tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21448171995032735022024-02-19T05:03:51.856-05:00Almost Slowfoodfollow Me as I try to cook slow in a fast world...Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-67243100434386445812010-06-18T11:29:00.000-04:002010-06-18T11:29:49.384-04:00Tasty Side: Potato, Bacon and Garlic Scape Hash<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: "Georgia", serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Please subscribe to receive Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i></span></b><br />
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</i></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Tuesday, I wrote to you about <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2010/06/easy-dinner-bacon-wrapped-monkfish.html">Monkfish Wrapped in Bacon</a> and today I want to share my new favorite starchy side dish, which I rediscovered on Monkfish day: hash. On weekends when my mom was out and Dad was in charge, he'd fry up a can of corned beef hash and eggs. It was one of my favorite things to eat. My brother and I would fight over the crunchy bits that Dad did his best to scrape up from the bottom, salty chitling type bites that, like the bottom of a paella, is the absolute best part.<br />
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Of course, that hash was out of a can and really who knows what the ingredients actually were beyond corned beef and potatoes and lots of grease. Recently, I came across a post from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelman</a>. The post was for a <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/05/spring-asparagus-pancetta-hash/">Spring Asparagus Pancetta Hash</a>, it sounded heavenly. So heavenly that I went out and bought Asparagus and Pancetta and Potatoes, intent on making it that very weekend, but then I got carried away and made <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2010/05/breakfast-poached-eggs-over-polenta.html">Poached Eggs over Polenta</a> instead.<br />
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Since asparagus seems to have disappeared from the markets near me, I have to put aside Deb's recipe until next year. However, I don't have to put aside the hash. Hash is like the trash compactor of dishes or, in nice terms, like America's version of stir fry. Just take whatever you've got in your kitchen and combine and, generally, the result will be good. A few guidelines: there should be one fat (ie. bacon), one starchy component (ie. potatoes), at least one fresh vegetable (ie. garlic scapes although there might be some among us who don't insist on the vegetable) and some sort of flavor enhancer (ie. herbs, onion, garlic). So, after all that, here's my version that's very simple to whip up most any day of the week. Enjoy!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCoQ-8u9moGnPhzrpyQa9fS3RgEyBqdZmLFwBpMvI5_Abd6mazpUfKlkMxmlCLBgf4B7vXDPB60GIFNpJJ6UljtAPEeRqRcgFXuVF0SdH9FLEK48NQm7bcap36GaHuB0Q9ufCa8AHJkx0/s1600/Potato-GS-Hash-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCoQ-8u9moGnPhzrpyQa9fS3RgEyBqdZmLFwBpMvI5_Abd6mazpUfKlkMxmlCLBgf4B7vXDPB60GIFNpJJ6UljtAPEeRqRcgFXuVF0SdH9FLEK48NQm7bcap36GaHuB0Q9ufCa8AHJkx0/s400/Potato-GS-Hash-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><br />
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<b>Potato, Bacon and Garlic Scape Hash</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Like any hash, this reheats very well and can be eaten at any meal. For breakfast, add a poached egg.)</i></div><br />
What You'll Need:<br />
3 thick slices of Bacon cut into chunks<br />
1 medium Vidalia Onion chopped<br />
2 medium Russet Potatoes cubed<br />
2 tbsp Oregano leaves chopped<br />
6 sprigs of Thyme<br />
1 cup Garlic Scapes chopped<br />
A few splashes of white or rose wine or any wine that's open really<br />
<br />
Set a pan over a medium high heat. After a couple minutes, flick a drop or two of water in the pan. If it sizzles, it's ready for bacon. Add the bacon and render until it's crispy. Pour off all but a tablespoon of grease.<br />
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Add the onions and cook for two minutes. Stir often. Add the potatoes, oregano and thyme. Stir well to combine and turn the heat down to low. Simmer and stir for about twenty minutes or until the potatoes are soft.<br />
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Add the garlic scapes. Stir the hash around and scrape up the bottom bits as well as you can. To get up the bits, add a splash or two of wine to deglaze. Five minutes after the scapes go in, the hash is ready.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Groceries: $6<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect 8 servings<br />
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This Time Last Year: <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/06/garlic-scapes.html">Garlic Scapes with Shrimp and Brown Rice</a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-2155717731088028592010-06-15T12:55:00.002-04:002010-06-15T13:01:48.348-04:00Easy Dinner: Bacon Wrapped Monkfish Fillets<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Please subscribe to receive Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. Thank you!</span></span></i></span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiB3zxtaTClIKXEH2TPrJOqaqdvf7cfIlk57HJDK5JFG76prwyNFrRsojFwMBuf-tBfX7YWjpp6a1SXxZlVcJphPqDNVdqHqHPnwGGzC3sPKyXPgwK9eCjpXK3s-lNsI_r-mq80hDiIBs/s1600/MonkfishB-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiB3zxtaTClIKXEH2TPrJOqaqdvf7cfIlk57HJDK5JFG76prwyNFrRsojFwMBuf-tBfX7YWjpp6a1SXxZlVcJphPqDNVdqHqHPnwGGzC3sPKyXPgwK9eCjpXK3s-lNsI_r-mq80hDiIBs/s400/MonkfishB-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
As I've written before (<a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2010/05/easy-dinner-breaded-flounder.html">Panko Flounder anyone?</a>), I didn't come easy to fish, but nowadays I try to eat it at least twice a week. Most often I buy flounder or scallops or clams or porgies from the fish stand or a bit of salmon from the grocer. In the cooking of fish, I've found it hard to branch out beyond the pan fry. However, last Friday I saw a headline in the most recent issue of <a href="http://www.saveur.com/">Saveur magazine</a>: Bluefish Wrapped in Bacon. Of course we all know bacon makes everything better so I decided that's what we'd have for dinner that night. I didn't read the recipe. I just knew bacon and bluefish would be involved and I'd take it from there.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">I took my time at the market, buying a flat of strawberries for jam, lots of herbs, blueberries, sugarsnap peas, romaine lettuce and, of course, bacon. My last stop was the fish stand. Now, they have bluefish every single week and I know this because I always see it on the board, but shy away for no good reason. This was the week I was to boldly stand up and say, "A pound of bluefish, please." And this was the week the lovely fishmonger, whose 25th birthday was Friday, said, "Sorry, we just ran out." I sighed dramatically and then countered, "Well, what would be good wrapped in bacon and roasted." She replied, "Monkfish." Hmm, I've tried cooking monkfish once or twice and it was tough and not very tasty. She assured me that monkfish cooked for 15 minutes at 375 would be tender and juicy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So I took her word for it, brought home two fillets of monkfish, chopped up some garlic and oregano and made a rub and then wrapped a thick slice of bacon around each fillet. I roasted it for twenty minutes instead of fifteen and all I can say is the monkfish was tender and flavorful and Baby Girl and the hubby both wolfed down their portions. I made a potato, bacon and garlic scape hash (Recipe on Thursday!) and a sugarsnap pea salad to go with it. It turned out to be an amazing meal that helped me break out of my fish (and veggie sides) rut. Hope you'll try it soon!!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6V6st2TAbN37aASBmUVzowZrmYShvFeUHLB0aUoxH8DJP1dA_9JLBJ5AU6VfAvvU-SzEF7Vvk0BmsiHqYrZELD4Jj7t5osbTD8ekgP0XdS8HGqk9rD09NtNlGdZHtq2bXNONBkRwFy2Y/s1600/MonkfishB-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6V6st2TAbN37aASBmUVzowZrmYShvFeUHLB0aUoxH8DJP1dA_9JLBJ5AU6VfAvvU-SzEF7Vvk0BmsiHqYrZELD4Jj7t5osbTD8ekgP0XdS8HGqk9rD09NtNlGdZHtq2bXNONBkRwFy2Y/s400/MonkfishB-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
