Endless Knots

Beef and barley soup, encore

"Romertopf Chicken (cooked in a clay pot)", a 2008 post, prompted an unexpected comment from an unknown reader last week, leading to her requesting more recipes.

In anticipation of a crowd this weekend, I made the very unvegetarian family favorite, Beef and Barley Soup (2007 post), which turns out more like a stew once the barley and cannellini beans are added as they absorb all the liquid. So cook alert: add more water or broth after this sits either on the stove or in the fridge. I used an excellent broth concentrate this time (Better than Bullion) and substituted a Vidalia onion for cippolines, all to good effect.

 

Beef and Barley Soup

12 servings

3 lbs short ribs (use more if you like a meatier soup)
6 carrots 
3 turnips (or parsnips or combo of both) 
1 large cipolline onion (or 3 small or substitute another sweet onion)
3 shallots
1 leek
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup capellini beans (or other white bean, soaked overnight)
1 cup barley
bay leaf
1 strip of Kombu (or other seaweed - this is critical if making the veg version)
Salt and pepper as desired

1. Trim as much fat as possible from short ribs. Reserve a small portion of fat, cut into very thin slices, and use to grease bottom of large stock pot. Add a little olive oil to make sure the whole bottom of pan is coated and that you're not increasing your cholesterol intake unreasonably (just reasonably).

2. Add crushed garlic and cook for a minute or two, until the kitchen smells great.

3. Add short ribs and sear on all sides (about 10 minutes, turning side to side).

4. Dice all veggies while searing meat.

5. Cover meat with about 12 cups of water. If it doesn't look like enough, add more. Add salt.

6. Bring to boil and skim (before pot boils over, a delicate moment).

7. Add veggies, beans, barley, bay leaf, Kombu strip, and other herbs (dried or fresh if you have them, your choice).

7A. If making veggie version, add a can of tomatoes (also OK for meat version), another strip of Kombu, and four more cloves of whole garlic, slightly crushed.

8. Simmer for three hours.

9. Correct seasoning.

 

Fry it, flexitarians!

I love Mark Bittman. Just in case there's any confusion, I don't know him.

But his practical, flexitarian, a word I hereby proclaim he invented (I have no idea and a quick search isn't giving me first use), approach to eating is the one I favor. I used to call myself an omnivore but I'm not. Case in point: In Japan during one of those marathon dinners (first this restaurant, then that restaurant, then then...), I was offered whale. The year was 1989 so I don't know if it's still on anyone's menu/legal but the hosts were offering a great delicacy and I was appalled. I tried turning it down by saying it was against my religion to eat it. They asked my religion. I said networking.

To prove that I eat (almost) anything (and because I've been hankering to post it), I submit this photo from a lunch we recently served while on vacation in one of the great eating fields of the world. Guess where.

 

It's a long way from Bittman's article in yesterday's The NY Times, "Deep Fried and Good For You," about the glories of fried food. I LOVE fried chicken and fried (not baked) falafel. Not to mention french fries (what my mother called frech frieds, quite deliberately, the English teacher) and clams and calamari and veggies... You get the picture.

Thus I was thrilled to receive this pass from Bittman yesterday. Here's the close, which is worth reading through to just in case you're willing to admit you love fried food too. (There are several recipes with the article as well.)

Take it slow and either eat the food as it comes out of the fat (you can drain on paper towels or, if you want to be fancy, a cloth napkin) or keep it warm for as little time as possible in a low oven. Myself, I like to fry when people are standing around eating the food as fast as I can produce it; that is really fun. And good for you.

We interrupt this blog...

...to award an Endless Knot for this headline in today's NY Times Dining section: "Just Like Mombot Used to Make." Yup, those crazy robot makers have gone and come up with something new (isn't that what they're supposed to do?)--robots in the kitchen, all for the purpose of studying human-robot relationships. Or something like that. I just love the headline.

