MITCH IN THE KITCHEN

oeufs en meurette

Wed, 23 May 2012 19:44:00 -0400

I used to dismiss poached eggs as something too fussy for me to make at home, and I would like to recant. They are less splattery than fried eggs and cook just as quickly. Having said that, I went a little beyond basic and cooked them in red wine, like I had at Balthazar one time. A pared-down recipe is here. Though it isn’t exactly traditional (I think the real deal requires a more complex sauce that gets spooned over the top), I appreciate its simplicity, especially after finding more proper recipes that require way more ingredients (herbs, beef broth, mirepoix). Best use of old, leftover wine and stale bread yet.

roasted asparagus and strawberry tacos

Sun, 20 May 2012 21:56:36 -0400

Weird, I know. Turns out asparagus and strawberries go together as okay in food as they do on your farmers’ market shopping list for May. It was my convenient riff on a recipe for roasted asparagus and cherry tacos I saw last year. I did not go through the trouble of making asparagus salsa because I have a jar of my father-in-law’s homemade (and homegrown!) tomatillo salsa that got the job done. I think asparagus and strawberries could also go together with fresh cheese (ricotta, chevre, etc.) and nuts in salads, on bruschetta/crostini, or even with pasta (yes, strawberry pasta).

herbed mushroom and feta pizza

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:48:52 -0400

Have you ever had the mushroom and egg pizza at ABC Kitchen? It’s as wonderful as this video and this slideshow will have you believe. The mushroom pizza I made at home the other night was not nearly as spectacular but I will humbly say that it’s one of the better pizzas I’ve thought up in recent history.

1. Make the dough. I’ve been doing a half-whole-wheat mixture of flour using the reliable no-knead recipe. You could also go the whole shortcut route and buy a blob of dough from the supermarket or your local pizzeria.

2. Sauté the mushrooms. Add some olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms (some flavorful interesting ones like shiitake, oyster, shimeji, trumpet, hen-of-the-woods, etc., maybe mixed with plain old cremini or white mushrooms) and let them sit until they brown. Toss around and add chopped green garlic (or leeks or garlic cloves), salt, and black pepper. When mushrooms are all cooked through and golden, add a squeeze of lemon juice and turn off the heat. Add lots of chopped fresh parsley, thyme, and oregano.

3. Top the pizza dough. Flatten and shape the dough (I do personal-sized because it’s easier to handle). Top it with torn pieces of fresh mozzarella, then the mushroom mixture. I added some thinly sliced asparagus but to be honest, I couldn’t really taste it.

4. Bake away! Put the pizza in the oven (preheated to 500 degrees F) for about 10-15 minutes or until it looks, you know, right. If you want an egg on it, make a little space in the middle of the pizza and add the egg about halfway through cooking.

5. Finish with feta. Add a drizzle of olive oil and crumbled feta cheese to the pizzas.

sautéed escarole with raisins and almonds

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:00:36 -0400

I’ve been dressing up my greens with nuts and dried fruit lately. I had a big head of escarole in the crisper drawer but you could easily substitute kale, chard, spinach, or even romaine lettuce or bok choy.

To make it: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add red chile flakes and swirl them around for just a second. Add chopped escarole and toss around to get the leaves lightly wilted. Throw in some golden raisins and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and cook for just a few minutes longer. Top with sliced almonds and fried shallots.

miso-glazed anything

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:43:35 -0400

I like using the broiler part of my oven to cook things quickly and cleanly. For example, thin pieces of marinated chicken or fish, cheese sandwiches that need melting, fruit, and wow I didn’t realize the list would even be this long. (By the way, Mark Bittman loves his broiler too.) So what am I upside-down grilling these days? Stuff slathered with this miso sauce. We did fish fillets. We did slabs of tofu. I am open to chicken. And sliced eggplant.

The procedure is super simple: mix white (shiro) miso with lemon juice, sugar, black pepper, and a tiny bit of water if you need to thin things out. If you’re cooking something a little wet (like tofu or I don’t know, vegetables?), pat it dry first. Spread miso sauce on whatever. Leave under the broiler for an appropriate amount of time. Done and delicious.

green olive and green garlic tapenade

Thu, 10 May 2012 11:12:00 -0400

Here’s a nice little something to spread on bread that is really easy to make. I already threw some green garlic into homemade mayonnaise/aioli, so I thought I’d blend it into another garlicky spread. This time, a French thing with olives. Combine green olives, green garlic, fresh parsley, capers, and lemon juice in a food processor. While it’s still running, drizzle in olive oil until it becomes a smooth-ish paste. Spread this stuff on sandwiches, grilled fish, chicken, or nothing more than a good piece of bread.

