Monthly Archives: August 2012

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

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Is this even a recipe as much as an idea? In any event, there hasn’t been too much of what passes for cooking around here these days, and this is the best I’ve got. One of the many hats I wear is landlady, and I’ve been quite busy lately with my landladying business. Sadly, it is not as fun as being a Parisian food critic, my real calling, but a girl’s gotta make a buck sometimes. Between that and back to school preparations, my meals have suffered.

I do love summer tomato season, even if it is sometimes overwhelming. We had a pretty decent crop this year, despite our rocky start. I usually make a batch or two of slow roasted tomatoes every year, and I usually consume the first batch entirely by myself. I don’t suggest doing this for a variety of reasons, mainly digestive. Or that “gluttony is a sin” idea, if you’re religious. But they are that good!

Dawn’s Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Cherry, Grape, or other small tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
one clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of vinegar (balsamic, red wine, or sherry)
fresh herbs of choice (thyme, basil, rosemary and/or oregano)
pinch of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

1. Measure about 1/4 cup olive oil in a cup. Add minced garlic, vinegar, herbs, pinch of salt. Mix well with a fork and set aside. Let this sit at least 30 minutes before using.

2. Cut tomatoes in half and place on rimmed baking sheet or 13 x 9 glass pan.

3. Drizzle olive oil mixture over tomatoes.

4. Put them in the oven and go on with your life. They should be ready in about three hours.

5. Don’t eat all of them by yourself! It’s fun to share.

Back to School: The Most Confusing Time of the Year

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Back to school time is one of mixed emotions for me. I always envy those women skipping down the store aisles with glee and declaring, “Only six more days until sweet freedom, baby! THANK GOD!” or those women who declare, “Ohhhhh nooooo, only six more days until my precious angels go back to school! Why can’t it be summer f-o-r-e-v-e-r?” and then unabashedly sob at the bus stop. At least they’ve picked a camp and decided how they feel. Not me. On any given day, either one of those women inhabit me. Being a fan of consistency and making up one’s mind, I don’t like it. Group number one makes me feel like I don’t have enough of a life beyond kids. Group number two makes me feel like I don’t love or appreciate my kids enough. No wonder I’m prone to depression this time of year.

Being the sole woman in a houseful of men, otherwise known as the mayor of Penisville, the annual back to school experience is never how I envision it to be. It’s a little hard to relate to these people sometimes. As a girl, there were two things I was concerned about every year: 1) What will I wear to school on the first day? (duh), and 2) Will my friends and the cute boy I like “right” people be in my class this year? For starters, my boys get angry when I say the word “outfit,” as in, “Let’s go shopping for a good back to school outfit!” They run in the other direction. Also, they don’t really want me meddling in their social life, as in, “Should I ask Mrs. Smith to make sure you and John are in class together next year?” I would have made such a good Texas Cheerleading Mom.

I live in the area of the Meddling Mother, and while it goes against my nature to meddle or over-manage, it becomes a bit of a contagious phenomenon. When I just sit back and let the chips fall where they may (some people call that “life”), inevitably I feel like I should have done more. Teacher assignments, for example. Most schools have at least a few <insert one> crazy, incompetent, senile, undermedicated, overmedicated, plain old bad teachers, and unless you just rolled into town yesterday, you know who those teachers are. In our schools, the good outnumber the bad by at least twenty to one, but some still exist. I realize we are incredibly fortunate, and my respect and admiration for the numerous teachers who have gone above and beyond for my children grows more each year.

This is my thirteenth year as a part of this school district, and with only a couple minor exceptions among three children, I am so pleased with the quality of education my kids receive here. But sooner or later, my lucky streak has to end, right? What if it’s this year? What if my lack of lobbying for the best teachers lands my child with the worst teacher? And what if the worst teacher changes my kid’s opinion of himself and of school and starts him on a slippery slope which ends on skid row? What? It could happen.