Hmmm...now how to categorize this. Food? Recipes? 90% People, 10% Technology? Right, a new one: 10% People, 90% Technology.

Matzoh Balls by phone

It must have been the first year I was making Passover dinner. I remember standing by the kitchen table, talking on the phone with my mother, reaching for a scrap of paper, and taking down the recipe. That scrap has occupied a hallowed space in my recipe book ever since, opened to that page every year when it's time to make the Matzoh Balls.

For those who know the customs of Passover (tonight, Seder, don't be late), the placement of this recipe in my three-ring binder is hilarious, if not sacrilegious, stacked as it is on top of the Fettuccine Alfredo recipe. No noodles are allowed during Passover, which, for me, is akin to giving up most of my diet, as pasta in any form constitutes my favorite consumable.

Since I posted the recipe (along with the scrumptious soup that I also make for this meal) as part of a Rosh Hashonah menu a while back, I won't repeat it, but will remind all makers of "kneidlach" (or as my mother called them "kneidles") to separate the eggs, beat the whites, then gently fold them in into the matzoh meal, a little at a time. Result? Your matzoh balls will not only float but will melt on contact with your taste buds, light, airy, delicious.

Meanwhile, Happy Passover to all celebrating freedom, an aspiration for humanity everywhere.

Bluebird Skies: the blog

It gives me inestimable pleasure to announce the opening of Bluebird Skies, the blog of one Eliza Stamps, aka Daughter #2. Her first post includes a recipe that we will enjoy tonight. From the About page:

The focus of this blog will be threefold, as far as I can see it. I will be writing about cooking and food, offering my recipes and, as my budget allows, maybe a few restaurant and bar reviews. I will talk about the travails of being an emerging artist, which can be a euphemism for starving artist, failing artist, or delusional artist. Finally, I will be discussing yoga, some of its finer points, and offering some poses and ways to deepen your practice. Other topics will surely arise--New York City life, dog and cat ownership, being a teaching artist in the public schools, and life on the verge of 30. I welcome your comments, suggestions, criticisms, and concerns.

Go luck, Lize! And avoid the obsession that befalls all bloggers - at least as long as you can. Sooner or later, everything becomes a post.

Berry Summer Smoothie

There are recipes galore for this summer delight. Here's mine; probably much like yours. Makes about 32 oz of super-delicious drink in less then five minutes. Very filling.

Berry Summer Smoothie

2 bananas
3 cups of fresh fruit* cut up
1/2 cup of yogurt**
1/4 cup of juice***

Throw it all in the blender, yogurt last. Blend on high to desired consistency (I like it chunky so not very long, less than a minute). Pour. Savor.

* This one has two peaches, 1 nectarine, 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 c raspberries, and a handful of grapes. Yesterday's had watermelon, canteloupe, and strawberries. Any combination you like.

** If lactose intolerant or you're off dairy, use soy yogurt. Or tofu. If you don't have plain yogurt, throw in a fruit yogurt.

*** OJ, passion fruit, grape juice - whatever you have on hand works fine.

I like serving it in a special glass. Here, my favorite, with the insignia, Pottstown Symphony Orchestra.

Cloudy with a chance of matzoh balls

Anyone else a fan of the wonderful children's book, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs? It has nothing to do with this post but it does provide a nice title for it and allows me to refer you back to my recipe for matzoh balls, which, naturally, graced our soup last night. Had the distinct pleasure of celebrating the first night of Passover at our daughter's apartment, which happens to be around the corner from where my mother was born in Brooklyn. For those whose parents have passed on, you know how powerful and comforting such connections are.

And while we're on the subject, praise to the web. Someone (who could that be?) failed to bring the basic equipment for the Passover seder, namely the haggadahs, the order of service that tells you when to dip the parsley and how soon you can make the haroseth and horseradish "sandwiches," our family's fave. Thus I had to do a crash search online to print out something suitable for the assembled masses. Guess what? Slate has a two-minute, two-page "Passover service for the impatient" (hilarious) and many other sites provide simplified (and modern) haggadahs. We made do and something about the simplicity and makeshift nature of our "supplies" was in keeping with this very moving and universal story of perseverance and freedom.

