When I was a kid, I love-love-loved Campbell’s Tomato and Rice Soup, the kind from the can that you just added water to and stirred around on the stove top for a while. Holy Happy Meal, Batman, with a couple of saltines on, that was the best stuff ever to slurp on a fall day, and best of all, I could do it myself from a young age. Don’t ask me how young, because I don’t remember! But it was a handy thing to make, and it got you tons of labels for your school back in the day. Ah yes, the Campbell Soup Label Drives…. Continue reading
Tag Archives: cooking
Back-to-School Freezer Fillers 1: Basil Pesto
29 Aug
My darling son starts kindergarten this week. Yikes!
And I go back to the classroom to teach next week. Double Yikes!
Drying blanched basil
I look upon school food with deep suspicion; I haven’t spent the last five years nurturing a good and healthy eater only to surrender him to the deep fryer as well as the public education system. And for myself, I refuse to waste $10 a day or more eating lunch out when I can eat better for less in the comfort of my office, listening to Pandora and checking my emails. Continue reading
Blackberry Bonanza: Syrup, Martini, and Lemon Iced Tea (plus a lesson in empirical evidence)
27 Aug
There is currently a beautiful blackberry crop at Restoration Farm (our C.S.A.) and there’s nothing more fun than walking down to the berry patch and picking a pint or quart of berries with your kid in a bucolic colonial setting.
You know which berries are ready because they are dark, dark, dark (which I suppose explains why they are called blackberries; I am a genius) and also, when you are harvesting, the ripe ones don’t resist a very gentle tug, but slip right off the bush into your fingers sans stem and core. If they resist, it is not because they are being difficult, but because they simply do not want to deliver themselves to you at anything less than their peak. Continue reading
Everything Must Go! How to make a mad-mixed pasta sauce to eat now/freeze for later)
22 Aug
We are drowning in abundance. It happens every August if you garden or belong to a CSA; there are so many tomatoes, so many peppers, so much zucchini….it all gets lost in the fridge faster than you can cook it!
So, with pick-up coming the next day and a fridge full of last week’s haul getting ugly, I took as much as I could and cooked it down into sauce – some for now and some for the freezer, in small containers that will make a fast meal when school starts and dinner needs to be now and lunch needs to be ready the night before. I have freezer-packing panic!
Blanche! (Tennessee Williams moment)
Here is an Everything Must Get Used Before Our Next Pick-Up tomato sauce recipe. I used SunGolds, cherries, paste tomatoes, slicers, heirlooms, anything that had been sitting all week getting sad.
How-to for blanching tomatoes follows the recipe….
Everything Must Go Pasta Sauce
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 Cup onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
(Optional bits and bobs: half a zucchini, a bit of eggplant – bung in anything that will cook down soft and not mess up the overall color too much — chopped small).
6 lbs tomatoes (paste tomatoes preferred, but I used an incredible mix), cored, blanched and peeled*
1 Tbs dried oregano and thyme (2 Tbs if using fresh)
¼ Cup red wine
½ tsp salt (or to taste)
Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot at medium high until liquid and fragrant. Lower heat to medium and add the following vegetables one at a time, stirring to coat before adding the next: onions, garlic, peppers, carrots, celery. Cook at medium (or lower if you have time) until vegetables are soft and translucent, at least five minutes. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add herbs and wine and lower to a lively simmer. Cook down for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The more you cook it, the smoother it will get, but also the more dense. Add water 1/4 Cup at a time as desired.
(Optional step: Using an immersion blender, liquefy the sauce to desired smoothness)
Correct seasoning and serve over pasta/freeze for later! Will keep three months in the freezer.
To blanch, keep reading!
A pile of peels
*To blanch and peel tomatoes: Bring two quarts of water to a boil. Meanwhile, core the tomatoes (take out the stem and white core with a paring knife) and prepare a large bowl of ice water. When the water boils, drop tomatoes in. In two minutes (or less) you will see the skin begin to peel back or split. Remove each tomato as this happens and drop in ice water. When tomatoes have cooled, take them out of the ice water and peel (the skin should come off easily). They are then ready to cook down, or freeze in freezer bags for later use (later can be as long as next spring! and you don’t have to peel them if you are freezing for later use).
Simple Caribbean Chicken Noodle Soup (throw it all into the pot at once! Serves four as a main course))
19 Aug
Yeah, yeah, your grandmother’s chicken soup. I know. It was the best. Could raise the dead, in fact.
Just five minutes of chopping, and throw it all in the pot! No browning, no saute, no mirepoix, no sofrito, no roux.
Well this chicken soup may not be your grandmother’s, or even your mother-in-law’s. It may not be complex, may not feature a rich and dense stock, may not have anything at all fancy about it. But if you want to just throw a bunch of things in a pot and end up with a soothing, yummy, cure-all of a soup in less than a half hour, I think you will like my soup a whole lot. It’s a typical Puerto Rican and, apparently Aruban, style of soup prep.