Transitions are hard for a lot of people, and the older I get, the more I realize I’m one of those people. I am usually fine once I’m in my new routine, but I’m not a fan of that period of time (i.e. now) before the new routine gets established. I’m a little anxious and irritable, and the worry comes out in unusual ways. At the grocery store last week, I noticed they moved the ground turkey yet again. I like knowing where things are in the store so that I can breeze through and grab whatever I want without thinking. So when I asked the nice man in the meat department where the ground turkey was, I couldn’t just leave it at that. “Why?” I said, “Why do they keep moving the turkey? I like knowing where things are when I come in here. WHY does everything have to change all the time? Why can’t things just stay where they were?” He looked at me with pity and sympathy and just said, “I’m sorry.” I think he knew I wasn’t talking about turkey.

When I start to spiral into my own web of crazy, I am reminded that bad experiences and challenges are also as important as good ones, and I’ve had a distinct advantage in my life by possessing the ability to deal with difficult personalities. If everyone is always patient and kind and normal, well, you never learn to deal with irrational, moody, unstable people. Spoiler alert, kids: these people exist in the real world. In spades. You will need to deal with them one day, sooner or later. That is how I comfort myself when I worry that my precious angel might have a mean teacher — that mean teacher is prepping them for the mean professor, mean landlord, mean boss, mean mother-in-law. They will need to find a way to win them over or at least work amicably together. Less than perfect people, less than ideal environments are part of life.

When I’m not melting down in grocery stores or picking out spiffy outfits my boys will never wear, mostly I’m filled with optimism and excitement about new beginnings and growth. I try to remember how incredibly lucky my kids are to be attending safe schools that offer them a high quality education. I try to remember that children in different parts of the world, different parts of the US, and even in different parts of Pennsylvania are not afforded the same level of educational opportunity as my children, due to absolutely no fault of their own. I try to push out all of the worry and negative thoughts and simply be grateful. I say a silent prayer that it will all work out somehow, and then I bake cookies.

 

Happy 100th Birthday, Dear Julia Child

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To say Julia Child still inspires me feels as obvious as saying, “Hey, did you know cookies taste good?” Not exactly breaking news. Of course she inspired me, and countless others, in the kitchen and possibly elsewhere. She was the Mister Rogers of cooking — always happy to see you, always believing you could do it, even if it was something difficult and messy. And if your efforts didn’t turn out perfectly? No biggie, you’ll get it next time. She still loves you. Have some wine.

Making Julia’s Boeuf Bourguignon remains one of the greatest accomplishments of my culinary life. I can’t wait until the weather cools off a bit so I can make it again soon. This is definitely a recipe to cook while sipping some wine — but not too much for the chef until it’s on the table. As you can see, it requires a bit of attention and a certain degree of sharpness. You will be in the kitchen almost all day, so don’t plan anything else. But it will be worth the effort, I promise you that.

This recipe was posted here on Food.com originally by Chef Kate. As much as I love my readers, I wasn’t going to transcribe the recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking due to its great length and possible copyright infringements. But it is close enough to the original, let me assure you.

Boeuf Bourguignon a La Julia Child, adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, By Chef Kate on December 12, 2005, Food.com

Ingredients

For the Stew
6 ounces bacon, solid chunk
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 onions, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine ( a full bodied wine like Bordeaux or Burgundy or Chianti)
2 -3 cups beef stock ( Simple Beef stock is posted on the site, unsalted and defatted)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, mashed ( you may choose to add more)
1 sprig thyme ( or 1/2 teaspoon dred thyme)
1 bay leaves, preferably fresh

For the braised onions
18 -24 white pearl onions, peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup beef stock
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 bay leaves
1 sprig thyme
2 sprigs parsley

For the Sauteed Mushrooms
1 lb mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