Romertopf Chicken (cooked in a clay pot)

As promised in "Where's the chicken?," this favorite family meal, perfect for snowy Sundays (and any other time you want the kitchen heated up, i.e. not for summer). Today, for the weather records, we’ve had sun, lightning, thunder, blizzards and then sun again.

Special equipment needed for this meal: Clay cooker - without this, you’re just roasting a chicken, which is great too but will not produce this scrumptious dish.

Romertopf Chicken (cooked in a clay pot)
Serves 4 (or 2 with enough left over for 2 chicken sandwiches and 1 chicken stew for two)

Ingredients

1 whole chicken - 3.5-4 lbs
4-6potatoes
4 carrots
2 parsnips (my best-friend veggie, once again)
6 small shallots (or pearl onions, cippoline onions, or leeks-whatever you have on hand)
6 cloves garlic
3-4 T Simon and Garfunkel herb medley (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme) - chopped
Salt and pepper
Herbamare (seasoned salt if you have on hand, not essential)
2 T Butter (if you want to raise your cholesterol and really enjoy this dish)
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Soak clay pot in water for 15 mins.

Meanwhile, clean chicken, remove neck, extra fat, loosen skin from breast (very carefully so as not to rip skin), salt interior. Place in bottom of clay pot.

For very juicy breast meat, soften 2 T butter, mix with 1-2 T chopped Simon and Garfunkels, and spread under skin of breast. Sometimes, as with today, I throw in a few slivers of garlic.

Drizzle olive oil over chicken, sprinkle with salt, pepper, herbamare, and two cloves of pressed garlic.

Chop all veggies into large chunks (1”) and spread evenly over chicken. Salt, pepper, sprinkle herbs over veggies; press remaining garlic cloves and sprinkle over veggies as well.
Put top of clay cooker on and place in cold oven, set to 400 F. After an hour and 45 minutes, remove veggies and keep warm. Put chicken back in oven to brown for another 10-15 mins.

Meanwhile, make gravy (whatever recipe pleases you; can be as easy as using prepared stock—or you can make stock from scratch with chicken neck, clove of garlic, 1 strip kombu, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 stalk celery, and parsley—and mix with thin roux).

Remove chicken from oven and get ready to send me a thank you note.

This will make you hungry

Sorry about that. A good piece in The New York Times Dining In/Dining Out section today.

Like cheese fondue? As per the pseudo-recipe I posted right before Christmas, there are some good pointers and recipes in today's Times, "A Little Nostalgia, a Long Fork, and Lots of Cheese." I wouldn't want to eat fondue on a regular basis but it is oh-so-delicious on a cold night. The recipes in today's paper include the use of veggies and on for Queso Fundido with chorizo, jalapeno, and cilantro, the concoction to be scooped up with tortillas (corn or flour, depending on your gluten tolerance).

"Your blog makes me hungry"

As per Patti Anklam's What about blogging post, we got together last week at nearby Waltham, Mass's Cafe on the Commons (great place, visit if you have reason to be in Waltham). We arrived within seconds of each other, covered fifteen years in an hour and ten minutes, and I left with Patti's book, Net Work, a thinking person's report on what social networks mean in context of work. Will report back more comprehensively after reading.

"Your blog makes me hungry," Patti said within moments of meeting.

In that spirit, the dinner we feasted on Friday night, presented by Maria Luongo:

Anise Bread
Gnocchi with marinara sauce and parmesan
Tilapia baked in olive oil, parsely, garlic, and splash of vinegar
Broccoli rabe (cold)
Green Salad
Melon and strawberries
Italian cookies and espresso

And if that didn't make you hungry, how about the polenta and marinara sauce she just sent over? Thank you, Maria.