Long-Life Noodles for Chinese New Year

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Chinese New Year - Spring Festival - is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The year 4715 - the year of the rooster - begins on the 28th of January. Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those born in rooster years are observant, hardworking, resourceful, courageous, and talented. While they are confident to the point of irritation, they have a great sense of humor and are popular with those who know them. It goes without saying, they enjoy being the center of attention. I suspect they also love to eat. Food is an important part of the New Year celebration and certain foods are included for their symbolic value. Noodles are served for longevity, oranges for wealth and prosperity and a whole fish for abundance and togetherness. Today's recipe is for long-life noodles like the ones stick-stick men sold from pots that hung from shoulder poles. The noodles are served at the very beginning or at the very end of the meal. Be aware that bad luck or a shortened life is the fate of those who break or cut them into more manageable lengths. It's a pretty safe bet that those born in this lunar cycle, the Roosters, manage to keep their noodles in one very long piece. I've draped a noodle across the kitchen cabinet to give you an idea of their length. The noodles can be sauced in many ways, but I've chosen a really simple recipe to share with you tonight. I know you'll enjoy them, and if you have children or grandchildren at the table, they'll have a blast slurping the longest worms ever. Here is how they are made. Remember, the longer the noodle, the longer your life.

Italian-Style Potato Wedges

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We're still at the lake, and since this our last night with friends, a special dinner seemed to be in order. The guys, who were suppose to be fishing, came back from ye old fishing hole with grass fed T-bone steaks instead of salmon. I can't help but wonder what kind of bait they used. At any rate, since the steaks would be grilled, that left the TWO burner range and small oven for preparation of what was suppose to be a special meal. These potatoes wedges are perfect to serve with plain grilled meat or poultry and they are simple to make. The potatoes, along with fresh sweet corn and a Caesar salad, could all be prepared in the small kitchen without straining the kitchen or the cooks and left time enough to make a blackberry shortcake for dessert. It was a lovely meal and the company was great, but now that the smoke is clearing from the valley, it is time for us to head home with grateful thoughts of friends who took in orphans of the storm. I do hope you'll give these gutsy potatoes a try. The recipe comes from a blog called Creme de la Crumb, which you can find here. I think you'll love them for their flavor and ease of preparation. They are especially good when served with a remoulade or green goddess-type dressing for dipping. Here is how they are made.

Tapas - Spanish-Style Garlic Chicken Wings

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a simple recipe meant for those who enjoy chicken wings but would like to find a healthier way to prepare them. The wings are marinated and baked in a typically Spanish fashion and they are almost effortless to prepare, especially if you have your butcher break down the wings for you. The wings are at their best when allowed to marinate for eight hours or more before they go into the oven. They do not have the heat of Buffalo wings, but they are enormously flavorful and can be served with a hot sauce if that is more to your liking. I do hope you'll keep this recipe on your radar. Those of you who make the wings will not be disappointed. They would be great for a game day get-together. Here is how they are made.

Frugal Foodie Friday - Savory Sandwich Buns

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Weather kept me inside today, so dinner had to be made with pantry and refrigerator items. I decided to make a huge batch of pulled pork and it was not until the pork was simmering away, that I realized I no rolls in the freezer. Yeast and flour are never in short supply here, so I decided to make the savory sandwich buns that I'm featuring here tonight. As it happens, the rolls are very inexpensive to make and it dawned on me that they would be perfect to share with you as part of my Frugal Friday series. If you have a stand mixer, you can have these rolls on the table in about 2 hours. The dough is easy to work with and it can be shaped into any form you choose. The addition of garlic salt and minced onions set them apart from most sandwich rolls and I think you'll enjoy their savory difference. Here is how they are made.