The first tender tropical culantro leaves from a container on my Long Island stoop!
Important note: in this soup, my herbs were the first recao (culantro) I was able to harvest from the seeds I brought from Puerto Rico. You do not need them to make this soup – choose whatever you most like in the green herby kingdom – but I want to share with you my satisfaction at growing, on my stoop, one of the most distinctive elements of Puerto Rican cuisine. Eryngium foetidum – also known as recao, culantro and sawtooth coriander — is something that smells delicious in the rain, that tastes similar to cilantro, but is less citric and a bit deeper.
And another view of the recao…yes, I am inordinately proud…
I grew it at my grandmother’s house in Mayagüez from seeds from my great-aunt Amida, but have struggled to get it to grow here on Long Island. Thanks to a mad-humid summer, it has flourished in a container and I am very happy not to have to buy it already cut and fading in flavor from the local Latin grocery that gets it from Costa Rica. ¡¡¡¡TRIUNFO!!!
Comfort in a pot
No-Fuss Chicken Noodle Soup (amounts of vegetables are flexible)
2 quarts water (with a stock cube) or stock (or a mix of the two)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 green pepper (preferably cubanelle or Italian cooking pepper), chopped
1 lb chicken breast (or boneless thighs), in 1’ cubes
1 Tbs herbs of your choice, chopped (especially culantro/recao/sawtooth cilantro)
Handful of soup noodles (fideos)
Salt to taste
Bin a large stockpot, bring water/stock to a boil. Add remaining ingredients, except noodles and salt. Return to boil. Lower heat to a lively simmer for at least 20 minutes. The longer you have the more tender the chicken. Add noodles five minutes before you finish simmering. Salt to taste and serve. I recommend adding hot sauce, like sriracha, to taste!
Party Snacks: Champiñones al ajillo (Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce)
14 Aug
Champiñones al ajillo (Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce) is a classic tapas dish from Spain. I can remember really digging these on my first trip to Spain, back when I was 18 and remarkably stupid and lucky and blessed with an exchange rate that got me lots of pesetas for my parents’ dollars. I’m still remarkably stupid, but everything else seems to have changed.
So it’s lovely to be able to recreate a dish that gave me much pleasure while I was realizing there was a whole ‘nother world beyond the confines of North America and to feel that, while change is inevitable, some things are good forever (at least in human understanding of forever).
Having said that, this dish is a bit different from what I had way back when. The sauce is more dense, the garlic more subtle. And instead of eating it standing up at a formica counter, with the funny afternoon light of old Madrid coming in the plate glass window, I eat the occasional forkful as I move around the kitchen getting the rest of dinner on the table. And instead of tossing the napkins on the floor for the owner’s son to occasionally sweep away from underfoot, I keep using the soggy paper towel by the sink until it is pretty useless. So I guess whatever I am trying to say is about as clear as mud, but hopefully it covers the ground.
Anyhoo, try this one. Enjoy it on a rimmed dish in the middle of the table, jabbing the mushroom bits with toothpicks and sopping up the sauce with crusty bread and drinking little stemless glasses of a rough and ready red, and have fun. Or use it to dress up a steak or burger. It’s easy enough to make, and the flavors may just transport you back to somewhere remembered or forward to somewhere you’d like to go.
Another Spanish mushroom in garlic sauce, with vegan option….
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 Tbs reserved
1 ½ Tbs flour
1 Cup broth (recommended – beef stock for carnivores, mushroom stock for vegans/vegetarians)
Pinch hot red pepper flakes
¼-1/2 tsp dried oregano (Or, more traditionally, 2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley)
1 tsp lemon juice (more to taste)
½ lb mushrooms, whole, sliced in half or in slices
Salt to taste
Heat garlic and 2 Tbs olive oil together at medium heat, turning down as soon as the garlic begins to color. Stir in the flour and mix to a paste. Cook one minute. Add the broth in a thin stream, stirring constantly to incorporate Then add the pepper, the oregano (or half the parsley) and lemon juice and stir until smooth and thick.
In a separate pan, heat remaining olive oil on high until quite hot. Add mushrooms and brown. Add mushrooms to the sauce and cook for five minutes. Add remaining parsley, if using, and serve.
“Mom. Blog This. Right Now.” (Leandro Makes His First Pesto and Wants You To Know How Great It Was)
11 Aug
It is high season for basil, which means high season for pesto. I forgot to pick up basil from the farm this week, but one of the neighbors’ friends, in gratitude for Sangría Night, sent some over from the overabundance in her own garden.
