Winter Recipes: Easy, Delicious, Comforting

Happy New Year Everyone! 

I hope you all had some time to catch your breath, reflect a bit, and think about the upcoming year.  I am not one for “resolutions” but I do like to think about the big picture once in awhile.  For months now, you have read here the ways in which we are trying to scale down our home and our lives.  Well, this will be the year that we hope to wrap up a great deal of that.  We have found a couple good sources for many of the things we think others could be making use of - instead of being “stored” in our home.  More about our efforts as the year unfolds.

I do hope everyone is “winterized”.  It looks now like we are going to actually have a winter.  I admit that we took our good old time getting the garden and growing beds finalized, the outdoor furniture covered, the rain barrel emptied and shut down and all of the rest. Thankfully, we had taken that time off so we did get the final tasks done last week.  Now - Come on Snow! 

I did lots of cooking over the three weeks that I was off.  I had the opportunity to tweak and adapt and generally play around with some great techniques and recipes.  Also, each winter I go on the hunt for different cream of tomato and grilled cheese recipes.  And again I found a couple!

Here are some of my favorites. I think that they are straightforward and delicious.  And they will warm you up and comfort you.  What more could you ask?

Recipe:  Thomas Keller’s Roasted Chicken Thighs - The “crunch” on these delicious thighs are adapted from the technique Keller uses for roasting a whole chicken.  It uses High Heat and Slow Cooking, but do not worry - they will be perfect!

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  If you have the Convection Roast option, preheat to 425 degrees.

Ingredients

2 whole chicken thighs

4 whole garlic cloves - peeled with ends removed

2 pats of unsalted butter

1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary or parsley or thyme

salt and pepper

Technique

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil

Dry the chicken inside and outside

Place 2 garlic cloves under the skin of each chicken thigh

Place a pat of butter and whatever herb you are using under the skin as well

Pull the chicken skin back securely over the butter, garlic and herbs

Place the chicken legs on the prepared baking sheet

Sprinkle salt all over the chicken

Sprinkle freshly ground pepper all over the chicken 

Roast the chicken for 40 - 45 minutes; if you are using a convection oven, check the chicken at 35 minutes

Let the chicken rest for five minutes

Enjoy

Recipe:  Real Cream of Tomato Soup (adapted from Fannie Farmer) - This soup is so rich and delicious.  Another Tomato Soup recipe that will keep you away from the red can forever.  It freezes well, too.

Ingredients

5 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1/2 cup of chopped onion or leeks (I used leeks last time I made this and loved the flavor)

4 tablespoons of flour

4 cups of whole milk

1/2 bay leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (this prevents your milk from curdling and you won’t notice it)

3 - 4 cups of pureed tomatoes (canned is the easiest way to go here.  Buy really good, local if you can pureed tomatoes)

Technique

Melt the butter in the soup pot

Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat, stirring until the onion is soft but not browned

Sprinkle the flour over the butter/onion mixture and continue to stir for about 2 minutes

Slowly add the milk, bay leaf, and salt and continue to cook and stir

The mixture should be slightly thickened

Add the baking soda to the tomatoes and stir a bit

Add the tomatoes to the milk mixture and bring just to a simmer

Heat through and check seasonings.

Serve immediately or reheat on medium low before serving. 

Enjoy.

Note:  You can use an immersion blender if you want the soup completely smooth.  If you don’t you will have tiny specks of tomato, which I think makes the soup even more lush and delicious.

Recipe:  Ruth Reichl’s Greatest Grilled Cheese Ever.  I have seen Ruth Reichl demonstrate her favorite way to make a grilled cheese sandwich a number of times - basically this is technique, because in my adaptation, you can use any kind of cheese/s that you want.  Another adaptation here is the use of the mayonnaise - it may sound weird, but you will get the crispiest grilled cheese ever!

