span></span></span></p></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ice </span></span></span></p></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Put the sugar in a heat-proof glass measuring cup. Add the hot water and stir vigorously until the liquid turns clear -- this is simple syrup, what bartenders use all the time to sweeten drinks. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i></i></span></span></p><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Into a large pitcher squeeze the juices of the limes and lemon. Add the simple syrup. Stir. Add two cups cold water and two cups of ice. Stir. Pour into a glass stacked with ice and sip to chill out. </span></span></span></p></i><p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </i></div>Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-87193345156330972742011-06-30T08:27:00.000-07:002011-07-22T16:08:28.041-07:00Enough Full<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I like halfsies: half a warm chocolate chip cookie split with a friend (I know, that’s generous); half a stick of gum if that’s all you can find at the bottom of your bag; paying half the bill at dinner so it seems like a bargain.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">So it is with half pints of beer, half bottles and small pours of wine that often hit the spot for me. I’m a lightweight, but I also enjoy a beer with my burger, a Sauvignon Blanc at the bar, a few sips of a good, deep Cab to carry my steak into the last bite. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Cocktails, that’s another story. As a friend and I recently slurp around the bottom of our naked rocks like kids sucking up the last of a milkshake, our waitress miraculously appears: “Another round, ladies?” Mine is a margarita with salt in a giant bulbous glass. Gone. My friend’s large glass of red sangria disappears as the waitress stands by.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">“Do you do halfsies?” I venture. “What?” The waitress asks over the loud ‘80’s rock music. “Do you…can the bartender make half a margarita?” Her wan smile says, “Get me away from these L-O-S-E-R-S!” But she answers politely, “No, I’m sorry. We don’t do </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">that</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">My friend and I nix the round and chat some more, all the while I'm thinking, Your loss, MexicanChainOfConvenience—you could have made another sale. But you blew it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Usually siding with the “customer is always right”—and in that instance that would be me—I reach out for an expert opinion on the halfsies [fill in your favorite here] cocktail.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Glass More Than Half Full </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">In a polite, professional manner Alexei Beratis, beverage manager of <a href="http://forumboston.com">Forum</a> (opening soon) in Boston’s Back Bay, explains why it would be such a hassle: Bartenders have enough going on than to parse out a quarter of a half an ounce or an eight of a jigger of a drop—while pumping out regular drinks. Then there’s a whole new set of smaller glassware to match the smaller volume to add to the inventory and storage. Cha-ching.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Sure, there’s the hot trend of cocktail flights, wine flights, smaller versions for the sake of tastings, but we’re talking about a purposeful half-cocktail. “If you can be geared up for it, it’s fine,” Beratis says, being kind “—but to get into a seven-component cocktail and scale it down properly…” I get it. Plus, once you hold the Lilliputian drink in your hand, Beratis intimates a reality check. </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Really? Does it have to be this small?</span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I know. I don’t have to drink the whole thing and, like buying petite, that doesn’t make the blouse cost less. But this is different. It’s a well-known cliché that great things come in small packages or “less is more”. I’m of that edict when it comes to my cocktails—it’s the quality, not the quantity. It just would be nice to have the option to go smaller without paying full price. I’m not asking for a lot, really; I’m asking for a happy medium. </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </span>Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-12979478946304145432011-05-06T09:35:00.000-07:002011-05-06T09:38:16.388-07:00Great Guac<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Rummaging through the Haas avocadoes in the produce department at Roche Bros. in Wellesley, Mass., I try to find at least two dark green ones that have some give. Not many. “It’s nice to see someone else is as picky as I am,” says the woman next to me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Great guacamole starts with ripe avocadoes, no ands, ifs or butts. Hope all you want, but like a relationship, you never really know until you’re into it how it’s going to turn out. So choose wisely. Too soft and the avocado could be on the verge of rotten; too hard, with no time to ripen, the guacamole is stiff and tasteless as opposed to creamy-ripe avocado goodness.