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<b>Bacon Wrapped Monkfish Fillets</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Monkfish is a very meaty fish and takes extremely well to roasting. Any fish with those characteristic will work well here.) </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div>What You'll Need:<br />
3/4-1 pound Monkfish fillets (2-3)<br />
2 small cloves of garlic<br />
2 tbsp Oregano chopped<br />
1/8 tsp Salt<br />
Pepper<br />
2 thick slices of Bacon<br />
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Preheat the oven to 375.<br />
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Lay the monkfish fillets in a shallow baking dish (I used a brownie pan).<br />
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Add the garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil to a bowl - just enough to form a light paste. Mix it together and rub it over the tops of the monkfish fillets. Wrap a piece of bacon around each fillet in a spiral. Don't worry about covering the entire fish, just get the bacon from one end to the other.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVZCNBW5W0jkIOz47QCEetlDLJtM8Nu_jGTY2-wU4UHcNFxm6LDvtJ9ErMAlwhH4MsqPVNCEYU9IhhjLrwbwksEKPgK-h3WnkSI1wvugQNOPQVr_9Jy81_evqrUDc1RxQQd6jBXsEvAk/s1600/MonkfishB-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVZCNBW5W0jkIOz47QCEetlDLJtM8Nu_jGTY2-wU4UHcNFxm6LDvtJ9ErMAlwhH4MsqPVNCEYU9IhhjLrwbwksEKPgK-h3WnkSI1wvugQNOPQVr_9Jy81_evqrUDc1RxQQd6jBXsEvAk/s320/MonkfishB-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Pop the fish in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. If the bacon still looks pretty raw, pop it back in for another 5 minutes. Enjoy!!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Groceries: $6<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect 8 servings<br />
<br />
This Time Last Year: <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/06/potluck-of-spice-everything-nice.html">The amazing Monica Bhide's Paneer with Orange-Apricot Chutney</a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-31401988577191409002010-06-10T13:32:00.002-04:002010-06-10T15:08:53.990-04:00Tasty Treat: Rhubarb Scones<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Please subscribe to receive Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IptKb-Z1130BwqYqHnOr2TTFYWJ8GiLsy4qtYWiO64wIY8p5rilDWzcw2sEvPxGhpkXugy5dmbs8vdNhv7hiMa1pqzy6Yz-fBdoyOtaEyL81lmDHjAE8K2bENPkdgQPvbNpTXjdCInE/s1600/Rhubarb-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IptKb-Z1130BwqYqHnOr2TTFYWJ8GiLsy4qtYWiO64wIY8p5rilDWzcw2sEvPxGhpkXugy5dmbs8vdNhv7hiMa1pqzy6Yz-fBdoyOtaEyL81lmDHjAE8K2bENPkdgQPvbNpTXjdCInE/s400/Rhubarb-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I am obsessed with afternoon tea. I love the sandwiches, the tea, the scones and devonshire cream, which I could eat straight with a spoon! Afternoon tea is supposed to be a leisurely event intended for relaxing and recharging, kind of like a siesta, but with food. Most afternoons, tea time includes a warm mug of earl grey and a homemade scone if I'm lucky or even just toast with butter and jam. By myself, I stare off into space and meditate on my life while the steam gently massages my face. Other days, I sit down with a friend to chat and giggle because tea, when taken in the company of others, inevitably generates the giggles.<br />
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My grandmother first introduced me to afternoon tea when I was about three years old. I was the only girl, the third of four, just like she had been so we shared an even deeper kinship. Grandmommie would invite me and only me over for baby doll tea parties. She still has her childhood dolls and also her child-sized tea table, which she'd set with her fine china tea cups, linen napkins, a teapot and silverware. We'd seat the baby dolls around the table and pour them tea and then we'd sit together at the big dining room table and eat cucumber sandwiches and scones and drink tea with lots of milk and sugar. As I got older, we started going out for tea to hotels and various places. When baby girl gets just a wee bit older, she'll be christened with afternoon tea and hopefully she'll love it as much as I do.<br />
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The last few weeks rhubarb has been in season and I've been thinking up different meals and treats to include it in. Of course there was the <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2010/05/pork-roast-with-rhubarb-compote.html">Roasted Pork Butt with Rhubarb Compote</a>, but what had really been getting me was my desire for the perfect Rhubarb Scone. I tried scone recipes from all over, but kept coming back to Karen DeMasco's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Craft-Baking-Cookies-Sweets-Inventing/dp/0307408108?ie=UTF8&tag=almosts-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Craft of Baking</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=almosts-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0307408108" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> because her recipe seemed to have the moist texture of a cream scone rather than the crumbly texture we so often see in coffee shops. I toyed with her recipe, reducing some ingredients and increasing others until I came to what I believe to be a perfect scone: moist, fragile and a little crispy on the outside. Enjoy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSdMNaps9PNZGE5GiwQHH36UZVZgu8_j7lncAwvasDarqiqujkwAAVfNNcxHCbeMIyrp2Quvm7ShgCZeRDlsbNnuLD72PoykaUBjAL2IDCsDICayT8Ap1GHh3IvtWID5GoDblNWWqiMY/s1600/Rhubarb-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSdMNaps9PNZGE5GiwQHH36UZVZgu8_j7lncAwvasDarqiqujkwAAVfNNcxHCbeMIyrp2Quvm7ShgCZeRDlsbNnuLD72PoykaUBjAL2IDCsDICayT8Ap1GHh3IvtWID5GoDblNWWqiMY/s400/Rhubarb-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Rhubarb Scones</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(While I include rhubarb in this recipe, really just about any fruit will work wonderfully. Just keep in mind that some are more watery than others so if you decide to use strawberries, add a dash less buttermilk.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 3/4 cup White Whole Wheat Flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp plus 1 tsp Baking Powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 tsp Salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup Sugar<br />
6 tbsp Sweet Butter cubed</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup Rhubarb chopped into small bits, about a quarter inch</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 cup Buttermilk<br />
Demerera Sugar for dusting</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Add the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar to the bowl of your mixer. Whisk well to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Add the butter and fluff them about so they're coated with the flour mixture. Pop the bowl in your freezer for 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
While the mixture is in the freezer, chop the rhubarb into quarter inch bits and measure out the buttermilk.<br />
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Remove the mixing bowl from the freezer and fix on your mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix the flour and butter on low until it forms small pebbles, about 3 minutes. Add the Rhubarb. Add the buttermilk and mix just until it comes together.<br />