Ingredients

Good white bread, medium thick slices

2 scallions for two sandwiches

Cheese of your choice - I always use some cheddar; a smoked gouda works really well; a mild blue in the mix will be delicious.  It all depends on what you like and what you have on hand.  The idea is to mix two or three cheeses together

Mayonnaise 

Butter

Technique

Grate the cheese on the large holes of a box grater

Dice the scallions - white and green parts

Mix the grated cheeses and the diced scallions together

Mound the mixture onto two slices of the bread

Melt butter in a skillet

Top the mounded cheeses with the other slice of bread on each sandwich

Brush the top breads with a light film of mayonnaise

Turn the sandwiches over into the melted butter in the hot skillet

While they are browning, brush the tops of the sandwiches with the mayonnaise

Press down a bit on each sandwich and then flip the sandwiches to brown on the other side

Press down as the sandwiches brown

When the cheeses are melted and the bread is browned to your liking, remove the sandwiches to a cutting board

Let the sandwiches sit for just a minute and then slice

Serve with Cream of Tomato soup

Enjoy

Recipe:  Homemade Ricotta.  Adapted from Ina Garten.  This is a great use for left over milk and cream.  It is rich, delicious and extremely versatile.

Ingredients

4 cups of whole milk

2 cups of heavy cream

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

Technique

First put a large strainer over a large bowl and line the strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth 

Pour the milk and cream into a heavy pot and stir in the salt

Bring the mixture to a rolling boil

Stir the mixture occasionally as it comes to a boil

When it comes to a full boil, turn it off, remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar

Let that mixture sit in the pot for about 2 minutes - you will see curds forming

Pour the mixture into the strainer over the bowl

Let the mixture drain for at least 25 minutes

The longer it drains the thicker and drier the cheese will be - I generally let it sit of about 40 minutes

When it is as thick as you want it, remove the cheese in the cheese cloth and put the cheese into a container

Pour the whey from the draining of the cheese into another container

Whey is wonderful for making baked goods, risotto, and sauces - don’t waste it!

Enjoy

Cherish Real Food!

Next Up:  Apple and Pear Sauce Breads 

A Neighborhood Tale

No Recipes.  No Recommendations. No Rants.  Just a little story to share.

People often ask us why we are “urban homesteaders” instead of rural homesteaders (the latter of course being the more traditional).

They say things like, “You like to grow so much; you’d have so much more room”.  Or “you could have chickens and goats and a barn, you know a real little farm”.  Or, “Oh, It’s so much quieter in the county”. “Less people to put up with”.   

And yes - yes that’s all true and we could have all of that and I am sure it would be divine.  Sometimes I think that this life is preparing me for something fabulous just like that in the next.  But, that said, we have made a very conscious choice to stay in the city AND to grow and conserve and become as self sufficient as possible.  In other words it is our goal to become very good urban homesteaders.

There are a lot of reasons why we prefer our urban life.  I have discussed many of those reasons through this Blog.  We are both aware of how much we appreciate having things close by; we like how if we want we can choose to walk places.  We enjoy the restaurants and pubs that are near to us and the various events that take place in our city  - which is, by the way, steeped in “events”.  And we are lucky to live in an area that has been a real thriving, generational neighborhood for hundreds of years!  The history is a big part of our love for the place.  But perhaps the biggest aspect of loving urban life is right here on our own two block area where so many of us have gotten to know each other and have been there for each other through thick and thin (fires, deaths, celebrations, and life in general).  

One of the first thing we realized when we bought our home was that there were a lot of folks around us, some of whom even then fell into the “elderly” category, who had lived their whole lives on these blocks. They had seen hard times in the neighborhood.  Falling housing values, petty crime, and folks moving away.  But they stayed.  And as we moved in - during a housing boom and some needed gentrification - they were again seeing positive changes happening.  We started to call these long time residents, “The Originals”.   We came to that title not just by virtue of their having been here a long time, but also paying homage to their very distinct characters and ways of being.  For the first few years we would stand at one or another neighbor’s stoop (front steps to the uniformed) and listen to tale after tale of things that happened back in the day - always with a bit of gossip thrown in too!

In the past few years one of the Originals has been on a steady decline.  Her advancing age and her serious health issues have taken a toll and she has started to slip into dementia.  In the beginning it sort of came and went.  Some days as she sat in her folding chair catching some sun, the conversation would be clear and current; other days not so much.  Then she stopped sitting outside in her folding chair.