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The avocado should be very dark green to even blackish green, soft when pushed with the thumb, not mushy. Your best bet is to buy firm avocadoes at least three days ahead of when you’ll need them so they have time to ripen. Ripening takes time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">What I also love: avocados ripen quickly when put in a brown bag with other ripe fruits like bananas, apples or tomatoes—apparently the release of ethylene gas from the ripe fruit quickens the ripening process of the avocado. It makes me think of relationships as well: People ripen better when placed with other fruits. We’re happier, too. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">OMI'S GREAT GUACAMOLE</p><p class="MsoNormal">ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">2 ripe avocados</p><p class="MsoNormal">1 clove garlic, finely chopped</p> <p class="MsoNormal">2 tablespoons cilantro, cleaned and chopped</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Juice of 1 lime</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Salt </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Optional: </p> <p class="MsoNormal">2 tablespoons vine-ripe tomato, finely chopped </p> <p class="MsoNormal">2 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">DIRECTIONS:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cut the avocados in half by running a knife down the center. Twist the two halves apart. Peel away the skin and put the avocado in a medium size bowl. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Add garlic, cilantro and lime juice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Mash well with a potato masher. Add a pinch or two of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning, using more lime juice or salt. To jazz it up, add finely chopped tomato and red onion.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cover the guacamole with plastic wrap so the plastic comes in contact with the guacamole, leaving little room for air, which causes the avocado to turn brown. Keep in refrigerator up to a day. Serve at room temperature with tortilla chips and salsa.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-72007373826514914802011-01-07T11:09:00.000-08:002011-01-07T11:48:39.819-08:00Y Not<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>I joined the YMCA this morning. After two trips to swim in the pool, paying a la carte, I figured the payoff would come in no time if I just keep it up. Laps.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Remember the Y as a kid? Friday night swims before pizza, or in my case an unfortunate hotdog dinner before a swim; pool parties, the way voices echo as though you’re in a cave. The familiar and strangely comforting smell of chlorine. I’m still working on New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe this is one. After swimming on New Year’s Day, I thought what a feat to swim every day of the new year, 365 days in a row! Already I’ve missed two. Or is that three? Not bad for a just-back-to-the-water gal who used laps to recover from a divorce. It’s been years now since I welcomed a pool back into my life.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The smell of chlorine is still a comfort. I still get that kick in the gut when another swimmer passes me—and I urge my legs to kick faster, my arms to reach further, faster.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Then there’s the locker room banter: “I was very modest,” says the voice of an older woman (in her 70’s?) as I slip out of my workout clothes and into my swimsuit, a fading purple two-piece that will do for now. (It has a skirt.) I can’t see her; I can only hear her. “That’s the way it was in my age—almost to the point where it’s ridiculous.” She adds: “I’m trying to get over it.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Pre-Swim/Workout <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Banana Peanut Butter Shake</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Before taking to the pool or working out in the morning, I love to sip this energizing shake. Actually, I’d exercise just to drink it. The idea and recipe came from Sarah (I’ll try to find her last name!), a young spunky trainer formerly of Focus Fitness in Boston. I usually drink it about a half hour before my activity or, if I’m crunched for time, en route to the workout.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">INGREDIENTS:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">1 ripe banana, preferably frozen (frozen is great because it tastes like a milk shake)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">8 ounces soymilk </p> <p class="MsoNormal">1 tablespoon peanut butter</p> <p class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon or more of cinnamon </p> <p class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon vanilla, optional </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">PREPARATION: </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Break apart the banana and put pieces into a blender. Add soymilk, peanut butter and cinnamon. I usually put little over a teaspoon of cinnamon in. Add vanilla, if you’d like. It makes it slightly sweeter. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Blend until smooth. </p> <!