chilaquiles with eggs

Mon, 07 May 2012 12:03:00 -0400

Turning leftovers (perhaps Cinco de Mayo leftovers?) into breakfast is a practical way to go, especially when the delicious end result is chilaquiles. Stale tortillas (or tortilla chips) are bathed in a simple tomato sauce (or other leftover sauces) along with leftover meat. I had an outstandingly pleasant brunch (no waiting for a table, lots of sunshine, unlimited coffee refills) with Nicole last weekend where I enjoyed a plate of chilaquiles that were juuuust pliable enough to wipe up every last bit of sauce and runny egg yolk. I couldn’t wait to try it at home since I happened to have old tortilla chips, leftover canned tomatoes, and an opened can of chipotle chiles.

For the sauce: Puree tomatoes (juice and all) with chopped onion, garlic, chipotle chiles, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of honey (or sugar). Add sauce to a pan with a bit of oil and heat through over low heat. Add a bit of broth to thin out the sauce if it gets too thick (you want the sauce to coat the tortillas/chips).

Next, add fried corn tortilla pieces or tortilla chips and leftover cooked meat (optional) that’s been shredded or chopped. Toss just enough to coat. Put mixture on a plate and add crumbled cotija cheese (or you could sprinkle a melty cheese on top and broil it quickly), sliced radishes, chopped onion, and sour cream if you’d like. Then top it all off with a runny fried egg and fresh cilantro.

mango lassi

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:23:22 -0400

Lassi is something I have every now and then with Indian food to soothe my mouth when things got too spicy (even for me). It’s been awhile, but I am pleased to have discovered how easy it is to make at home. Rich, full-fat yogurt goes a long way but lowfat or nonfat is fine for everyday purposes (speaking of which…).

To make it: Puree a very ripe, peeled mango with about 3/4 to 1 cup of plain yogurt (maybe less if you’re using strained or Greek yogurt) and about 1/2 cup milk (I actually used buttermilk). Blend in a bit of crushed ice. Taste and add sugar if needed, and maybe even a bit of salt. Top with a sprinkle of ground cardamom.

ramps

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:14:00 -0400

I know ramps are sooo hyped up and they make people smell bad and all that, but I can’t say no to them. My schoolwork-addled week was made brighter by these sweet and pungent little guys.

Ramp Biscuits with Coriander
These would be great with a hefty breakfast of bacon and eggs, but I had them with an equally satisfying dinner of lentil and black bean chili. The ramps really shine through and I never would’ve thought to add cracked coriander seeds to ramp biscuits but I’m glad someone did. The biscuit recipe is here.

Whole Wheat Flatbread with Ramps, Goat Cheese, and an Egg
It was sort of an uglier whole-wheat (substitute up to half of the flour in the recipe) and chevre version of this, baked with an egg on top (carefully put a raw egg on the crust after a few minutes of baking).

Other things to do with ramps:
Another version of ramp pizza
Fancy grilled cheese
Spaghetti
Soup
Pickle them (and then maybe mix them with gin)
Add to a frittata or scrambled eggs
Even more ideas in this slideshow
or just use them the way you would use leeks and other onion-y things.

green garlic mayonnaise

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:11:00 -0400

It’s spring! Flowers! Allergies! Rain! Asparagus! Ramps! I’ve learned to appreciate these things while they last because before we know it, there will be an onslaught of heat, humidity, and mosquito bites to mark the end of spring.

Mayonnaise has never really been part of my condiment collection but the homemade kind is fun to make. You can use a food processor or give your forearm a light workout by using a whisk. Green garlic is the stalk of the garlic plant, harvested before a bulb (where the cloves come from) has fully formed. It has a mild garlic flavor and turns the mayonnaise a pretty shade of light green.

In a bowl or food processor, combine:

1/4 cup finely chopped green garlic
1 egg yolk
salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)

Whisk together by hand or turn on the food processor. Slowly drizzle in up to 1 cup of olive oil while the food processor (or your hand) is running. The mixture should emulsify and thicken (but don’t overdo it or else you’ll break it). Taste and adjust seasonings.