<br />
Pour out the dough onto a very lightly floured surface. The dough should be lightly sticky, but not overly wet. The ingredients should just hold together. Pat the dough into an inch thick circle. Cut 8 pie pieces and place on a silpat (or parchment paper) lined cookie sheet. Pop the cookie sheet in the fridge for 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 375. Remove the scones from the fridge and brush very lightly with buttermilk and sprinkle with demerera sugar. Cook until the scones are just golden and firm, about 15-20 minutes.<br />
<br />
The scones are best the day of, but to regain their crispness, I pop them in the oven for 5 minutes at 250.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Groceries: $6<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect 8 servings<br />
<br />
This Time Last Year: <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/06/garlic-scapes.html">Garlic Scapes with Shrimp and Brown Rice</a><br />
<br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-10371186688587050472010-06-08T16:27:00.004-04:002010-06-10T14:13:54.349-04:00Classic Meals: Korean Bulgogi<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Please subscribe to receive Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlRflk5Ls0AgbOAfblAqu9PvAs95wf690lW3PGSud1mlRVhJE54jweEja64j7ycw4O66AIVPclWoqvXTQq6cWuy477-1gB3f-nxpY46y09ReHn5xIgr52RM2-T2R14bf_WfoWISDwKdo/s1600/Bulgogi-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlRflk5Ls0AgbOAfblAqu9PvAs95wf690lW3PGSud1mlRVhJE54jweEja64j7ycw4O66AIVPclWoqvXTQq6cWuy477-1gB3f-nxpY46y09ReHn5xIgr52RM2-T2R14bf_WfoWISDwKdo/s400/Bulgogi-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Until recently, I didn't have the guts to experiment with Asian cuisine. Big ingredient lists, unique spices, and alternative cooking techniques all seemed too complicated for my limited time in the kitchen. But then I tried <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/10/daring-cooks-vietnamese-pho-beef-noodle.html">Steamy Kitchen's Beef Pho</a>, a Vietnamese noodle soup. It was flavorful and, despite the seeming long ingredient list, not too involved. Bolstered by my success, I made <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2010/02/freezer-favorite-pork-potstickers.html">Pork Potstickers</a>. Um, they were so very good, a little time consuming, but, happily they are meant to be made in big batches and frozen for future lazy dinner days. I've still got some in the freezer.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Recently, I paid a visit to <a href="http://dicksonsfarmstand.com/">Dickson's Farmstand</a>, my absolute favorite butcher who locally sources their meats. I was just about to check out when I spied a cut of beef entitled Flanken. It was flat and narrow with little marrowed bones throughout and lots of fatty bits. The butcher said, "Oh that? Those are great for making Bulgogi." "I'll take eight," I immediately replied. I had no idea how I was going to make it, but Korean Bulgogi is one of my favorite meals to eat. Growing up, we use to frequent a Korean barbecue restaurant called <a href="http://www.woolaeoaksoho.com/index2.htm">Woo Lae Oak</a>. At the time I most enjoyed being allowed to grill my own meal, but now I'm mad for the marinade's subtle flavors.<br />
<br />
As soon as I got home, I went through every recipe I could find online and settled on Ming Tsai's recipe. If you have a food processor or even a blender, then this recipe is very very very easy. Just puree the ingredients, marinate the flankens overnight and broil under a high heat for about 10 minutes. Serve with rice and a salad and you've got something that might just rival the Bulgogi barbecue of my youth.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9NHlv1pjOlrvje_X49fAGv2VLNDH9Bvb6_uF_o04sITu3EeyWDgD1rArrEBMKhEHWFSXWw1yWd6lK2igx-5DZV0uzxolJXtRfFwo20vbi849rqnT5ws1lZ5CIuI5tnd5bumSXLgjNJ4/s1600/Bulgogi-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9NHlv1pjOlrvje_X49fAGv2VLNDH9Bvb6_uF_o04sITu3EeyWDgD1rArrEBMKhEHWFSXWw1yWd6lK2igx-5DZV0uzxolJXtRfFwo20vbi849rqnT5ws1lZ5CIuI5tnd5bumSXLgjNJ4/s400/Bulgogi-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Korean Bulgogi</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ming-tsai/grilled-marinated-hanger-steak-bulgogi-style-recipe/index.html">Adapted from Ming Tsai</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Flankens are just short ribs cut into very thin strips by the butcher. If you have a hard time getting your hands on them, try buying a Ribeye (as recommended by Hana below). Pop it in the freezer for about 30 minutes and then cut it against the grains as thinly as you can. Ming Tsai uses hanger steak.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:<br />
1 tbsp Ginger chopped<br />
2 tbsp Garlic chopped<br />
1/4 cup Rice Vinegar<br />
1/4 cup Sugar<br />
1/4 cup Soy Sauce<br />
1tbsp Black Pepper ground<br />
1 cup Canola Oil<br />
1/4 cup Sesame Seed Oil<br />
1 cup Scallions chopped<br />
8 Flankens (or 2 pounds london broil)<br />
2 bunches Scallions trimmed<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TT-IeErJsqnIghR4LrH3ffdKF2Nw8GM41TLeLvwj4wUkoEYcCIKLVoZHm-FI_LXmUzKHS2MdfzjlN0E3EH5uPB-mJw7kRoWSFC_0VJO6_-qVktKiZWwYpos-xLWjLM2Gi0NES_E16Ik/s1600/Bulgogi-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TT-IeErJsqnIghR4LrH3ffdKF2Nw8GM41TLeLvwj4wUkoEYcCIKLVoZHm-FI_LXmUzKHS2MdfzjlN0E3EH5uPB-mJw7kRoWSFC_0VJO6_-qVktKiZWwYpos-xLWjLM2Gi0NES_E16Ik/s320/Bulgogi-1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Combine all of the ingredients - not including Flanken! - in a food processor. Process until smooth. Lay out the beef in a casserole dish and pour the marinade overtop. Flip the beef several times to make sure it's well coated. Cover and refrigerate over night.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSQIN4ZJGaa4osoSa41Ff4cL83PMKzAqMHvrELik4bD6uuvXQPNPRB-XE9k29SgsrGsQgW7d9b3mZjW7b-224F0VxalG44zvjiLLn6SY3zfUkBrZM7T1jQpt13tU9keG1VMCxZUksndA/s1600/Bulgogi-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSQIN4ZJGaa4osoSa41Ff4cL83PMKzAqMHvrELik4bD6uuvXQPNPRB-XE9k29SgsrGsQgW7d9b3mZjW7b-224F0VxalG44zvjiLLn6SY3zfUkBrZM7T1jQpt13tU9keG1VMCxZUksndA/s320/Bulgogi-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The next evening, set the broiler on high and move the rack down to the second level. (PS - if you have a grill and like using it then this is your calling.) Scatter the scallions on a broiler pan and place a rack over top. Place the flanken on the rack and broil for five minutes on one side until the outside is a deep brown. Flip and broil for another five minutes. Enjoy!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Groceries: $30<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect 4 servings<br />
<br />
This Time Last Year: <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/06/garlic-scapes.html">Garlic Scapes with Shrimp and Brown Rice</a><br />