Gone Fishin' Series - Lemon Garlic Chicken Kebabs

It really is not surprising that this recipe is so popular. The kebabs can, literally, be made anywhere. I have a reader who made them using a hibachi on a Brooklyn rooftop and I've been known to make them in a grill pan on top of my stove. The ingredients needed to assemble the kebabs can be found in any large market and the recipe comes together quickly. They are a universal favorite in my kitchen. That means the kids enjoy them as much as their parents, and those of you who are feeding young children know how rare an occurrence that is. I'm glad this recipe made it to the second time around club.You will like these.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Skewered meat is one of those foods that has crisscrossed borders and been assimilated into the cuisine of many countries. We think that kabobs were originally a Turkish dish that consisted of pieces of marinated and skewered lamb that were grilled over a charcoal fire. Food historians believe the kabob's origins can be traced to a shortage of fuel in the Near East that made cooking large pieces of meat difficult. We know the word is Persian in origin and Arabic oral tradition infers it was the creation of Persian soldiers who used their swords to grill meat over battlefield fires. Now, here comes the kind of trouble that delights revisionists. Excavations on the Greek island of Santorini, have uncovered the stone sets of barbecue for skewers that were used before the 17th century BCE. That's mighty early and makes some of those earlier claims suspect. So, to be on the safe side, and keep all my friends, I'm going to attribute the creation of kabobs to the region rather than a country.These days, not much escapes the skewer and kabobs can be found in places as disparate as Greece and Thailand. Wherever they appear, they are a favorite food of locals who can't seem to get enough of them. The kabob is usually made with chunks of meat but it can also be made with meatballs or appropriately trimmed vegetables. We have spent the last few days in an area not known for fine dining. So, to assure decent meals we brought the fixings for ours with us. That involved some planning because my idea of an escape does not involve hours in the kitchen. This holiday there would be nothing on the table that couldn't be thrown in the oven or tossed on the grill. The hamper, of course, included kabobs. These make for a wonderful quick meal and they are delicious if you remember to grill the vegetables separately from the meat. If you try to combine both on the same skewer you'll have a hot mess on your hands. The vegetables will start to burn long before the meat is table ready. This recipe is a variation of one that was developed for Williams Sonoma. It is really pleasant and can be served over couscous or rice. Tzatziki is a nice accompaniment. I think you like this. Here's the recipe.

Lemon Garlic Chicken Kabobs...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from a Williams Sonoma recipe

Ingredients:
Chicken
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Optional Vegetables
Juice of 1 lemon lemon
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks

Directions:
1) To prepare chicken: In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Add chicken and stir to combine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
2) To prepare grill, plank and skewers: Soak a cedar plank in water according to package instructions. Prepare a medium fire in a grill and heat plank. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water to cover for at least 20 minutes.
3) To prepare vegetables: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside. Thread onion and bell pepper onto skewers, alternating pieces and dividing them equally. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Thread chicken onto separate skewers, taking care not to pack pieces too tightly.
4) To grill: Lay skewers on warm plank. Brush vegetables with olive oil-lemon juice mixture. Close lid and cook until chicken is opaque throughout and the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer skewers to a warmed platter and serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Roasted Lamb with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary Potatoes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We are going to have a classic Easter dinner with friends next Saturday. I love these folks, but they've been at my table so often that I feel compelled to try something new, or at the very least, rework something old and give it a new life. I did some searching this week and was able to find a recipe for lamb that sounded really interesting. It was a Martha Stewart recipe, so I was reasonably confident that the recipe would work, but it was strongly flavored and I wanted to make sure it played nicely with the other dishes I planned to serve with dinner. Tonight we had a dress rehearsal. It work well enough that I'm happy to share the recipe with those of you who enjoy food with robust and gutsy flavors. I did vary a bit from the recipe.  I used very small potatoes that did not lend themselves to peeling or fussing of any sort, so they went into the roasting pan with their skins intact.  My omission caused no problems with the finished dish. There was one problem that I had to address when the roast came out of the oven. It did not brown and I found the color it did have off-putting. I added a teaspoon or so of Kitchen Bouquet to the scant pan drippings and used them to paint the surface of the meat. Voila! Only you and I know where that meat got its lovely brown color. Having completed had the test run, I'm going to change the vegetables I originally planned to serve with the lamb. The potatoes are so strongly flavored that I'm reverting to plain steamed asparagus or green bean bundles  as an accompaniment. I think they will provide better balance to the meal. I really liked this dish and I think you will too. Here's the recipe.

Roasted Marinated Lamb with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary Potatoes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
Wide strips of zest and fresh juice from 2 lemons
1 head garlic, cloves smashed and peeled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 pounds boneless leg of lamb roast, tied at 1-inch intervals
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled

Directions:
1) Roughly chop strips of lemon zest. In a medium bowl, combine lemon zest and juice, garlic, and rosemary; whisk in oil. Pat lamb dry and season with salt and pepper. Place lamb in a 1-gallon resealable bag and pour in marinade. Seal bag, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Turn bag several times to coat lamb in marinade. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour (or refrigerate overnight), flipping bag halfway through.
2) Preheat oven to 450. (If lamb was marinated overnight, remove from refrigerator 1 hour prior to cooking.) Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 2 inches; season with salt. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes.
3) Remove lamb from marinade, letting excess marinade drip back into bag. Place lamb on a plate; season generously with salt and pepper. Pour marinade into a roasting pan; add potatoes. Cook 15 minutes. Push potatoes to edges of pan; place lamb in center. Roast 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 300 and cook until medium-rare (an instant-read thermometer should read 125 when inserted in thickest part of lamb), 1 to 1 1/4 hours, tossing potatoes halfway through.
4) Tent pan loosely with foil and let lamb rest 20 minutes before slicing. Toss potatoes with pan juices and serve alongside lamb. Yield: 8 servings.