A few nights ago, we noticed flashing red lights on the block.  This particular woman was home alone for a bit (her son lives with her) and in her mind she needed to “break out” and couldn’t get the door unlocked.  So she called 911 numerous times and got everyone to her front door.  But she wouldn’t let anyone in.  As I tried to talk to her through her big living room window (old Philly row houses have windows on the street - something I have always loved) she tried to break the window with a flowerpot.  She wasn’t recognizing me. She was angry and confused and scared.  Our Fire Department was wonderful.  They got in through a side window and then let myself and another neighbor in so that we could sit and wait with her for her son to get home.  Even when our neighbor let one of the fire fighters have it in the butt with a solid baseball like swing of an umbrella (she was telling him to have some respect!) he was as nice and calm as could be. It took about an hour for our neighbor’s son to get back and when he did the decision was made that she needed to go to the hospital.  She had not been taking her medications and she needed help.  She still was putting up a fight so another EMT unit came and she left on a stretcher, still giving everyone a verbal hard time, still not recognizing any of us.  

I walked back to our house and felt tired and sad knowing that this neighbor, this Original,  will probably be spending most of the rest of her days in a facility getting the care she surely needs.  I do hope she gets home for the Christmas Holidays.  She always decorated, and sent us a card and a box of chocolates.  We would buy her a poinsettia. The house looks very lonely now and may for some time depending on what her son’s plans are for it.

I found myself musing over the situation most of the next day as I did weekend chores.  The sadness of not being able to stay “where you were planted”.  The sadness of being taken away for the remaining days of your life, when clearly you were so rooted somewhere.  The sadness lingered as I reminded myself of the Circle of Life.  We get to know people and we reach out and interact with our neighbors with no actual guarantee of how long we will see and chat with them.  Frankly, for awhile there I was just finding it hard to see the good things.

That next evening, our doorbell rang and it was another one of our “Original” neighbors.  She was at the door holding two huge shopping bags.  Of course, our dogs were howling and jumping around and fussing (I find it a miracle anyone actually comes in our front door!).  As she tentatively entered she put the bags down in front of her.  “Do you like Nutcrackers?” she asked.  Without even waiting for Pat to have a chance to reply, I said, “Oh yes.  I had one once and I lost it.  They are great”.  She then proceeded to tell us that for years she collected Nutcrackers and displayed them at the holidays in her front window and in her home.  She said that she hadn’t done that in a long time now. It was just getting to be too much for her.  She relayed that for many years now her Nutcrackers had remained packed up and stored in a closet (in their original boxes I might add).  

Then she asked if we would like to have her collection!  Her words were something to the effect of, “I see that you enjoy your home and take good care of it and you have people over, and I know you decorate for the holidays.  They should be out so people can see them and enjoy them.  I want you to have them.”

I am not sure if it was the way in which she was honoring us, the events of the night before, or just the season, but I was speechless.  We both were.  That’s not something that happens very often. I could feel tears welling up and I know that I stammered more than I spoke clearly.  I kept thanking her and assuring her that they would have places of honor for the holidays and would be taken great care of when they weren’t displayed.

Now, as those who know us well know, we tend to decorate for the holidays slowly and start a bit later than a lot of folks.  We do not get our decorations out and our tree up right after Thanksgiving.  We like to wait a bit, until we are really in the spirit of the season.  But that next evening, we did some window washing and three of our new Nutcrackers were placed in our front window; the others were placed at various spots around our home.  I am thinking I may rotate them so that folks who walk by get to see all of them.  As I write, an Old Time Santa Claus is flanked by Marie Antoinette and King Louis in all of their finery.  I occasionally catch people who are walking by, look up and see the trio and smile.  Yes.  They do need to be where people can enjoy them.  And they shall be as long as we are around.