<br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-75360244024953164302010-05-25T16:13:00.003-04:002010-06-10T13:35:32.076-04:00Roasted Pork Butt with Rhubarb Compote<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Please subscribe to receive Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgmjnlQAUWo1601dIF-4_3DELvczCDfTourPHl7RNvQZr1cZzxLEMQnU44VREL3BYzV5WQ8oSzxmX3UfZAc1gkfvItVxT-jZ1IHMmj_Y2vAMfDO494gUyXMG5z6AZ_Z_1X8zMMh144cY/s1600/Rhubarb-Compote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgmjnlQAUWo1601dIF-4_3DELvczCDfTourPHl7RNvQZr1cZzxLEMQnU44VREL3BYzV5WQ8oSzxmX3UfZAc1gkfvItVxT-jZ1IHMmj_Y2vAMfDO494gUyXMG5z6AZ_Z_1X8zMMh144cY/s400/Rhubarb-Compote.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In high school there was a group of us, four of us. We did everything together and oftentimes everything meant breaking the rules. Of course, I went to convent school where the rules were so strict and pretty silly that breaking them, though highly offensive to the administration, was mostly innocent. There's the time I ripped my coat in half while scaling the walls to escape. For a split second or two I just hung there with my coat still attached on one side of the fence and my body on the other. My alma mater, Georgetown Visitation is connected to Georgetown University so the older, cooler students just walked by and poked fun of the poor little Catholic school escapee. Other hijinks include but are not limited to the weekly skirt exchanges where the dean called us to her office, ripped off our short skirts that we'd fringed and decorated in studio art and gave us new to-our-knees version, the day I smuggled my best friend out of school in the trunk my car because I had a note to leave early and she didn't, and the time a couple of us, after months of hiding out in the parking lot to avoid chapel were finally found out by a nine months pregnant dean who gave birth the next day.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
So you see, we weren't bad bad. We were just adorably naughty. Funnily enough, ten years later at our reunion, my friends and I found ourselves once again breaking the rules when we picked the lock to get into the chapel. Hey, it's absolutely beautiful and we wanted our significant others to see it. Why all this talk about high school? Nostalgia? For sure, but also I just made a pork butt and it immediately led me to think of my girl's and our anthem, Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-a-Lot... I'm serious... No, I'm really serious. We thought we were hysterical, blasting it from my bad blue Volvo sedan, playing it during lunch in the locker rooms and singing it while rough-housing in the maizelike old dormitory bathrooms. Visi use to be a boarding school so the bathrooms had bathtubs and showers; they were the size of my apartment.<br />
<br />
So butts were on my mind this weekend... pork butts. I was at the market this past friday, chatting with a lady about what she was going to make with her bunch of Rhubarb. I've been testing Rhubarb scone recipes (coming soon), but she was going to make a compote. Right then, I grabbed an extra bunch of rhubarb and rushed back to buy a pork roast from Ray Bradley of Bradley Farms. He has the most amazing bacon, sausages and pork chops and I wanted to try out a loin roast. However, Ray said to use the butt, it's flavorful and tender and cheaper than a loin roast (by like half!!). I was sold. I always thought butts had to be slow roasted and shredded into something like barbecue, but after last night's meal I'm a girl transformed. The hubby, always in favor of saving a buck, declared, "we should never buy pork loin ever again." Well, I wouldn't go that far, but the butt was pretty darn delicious.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMawi19hxqDiuLxKVXLAni1FsnGtO7W2CfZZOZJPoHYFo95_cl9e2z3ddo8Fa_c6FtvSkoh5NJODd5aaycIzMt1UEoUrUH4urKerGmpSE9wtTCg7dPNlvdV4DTZwOjsky4yeVacas7fVY/s1600/Pork-Butt-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMawi19hxqDiuLxKVXLAni1FsnGtO7W2CfZZOZJPoHYFo95_cl9e2z3ddo8Fa_c6FtvSkoh5NJODd5aaycIzMt1UEoUrUH4urKerGmpSE9wtTCg7dPNlvdV4DTZwOjsky4yeVacas7fVY/s320/Pork-Butt-2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Roasted Pork Butt with Rhubarb Compote</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Perfect for a Sunday dinner or party, this is a set it and forget it kind of roast. No basting required. Serve it alongside the compote, a green salad and perhaps some creamy polenta.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>For the Pork:</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 3 pound Pork Butt</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup Oregano minced</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 shallots mince</div><div style="text-align: left;">Zest of 1 lemon</div><div style="text-align: left;">1tbsp Dijon Mustard</div><div style="text-align: left;">1tbsp Cider Vinegar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 tsp Salt</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>For the Compote:</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">4 cups Rhubarb cut into half inch pieces</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup Oregano minced</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 shallots minced</div><div style="text-align: left;">Zest of one lemon</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp Honey</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp Dijon Mustard</div><div style="text-align: left;">Salt to taste</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 350. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Place the pork butt in a roasting pan and pat dry.<br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIIKmR9mmfoJbWtR35lW6FvprjZ7nYBGpY3iokN8xeiJUXshL8QheAGhtjXYc4o7wxe8TOBpl-Eg0HenwzHjqho3624cul9ecj657EQ4RX5ZGXXCgTRXpacDhXsTRv2OrZbJHN7IM2rg/s1600/Pork-Butt-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIIKmR9mmfoJbWtR35lW6FvprjZ7nYBGpY3iokN8xeiJUXshL8QheAGhtjXYc4o7wxe8TOBpl-Eg0HenwzHjqho3624cul9ecj657EQ4RX5ZGXXCgTRXpacDhXsTRv2OrZbJHN7IM2rg/s320/Pork-Butt-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Place the oregano, shallots, zest, mustard, vinegar and salt in a mortar and smash it up with a pestle as best you can. When it's sort of pasty and well mixed spread the mixture over top the butt. Pop in the oven and cook until the thermometer reads 160, about 2 hours. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes before serving.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajyQOLRDcUpt5LNVbr8VG44ClIdAxJAiU123Z5VmK2zhyphenhypheng0QXZWUAii76Yv2GpUJgYIns0VUx8HcT5SCWDUQUh4LS542XW0jJvpbm5vlkxfigbrgwLkC5vOI-BY3jSUNDFwJidGAkhZ4/s1600/Pork-Butt-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajyQOLRDcUpt5LNVbr8VG44ClIdAxJAiU123Z5VmK2zhyphenhypheng0QXZWUAii76Yv2GpUJgYIns0VUx8HcT5SCWDUQUh4LS542XW0jJvpbm5vlkxfigbrgwLkC5vOI-BY3jSUNDFwJidGAkhZ4/s320/Pork-Butt-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>About 20 minutes before the pork is ready, place a sauce pan over a medium-high heat. Add a pat of butter and, just as it's browning, add the rhubarb and all of the ingredients but the salt. Stir and simmer for about 30 minutes. Towards the end, taste and adjust the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3j6RAi0I__ujJijpMSDAg5MunDUGz1xRMUagRIhbFnbSxWWvhsBD7o6tepo2gdvT-jWDbeZT8pgS2ZYySbJ-7CEUDjBYNeR8X1-7l4P3RVuPaRr_JbcrsmboLhZNevacne-pDmv00mo/s1600/Rhubarb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3j6RAi0I__ujJijpMSDAg5MunDUGz1xRMUagRIhbFnbSxWWvhsBD7o6tepo2gdvT-jWDbeZT8pgS2ZYySbJ-7CEUDjBYNeR8X1-7l4P3RVuPaRr_JbcrsmboLhZNevacne-pDmv00mo/s320/Rhubarb.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>To serve, slice the pork butt and place on a platter. Pour the compote into a little bowl and set alongside the pork. Enjoy</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Groceries: $38<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect 4-6 servings<br />
<br />
This Time Last Year: <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/06/garlic-scapes.html">Garlic Scapes with Shrimp and Brown Rice</a><br />
<br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-12608250751908321642010-05-18T13:41:00.006-04:002010-05-19T13:04:41.619-04:00Breakfast: Poached Eggs over Polenta<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Please subscribe to receive Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0Wur0vZwXrHjZQ39MbKPKyM2Uebb-Zm_Cpe9qfZFeqUvSCJERJqDCw8XyH-_hXd-R5M9lC9Ag0GizW1JLtThaUkc8mZRW0Kb_WYYhTw62pTfpKwHtMkSMGmvuTbkzNi0_b51lCGL6ds/s1600/Poached-Eggs-w_Asparagus-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0Wur0vZwXrHjZQ39MbKPKyM2Uebb-Zm_Cpe9qfZFeqUvSCJERJqDCw8XyH-_hXd-R5M9lC9Ag0GizW1JLtThaUkc8mZRW0Kb_WYYhTw62pTfpKwHtMkSMGmvuTbkzNi0_b51lCGL6ds/s400/Poached-Eggs-w_Asparagus-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Until ohhh six months ago I thought poaching an egg was the most difficult thing in the world. Every time I'd tried, the egg always burst apart and was an inedible mess. Turns out, poaching a delicate egg on a rapid boil isn't a good idea. Too bad it took me twenty years to figure out that a gentle simmer will yield perfectly poached eggs time and time and time again. Seriously, it's now my go-to method for eggs - easier than scrambling, I sah-wear!<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