I mixed a spoonful of my green mayonnaise with extra mustard, capers, and parsley to dress up a potato and asparagus salad (that tastes better after sitting in the fridge overnight, by the way). I’m thinkin it may also do wonderful things to steamed artichokes, pretty much any sandwich, chicken or egg salads, pommes frites, some kind of crudités plate, crab cakes… basically any of the usual mayonnaise applications that could use a hint of garlic.

prosciutto and pineapple pizza

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 14:37:46 -0400

Pineapple as a pizza topping is kind of a divisive issue, right? I happen to love it, especially after embracing some of the touristy things about Hawaii on my honeymoon a little while ago. We stayed on the gorgeous island of Kauai, a block and a half from a never-crowded beach and a 10-minute walk from Tahiti Nui, a famous little spot with mai tais, live music, takeout pizza, and an important scene in the movie The Descendants. One night we ordered the spicy Hawaiian pizza (ham, pineapple, sliced jalapenos) and one night we ordered an even better version that replaced the usual ham with kalua pork.

Nothing will ever taste like the fruit we had there, but I’ve noticed all the big pineapples at the supermarket lately and went ahead and bought one (side note: I will never forget the creepy ananas from high school French class who always looks kind of stoned). Fresh pineapple tastes a hell of a lot better than the frozen or canned variety and is worth the fruit-butchering process. And as the ever-likable Mark Bittman reminds us, homemade pizza is cheaper and can be better than what you’d get away from home. Our spin on Hawaiian pizza was made with mozzarella, prosciutto, fresh pineapple, fresh jalapenos, and torn basil leaves. A little under-browned (I got impatient) but still delicious.

sardine tartine, bean tartine

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:10:42 -0400

Let me start by saying that I don’t actually like sardines (though I wish I did). I made a fishy open-faced sandwich for John because 1. it rhymes (though he insists on using “sartine”) and 2. he likes small oily fish a lot. I made myself a bean tartine and was delighted to discover that it also rhymes.

Sardine tartine
From bottom to top, it goes like this:
1. lightly toasted good bread
2. a smear of cream cheese
3. sardines, lightly smashed (if you’re working with grilled fresh sardines, good for you)
4. big squeeze of lemon
5. mixture of sweet red peppers (fresh, roasted, or pickled, whichever you prefer), minced red onion, capers, green olives, salt, pepper, and lemon juice
6. torn basil and/or parsley

Bean tartine
1. lightly toasted good bread
2. a smear of hummus or cream cheese
3. mixture of the red pepper mixture and chickpeas or white beans
4. torn basil and/or parsley

fennel and citrus salad

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:27:40 -0400

I keep reading about citrus salads (here, and here, and here) and I probably don’t need to tell you that this is a delicious idea. Here’s a basic template I use:

Citrus: Plain old navel oranges are great, but grapefruit and blood oranges work splendidly too.
Fennel: Shaved or thinly sliced.
Baby greens: Adding something bitter (arugula, radicchio, frisee) makes it a grown-up salad, but ain’t nothing wrong with baby spinach or the ubiquitous mesclun mix.
Other veggies: Beets! Avocado! Celery!
Nuts: I love pistachios in this. I’m okay with walnuts too.
Herbs: I think the salad is pretty interesting with everything listed above, but every now and then I’ll add leafy herbs like parsley, mint, or basil if I have them.
Dressing: Usually just a simple lemon vinaigrette with sliced red onion or shallots.

toasted english muffin with cheese and pickles

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:26:00 -0400

Deciding what I want to eat seems to be easiest when it’s late, I have a pile of procrastinated school stuff in front of me, and my stomach is growling so hard I can hardly think (or stop further procrastinating by reading food blogs and websites). Options are usually limited to things that barely require any time to put in a bowl or on a plate: cereal, cold leftovers, ice cream, cheese, stuff that goes with cheese. I wasn’t about to fuss over a real grilled cheese sandwich past midnight, so I spread some mustard on a split English muffin, laid some cheese on each half, put it under the broiler for a few minutes, and sandwiched it together with some sliced pickle. And if you must know, my preferences for these ingredients are Dijon mustard, sharp cheddar cheese, and half-sour pickles.

fish tacos

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:20:53 -0400

I’m really looking forward to summer, sticky legs, sweaty forehead, smelly stuffy subway stations and all. I don’t remember how or why I came across this video recently, but I do know that I had a gnarly craving for fish tacos and a warm afternoon spent laying on the beach after watching it.

I’ve mentioned before that I shy away from fish, but these tacos were so basic and so delicious. Tilapia is bland (which, I admit, is why I won’t childishly wrinkle my nose at it) but garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, and fresh lime juice do a lot to liven it up. Chow has a nice guide for how to make tacos with grilled (instead of fried) fish. I substituted a broiler for a grill and things turned out just fine.

banana bourbon milkshake

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:06:26 -0400

I had this idea to combine ice cream, booze, and very ripe bananas into a sweet treat that I can’t believe I hadn’t executed before.