  1. First prepare the bacon: cut off the rind and reserve.
  2. Cut the bacon into lardons about 1/4″ thick and 1 1/2″ long.
  3. Simmer the rind and the lardons for ten minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water.
  4. Drain and dry the lardons and rind and reserve.
  5. Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.
  6. Put the tablespoon of olive oil in a large (9″ – 10″ wide, 3″ deep) fireproof casserole and warm over moderate heat.
  7. Saute the lardons for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly.
  8. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.
  9. Dry off the pieces of beef and saute them, a few at a time in the hot oil/bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides.
  10. Once browned, remove to the side plate with the bacon.
  11. In the same oil/fat, saute the onion and the carrot until softened.
  12. Pour off the fat and return the lardons and the beef to the casserole with the carrots and onion.
  13. Toss the contents of the casserole with the salt and pepper and sprinkle with the flour.
  14. Set the uncovered casserole in the oven for four minutes.
  15. Toss the contents of the casserole again and return to the hot oven for 4 more minutes.
  16. Now, lower the heat to 325°F and remove the casserole from the oven.
  17. Add the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered.
  18. Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs and the bacon rind.
  19. Bring to a simmer on the top of the stove.
  20. Cover and place in the oven, adjusting the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly for three to four hours.
  21. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
  22. While the meat is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms and set them aside till needed.
  23. For the onion, if using frozen, make sure they are defrosted and drained.
  24. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet.
  1. Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible, without breaking apart.
  2. Pour in the stock, season to taste, add the herbs, and cover.
  3. Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
  4. Remove the herbs and set the onions aside.
  5. For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet.
  6. As soon as the foam begins to subside add the mushrooms and toss and shake the pan for about five minutes.
  7. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.
  8. To Finish the Stew:.
  9. When the meat is tender, remover the casserole from the oven and empty its contents into a sieve set over a saucepan.
  10. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it (discarding the bits of carrot and onion and herbs which remain in the sieve).
  11. Distribute the mushrooms and onions over the meat.
  12. Skim the fat off the sauce and simmer it for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.
  13. You should be left with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
  14. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock.
  15. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency.
  16. Taste for seasoning.
  17. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
  18. If you are serving immediately, place the covered casserole over medium low heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
  19. Serve in the casserole or on a warm platter surrounded by noodles, potatoes or rice and garnished with fresh parsley.
  20. If serving later or the next day, allow the casserole to cool and place cold, covered casserole in the refrigerator.
  21. 20 minutes prior to serving, place over medium low heat and simmer very slowly for ten minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Friend and reader Claire emailed me this lovely Julia Child remix from PBS, and she thought you’d all enjoy it, too. Thanks, Claire.

Happy 100th, dear Julia, and bon appétit! I hope you and Paul are enjoying a good birthday meal tonight.

Lentil Salad and an Ode to Maille Mustard

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I found this recipe in my Fall 2012 Entertaining from Cook’s Illustrated magazine and  knew right away I would like it. I am a huge fan of lentil soup, so lentil salad with a mustard vinaigrette seemed like an obvious win.

You may have noticed a jar of Maille mustard on my masthead. It looks like this:

I warmed up to mustard later in life. I think I was about twenty-two before I could eat it at all, and then each year my love for mustard grew exponentially. I am embarrassed that I was a big fan of what passes for Dijon mustard in this country; I always keep a jar of Grey Poupon in the refrigerator. When I was in Paris, I was drawn to the colorful display of the Maille Mustard Boutique, at 6 place de la Madeleine. It really is a mustard boutique. Think about that for a second and tell me the French aren’t magnifique.

After sampling a few varieties, I purchased a ceramic jar of Moutarde Fine au Vin blanc, or white wine mustard. The mustard comes right out of a tap and is sealed with a cork. Blessedly, it survived the transatlantic trip, and if I was smart, I would have stocked up some more. I am down to the last precious little bit, and I devoted it to this recipe. Unfortunately, this is NOT the same Maille mustard we can get in North America. I don’t know what silly trade rules or FDA regulations are responsible for this travesty, but I do know that the mustard from France is much stronger and fuller bodied than any Maille Dijon that can be purchased here or in Canada.

But back to this recipe! It’s a great little salad that can become a full meal if you add chicken or sausage, but it is substantial enough to stand alone, too.

Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Scallions, adapted from Entertaining, Fall 2012

1 1/2 cups lentilles du Poy, but I just used regular old lentils, rinsed

1 small onion, halved

3 bay leaves

1 sprig of fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3/4 cup roasted red peppers, patted dry and finely chopped

1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (I used 1/2 c)

3 scallions, sliced thin

1. Combine 6 cups water, lentils, onion, bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil in large pot. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

2. While cooking lentils, whisk together vinegar, oil, mustard and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in small bowl and set aside.

3. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid and drain lentils, removing and discarding onion, thyme and bay leaves. Transfer to medium bowl and toss with dressing. Let cool to room temperature. Stir in red peppers, walnuts and scallions. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes from our Hawaiian Vacation

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I will start at the end. Ed and I were watching the sunset from our table of the beautiful St. Regis Kauai Grill on our last night on the island, and he asked me if Hawaii was everything I hoped it would be. My wonderful husband was so excited to be fulfilling my lifelong dream, and I wanted so much to give him the answer he wanted. But I couldn’t lie, so I chose my words carefully.