At the now officially out of its winter funk farmers market, I picked up asparagus, chives and pasture-fed eggs from <a href="http://raybradleyfarm.com/">Bradley Farm</a>. For Sunday brunch I took advantage of the above plus a hunk of pancetta I'd picked up at <a href="http://dicksonsfarmstand.com/">Dickson's Farmstand</a>. I'm dying to make Smitten Kitchen's <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/05/spring-asparagus-pancetta-hash/">Spring Asparagus Pancetta Hash</a>, but poached eggs were calling my name and I just couldn't bring myself to cube a pound of potatoes. Next weekend perhaps.<br />
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Back to the eggs. I also had some leftover polenta which baby girl and I go ga-ga for fried up; especially with a poached egg on top. To make a long story short, I diced some pancetta, chopped some chives and asparagus, cracked some eggs, fried some polenta and I had a meal worthy of guests, not just mom and dad and friends who love you guests, but strangers you want to impress with your cooking skills guests. Seriously, it was pretty, delicious and easy enough to make. If you don't have polenta on hand, feel free to use an english muffin or a nice slice of toasted challah or brioche or whatever. The yolks and chives will transport just about any carb into nirvana. Enjoy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJrzwuzmOM0ggnmldZZZg-iP3rh4mZ9XWr2sIgq_urk6CW5Wij7wkvReVsUx0QGJPq1y5blo65EJ9wmBEky5YwGciC4HNgyQxx5cBoL3To_AuDQE6-vB_-h9ldCm6vN_HYXzQeqpGX4c/s1600/Poached-Eggs-w_Asparagus-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJrzwuzmOM0ggnmldZZZg-iP3rh4mZ9XWr2sIgq_urk6CW5Wij7wkvReVsUx0QGJPq1y5blo65EJ9wmBEky5YwGciC4HNgyQxx5cBoL3To_AuDQE6-vB_-h9ldCm6vN_HYXzQeqpGX4c/s400/Poached-Eggs-w_Asparagus-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Poached Eggs with Asparagus and Pancetta over Fried Polenta</b> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Did I mention that poached eggs can be made beforehand and then warmed up in hot water? It's true, just be careful not to overdo it, you'll get hard poached eggs. Plus, spring is prime egg, asparagus and chive season so get cracking!)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 Eggs cracked individually into ramekins</div><div style="text-align: left;">Distilled Vinegar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/8th pound Pancetta diced</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 pound Asparagus chopped into half inch rounds, but keep the lovely tips longer</div><div style="text-align: left;">3-4 tbsp Chives chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 flat 3x2 inch rectangles of Polenta (left over from the night before and chilled)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Salt and Pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Fill a pot with water and add a splash of vinegar. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a gentle simmer.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvRGJEeQq-raHgc5TzZ74bf_Ze5QMoTiRYmSDrIOk2aNOufN8O8nc4DAJQBZB_tbRXpnga4dS7LlF9GljbQ9PFidanOxSnr9Hs0vtC7DiMq9YRUSIXO0D5NcT0MkOWUbXIWOoYd_1hPY/s1600/Poached-Eggs-w_Asparagus-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvRGJEeQq-raHgc5TzZ74bf_Ze5QMoTiRYmSDrIOk2aNOufN8O8nc4DAJQBZB_tbRXpnga4dS7LlF9GljbQ9PFidanOxSnr9Hs0vtC7DiMq9YRUSIXO0D5NcT0MkOWUbXIWOoYd_1hPY/s320/Poached-Eggs-w_Asparagus-.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">While the water is coming to a boil, place a frying pan over a medium high heat and add the pancetta. Cook for about 5 minutes until the fat is completely rendered. Pour off most of the fat and then add the asparagus. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">While the asparagus is cooking, place a clean frying pan over a medium high heat and add a splash of olive oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the polenta. Fry it on both sides until brown and crispy. (This is tricky for me, so if the crispiness gets lost on the pan, carry on, it will still taste incredible.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">While the polenta is frying, gently pour the eggs on at a time into the gently simmering water. Check them after 3-4 minutes. Once the white is firm, but the yolk is runny, they're ready. I use a slotted spoon to gently scoop them up and test them with my finger by pressing down gently on them.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">To serve, place a piece of polenta on a plate. Top with a poached egg and then the asparagus and pancetta and some chives. Make sure you mop up all that luscious yolk and enjoy!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Groceries: $8-10<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect 4 servings<br />
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This Time Last Year: <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/05/two-faces-of-creme-fraiche.html">Salmon with Creme Fraiche and Chives / Chicken with Creme Fraiche and Chives</a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-51658478703626107152010-05-13T08:47:00.018-04:002010-05-13T15:37:00.154-04:00Easy Dinner: Panko Flounder<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Please subscribe to receive Almost Slowfood via </span></span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">EMAIL</span></span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> or </span></span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">RSS Feed</span></span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Thank you!</span></span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kHdDqpirryZ8RC3_fGSmHMJfDNkjBiKeI2giQkVZn81knpvuUyQxCOZd3cBeheupp59knP8iKq7Pav3Xc8XxAxLQ_YfF5LPhTADXz0zydi88mlJPEIoCGJX-I_APns9qNaO55ugGe6k/s1600/Panko-Flounder-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kHdDqpirryZ8RC3_fGSmHMJfDNkjBiKeI2giQkVZn81knpvuUyQxCOZd3cBeheupp59knP8iKq7Pav3Xc8XxAxLQ_YfF5LPhTADXz0zydi88mlJPEIoCGJX-I_APns9qNaO55ugGe6k/s400/Panko-Flounder-1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I didn't grow up eating fish. My mother had been traumatized by my grandmother's cod cakes which were forced upon her each and every Friday 'cause that's what us Catholics had to do until Vatican 2. My father, on the other hand, loved it and always grilled a swordfish steak when my mother was out. Dad would offer my brother and I a taste, but remembering my mother's severe hatred of it, we'd refuse. Such a shame it took me until I was 14 to finally try it and realize it was pretty good. That first taste lead to deep experimentation with all sorts of fish and the many many ways to cook them. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a name='more'></a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now I'm a fish fanatic. I love it as much as I love meat and chocolate cake and cookies and fresh strawberries and spinach. With climate change and overfishing and fisheries threatening the oceans and rivers, I fear for our scaly friends and hope we can get our acts together to treat them well... and occasionally eat them too.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Baby girl also loves fish. Every Friday, our last stop at the farmer's market is the local wild-caught fish stand. mouthfuls of cheese, an apple in one hand, a carrot in the other, upon reaching the fish stand, baby girl starts to scoot the stroller back and forth and kick her legs and exclaim </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">fishy! fishy!</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I want fishy!</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Sadly, there aren't any free samples at the fish stand. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span> <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of our absolute stand-by favorites, the thing I make in a flash after a long afternoon at the playground, is flounder breaded with panko crumbs. Think traditional fish sticks, but crunchy and fresh and in fish rather that stick form. I don't deep fry, just cook it over a high heat in a bit of olive oil. With a side of buttered noodles and salad, it's the perfect meal to satisfy and it's a great way to introduce your kids to fish. Enjoy!</span><br />