One Year Ago Today: Milk Braised Pork Tenderloin with Baby Spinach and Strawberry Salad















Two Years Ago Today: Thai Honey Peanut Chicken













Three Years Ago Today: Horner's Corner Plum Bread














Four Years Ago Today: Tom Kah Gai, Thai Cooking School and Hill Tribe Elephants

Frugal Foodie Friday - Garlic Soup with Spinach

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple and inexpensive soup is another of the recipes that I found while doing research for the SNAP challenge. It is perfect for lunch or a light supper and I suspect the addition of a small amount of chicken or sausage would make it an acceptable meal for even the most committed of carnivores. The recipe was developed by Martha Rose Shulman and I found it in The New York Times. I have made it several times since my discovery, but to control costs and keep this recipe within the realm of possibility for the challenge, I used powdered chicken bouillon rather than stock or broth. I suspect it would be even more wonderful with a strong homemade chicken or turkey broth. The only caution I have to share with you regarding the soup is timing. It is important to have all the ingredient in place and ready to go when you start the soup. It is equally important to get it to the table as soon as it is done. The soup has glorious color, but if the spinach sits too long in the hot stock it will become muddy. If you are an old hand at tempering eggs, you'll have no problem with the recipe, but should the eggs scramble on you, don't stress. The soup will still be delicious, though it will not be as pretty. While the recipe calls for a bouquet garni, we no longer need a cheesecloth purse to contain herbs and spices. Just place them in a paper coffee filter and tie the resulting pouch. Voila! This is a delicious soup and I do hope you will try it. The recipe appears below. Before ending tonight's  post I wanted to let you know that Peter Pringle's book, A Place At The Table, is now available on Amazon. The book is the companion piece to chef Tom Colicchio's movie, A Place at the Table, which examines hunger in America. The movie will be opening on the 1st of March, and the following preview gives  a  thoughtful  overview of a problem that many do not know exists. You can see the preview, here. I hope you'll be able to see the movie.

Garlic Soup with Spinach...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Martha Rose Shulman and the New York Times

Ingredients:
1-1/2 quarts chicken stock, turkey stock, vegetable stock, or water
A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and a couple of sprigs each thyme and parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1/2 cup elbow macaroni
2 eggs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (1 ounce)
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach, or 12 ounces of bunch spinach, stemmed, washed, dried and coarsely chopped

Directions:
1) Place stock or water in a large saucepan or soup pot with bouquet garni. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bring to a simmer and add garlic. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add pasta and simmer 5 minutes, until cooked al dente. Remove bouquet garni.
2) Beat eggs in a bowl and stir in 1/3 cup of stock, making sure that it is not boiling, and cheese.
3) Stir spinach into the simmering stock and simmer for 1 minute. Drizzle in egg mixture, scraping all of it in with a rubber spatula. Turn off heat and stir very slowly with spatula, paddling it back and forth until eggs have set. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve at once. Yield: 4 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Cream Scones with Blueberries, Cardamom and Masa

Two Years Ago Today: Chow Fun

Three Years Ago Today: Focaccia Bread

Spaghetti on the Cheap

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our neighborhood was buried in dense fog today. The children made the best of it by playing Marco-Polo until boredom reigned them in. I decided quite early in the day to stay in, secure in the knowledge that the world would not end if I missed a meeting or two. Besides, I had the perfect excuse. I couldn't see my driveway. I won't bore you with the minutia of my day, save to say the pantry is clean and the aroma of the bread baking in my kitchen was a perfect counterpoint to that of the madrone our neighbors use to fire their wood stoves. I did puzzle a bit about dinner. I wanted something substantial, but didn't want another soup or stew. I decided that pasta with a huge salad and warm bread on the side would make a perfect meal.  I had a jar of tomato sauce in the freezer and thick spaghetti in the pantry, so dinner fell quickly into place. The sauce I had frozen would could be warmed and afford us another delicious meal. I had originally planned to use the sauce as part of our SNAP challenge, but I discovered that as the elements came together, it was simply too expensive to be included in our weekly plan. I figured the sauce and pasta came to $4 a serving, which by most standards is a bargain, but it was way over the SNAP meal allocation. I found this recipe last summer in Food and Wine magazine and literally clipped it, because it reminded me of some of the sauces I had as a child. The recipe uses five ingredients to make a sauce that sticks to the ribs as well as the pasta. There are a couple of things I'd like you to notice about the recipe. It uses lots of olive oil and a quarter pound of garlic. The oil and garlic simmer together before they are added to the tomato sauce and the bite of the garlic is reduced to a mellow nibble in the process. Do not cut back on either ingredient. The recipe also uses a small quantity of mushrooms to make a reduced broth. I cheated a bit here and used a mushroom powder to create the cup of broth needed for the sauce. If the recipe is followed precisely, it takes two hours to get this pasta to the table. If you cheat, as I did, 30 minutes can be shaved off your prep time. While most of the sauces we use these days come together in a quicker fashion, I know those of you who are looking for an old-fashioned tomato sauce will love this one. It is not figure friendly, but it is delicious. The recipe makes enough sauce for 2 pounds of pasta, so you'll probably want to freeze half of the sauce you make. I really hope you'll give this recipe a try. I know that those of you who do, will not be disappointed. Here's how this inexpensive dish is made.