Hawaii is unspeakably gorgeous and pure and breathtaking, and all of the clichés you ever heard about it are true. However, as a 44 year old woman, I have been fortunate to see a lot of the world, and the thrill was no doubt diminished by experience, age and privilege. In economics, this is called the law of diminishing marginal returns. In grandmother-speak, it’s called being spoiled. Life has, blessedly, given me many wonderful experiences, and as a result, the wow factor of Hawaii will never have the same impact as when I first saw it on tv in the 1970s. Those Bradys ruin everything! Nevertheless, it is an experience I will cherish forever.

For those of us living in the northeastern United States, Hawaii was almost like visiting another planet — a planet where everyone is unhurried, laid back, wearing flip flops and smiling for no reason at all. It is so far from our daily reality of rushing and traffic and deadlines and stress, and Kauai, especially, doesn’t resemble anything close to what we know as Real Life. It felt like dessert for dinner seven days a week. It was nice, but it didn’t feel real, and part of that is due to my uptight east coast breeding. Dessert for dinner can feel unsettling after a couple of days. So wrong and yet so right.

Hawaii’s natural beauty far exceeded my expectations. The feel and smell of the air, the temperature of the ocean, the exotic flowers blooming casually from the road like they’re no big deal, the beautiful birds, the crayon box of fish…all perfect. The food, on the other hand, was a bit of a disappointment, even with my low expectations. We had some decent meals (see link above), but I can say with certainty that I’ve eaten much better food right here in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

If you pick any recipe at random from my blog, chances are it will be something with strong flavors, often with a bit of heat. I’m not a lover of bland, boring food and definitely not afraid to go heavy handed on the spices, so keep that in mind while reading this criticism. I found the flavors used in Hawaii to be so strong, so in your face, that the taste of the food was lost altogether. The food didn’t make sense to my palate. As I told my mother, it was as if a child opened my refrigerator door, pulled out all of my condiments and salad dressings, poured them in one large bowl, then emptied my spice rack, mixed everything together, spooned it over fish and topped it with a pineapple. Voila!

The only thing worse than unappealing food is obscenely overpriced unappealing food. We went into this vacation knowing food would be expensive, and that’s just part of vacation we’ve come to accept.. As people who always appreciate a good meal, we don’t mind paying for one. We do, however, resent paying a lot of money for crap. Knowing what I know now, I would do more research about the best places to eat before going back. Don’t get me wrong, some great places do exist, but we chose badly more often than not.

We didn’t travel halfway around the world just to sit on a beach, even though sitting on the beach is one of my favorite activities ever. We planned four main activities for the week: a helicopter ride, a surfing lesson, a Catamaran sail and snorkel, and a luau. Every one of these activities was well worth it and enhanced our understanding and enjoyment of Kauai, and I’m glad we did them, but these are not the experiences I will remember when I’m old.

I will remember my boys playing in the stunningly blue Pacific ocean, hiking some pretty scary trails right out of a Jurassic Park set, eating Hawaii’s famous shave ice (and Nate attempting to order the disgusting flavor combo of pickles and grandma’s apple pie — he certainly got into the Hawaiian spirit!), playing the coconut instrument bought at Foodland while hula dancing in the living room. I will remember my boys chasing peacocks and chickens, and petting the sweet rescue dog wearing a lei in the t-shirt shop. I will remember the kindness of all the people and the waitress singing Happy Birthday to Andrew in her beautiful voice. But there were other times, too, where we were That Annoying Family. There was a fair amount of bickering and disharmony and snippiness. That’s part of vacation, too, and not a part I enjoy. Like overpriced dried out hamburgers, I accept it’s part of the package, especially with kids aged 16, 11 and 9.

I hope when they look back years from now, they will forget the bad stuff and only remember the sunshine and rainbows. Mahalo, Hawaii. You were worth the wait.

The daily rainbow

Napali coast from helicopter.

I took this picture above especially for my friend Marykate.

Surf school. One of these people didn’t graduate.