Could all of the above have taken place in a rural setting?  Of course.  But I am never going to find out.  Cities of neighborhoods, like Philadelphia, are treasures to be carefully nurtured and maintained and loved.  They are, in some areas of our country, gone forever.  We can’t imagine that happening here.  And so we remain very lucky to have known our “Originals” and  to have this opportunity to be urban homesteaders.  Sometimes “self sustaining” is doing what you can on your own to sustain your home;  sometimes it’s doing for each other to sustain your neighborhood.

Love this place.  Love these people.  Happy Holidays Everyone!

Gypsy Stew: A Story and a Delicious Main Dish

                                     

                                                      A Bowl of Gypsy Stew

We got an idea at the end of last week to make a recipe we hadn't made in quite some time. Don't you love when you remember an old favorite and then set out to make it? 

I thought it would be fun to ask folks on The Philly Foodist Facebook page if they had made this great old recipe - or at least if they had eaten it.  No one had! So here it is.  At this time of year it is perfect. The recipe makes a lot; it's soothing and delicious for these hectic days getting ready for and celebrating Holidays; and it is really cost effective. 

The backstory, by the way, involves tales of folks moving from place to place, living on the road, needing to feed many hungry mouths and not having a whole lot of money. Thus, they decided to create a communal feast, a and would ask each diner to contribute an ingredient.  

I give you Gypsy Stew! 

Note:  this recipe requires a little bit of work, but it is so worth it!  

Ingredients

1 Whole Stewing Chicken (preferably range raised/drug free)

2 quarts of low salt chicken stock

6 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered

6 whole tomatoes (we've always used canned - a 16 oz can' minus the liquid - save that for something else - is perfect), halved or quartered depending on size

1 bottle of dry sherry - cheap dry sherry. Definitely cheap! Don't go all high end, the flavor will not be the same.  We use Christian Brothers Dry Sherry

3/4 pound block of sharp, white cheddar cheese, cut into thick slices

6-8 pepperocini peppers (the whole ones in the jar are perfect), stems removed, cut in half

Good crusty bread

Technique

Put the chicken and the onions in a very large pot - make sure you have plenty of room to add all of the stock. (Voice of experience speaking here) - leave plenty or space

Add all of the chicken stock

Add half of the bottle of dry sherry

Put a lid on the pot, bring the contents to a boil over medium high heat

Reduce to a simmer and simmer for an hour - check occasionally to be sure it does not start to boil

After the hour, remove the chicken to a bowl (so you can be sure to collect all of the juices) and let it cool

While the chicken is cooling, add the tomatoes, the other half of the bottle of sherry, and the peppers to the broth - put the lid on the pot and turn the heat off

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut the wings off, cut the thigh and leg pieces off - separate the legs from the thigh, cut the thigh in half

Remove the breasts from the bones and cut each breast in thirds

Pick any other visible chicken from the bones

Put all of the chicken back into the pot with any juices that have collected in the bowl

Bring the pot to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for at least an hour (this is a very flexible recipe, cooking time wise; at least an hour on the simmer but if you need to, just leave it on simmer for two hours) 

Check it occasionally - do not allow it to boil!

To serve: if you have them, use wide pasta bowls or soup bowls (see above); lay slices of bread with slices of cheddar cheese on top of the bread and layer the hot stew over the bread slices. Have more bread and cheddar available. Enjoy. And you will. This recipe makes a lot of Gypsy Stew (see below). Believe me, You will find yourself craving it. There is no way to accurately explain here the aroma and the flavor of the broth and the chicken and then the melting cheddar.  It's truly heavenly. 

          Leftovers

For Bill - wherever you are. Thank you for this. 

Cherish Real Food!

Left Overs are The Best Part! And, More Soup!

By now, I know that all of you cooks out there have long lists of things to do, ingredients to pick up, and cooking planned for the big feast on Thursday.  Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for me. It's all about being grateful, eating good food, and enjoying each other - no gift buying required.   I love cooking for it - and I really love the left overs!  I always like to hear what other cooks are doing with their leftovers - if they have them.  We shop and cook deliberately to have left overs!  Over the years it has not mattered if it is the two of us or a big group around the table. Not having left overs from Thanksgiving dinner is unthinkable to me. Obviously, I cook the feast at home a great deal!