Spaghetti on the Cheap...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients:
4 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3/4 cup peeled garlic cloves (4 ounces, from about 4 heads)
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled Italian tomatoes with their juices
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound spaghetti
1/4 cup torn basil leaves
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

Directions:
1) In a saucepan, bring the mushrooms and 3 cups of water to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the broth is reduced to 1 cup, 1 hour. Strain and discard the mushrooms.
2) Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the garlic and olive oil to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until the garlic is very tender and golden, about 30 minutes.
3) In a large enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven, bring the tomatoes and the garlic and oil to a boil. Add the mushroom broth and, using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth. Bring the sauce back to a boil, then simmer over moderately low heat until thickened, about 1 hour. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
4) Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain the spaghetti and return to the pot. Add 2 cups of the sauce and cook, tossing, for 1 minute. Transfer the spaghetti to bowls, top with the basil and serve with grated cheese. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Building a Latin-Style Meal Using McCormick's Flavor Forecast

Two Years Ago Today: Crock-Pot Greek-Style Beef Stew

Three Year's Ago Today: Bob's Tuscan Bruschetta

Stir-Fried Broccoli with Ginger and Garlic

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This Asian-inspired side dish is wonderful to serve with plain grilled meats or chicken. I've been known to make it as a main course for myself when the Silver Fox is not home for dinner. I love the color of stir-fried vegetables and the vibrant green of this crisp-tender broccoli was, I am sure, on the palettes of the Impressionists. If it wasn't, it should have been. This stir-fry is made with common pantry ingredients and it is very easy to prepare. You can have it on the table in 20 minutes or less, and it is a great way to use the bags of small florets that are found in the produce aisle of your grocery store. While the recipe is straightforward, it is important not to overcook the broccoli. Certain instructions are common to almost all Asian-style recipes. So here,  you will again be asked to heat the wok or frying pan before adding oil to it. This is done to prevent ingredients from sticking to the pan. You'll also be instructed to pour liquids around the sides of the pan rather than into its center. Liquids added around the periphery of the pan will not significantly change the temperature of the wok, while those dumped or poured into the center will cause rapid cooling and slow the cooking of the pan's contents. If you enjoy broccoli and are looking for new ways to prepare it, I hope you'll give this recipe a try.It was developed by Nancie McDermott and the recipes she creates are workable and delicious. Here's how this vegetable stir-fry is made.

Stir-Fried Broccoli with Ginger and Garlic...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Nancie McDermott

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces broccoli florets
3 tablespoons water or chicken stock
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

Directions:
1) Heat a wok or a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add vegetable oil and swirl to coat pan.
2) Add ginger, garlic, and salt, and toss well. Add broccoli and toss until combined. Cook, tossing often, until the broccoli florets are vivid green and just starting to wilt, about 1 minutes.
3) Add water, pouring it in around the sides of the pan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes more, tossing now and then, until the broccoli is brilliant green and tender, but still pleasingly crisp. Add sesame oil, toss well, and then transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot or warm. Yield: 4 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Rhubarb Swirl Brunch Cake

Two Years Ago Today: Apple Cider Quatre Quarts Cake

Three Years Ago Today: Cranberry Dressing

Panfried Catfish with Lemon and Garlic

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...February can be a difficult month in the kitchen. This year we've seen the Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, President's Day and Fat Tuesday all fall within days of each other. It's enough to make you swear off food, which, of course, is exactly what those who observe the traditional Lenten practices of fast and abstinence will begin doing next week. This year, in the lead up to Easter Sunday, I plan to feature two meatless recipes a week in the hopes that more variety can be brought to the tables of those who will be eating less meat during Lenten season. So, while I still plan to celebrate Fat Tuesday and St. Patrick's Day with gusto, we'll be making an honest effort to prepare everyday meals that can be enjoyed by all. We start a week ahead of time so you can always have two recipes in the hopper that are ready to go. Tonight's recipe is perfect for those who are trying to work more fish into their diets. The recipe is an adaption of one developed by Emeril LaGasse when he was chef at Brennan's in New Orleans. While the fish should marinate for an hour before it is fried, it can be on the table in about 20 minutes once it finishes its long soak. The recipe is straight forward, easy to make and the fish really is delicious. I have two thoughts to share with you regarding its preparation. The garlic must be coarsely chopped. Think raisin size for measuring and then give the pieces a good whack with the flat of a knife before adding them to the marinade. Fresh lemon juice is wonderful and if I were a true foodie I'd insist you use it. I'm not, so should you slip and use the stuff that comes in a bottle know that your secret is safe with me. I have one last caution to share with you and that regards the heat of the oil you use to fry the fish. In order to prevent the catfish from absorbing oil, it must be hot and stay hot while the fish cooks. The catfish should be served as soon as it comes from the pan, so any sides you are going to pair with it must also be set to go. Fish prepared in this way makes wonderful Poor Boy sandwiches. If you are not able to buy catfish, flounder and Pacific cod are excellent substitutes. This is a really lovely way to serve catfish and it is especially delicious when served with Creole Tartar Sauce. Both recipes follow.