Makes 1 stiff but modestly sized 8-ounce milkshake.

1 1/2 ounces bourbon (1 would’ve been enough, looking back)
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
1 very ripe medium banana (frozen, if you want it extra frosty)

Blend everything together. Get dessert, liquor, and a potassium-rich piece of fruit all in a few delicious gulps.

broiled grapefruit

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 22:58:15 -0500

Grapefruit has always been one of my favorite candy, ice cream, soda, etc. flavors, but it was only this winter that I made a habit of eating it fresh. Sometimes I toss it into a leafy salad, but mostly I just cut it in half and sprinkle a little sugar on top. Enjoying it becomes a slow, focused, and methodical process as I scoop out each segment as carefully and thoroughly as I can with a spoon. Despite my efforts, grapefruit juice inevitably ends up squirted all over my face, clothes, table, walls, and reading materials.

Since today was a chilly day, I had my grapefruit warm. I sprinkled turbinado sugar on it before putting it under the broiler for a few minutes. It’s the same lovely combination of bitter, sour, and sweet, just warmer and softer. I still have grapefruit juice all over myself though.

whole-wheat oatmeal pancakes

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 13:31:12 -0500

You may be suspicious about how delicious these pancakes actually are because they seem kind of brown and fiber-ful. But the recipe is a trusted one I’ve used over and over, and believe me, I am unlikely to repeat things that were just kind of “meh” the first time around. I like to mix in nuts, dried fruit, pureed fruit (like apple and/or pear sauce, or mashed bananas), or chocolate chips. And I usually substitute a mix of yogurt and milk for buttermilk. If you use some kind of fruit sauce in the batter, make sure to use a little less milk so that it doesn’t get too runny.

hot and sour wheat gluten

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:22:21 -0500

This here dish was inspired by the achingly delicious flavors of Xi’an Famous Foods, which I like an awful lot (though I don’t think they put peanuts on anything).

3 oz seitan/steamed gluten rolls, unrolled and torn into ragged pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2-inch segment of ginger, minced
some dried whole chiles, lightly crushed
splash of rice wine
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons black vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground
1 celery stalk, cut in half lengthwise and sliced on a bias
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
hot chili oil
crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro

Heat some oil over medium heat in a pan. Add garlic, ginger, and gluten pieces. Cook for a few minutes, until garlic and ginger are fragrant. Add remaining ingredients except sesame oil, chili oil, peanuts, and cilantro. Toss to coat evenly. Add enough water to keep things moistened (1/4 cup maybe? I don’t remember how much I used). Simmer for about 5 minutes, then finish with sesame oil and/or hot chili oil. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro.

By the way, the gluten rolls look like… uh, this:

flounder en papillote

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:15:09 -0500

When Valentine’s Day approaches each year, John and I confirm with each other that we want to have a really low-key day and/or evening together. We are not above treating ourselves on a notoriously commercial, cheesy holiday but we also shudder at the thought of buying into the overwrought ways to do so (overpriced dinners at crowded restaurants, dozens and dozens of overpriced red roses, stuffed animals given to grown ass adults). Some years we’ve had a picnic (ah, California winters), one year we ditched class to get brunch, a couple years ago we celebrated Chinese New Year with my extended family, and all the other times we’ve made ourselves a nice wine-fueled dinner at home.

Some of you might be surprised to know that I’ve spent most of my life (until I met aforementioned husband) hating and refusing to eat seafood of any kind. The rest of you who know me pretty well might be surprised to know that even though I am still very very picky when it comes to fish and shellfish, I have gone as far as ordering (and eating) entire plates of them at restaurants. And now I can say that I cooked fish at home and actually enjoyed it.

I went the en papillote route because I can’t bear the thought of greasy fish smells lingering in the apartment. It’s easier than it looks: you drizzle a little oil, salt, and pepper on a fish fillet, then wrap it in little packet made of parchment paper (or foil). For extra V-day flair, we used heart-shaped parchment paper folded in half. Whatever else goes in there is up to you. We added lemon slices and sprigs of thyme, but all kinds of herbs and aromatics would work. Place the wrapped fish on a baking sheet (lined with foil just in case) and pop it in a 375-degree oven for about 9 minutes for thin 1/2-inch fillets, longer for thicker pieces of fish.