Some of our favorite things to do with all of that great left over food:

1.  Turkey sandwiches of course!  In our home, it's a matter of dinner on a sandwich.  Turkey, cole slaw, cranberry sauce, a bit of stuffing (yes I know it's on bread!), mayo and whatever else there's room to fit in between two slices of soft white bread.

2.  Turkey Tetrazinni.  An old favorite.  My recipe comes from the Betty Crocker Cookbook, circa 1968.  There are lots of recipes for this dish - just don't forget the mushrooms! I usually use linguine.

3.  Thanksgiving Strata.  A fabulous casserole.  Butter a casserole dish. Add layers of left over roasted vegetables, stuffing, and chopped turkey covered by a whipped egg and cream mixture and baked until the top is brown and crunchy.

4.  Turkey Stock.  All those roasted bones are going to make a delicious stock.  Toss in some halved onions, a few sticks of celery, some peppercorns, . . . whatever you like to add to your stock, and let it cook all day.  The aroma alone will get you back to the table for more turkey!

5.  Turkey Noodle Soup.  Use some of your roasted turkey bone stock and add some fresh vegetables - whatever you like such as carrots, onions, garlic, kale or other greens and add cooked noodles (I like Pennsylvania Dutch egg noodles).  If you cook the noodles almost to al dente' before you add them, they won't soak up all of your soup liquid.

6.  Turkey Salad.  Just like chicken salad.  Chop up some turkey meat, add chopped celery, a bit of chopped red onion, mayo and salt and pepper.  Mix and serve on toast, bread or endive or romaine spears.

7.  Stuffing (Dressing to some) Croquettes.  Make golf sized balls from left over stuffing.  Roll the balls in a couple of beaten eggs and some seasoned flour.  Fry.  Pop in your mouth deliciousness!

8.  Hot Turkey Sandwiches. A good use for the gravy!

These are some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes.  What are yours?

Recipe:  Spicy Pumpkin Soup

I am still on a Soup Kick - and may be until oh, April or May.  Here's one we recently made that was so delicious, versatile and satisfying.  I highly recommend getting yourself a Sugar Pumpkin - as opposed to the canned stuff.  It makes a lot of difference.

                                              

                                             Pumpkin Halves Ready to Roast at 350 for 45 minutes

 Pumpkin Purée after a quick pulse in the food processor 

Ingredients

31/2 cups roasted pumpkin purée (after scooping roasted pumpkin out, pulse it a few times in a food processor) Note:  You can use canned pumpkin but do not use pumpkin pie mix!

7 cups of low salt or no salt chicken stock

1 Tblspoon unsalted butter

11/2 cups diced onion

1 Tblspoon finely minced garlic

11/2 teaspoons curry powder

3/4 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 - 4 Tblspoons heavy cream 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Yogurt or Sour Cream to garnish

Toasted pumpkin seeds to garnish

Technique

In a Dutch oven or similar pot, melt the butter

Add the onions over medium heat and stir frequently until softened

Add the minced garlic and stir for one minute

Add the curry, cumin, paprika, and coriander and stir for one minute until spices give off a good aroma

Add the pumpkin purée and stir to incorporate (one minute or so)

Pour the stock into the mixture and stir

Bring the soup to a boil, lower and simmer for 20 minutes, stir often

Add the salt

Stir in the heavy cream and the ground pepper

Garnish with a dollop of thick yogurt or sour cream

If you toasted the seeds from the pumpkin sprinkle those over the top too.

Enjoy!

     Creamy, Spicy & Delicious Pumpkin Soup

Cherish Real Food!

An Easy Rich Soup; An Amazing Stock

Happy Fall at last!  How are your preparations for cold weather going?  For you growers out there, have you taken good care of your growing areas before the first frost arrives?  Along with all of the other chores related to winter prep,  as soon as I feel the slightest nip in the air, I start looking at everything I have on hand as potential Soup!

I love soup and I don't mind eating hot soup in warmer weather either.  There is just something about a hot bowl of delicious soup and a piece of warm bread - along with the wonderful aromas wafting up into your nose - that is so comforting.