--EndFragment-->Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-59600336372984121662010-10-08T05:34:00.001-07:002010-10-08T05:34:29.822-07:00Caesar Salad Flashback<p class="MsoNormal">Into the hush of the Sonia Rose dining room, I roll the cart. I am dressed in the requisite tuxedo shirt with black bowtie (the easy, hook kind) and black slacks. On the cart before me is the mis en place for a Caesar salad. This is not just a salad, it’s a performance before the eager couple sitting at the white-clothed table. <span></span>I am sweating, and hoping the wet underarms do not seem apparent to the eager couple.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>This was the flashback I had the other night while making Caesar salad dressing from scratch. Even though I was not in public, I had a faint sense that someone was watching—making sure I did not skimp on the Tabasco or that, as I streamed the EVOO into the curdled egg yolk, the dressing wouldn’t break. It did not.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Between muscle memory and a glance at an online recipe, I recreated a fantastic, balanced dressing that would stand up to an encore.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">OMI’S CAESAR</p><p class="MsoNormal">(serves 4 salads)</p><p class="MsoNormal">1 garlic clove</p><p class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon coarsely ground black peppercorns</p><p class="MsoNormal">3 anchovies</p><p class="MsoNormal">1 coddled egg yolk (Place a room-temperature egg in boiling water for a minute. Remove and place under running cold water to stop the cooking and cool it off so you can handle it.)</p><p class="MsoNormal">1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce</p><p class="MsoNormal">¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce</p><p class="MsoNormal">Juice of one<span> </span>lemon</p><p class="MsoNormal">½ cup extra virgin olive oil</p><p class="MsoNormal">1 teaspoon red wine vinegar</p><p class="MsoNormal">1 head Romaine lettuce, washed and dried and ripped into pieces</p><p class="MsoNormal">½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese</p><p class="MsoNormal">1 cup freshly toasted croutons</p><p class="MsoNormal">Kosher salt to taste</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>Tuxedo shirt with bow tie, optional</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Make the croutons first:<span> </span>Set oven at 425 degrees F. Cut large cubes from a French baguette or country loaf of bread to make at least a cup. Place on a baking sheet and bake until just golden brown, about 5 minutes. Cool and set aside. (I do not season my croutons because I like that they take on the flavor of and absorb the dressing once mixed in with the salad.)</p><p class="MsoNormal">Preferably in a wooden salad bowl that’s seasoned or already broken in, mash the garlic, peppercorns and anchovies together to make a paste. Add the egg yolk, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice, mix well. The lemon’s acidity acts to “cook” the yolk just a little. Slowly stream olive oil, one or two tablespoons at a time into the mixture, constantly whisking with one hand so the dressing does not break (the oil separate from the yolk). Taste at ½ cup of EVOO; if the dressing is too thick (It should resemble a thick bleu cheese rather than a runny dressing), add more EVOO. Add the red wine vinegar and whisk.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Add the lettuce to the bowl, lightly toss; add the cheese and croutons and toss again. Season with salt and more freshly ground pepper if desired. (I also wait to season with salt in the end because the anchovies and Parmesan are endowed with a saltiness that might be enough to season the salad on its own.)</p>Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-38739404800168152352010-06-05T05:44:00.000-07:002010-06-05T05:47:26.558-07:00Patience: The 4-minute breakfast<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Patience does not come easily to me. If I want something now, well, it needs to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">now</i>. Thank goodness cooking has helped curb my appetite for gotta-be-now, because there’s a lot of patience—and timing—in cooking. And there are rewards to those who wait.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Take scrambled eggs, for instance. Easy enough, right? Through the years of eggy-scum skillets and stiff brown-under eggs, I’ve learned patience and the quickest way to wonderful soft scrambled eggs in under four minutes (that includes the toast and the OJ pour, too). </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What you need: </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A frying pan or sauté pan</p> <p class="MsoNormal">2 teaspoons butter</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Rubber spatula </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Two eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Some patience </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The trick: </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Put the pan over high heat. In about 30 seconds to a minute, add the dollop of butter to the center. Spread it around slightly with the spatula or by tipping the pan so the butter covers more of the pan. Place the pan back on the heat. Put the toast down. Trust me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Wait. Watch. This is the kind of fun part, watching the butter melt from its firm, solid state into its liquid form as it starts to slightly brown. Keep an eye on it, and a nose close: when you detect the aroma of nutty butter (or as a friend who has a cooking blog says, “When it smells like itself”), you’re good to go. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When the butter gets to that stage, slowly pour the liquid eggs into the center. They should sputter and bubble. Ooooh Hot! Chase them around quickly with the spatula, push them under, turn them over, bringing the eggs back to the center heat. When they’re firm and slightly wet, in about 30 seconds, take them off the heat, turn once or twice more, and serve. The toast should be up and buttered by now. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the end, the real patience comes waiting for the butter to get to the right stage. Can’t rush it along, but once it’s there—you get what you need, and want—faster than if you forced it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-18296109836115402592009-05-08T07:06:00.000-07:002009-05-08T07:53:49.096-07:00One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato ChivesTime was ticking and the potato salad still was not made. The potatoes were boiling, and while I waited for them to be done, I filled the chocolate cake layers with a raspberry filling and iced it with thick chocolate frosting, as requested. I was preparing for a casual cookout for a loved one's birthday. Loved One didn't want to make a big deal over it; I did. But to honor the Birthday Boy I held back, sort of. I didn't get balloons. Instead of fresh flowers as a centerpiece for the table I used potted basil. All in all, we kept it low key, including the potato salad. Normally, I would attempt my mother's famous potato salad where she uses hard-boiled eggs, mayo, red onion, and celery -- all the classic ingredients that make a rich salad, delicious. I didn't have the time or the inclination for that. Mine would employ spring: fresh chives from the garden. As a child I discovered chives growing between rocks in a lawn, although at the time I didn't know that's what these thin spikes of bright green-ness with an oniony flavor were called. They're delicate sharpness is a nice complement to the creamy potatoes. After the cookout, Loved One was describing the meal -- a small sign that I had done good -- on the phone. "Yeah, and she made this potato salad, I think it's a family recipe, really good." A new family recipe, anyway. Oh, and I did whip out the red party hats stuffed in the back of the cupboard. For a brief moment we all wore them, even the dog.<br /><br />Spring Fever Potato Salad<br /><br />1 lb. red bliss potatoes, quartered with skins on<br />2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil<br />2 tsp. Red wine vinegar<br />2-3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped chives<br />Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper<br /><br />1. Boil the potatoes, with skins on, until tender, not mushy, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and let cool about 20 minutes.<br />2. Put potatoes in a medium size bowl. While still warm, sprinkle with olive oil and vinegar, lightly toss. Add salt and pepper, toss. Add chives.<br />3. Adjust flavorings by adding more olive oil, or vinegar or salt and pepper. Heck, add more chives, too.<br />4. Serve chilled or room temperature.<br /><br />PICNIC NOTE: The nice thing about this potato salad is you don't have to worry about the mayo getting hot in the sun because there is no mayo in this recipe.<br /><br />HASH-BROWN LEFTOVERS: Refrigerate the leftovers. For great hash browns, heat olive oil in a skillet and add 1 Tbsp. chopped onions, cook until golden. Over high heat, add the potato salad and sauté until golden, keep moving the potatoes around so they brown. Nice with a chive and goat cheese omelet.</p> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-31935822885819393892009-04-06T14:48:00.000-07:002009-04-07T07:55:03.611-07:00Let's give it up for lambIn one corner, small, lean rib lamb chops from New Zealand. In the other corner, nearly one-inch thick fatty loin lamb chops from the U.S. of A. All pieces of meat are smeared with extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. This was no ordinary dinner.<br /><br />A <a href="http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2009/04/01/new_zealand_or_american/">recent story I wrote for The Boston Globe</a> got me hungry – and curious. I interviewed butchers and restaurateurs about the differences between American produced lamb versus lamb from New Zealand. “Shall I do a taste-test?” I asked my editor, half hoping she’d say no because it would mean more work. She said no, but my curiosity got me cooking.<br /><br />After a trip to John Dewar’s in Wellesley for the American chops, and a stop at Whole Foods for the New Zealand chops, I settled for indoor grilling. In the perfect world I would have made sure each cut was identical; but in this imperfect world, I took what I could get: ribs from New Zealand, loins from America. Only Freud could make sense of that.