Panfried Catfish with Lemon and Garlic...from the kitchen of On Perfect Bite adapted from Emeril LaGasse via La Belle Cuisine

Ingredients:
4 catfish fillets (6 to 6 1/2 ounces each)
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Creole or Cajun Spice
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
1) Place catfish in a shallow bowl. Add lemon juice, parsley, garlic and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rub. Toss to coat catfish evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2) Combine cornmeal, flour and reserved 1 teaspoon rub in another shallow bowl. Remove catfish from marinade and dredge in cornmeal mixture, coating evenly.
3) Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet and fry for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Serve immediately. 4 servings.

Creole Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon Creole or whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Put egg, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and green onions in a food processor and purée for 15 seconds. With processor running, pour oil through feed tube in a steady stream. Add cayenne, mustard and salt and pulse once or twice to blend. Cover and let sit for 1 hour in the refrigerator before using. Best if used within 24 hours. Makes 1- 1/3 cups.








One Year Ago Today: Giant Lemon Sugar Cookies
















Two Years Ago Today: Shrove Tuesday Buns

50 Women Game Changers in Food - #33 Christopher Hirscheimer and Melissa Hamilton - Canal House Roasted Tomatoes Studded with Garlic

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Canal House Cooking is a series of seasonal cookbooks created for the home cook by the food writing and photography team of Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton. In 2006, the two women opened Canal House as a photo and design studio for cookbooks and magazines. They had known each other for years before forming the partnership. Melissa Hamilton, a chef, had been the director of the test kitchen at Saveur magazine where Christopher Hirsheimer was a founding editor and photographer. Their food is a fusion of European country classics and American regional favorites which, while easy enough to do, is designed to be interesting and capture the eye and imaginations of their readers. Their recipes reflect Hamilton's French heritage and Hirsheimer's California background. Both women have traveled extensively and have impressive culinary backgrounds. Their vision includes three publications a year and they have been able to make their self-published concept work by doing most of the work themselves. Each of their publications contains about 75 recipes which they develop, test and photograph on their own. That has helped preserve the homespun but edgy quality they wanted their magazines to have. Together they share position 33 on the Gourmet Live list of 50 Women Game Changers in Food.

I selected a really simple recipe to highlight the type of cooking that the women do. As you scan through the recipe, you'll see a fairly standard list of ingredients for a simple pasta sauce. What is different, however, is the way the dish is prepared and presented. The idea here is to give everyone a flavorful roasted tomato that can be mashed over a serving of pasta, effectively creating a sauce meant for one. It works fairly well, especially when first served and piping hot. I thought the crumbs became gummy and less pleasant as the sauce cooled. The recipe is novel, at least to me, and I think those of you who enjoy something different for a change, might really like this. Here's the recipe.

Canal House Roasted Tomatoes Studded with Garlic on a Bed of Pasta

Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced pancetta
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pasta
2 anchovy fillets
1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
4 tomatoes, tops sliced off, seeds scooped out (use your fingers)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Small handful fresh thyme, parsley, or basil leaves, chopped (I used a combination of all 3)
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound spaghetti

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fry pancetta in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp around edges. Use a slotted spatula to lift pancetta out of skillet to a plate. Leave rendered fat in skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and anchovies to skillet. Use a wooden spoon to mash anchovies until they dissolve. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring often,until they are golden.
2) Put tomatoes, cut side up, in a baking dish and slip some garlic into each tomato. Mound some bread crumbs into each tomato and scatter pancetta and herbs on top. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle remaining 4 tablespoons of oil over all. Roast tomatoes in the oven until they have browned a bit and interior is supple but tomatoes have not collapsed, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
3) Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain. Return pasta to pot and stir in some olive oil and some of the oily tomato juices from the bottom of the tomato roasting dish.
4) Serve spaghetti with roasted tomatoes and their juices spooned on top. Yield: 4 servings.