We have been eating a lot of cauliflower lately because our Farmers are bringing them to market and they are beautiful and good for you and versatile and all of that.  However, I am not a fan of cauliflower "steaks" or cauliflower "pizza crust" (that really frightens me), and some of the other "creative" uses of the vegetable that I have seen lately.  Usually we just tend to do a saute' or a bake, sometimes with cheeses and lots of herbs; we even do a mash and whip now and then.  But I just decided that the next head of cauliflower that we brought home was destined for soup.  This soup is so rich it can rightfully be called a chowder.

Rich & Delicious Cauliflower Soup

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

1 stick of unsalted butter, halved
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced (use the leaves too)
1 small clove of garlic, mashed
1 head of cauliflower, core removed and rough chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped
1 quart unsalted or low salt chicken stock
3 tablespoons of regular flour
1 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of half and half
salt to taste - about two teaspoons used at different levels of cooking
1/2 cup of good sour cream

Technique

Melt the 1/2 of the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat,  (a Dutch Oven works well)
Add the onion, cook, stirring occasionally just until it starts to get a light brown color
Add the carrots and the celery and sauté, stirring occasionally for a couple of minutes - until they soften
Add the cauliflower, the garlic, and the parsley and stir to combine; this would be a good time to salt a bit
Cover the pot and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes
Note:  At this point if you are going after a smoother soup, you can do a bit of mashing of the cauliflower and other veg.

At the end of 15 minutes, stir in your chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer
While the mixture is simmering, melt the rest of the butter, mix the flour with the milk - give it a good whisk to incorporate - and then slowly add the milk mixture to the melted butter, whisking the entire time.
Remove the butter, milk and flour mixture from the heat and stir in the half and half
Add the mixture to the simmering soup.

Simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste

Note:  At this point I used my immersion blender to create an even smoother soup.  I left a few small chunks of cauliflower.  You don't have to do this.  If you don't have an immersion blender, add by batches into a blender.
Just before service, add the sour cream into the hot soup and stir well to combine.

Serve immediately and enjoy!
(recipe adapted from the Pioneer Woman, 2009)

Parmesan Rind Stock just getting started

This next recipe makes a rich and delicious stock that brings an incredible depth of flavor to soups, sauces and risotto.

Parmesan Rind Stock

Ingredients

4 - 5 saved rinds of good Parmesan Cheese (if you wrap the rinds well in wax paper and keep them in a storage bag, they will keep for a couple of months in your refrigerator; when you have accumulated enough rinds, it's time to make the broth!)

2-3 celery stalks, with leaves, coarse chopped
A large onion, halved
Two or three whole garlic cloves (smash them a bit if you want more garlic flavor)
1 Tablespoon of whole black peppercorns
2 Bay leaves
 Cold water

Technique

Cover everything in the pot with the cold water (to about 2 inches above)
Bring the mixture to a Boil; lower to a simmer, cover and let it simmer for up to 4 hours.  Stir occasionally. Add a bit of water if needed.

Strain the broth very well.  You want it very clear.  It will be a caramel like color.
Enjoy.

Note:  If you make your own stocks feel free to add in whatever aromatics and veg you use in other stocks.  I had onion grass from the garden so I chopped up some of that as well.  I also do not salt stock.  It is up to you.  You can add a small pinch of salt at the end after you strain the stock, but the stock will be more versatile if you add salt and pepper when using it.


Cherish Real Food!