<br /><br />My Dining Companion and I dug in. "This one is sharper,” he said, taking a bite out of the New Zealand chop.<br /><br />“It’s grass fed,” I explained. It was “sharp” or, as some describe the taste, “gamey”. It was the way lamb should taste, I thought, the way I remember it tasting as a child when I needed a spoonful of mint jelly to go with. Now I closed my eyes, chewed. Sheep grazing on far away fields, gathering the mustiness of the earth. Rich.<br /><br />“Isn’t that like organic, eating what’s grown?” Dining Companion asked.<br /><br />“I guess it is,” I said.<br /><br />“American lamb sometimes eats grass,” I offered, “but mostly grain, like we feed our cattle.”<br /><br />“That’s no good,” he said. “Sheep don’t normally eat corn.”<br /><br />“No, they don’t,” I said, cutting into the American lamb chop that was more like a steak in every way: It was thick and juicy, and the taste – if I had closed my eyes I would have been hard-pressed to call it lamb because it tasted very close to beef.<br /><br />“It’s not just the wool,” my Dining Companion started philosophizing, uncharacteristically, about the animal we were eating. “They really give it up.”<br /><br />Grilled lamb is best with….asparagus from the U.S., coated in extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and grilled. Try this for a sandwich: Mix goat cheese with finely chopped rosemary and roasted red pepper. Smear it on a baguette; slice the lamb, top with lemon-kissed arugula, voila.Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037815739677843041.post-6108906986600044382009-03-25T09:48:00.001-07:002011-11-26T15:53:19.907-08:00Turning the heat on chili<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdmxIg99yd64kgomM90u5pWIkWEp-XrPSBRTl2zik35SgUm2InUtOFpYxPIrwyMXbv0K-vX5gAg5b3YQKBapBDTuWxzDkOLnyubHBjV4giceyA-wNKpoXsqbVIEq0IvW7h8lBUb8rj-FH/s1600/DSC_0684.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdmxIg99yd64kgomM90u5pWIkWEp-XrPSBRTl2zik35SgUm2InUtOFpYxPIrwyMXbv0K-vX5gAg5b3YQKBapBDTuWxzDkOLnyubHBjV4giceyA-wNKpoXsqbVIEq0IvW7h8lBUb8rj-FH/s320/DSC_0684.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679456783051526786" /></a><br />Omi's Jalapeno Chili<br /><br />One snowy Sunday I promised my boyfriend, Chris, I'd make chili for dinner. But when dinner time came around, no chili. I still needed to shop for the ingredients. Tired and cranky, yet wanting to keep my promise (and eat), I set out for the supermarket, windshield wipers clearing away the snow; I was determined to keep it simple. The chili turned out to be so easy I made it four more times -- not in a row. It became such a staple my oldest nephew, David, a burgeoning foodie in college, wrote me in an email that he’d rather be eating my jalapeno chili than studying. Stick to the books, I said, and chili will be your reward. One day David will make it himself.<br /><br />Serves 8<br />Preparation time: ½ hour<br />Cooking time: at least ½ hour to 2 hours<br />INGREDIENTS:<br />2-3 Tbsp. olive oil (not extra virgin) or canola oil<br />1 clove garlic, finely chopped<br />1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped<br />1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped<br />½ jalapeño pepper, seeds taken out and finely chopped (wear rubber gloves if your skin is sensitive to the heat of the chili pepper)<div>2-3 Tbsp. chili powder<div>1/2 tsp. cumin</div>1 pound lean ground beef<br />1 small can (15.5 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained<br />1 small can kidney beans (15.5 oz.) or small red beans, rinsed and drained<br />1 large can (28-oz.) crushed tomatoes<br />1 large can (28-oz.) whole plum tomatoes<br />½ cup frozen corn (optional)<div>1 bay leaf<br />salt & pepper to taste<br /><br />GARNISH:<br />Sour cream<br />Cheddar cheese, grated<div>Corn chips or corn bread<br /><br />DIRECTIONS:<br />In a large pot with thick bottom – ideally Creuset cookware – put in the oil. Add garlic and onion. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure the heat is medium low so the garlic does not brown or burn. Add the green pepper and jalapeño, and 2 Tbsp. of the chili powder and cumin. Stir and cook until tender, about another 5 minutes.<br /><br />Push mixture aside and add ground beef to the same pot, breaking it up with a wooden spoon so it cooks over medium-high heat. Once the meat is mostly cooked, blend together with garlic, onion and pepper mixture. Add the beans. Stir in the crushed tomato; add the whole plum tomatoes and liquid, breaking the tomatoes up with a spoon or your fingers. Add the corn. Stir in an additional tablespoon of chili powder, add the bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust by adding more chili powder or more salt and pepper.<br /><br />Cover and cook over low heat for one half hour or longer, stirring often. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. Add corn chips or corn bread for accompaniment and you have a meal. Perfect for Sunday football. </div><div><br /></div><div>This also freezes well. Cool and freeze in airtight plastic containers for up to one month. Reheat in microwave per instructions or slowly heat over stove in saucepan.<br /><br />COPYRIGHT 2009. NAOMI KOOKER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.</div></div></div>Naomi Kookerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08771695368999640146noreply@blogger.com0