The following bloggers are also featuring the recipes of Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton today. I hope you'll pay them all a visit. They are great cooks who have wonderful blogs.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan - The Spice Garden, Heather - girlichef, Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette - Healthy Living
Mary - One Perfect Bite, Kathleen - Bake Away with Me, Sue - The View from Great Island Barbara - Movable Feasts , Linda A - There and Back Again, Nancy - Picadillo
Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen
Annie - Most Lovely Things, Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce - More Time at the Table, Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades

Next week we will highlight the career and recipes of Ella Brennan. It will be really interesting to see what everyone comes up with. If you'd like to join us please email me for additional information no later than Monday, February 6th.

50 Women Game Changers in Food - #31 Donna Hay - Pork and Fennel Meatballs

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Some call Donna Hay the Australian Martha Stewart, and there are definitely similarities between the two women. They share a penchant for beautifully styled food, but Donna Hay is more relaxed in its preparation, and the scope of her empire is not yet as all-encompassing as that of Martha Stewart. She graduated from a local technical college with a degree in Home Economics, and the remainder of her story is a tale of happy confluence. Her career is a case study in what can happen when a bright and ambitious young woman, in the right place at the right time, has the courage to grab opportunity when it presents itself. Interest in Australian food exploded in the 1990's and that gave her the opportunity to become a food stylist and writer when she was just nineteen years old. Six years later she was named food editor of marie claire magazine. Since then, she has gone on to become Australia's leading food editor and a bestselling cookbook author with 18 books to her credit. She has also created a magazine with her name on the masthead and has her own television show, Fast, Fresh and Simple. Her success can be credited to a simple formula that includes the use of basic ingredients, easy preparation techniques and beautiful photography. Her stated goal is to help her readers brighten the lives they actually live. In the process, she revolutionised the Australian food industry and has gone on to become its most famous spokesperson.


Donna Hay has been named to the Gourmet Live list of Women Game Changers in Food. It is often difficult to find recipes developed by the women on the list, but that was not a problem this week. We, instead, had to deal with an embarrassment of riches. She has published so many recipes that it was difficult to hone in on one that would highlight her style. I finally decided to focus on a recipe that will be featured on her television program this season. It is for meatballs made with pork and fennel. There are a few tricks to making this recipe work as intended. Under the best of circumstance, these are dense meatballs and the use of dried bread crumbs will make them unappetizing heavy. Fresh bread crumbs are a must and you will need three slices of crustless bread to make them. I also suggest you serve them with the recommended accompaniments. I was disappointed with the meatballs when I first tasted them. They perked up considerably when I dipped them into an olive tapenade. I decided to slice the meatballs and stuff them into a hard roll along with all of the accompaniments. That made for a really nice sandwich that I can happily recommend to you. Here's the recipe.

Pork and Fennel Meatballs...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Donna Hay

Ingredients:
2-1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes or kosher salt
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup milk
1-1/2 pounds ground pork
4-oz. pancetta, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
olive oil, for cooking
crusty bread, olive tapenade, tomato slices and arugula leaves, to serve

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Place fennel seeds and salt in a mortar and pestle and lightly crush. I used a spice grinder for this step.
3) Place breadcrumbs and milk in a bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Add pork, pancetta, parsley and fennel-salt mixture and mix well for 2-3 minutes or until mixture comes together.
4) Using a 1/4 cup measure form into 15 balls.
5) Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a little oil to pan and cook meatballs, in batches, until well browned on all sides. Place on a baking tray and bake for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Serve meatballs with crusty bread, olive tapenade, sliced tomato and arugula. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

The following bloggers are also featuring the recipes of Donna Hay today. I hope you'll pay them all a visit. They are great cooks who have wonderful blogs.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan - The Spice Garden, Heather - girlichef, Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette - Healthy Living
Mary - One Perfect Bite, Kathleen - Bake Away with Me, Sue - The View from Great Island Barbara - Movable Feasts , Linda A - There and Back Again, Nancy - Picadillo
Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen
Annie - Most Lovely Things, Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce - More Time at the Table

Next week we will highlight the career and recipes of Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian. It will be really interesting to see what everyone comes up with. If you'd like to join us please email me for additional information no later than Monday, January 23rd.

Old Salzburg Garlic Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the second of the two garlic soups I keep in my recipe arsenal. Both are creamy soups, but they achieve that smoothness in different ways. One uses sour cream, while the other uses a copious quantity of light cream to loosen the heavy base. Both are cooked in the same fashion as a good onion soup, where onions are first cooked in a covered pot until they collapse and give up liquid, and then browned until a beautiful golden slurry is formed. I must admit I like this recipe as much as the first and find it slightly easier to make. The recipe comes from the kitchens of the Hotel Schloss Fuschl on the outskirts of Salzburg, Austria. It sits on the banks of Lake Fuschl and it is actually a converted castle originally built as a hunting lodge and summer palace for the archbishops of Salzburg. The soup is delicious, but my active imagination would find it even more tasty sitting on the deck overlooking that gorgeous lake. The location and attendant ambiance would definitely enhance the flavor of the soup and quickly break the tie I spoke of. Those archbishops sure knew how to live, and while I can't match the ambiance they enjoyed, I can provide the soup. Here's the recipe.