Food in the News, Farmers Market Finds, and The Comfort of Cooking

Food in the News

Food issues are definitely popping up all over lately in the popular media and national news.  First, we get the news from the World Health Association (WHO) that too much processed meat is not good for you and, indeed, in some folks might be a causal factor in cancer.  Of course, some of us immediately said, "Who does not know this?", because at this point we feel that everyone has heard all of the warnings and studies.  Given the discussion on every news program and talk show, apparently everyone does not know this.  Time Magazine even put bacon on its cover last week. Many chefs, cooks, food writers and teachers spoke out pretty soon after the WHO report emerged to remind those that have "forgotten" that chemically laden (hormones, antibiotics, etc.), horribly treated animals -  those that end up blister wrapped in supermarkets displays - are bad for you. Yep.  Many of us have been saying the same for years.  And it's probably not a good idea to eat 1/2 pound of bacon daily - even the best kind.  Nor is it wise to live totally on smoked meats.  It is as always a question of moderation.  Using meat as an ingredient often is much better than eating big cuts of meat.  For example, instead of frying up a bunch of Italian Sausages to go with pasta, take one or two, remove them from their casings and make a meat sauce with them.  Delicious and just enough meat. And, of course, not eating anything at fast food and chain restaurants is a good practice.  Lastly, following Michael Pollan's edict is probably the best thing you can do:  "Eat Food.  Mostly Plants.  Not too Much".  And I would add, "Cook real food.  From scratch. With ingredients that you can identify".  Which brings me to the next piece of news.

This week we learned of the departure from the New York Times of one of my favorite food writers and cooks, Mark Bitman.  It seems that Mark is now a principle in another one of those "dinner in a box" concerns.  The ones that deliver all of the ingredients with cooking instructions to your front door. The company he's joining is all vegan. Now, I don't pretend to understand - since I am the one advocating that we all, "know where our food comes from", but I have to trust that he sees this as a good thing for people who can't or won't shop for their food.  I imagine eating totally vegan is very time consuming.  Despite that fact that I like Bitman a lot, and have learned a lot from him, there will be no boxes - with cooking instructions - delivered to this house.  I do hope to see him back at the Times some day real soon.

The last, and for me somewhat shocking, slice of Food News is the whole mess with the Chipotle Chain and an e coli outbreak.  I really am surprised.  This is the one of the only chains of any kind that we will use in a pinch - Panerra being the other.  I have always under the impression that Chipotle sources very well given their commitment to real farms and real food.  I guess that we will have to wait for more information on this one.  It does make me wonder.

Ingredients to be Using Right Now!

Pumpkin, butternut squash,  broccoli, rutabaga, wonderful onions and potatoes and little squashes are all appearing in the Farmers Markets right now.  As are great radishes, kale, pears & apples.  All of these offer such wonderful opportunities for soups, stews, and even composed salads.  And, if you can, either freeze or can what you an for those mid winter weeks.


The Comfort of Cooking

Recently I have been reading Ruth Reichl's new book, "My Kitchen Year"(published by Random House).  It is a wonderful read, with great stories and recipes and takes us through her life in the months after Gourmet magazine (of which she was editor) suddenly folded.

She writes about the shock factor; the magazine was planning the next issue and a new TV show one day and the staff was told the next day to pack up and go.  She shares first the incredible sorrow of leaving a great group of co-workers, who immediately scatter far and wide.  And she tells the story of her very real fears about the future and what she will do next with her own life.

It is a very thought provoking  read.  How do we react when the rug has literally been pulled out from under us?  When we are sad, grieving, frightened - what comforts us?

Reichl and I are are kindred spirits in that she and I both turn to the kitchen for solace. It's not so much the eating - that is part of it, of course -  but it is really rather the list  making, the shopping, the preparation, and the cooking. That glorious alone time moving between cutting boards and stove top; larder and oven.  Chopping, sautéing, tasting, stirring, a pinch of this, a pinch of that -  all are so calming and relaxing and soothing to me.  And before I go on, I know that is not true for many folks.  I know, and even count among friends, members of the "I hate to cook" crowd.  And of course when using cooking for comfort, I tend towards comfort foods!  Examples:  Big casseroles of cheesy macaroni; Vegetable packed stews; Short ribs simmering for hours; and a big roast chicken with lots of garlic stuffed inside. And, of course, as we call it here in South Philly:  "Red Gravy".  And Pasta.  Always Pasta.  A little over a year ago when one of our pups needed emergency/dangerous surgery that came out of the blue, I literally ran out of room for storing food and was asking the neighbors if I could borrow refrigerator space!

And so, I'd love to know.  Those of you who enjoy cooking, share with us:  do you cook for comfort when times are sad or upsetting?  What are your favorite things to make in these situations?