<div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEUS8UI4ItyjXNo88Qg-NI8LibAlyergSCFar4d25oqizd56jmmSOXpgrPwvjyXyhpJyqhB4blUKawNZVnfIfxqGbXYCXub1U3COVXl_GP5QLmQaVB1FHNR-qY0P11fTKcVMuf3Zyo4g/s1600/Panko-Flounder-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEUS8UI4ItyjXNo88Qg-NI8LibAlyergSCFar4d25oqizd56jmmSOXpgrPwvjyXyhpJyqhB4blUKawNZVnfIfxqGbXYCXub1U3COVXl_GP5QLmQaVB1FHNR-qY0P11fTKcVMuf3Zyo4g/s400/Panko-Flounder-.jpg" width="400" /></span></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Panko Flounder</span></span></b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(The great thing about this recipe is there are loads of ways to get creative. Try mixing fresh herbs or spices in with the panko. Or, after the flounder is ready, add a splash of lemon juice, some capers and cold butter to the pan and make a little sauce.)</span></span></i></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What You'll Need:</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 lb Flounder Fillets</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 cups Panko</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1-2 Eggs</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Salt and Pepper</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 Lemon cut into wedges</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Set a frying pan over medium-high heat. </span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Crack the egg into a shallow dish and mix gently with a fork. Spread the panko out on a plate. Submerge the flounder fillets in the egg and then press them into the panko making sure to get it all over the fish. Place the fillets on a plate and add a bit of salt and pepper. </span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To cook, coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and add the fillets salt and pepper side down. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until they're golden brown. Remove the fillets to a plate lined in paper towels and enjoy with a squeeze of lemon!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Groceries: $5</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cost per Meal: Expect 3-4 servings</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This Time Last Year: </span><a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/05/easy-breezy-beautiful.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chicken Sausage with Sauteed Spinach and Farro Noodles</span></a></span><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-26849446168165781372010-05-11T14:20:00.003-04:002010-05-11T14:43:14.827-04:00Tasty Side: Asparagus with Chives and Lemon Zest<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Please subscribe to receive Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicYNAVk1jedbKTkzMl_HGjp_AmnbTuxKYhYv9aQDx9S27gdr3abyPI8fZgfw_QUAe7dE0GZ2fC4MQgURUXDgzhIhTi2ufIolRTbqzreRWvaj4ZCAnV2Fndm98p1SXYWX5jcctGNB5Smw/s1600/Asparagus-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicYNAVk1jedbKTkzMl_HGjp_AmnbTuxKYhYv9aQDx9S27gdr3abyPI8fZgfw_QUAe7dE0GZ2fC4MQgURUXDgzhIhTi2ufIolRTbqzreRWvaj4ZCAnV2Fndm98p1SXYWX5jcctGNB5Smw/s400/Asparagus-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We had a few weeks of summery weather and now the tides have changed. I'm wrapped in a blanket shivering at my computer and sipping hot tea because, understandably, our building turned off the heat in April. So I will do my best to evoke the essence of Spring even though I'm feeling like winter today.<br />
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My apartment may be frigid, but the farmer's market is filling up with produce! I waited and waited and finally asparagus, rhubarb, chives, green garlic all have arrived and strawberries are promised for next week! I've been buying three pounds of asparagus a week since I know it won't last long. I'm experimenting with pizzas, quiches, poached eggs and polenta, but today I want to share with you an incredibly easy way to prepare asparagus that's bright and springy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2b2FEIQ7in-Le7HN4ntxxSRjvt9eCpamnf0ETvKkJUvlIrORmAvmLQLRlN7br6okIjgQ4sjWOHD0exaQOxkbMdl1nCWO_QaaGMslOSt0KnC1GdTj8keh5iqBrL4GJ-c-XGkqcjj7oN_s/s1600/Asparagus-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2b2FEIQ7in-Le7HN4ntxxSRjvt9eCpamnf0ETvKkJUvlIrORmAvmLQLRlN7br6okIjgQ4sjWOHD0exaQOxkbMdl1nCWO_QaaGMslOSt0KnC1GdTj8keh5iqBrL4GJ-c-XGkqcjj7oN_s/s320/Asparagus-3.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Asparagus with Chives and Lemon Zest</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(This is a perfect side dish for any time of day. Leftovers are delicious cold with a little vinaigrette or lemon juice overtop.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 lb Asparagus with the ends snapped off</div><div style="text-align: left;">Zest of 1 Lemon</div><div style="text-align: left;">Juice of 1 Lemon</div><div style="text-align: left;">2-3 Tablespoons Chives</div><div style="text-align: left;">Salt and Pepper to taste</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Set a frying pan over a medium high heat. Add a splash of olive oil. When the oil shimmers, toss in the asparagus. Pour the lemon juice over top and a bit of salt and pepper. Cook, while occasionally moving around the asparagus, until the asparagus is al dente. About 5 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Remove the asparagus from the heat and top with lemon zest and chives. Serve it on a nice platter and savor the fresh taste of Spring.<br />
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</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Groceries: $5<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect 3-4 servings<br />
<br />
This Time Last Year: <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/05/easy-breezy-beautiful.html">Chicken Sausage with Sauteed Spinach and Farro Noodles</a><br />
<br />
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I always thought artichokes were best left to the pros what with their prickly leaves and intimidating choke. However, I was recently at the grocery store and spied a pile of baby artichokes from California and thought I'd better give it a go. While California isn't really local, artichokes are in peak season there and they don't grow well on the East Coast. So, like lemons and oranges, some times you just have to get as close as you can and Cali is it for artichokes.<br />
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My first encounter with artichoke was at <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/16/us/ringmaster-of-power-lunches-duke-zeibert-is-dead-at-86.html?pagewanted=1">Duke Zeibert's</a>. Duke's use to be the place my father wined and dined a number of his clients. Until it closed 17 years ago, it was the place to go in DC. Dad went throughout the week with his people, but on Saturdays he'd take us. As a kid I had no idea it was a scene, but I liked that my younger brother and I each got a little bottle of coke we could pour ourselves and which worked out to a glass and a half of soda, fifty percent more than we were generally allotted. I also loved the mini wine buckets of sour pickles; the onion rolls; the caesar salad prepared for us table-side; the juicy prime rib.<br />