Old Salzburg Garlic Soup...from thekitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of the Hotel Schloss Fuschl

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
1/2 cup chopped garlic
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
6 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
Grated nutmeg, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Croutons
Minced fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions:
1) Combine onions and garlic in a large stock pot set over medium heat. Cook
slowly over medium heat until onions are golden brown. This can take 30 to 40 minutes. 2
2) Add 1/2 cup flour and cook mixture, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Add stock, wine, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes.
3) Strain mixture through a fine sieve into another pot. Stir in sour cream and freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.
4) Ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted croutons and parsley. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.







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Cream of Garlic Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Several times a year, I throw caution to the wind and invest in a center cut piece of beef tenderloin. That's a sure sign I'm yearning for the dinner parties of my misspent youth and have a yen for chateaubriand that I feel can only be justified by the presence of guests at our table. While I no longer called these occasions dinner parties, they are special dinners where good food and fine wine are combined with great conversation and the company of good friends. I want the food to be delicious, but I also want it to be simple, so I can enjoy the company of our guests. That means the first course I serve will usually be a soup that can be made well ahead of time. This lovely cream soup, develop by chef Susan Spicer, is perfect for those occasions. It is made from a slurry of garlic and onions that mellow with long, slow cooking. The soup is then pureed to perfect smoothness and enriched with light cream just before it is served. The trick to this, of course, is proper cooking of the onions and garlic. While the recipe calls for chopped onions and garlic, I've found they exude less liquid and brown better when sliced. Because garlic can burn quickly, I partially cook the onions before adding it to the slurry and I consider the times recommended in the recipe to be suggestions rather than fiat. The vegetables should be cooked until they are golden brown and form a slurry similar to that of an onion soup. That might take longer than the recipe suggests, so don't rush the process. If you master the slurry, you will have a interesting soup that makes your socks go up and down. This is a lovely soup that ages well. I hope you will give it a try. Here's the recipe.

Cream of Garlic Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Susan Spicer

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds onions, about 4, chopped
2 cups garlic cloves, about 4 large
heads, chopped
2 quarts Chicken Stock or canned
low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 loaf day-old French bread (about
1/4 pound), cut into chunks
1 bouquet garni: 6 parsley stems, 9 sprigs fresh thyme or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried, and 1 bay leaf
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Croutons, optional

Directions:
1) Heat oil and butter in a large pot set over low heat. Add onions and garlic. Cover pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, about 30 minutes. Raise heat to moderate and continue cooking onions and garlic, uncovered, stirring frequently, until deep golden, about 10 minutes longer.
2) Add stock, bread, bouquet garni, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes.
3) Remove bouquet garni and purée soup in a blender or food processor. Strain soup back into pot. Add half-and-half and pepper and bring back to a boil. Serve topped with croutons, if you like. Yield: 6 servings.










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Penne with Garlic Roasted Mushrooms

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I wish I had the ability to spin words in such a way that you would be convinced, at least for a moment, that I have a gourmet pasta to share with you today. Truth is, this homely dish is made from odds and ends found in my pantry and fridge at the end of the holidays. The mushrooms were my bad. They had been purchased to stuff, but for lots of reasons, some of them actually legitimate, that never happened. The rest of the ingredients are standard pantry fare, so the dish is really the result of a game of mix and match. It sounds quite ordinary, but the garlic and herbed roasted mushrooms take this pasta to a whole nother level. Roasting releases heady woodland flavors that you won't encounter when the mushrooms are sauteed or baked at a lower level, and the scant juices they exude add a real boost to the taste of the finished pasta. This was wonderful when made with large crimini mushrooms, but I suspect it would been even more flavorful had wild mushrooms been available for use. This dish is very easy to prepare, but the mushrooms take time to roast, so you should plan on at least an hour to get the pasta on the table. This rustic dish is not particularly attractive, but it makes up in earthy and satisfying flavor what it lacks in eye appeal. Don't slice the mushrooms too thinly. Mine were about 1/3 to 1/2-inch thick and that worked out well. They retained some shape and added a meaty type resistance to the finished dish.This pasta is substantial enough to be served as an entree and it would be a perfect choice for a Meatless Monday dinner. I don't think this reheats well. Unlike most dishes that improve with age, I thought the lovely woodsy flavor of the freshly made dish disappeared when it was refrigerated overnight. If you enjoy mushrooms, I suspect you'll like this pasta and I hope you will give it a try. Here's the recipe.