Late Summer Harvest from Our Garden  and a Pear

Treasure Real Food!

Winter Prep, Hunger Facts & an Easy Crumble Recipe

Well, it seems that Fall has decided to back off for awhile.  As I write here in Philly, it's going to be in the '70s for the next few days.  With lots of rain.  Like Spring showers!  I know - I shouldn't be fooled.  We'll be getting out the sweaters and the heavy sox - and wearing them - very soon.  It will be nice for the Trick or Treaters though and that's a good thing for our neighborhood - we get lots of kids going door to door, the old fashioned way.  I love South Philly.

Have you done any prepping for the cold weather?  It's always worthwhile to check all of your windows for proper insulation.  An awful lot of cold air can come in - and warm air can go out - from poorly insulated windows.  We have some windows that literally "lock up" wonderfully, insulated against cold and sound.  But then we have others that are not so efficient.  When I think this weather is going to finally be consistent we are going to be insulating those windows with old sox.  Sox? Yes - stuffed down into the space between windows, they do a great job of blocking cold air and when it's time to remover them in the Spring, you don't have to deal with that sticky insulation - which takes years to totally come off!  Just be sure to get a good layer stuffed down into any areas cold air can enter.  It's very effective and if you get them well situated, you won't even see them.

Also, remember to get yourself used to checking the "sun" forecast.  If you have south facing windows, and you know it is going to be a sunny day, raise those shades and blinds in the morning and let passive solar add some heat to your rooms.  Of course, it is important to close them up when the sun is gone.

On another note, I came across some sad and scary facts about a week ago.  In a piece by Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Mike Newall, I learned the definition of "deep poverty".  I also learned that this level of poverty effects more than 186,000 people in Philadelphia, 62,000 of whom are children.  I can't get my arms around the fact that in my city this is fact.    With that sort of poverty comes hunger and that speaks to me directly.  Two out of four families with children do not always have money for food!  These folks aren't necessarily homeless.  They may be working at minimum wage jobs as well.  The schools are identifying what is known as "Food Anxiety" in many children.  The anxiety that comes when you don't know when you are going to be able to eat again.  Imagine.  We talk a good game about children and nutrition and the effects of poor nutrition.  It seems to me we  need more action.  Be aware of any politician cutting food programs to children.  Speak up when you see those attempted cuts.  Help support the programs, like Philabundance, that are providing food for families and individuals.  And please, respond to those who demonize the poor with such statements as, "People on Food Stamps are always buying steak and lobster".  First of all, that's not true and secondly, it helps to create an atmosphere of disregard for those people who need a helping hand the most.  Those of us who love food:  growing it, cooking it, writing about it, reading about it, and eating it are the ones who need to respond - in whatever way each of us can - to insure that children, and adults, are not going hungry in this food happy city.

What are your thoughts on what each of us can do?  I have some ideas, but would like to hear from you all first.


Recipe:  Asian Pear Crumble for Two

Sometimes a big dessert is just too much to have hanging around.  We share with neighbors of course, but once in awhile a small, delicious dessert that is just enough for the two of us is the best way to go.  Avoiding waste is so important, as well.  Believe me, you won't have to worry about that with this delicious crumble.


Ingredients

One large Asian Pear, cored and chopped
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of good vanilla extract
A pinch of kosher salt
1/2 - 3/4  cup of granola (I am partial to all flavors of Bob's Red Mill granola; for this I used the blueberry/apple which was perfect with pears)
1/2 cup of water
2 teaspoons of unsalted butter, plus butter to coat the pan

Technique

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

Coat your baking pan generously with a teaspoon or so of butter - use a small pan or oven proof pot.  I used a five inch All Clad stainless steel pot; it is 3 inches deep.  You can use larger, it will just not be as "deep".

Toss the pear chunks, the cinnamon, the vanilla and salt together and pour into the greased pan
Top the mixture with the granola
Pour over the water
Dot with the two teaspoons of butter

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. When you see bubbling it is done.
Let it sit for a couple of minutes before serving.
This is wonderful topped with good vanilla ice cream!

Enjoy.

Treasure Real Food!