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And I loved watching my older brothers eat steamed artichokes, peeling off the leaves and dunking them in melted butter and acting as though they were the coolest, which is exactly what I thought. I miss Duke's. I miss it for the memory of my family, a snapshot in time of the six of us before we grew up and realized that life is hard. We were thrilled to be together then and these days with spouses and children and careers and distance, it's hard to steal little moments like that so sometimes we just have to allow our memories to be sparked by a pile of artichokes at the grocery store.<br />
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Buying artichokes also brought me back to a favorite Italian salad of mine: Insalata di Carciofi or Artichoke Salad. Artichoke salad looks amazing and it's really very simple, just raw shaved artichokes with lemon dressing and parmesan cheese. I've also eaten a version with avocado mashed into it. Since I happened to have a perfectly ripe avocado on hand, I used it and the result was really wonderful. An added surprise? Baby girl couldn't get enough of it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6AQhhqQe3ivI_oVPk2e-zqDNcoeYC6IXzxcCJnOlgQIx-ahkrjap8PxJaPRKQk0lTb50JfFH2SpYe68Ck98XGfHsHwsrv_Pv8jHH5cmRbSBTP_S4Impks9dLOA-0b6oBswHmJhXn0pk/s1600/Avocado_Asparagus-Salad-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6AQhhqQe3ivI_oVPk2e-zqDNcoeYC6IXzxcCJnOlgQIx-ahkrjap8PxJaPRKQk0lTb50JfFH2SpYe68Ck98XGfHsHwsrv_Pv8jHH5cmRbSBTP_S4Impks9dLOA-0b6oBswHmJhXn0pk/s400/Avocado_Asparagus-Salad-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Artichoke and Avocado Salad</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(While I generally see artichokes sliced using a mandoline, the hubby and I kept mangling the artichoke and nearly killing ourselves so I instead grated the artichoke. Another note, both artichoke and avocado turn brown very quickly so have acidulated water on hand for the artichoke and have the dressing ready before cutting into the avocados.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQ7xuCGZ0SWOWEPZrNtTa0bui1VF6P8T-Ibr9xoA4HfwzYvWKUj_Dv1fR761V2kSdMOqsdbL9MTHJC8NaWCktRZg8A1NknujhIzAdq9xlJoKtoEmBiPYPfsAb7H7QPriAxWp6EnKrbhQ/s1600/Avocado_Asparagus-Salad-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQ7xuCGZ0SWOWEPZrNtTa0bui1VF6P8T-Ibr9xoA4HfwzYvWKUj_Dv1fR761V2kSdMOqsdbL9MTHJC8NaWCktRZg8A1NknujhIzAdq9xlJoKtoEmBiPYPfsAb7H7QPriAxWp6EnKrbhQ/s320/Avocado_Asparagus-Salad-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">1/4 cup fresh squeezed Lemon Juice</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">1/4 cup Olive Oil</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">1 tsp salt</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">1/2 tsp Pepper</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">8 Baby Artichokes with outer leave removed* and floating in acidulated water (water with the juice of half a lemon mixed in)</div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">1 Avocado</div><div style="text-align: left;">8-10 strips of Parmesan Cheese (use a potato peeler to get really thin strips)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In a serving bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper together and set aside. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Using the largest grate on your box grater, grate the artichokes and return them to the acidulated water.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugoiJWD6e0JFpPuf7DWqCMLd-suYMpcBzqLpOEDLSdYup9huYmfYq7627aL-gpIQ4_oi1CQuTBk4gCTwjnkO31ho8gbJ94jAUQy2Os_WTfarKVpVplcXsGv7lmskul9-B5Z26kNuGvkM/s1600/Avocado_Asparagus-Salad-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugoiJWD6e0JFpPuf7DWqCMLd-suYMpcBzqLpOEDLSdYup9huYmfYq7627aL-gpIQ4_oi1CQuTBk4gCTwjnkO31ho8gbJ94jAUQy2Os_WTfarKVpVplcXsGv7lmskul9-B5Z26kNuGvkM/s320/Avocado_Asparagus-Salad-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Place the avocado in the serving bowl and mash it together with the dressing. Strain the shredded artichoke, pressing it down to get all the water out. Add the artichoke to the avocado mixture and mix well. Top with the parmesan strips and serve. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">*Note: Here's a helpful video on how to peel baby artichokes. It's sponsored by an artichoke producer, but I have no relationship with them!! <a href="http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-cook-baby-artichokes-317728/">CLICK HERE</a></div><b><br />
</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Groceries: $5<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect 3-4 servings<br />
<br />
This Time Last Year: <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/04/kitchy-quiche.html">Kitchy Quiche</a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-34986379279868356622010-04-22T14:31:00.002-04:002010-04-22T21:40:27.328-04:00Classic Meals: Pastitsio<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Please subscribe to receive Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBgv_jjZtqr8-XB8lDwo5DjNM1cLhRTEEIVWsC6dXH06jD6fpQ-CAuhsB_74bfgjyjQ9Eh-dol8F75vwdU1hvAyKcVyFtg6UeO63Gk0IxTEWGlM3gFxIQr4jKSm83sq-H1N7tvsJ_Igg/s1600/Pastitsio-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBgv_jjZtqr8-XB8lDwo5DjNM1cLhRTEEIVWsC6dXH06jD6fpQ-CAuhsB_74bfgjyjQ9Eh-dol8F75vwdU1hvAyKcVyFtg6UeO63Gk0IxTEWGlM3gFxIQr4jKSm83sq-H1N7tvsJ_Igg/s400/Pastitsio-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When baby girl was born, I was lonely. None of my local friends were pregnant so while everyone wanted to meet baby girl and play with her occassionally, no one was interested in the nitty gritty of being with a baby all day long... and I was with her all day long. Did I mention that for her first six weeks baby girl screamed her head off day and night unless she was nursing or being walked?<br />
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During that time (middle of winter, mind you) I walked the streets every day from 10am to 6pm, stopping periodically to nurse and get a bite to eat. I peeked in shops, walked through central park and bought lots of coffee until night fell and I returned home. The life of a new mom in the city is like that (I've no idea about the burbs). Unless you're one of those lucky people like my cousin whose friends all gave birth at the same time, chances are your child-free friends won't understand why you're unavailable so often, your husband will be at work all day and even your mother will have things to tend to other than your newborn (that is, if you're lucky enough to have your mom nearby, which I wasn't - tiniest violin in the world, I know).<br />
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Finally, I was so desperate to meet people I decided to go to a new moms' luncheon. I'm not one of those people who make friends easily or who opens up and immediately knows the right thing to say. I'm a writer and my thoughts have always come across best either on the page or when talking to people I know well. My best responses always come hours after the question was asked. But I went and I talked to everyone there like a rabid animal and I exchanged numbers with loads of new mommies who were equally rabid and of those many moms, over the next several months, the numbers dwindled to a few really wonderful women who I adore to this day and whose children baby girl adores.<br />