Penne with Garlic Roasted Mushrooms...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 pounds assorted mushrooms cleaned, stemmed and sliced or quartered
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 ounces dried penne

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss together cleaned, sliced mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, oregano, and basil. Turn mixture onto a large baking dish or rimmed cookie sheet large enough to hold them in a single layer.
2) Transfer pan to oven and roast, stirring periodically, until mushrooms release their juices, shrink, and begin to caramelize, about 30 to 35 minutes.
3) When mushrooms are nearly done, prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Add pan contents to pasta along with parsley, green onions and Parmesan cheese. Add reserved pasta water by tablespoons to form a sauce that naps pasta. Toss well and serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.








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50 Women Game Changers in Food - #17 Dorothy Hamilton - Maple Syrup + Thai Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Lime

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Dorothy Hamilton is an educator and entrepreneur who many consider to be a gastronomic visionary. She attended Newcastle University in England in the late 60's, and following graduation joined the Peace Corp. She spent the next three years in Thailand where she was first introduced to French and Thai cuisine. She returned to New York City during the recession of 1974 and her English major and volunteer experience made it difficult for her to find employment. By default, she went to work for her father who ran a trade school in the city, and learned she loved working with students. She also loved cooking, and following visits to European culinary schools, convinced her father to open a culinary trade school. In 1984 she started a small cooking school called The French Culinary Institute. It, along with The School of Italian Studies, came to be housed under the umbrella of The International Culinary Centers which she also founded. As CEO of this prestigious institution, she became one of the most influential forces in the American culinary scene. The awards she has won while in that position are simply too numerous to mention here. She has been recognized by Gourmet Live and holds position #17 on their list of the 50 Most Influential Women in Food.

She has, however, presented a problem for those of us who participate in the weekly challenge that recognizes these women. While she writes with authority about food, she does not write cookbooks. After considerable searching, I found only one recipe that came from her hand. It is for maple syrup that she made with her daughter, Olivia. I found the recipe buried in an article she had written for her own blog, "Love What You Do!" which you can be found here. I'm including a snippet that actually has instruction for cooking down the sap. Here it is.

Maple Syrup

"Cooking down the sap is the easy part until the end. It takes approximately 10 gallons of sap to make one pint of syrup. I start my syrup outside because of all the steam. The only other technique you need to employ other than boiling is filtering. As I said, insects love the sap too, so before your initial boil run the sap through 4 layers of cheesecloth. I pour the sap through a large colander into a huge lobster pot and let it boil most of the day over a propane flame outside. Once it boils down to a size that will fit in a stock pot in the house I filter it again through 4 layers of cheesecloth and bring it inside to the stove. Syrup boils at 7 degrees above the boiling point of water (212 degrees). I use a candy thermometer to watch how it goes. The syrup starts off either clear or cloudy white. As it boils down it gets a rusty hue. In the pot on the stove the color deepens and deepens. Then all at once it bubbles like crazy into a caramel color and you smell the syrup almost on the point of burning. Fast,fast, fast get it off the heat. Filter again while it is at least 160 degrees and put in sterilized glass, tin or heavy plastic containers. Seal and then turn upside down to lock the seal."

Now, I am uncomfortable leaving you with a non-recipe recipe, so I did some more digging. I was able to find a series of recipes that were developed for Dorothy Hamilton by Chef Bobo, the public persona of Robert Surless, who I believe is an instructor at the ICC. She apparently cooks for her family several times a week and wanted recipes that were fast and easy to prepare. Because she was dieting, the recipes also had to be low in calories. I found his recipe and accompanying photo on the Food and Wine site, which you can find here. The dish has the sweet, salty, sour and spicy flavors we've come to associate with good Thai Cooking.

Thai Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Lime

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
freshly ground black pepper
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons minced cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped basil
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped mint
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
lime wedges, for serving

Directions:
1) Season chicken with pepper. In a bowl, mix garlic with 2 tablespoons of cilantro, fish sauce, brown sugar and chili powder. Rub over chicken and let stand for up to 1 hour.
2) In a small bowl, toss remaining cilantro with basil and mint.
3) In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil until simmering. Add chicken and cook over high heat, turning once until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. Cut each thigh into 3 or 4 pieces. Transfer the chicken to a platter and scatter the herbs all over. Serve with the lime wedges and brown rice. Makes 4 servings.

The following bloggers are also featuring the work of Dorothy Hamilton today. I hope you'll visit all of them. They are all great cooks who have wonderful blogs.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Kathleen -Bake Away with Me
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island
Barbara - Movable Feasts
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds
Amy - Beloved Green
Jeanette - Healthy Living
Linda - Ciao Chow Linda
Linda A - There and Back Again
Martha - Lines from Linderhof
Nancy - Picadillo


Next week we will highlight the career and recipes of Clotilde Dusoulier. It will be really interesting to see what everyone comes up with. If you'd like to join us please email me for additional information no later than Saturday, October 1st.