From Lindsay’s Garden
Between that and my little plants scattered around the yard, I had enough for a quickie pesto for Leandro’s couscous.
From our garden – not the greatest shot, but the other ones showed all the perforations from unknown creatures feasting merrily on my herbs!
And then, BONUS! I had Leandro making his own dinner! He loves the smell of basil, but what he truly couldn’t resist was a go with the pestle. Nothing like offering a five-year-old a club and saying “Have at it, kid. Call me when you’ve beaten this stuff to a pulp.”
The Little Chef at work
He was tremendously excited at every turn, making me smell all the different aromas as we added ingredients to the mortar. We mixed it into couscous for lunch with the grands and wasn’t he so proud to have made The Best Pesto Ever? We were proud too and it really was delicious. I also used some of it to spread on roasted eggplant, peppers and zucchini. What a terrific lunch! And a wonderful kitchen experience!
Note the unorthodox use of walnuts (Poor Marcella Hazan; I use her The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking all the time, but never quite stick to the classical line). I can’t afford to keep pine nuts around so walnuts were a worthy and handy substitute. (Mind you, with the price of walnuts rising — around $18 now for a 3-lb bag at Costco these days, up from $15 not too many months ago — who knows how long I’ll be able to afford those!). Also, this recipe can certainly be increased; I only had a cup of basil.
With Couscous
Hand-Ground Pesto (Mortar and Pestle needed)
1 Cup basil leaves, tightly packed (washed in cold water and patted dry)
1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
2 Tbs walnuts
Coarse sea salt (pinch by pinch, to taste)
¼ Cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano (additional Tbs romano cheese optional)
¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
In a mortar and pestle (marble mortar with wooden pestle is what Marcella Hazan recommends; I use all marble) grind basil leaves, garlic, walnuts, and sea salt into a paste. Add cheese and use pestle to mix well. Add the oil in a thin stream, mixing well with a wooden spoon.
If using pasta, this amount will suffice for about a pound, Reserve some of the pasta cooking water to thin the pesto as you turn it into the pasta. If using couscous, start with two Cups dry (Israeli-style couscous – the big kind – preferred)
On stacked grilled veggies
Kendra’s Grilled Lamb Chops and Sauteed Calabaza Pumpkin, and other tasty stuff from Puerto Rico
7 Aug
(This recipe has been corrected to reflect Kendra’s input!)
I have mentioned that I was recently in Puerto Rico at the venerable Caribe Hilton to speak on a panel (for the Triennial Convention of the American Federation of School Administrators). It was a pleasure and an honor to speak with such dedicated professionals! And everything went very well; I learned a great deal and made many interesting acquaintances.
The view from Kendra and Raúl’s in Isla Verde
I was not able to take my son and it was the strangest, and not very pleasant sensation to be so far away. In the annals of never-happy, it is an awful irony that I complain and complain that I never have a moment to myself, and then when I finally do, I am bereft. I can’t stand myself sometimes.
El Jibarito…there was quite a line at 2 p.m., but it moved FAST
But, I recovered my senses. And of course, I ate.
Pernil with mofongo de yuca and the sad, sad, salad that is a Puerto Rican criollo restaurant inevitability…
In Old San Juan, El Jibarito on Calle Sol can be counted on for good old-fashioned comida criollo. I had pernil (roast pork) and mofongo de yuca (yuca with garlic and oil, mashed and fried). I had drinks with José Luis, my beloved Colombian friend whose got the loveliest clothing boutique in Condado (Ambar) . I visited with Emilio, of Oof Restaurants for a long overdue catch-up. Had a leaisurely coffee and tea with the inimitable Chef Norma Llop, who runs much of the gastronomy end of PR Tourism. And had a long visit with my godmother, Carmen Palacios de Ramírez, with a glimpse of godfather Efrén deep in writing a book…yes, I got around a lot in just a few days!
Ceviche
With dear friends David and Sean, I had very good ceviche at Perurrican over most stimulating conversation.
Location, location, location – Perurrican in Condado
And then Kendra, who was for years my partner in mischief all over the Caribbean, my soccer buddy on the Puerto Rico National Team, and is still an all around lioness of a friend, not only made a delicious meal for me in the home she shares with her fabulous partner, Raúl, but showed me how it was done. Before we’d had too much wine to get the recipe down in writing! (Are you listening Adri? It can be done!)
The view from Kendra and Raúl’s at 5 p.m.
It was a wonderful trip!
CHOPS!
The monster mash: adobo
The grill
The results!
Kendra’s Grilled Lamb Chops
2 lbs lamb chops, rinsed and patted dry
Adobo
4 cloves garlic
1-2 sprigs rosemary – just the leaves
¾ tsp salt per pound
Grating of pepper
PLUS extra virgin olive oil, to be added teaspoon by teaspoon
After prepping the lamb chops, place all adobo ingredients except oil in a mortar and pestle and grind down to a rough paste, adding oil a half teaspoon at a time until you reach a spreadable, but non-greasy texture.
Paint both sides of the chops and refrigerate until about ready to use. Give the chops enough time to return to room temperature before grilling.
Heat your grill until just under its high temperature, then scrape grill clean if necessary. Allow to heat up for a couple of minutes, then start.
Place chops on grill. After 1.5 minutes, turn them over. Cook for another 1.5 minutes, then repeat. Stand them up on their sides on the grill for another minute, checking for the density of the chops to firm up. Remove from grill, place on a platter and tent them with aluminum foil for another five minutes. You may check for doneness with a meat thermometer (140°F will be rare, although many chefs stop at 120°-130°). The chops can rest until you are ready to serve.
Continue Scrolling Down for Calabaza Recipe
Cutting the calabaza
Yum
Sauteed Calabaza (Caribbean Pumpkin)
2lbs calabaza (acorn squash is the nearest substitute)
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp butter
1 tsp honey
Wash calabaza rind thoroughly. Do not peel. Chop calabaza into 1.5” chunks. Sprinkle sparingly with salt.
Heat oil and butter in a pan at medium high until foaming subsides. Add calabaza, stir to coat and turn down to medium low so you hear a slightly sizzle. Drizzle with honey and cook for a few minutes until beginning to soften, but still resistant to a fork. Turn off burner, cover and leave for at least 5-10 minutes, until a fork passes easily through, and you are ready to serve.
Watermelon, Tomato and Feta Salad
2 Aug
I am just back from a speaking engagement in Puerto Rico, where I had the chance to visit with great friends and have some delicious meals! But…you’ll have to wait for that, as it deserves a juicier post than I have time for (secrets of Kendra’s delicious grilled lamb coming soon to this blog!).
Watermelon and Feta go so well together and so well with tomatoes!
However, rather than leave you high and dry, here is a bright new salad to entertain you. It takes minutes to prepare, and — if Dr. Oz is to be believed — the combination of watermelon and a bit of balsamic is a powerful enzyme that will aid in digestion and perhaps weight loss.
So here it is: a fast and refreshing salad that use seasonal fruits and vegetables at their peak. And it’s pretty gorgeous too!
Serving suggestion: Mexican-style margarita glasses!
Watermelon, Tomato and Feta Salad
Dressing
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp balsamic vinegar
Pinch salt
Grating of pepper
Salad
20-30 grape tomatoes, sliced in half (about one Cup)
1 Cup watermelon, cubed to match the size of the tomato halves (seeded if necessary)
1 tsp fresh mint, chopped
½ Cup crumbled feta
In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.
In a larger bowl, place watermelon, tomato, feta and mint. Pour dressing over. Stir in mint. Combine all gently and serve.
Golden Tomato Pasta Sauce (freezeable! or make from frozen tomatoes…)
30 Jul
“Tis the season for the tomatoes to overwhelm. In fact, last year we were so overwhelmed that I had tomatoes in the freezer all winter. The texture isn’t as good as in the middle of summer, but the incomparable bright, fresh flavor is still there.
Yes, these icebergs are actually frozen golden tomatoes (yellow seems a bit more prosaic here). The freezer burn was minimal and the flavor was great!
So this is a terrific simple sauce that you can make from frozen or fresh. Instructions for blanching appear at the end!
Golden Tomato Sauce
Golden Tomato Pasta Sauce
¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Cup shallots, chopped
¼ tsp hot red pepper flakes
1 Tbs oregano (less if oregano is not your favorite; this is a pretty generous amount)
Pinch sugar
5 lbs golden tomatoes, cored, blanched and peeled*
10-20 basil leaves, chopped
Heat olive oil at medium-high in a heavy-bottomed soup pot until liquid and fragrant. Add shallots, stir to coat and lower heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are soft and translucent. Stir in hot red pepper flakes, oregano and pinch sugar and cook one minute. Add tomatoes, bring to boil then lower to a lazy simmer and cook for an hour or until fat begins to separate from tomatoes and you have reaced desired consistency. Add basil leaves and cook for an additional five minutes. Serve over pasta, as pizza sauce or on bruschetta, or freeze in quart containers for another day.
*To blanch and peel tomatoes, set a big pot of water to boil. In the meantime, core the tomatoes and fill a big bowl with ice water. When the water is boiling, drop tomatoes in so they fit comfortably. They blanch in under a minute, generally. As soon as you see the peel start separating from the flesh, pull them out and drop into the ice water. You can leave the peel on if you are going to freeze them (in gallon freezer bags is fine) or peel once they have cooled to use immediately.
Natalia de Cuba Romero
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¡Comida Hispana! Recipes to unleash your inner Latino
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