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One of them is Greek-American and is a fabulous cook. She has family recipes for all my favorite Greek foods like spinach pie (spanakopita), moussaka and, the object of today's post: Pastitsio. If I had several more pages, I'd tell you how I first had Pastitsio as a child with my then best friend whose father was obsessed with all things Greek. He'd take us to Greek festivals and there I would have Pastitsio: a casserole layered with long delicate pasta, a mixture of ground lamb and tomatoes and topped with bechamel sauce. I had no idea what it was called then and sadly, after my then best friend and I lost touch, I had no way to find out until one day when I was chatting with AC, my new mommy friend, and she enlightened me. Then she gave me the recipe and I knew we'd be good friends for a long time.<br />
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This recipe is a combination of my friend's recipe with my own inclinations. I used lamb rather than beef and added allspice, which is a common spice used in Lebanon. I'm an eighth Phoenician so devotion to allspice is inbred. Instead of sprinkling the cheese over the pasta in layers, I mixed it in for a mac n' cheese effect. I also used my favorite yogurt and olive oil bechamel recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Cooking-75th-Anniversary-2006/dp/0743246268?ie=UTF8&tag=almosts-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Joy of Cooking</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=almosts-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0743246268" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. The result is out of this world.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmgSrNXfpLMpVq1XX2OXDmowvoiQY0Ldq-AcLOiqo0rXYoOzrLdge1ZhOYphZ_e_SbnUONIwK-StqBOVIz3FaTbF1jN0bZTnI8kAkC7XckRGZyosmcuZKsSoe7U6HH70hZ7zrnuzb0ps/s1600/Pastitsio-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmgSrNXfpLMpVq1XX2OXDmowvoiQY0Ldq-AcLOiqo0rXYoOzrLdge1ZhOYphZ_e_SbnUONIwK-StqBOVIz3FaTbF1jN0bZTnI8kAkC7XckRGZyosmcuZKsSoe7U6HH70hZ7zrnuzb0ps/s400/Pastitsio-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><br />
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<b>Pastitsio</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The bechamel recipe is adapted form the Yogurt and Olive Oil Bechamel Sauce in </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Cooking-75th-Anniversary-2006/dp/0743246268?ie=UTF8&tag=almosts-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Joy of Cooking</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=almosts-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0743246268" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Don't be put off my the number of ingredients or steps. This will take 45 minutes to an hour to prepare and then an hour in the oven. It can be prepared in advance and will feed at least 10 people. It makes great leftovers or, even better, it's a great casserole for parties and picnics.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>For the Lamb Mixture</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 large Onion chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 lb Ground Lamb</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 32 oz. can of Diced Tomatoes</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup Red Wine</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4-1/2 tsp Allspice</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp Salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">Pepper to taste</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>For the Pasta</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 pound long twisty pasta (I used something called strangoloni)</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 cups Kefolatiri Cheese grated on the largest setting plus more for sprinkling (if you can't find it, use gueyere)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>For the Bechamel</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">3 tbsp Olive Oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 tbsp White Whole Wheat Flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup Milk</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup Yogurt</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup Kefolatiri Cheese grated on the largest setting</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 350. Set a casserole pan out.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Fill a pot with salted water and place over a high heat.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">At the same time, place a pan over a medium high heat. Add a splash of olive oil and when it shimmers, add the onions. Stir and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the lamb and break it up and mix it well with the onion. Once the lamb is cooked through, pour off any grease. Oftentimes I'll put it into a metal strainer. Add the tomatoes, wine, allspice, salt and pepper to the mixture, stir and simmer until the water is evaporated.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uFPwqfSkRqb3w5479OecN8Pgi1DkeI68un__bbe3JfyTLqr5busG__feKxmu_BEUpkTPR9Gc-tSlVfovvvYtU30upsswdyJpwcdo9WJ3EC2SPFHioZHwxR2pTrcdN_fNSHm7aGxc77g/s1600/Pastitsio-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uFPwqfSkRqb3w5479OecN8Pgi1DkeI68un__bbe3JfyTLqr5busG__feKxmu_BEUpkTPR9Gc-tSlVfovvvYtU30upsswdyJpwcdo9WJ3EC2SPFHioZHwxR2pTrcdN_fNSHm7aGxc77g/s320/Pastitsio-.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, once the water has come to a boil, add the pasta and cook until just al dente. You don't want to overcook it as it will later spend time in the oven absorbing the bechamel and lamb juices so just al dente is perfect. When it's done, strain the pasta and return it to the pan. Add the cheese and stir well. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Add half the pasta to the casserole pan and spread it out evenly on the bottom. Pour the meat mixture on top, spread it evenly and then spread the rest of the past on top. Set it aside.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbWdmzRzW8VbHvjNP_PhB6uTl0rzbRMvKIMSWycUxH4jD6ooycbsOI94P5jOl249iIViWYF92_phqkDn_mTVdslvTjZCStqPXrcBaPQxEuL-Y3IHUBl0D-yc9qxqZh4DoW8IZa2z11zA/s1600/Pastitsio-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbWdmzRzW8VbHvjNP_PhB6uTl0rzbRMvKIMSWycUxH4jD6ooycbsOI94P5jOl249iIViWYF92_phqkDn_mTVdslvTjZCStqPXrcBaPQxEuL-Y3IHUBl0D-yc9qxqZh4DoW8IZa2z11zA/s320/Pastitsio-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">To make the bechamel, add the olive oil and flour to a pot. Put it over a medium high heat and whisk it constantly until it starts to froth. Add the milk and yogurt and bring to a boil. Whisk it constantly until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until it's incorporated. Remove from the heat. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Gently pour the bechamel sauce over the casserole. Sprinkle cheese on top and pop in the oven for an hour until the top is brown and crusty. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iViVLcfvoNmDECZe0Wpod7u24yNCub2xgdIX-hzzgAodwyKoConAGYM-RVv8Er_GRsGA7rMsSZRfWE7XmXmVRmH7KVPAhgMFirUDkjY0YPe7SnffM7JrVQxloYLMrndJjk1ma6hgCpM/s1600/Pastitsio-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iViVLcfvoNmDECZe0Wpod7u24yNCub2xgdIX-hzzgAodwyKoConAGYM-RVv8Er_GRsGA7rMsSZRfWE7XmXmVRmH7KVPAhgMFirUDkjY0YPe7SnffM7JrVQxloYLMrndJjk1ma6hgCpM/s320/Pastitsio-2.jpg" /></a></div><b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Groceries: $18<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect 10-12 servings<br />
<br />
This Time Last Year: <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/04/simply-sausage.html">Simply Sausage</a><br />
<br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-68094312746441325922010-04-20T14:25:00.000-04:002010-04-20T14:25:44.348-04:00Easy Dinner: Gnocchi with Creme Fraiche and Lemon Zest<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Please subscribe to receive Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmMObzOhlHl46MzT5jFfI4raXrrZ_mFYitNYa0iBWSbfvZR0LFedE4p6DvpQXH68zNBtXwZFwCLLURPriKxbpNwMSgQWk2K5Y0hM9RMi6Z7l_2zAJ8wFYHjh84AhzlOJzGJCBNbILrpo/s1600/Gnocchi-w_Pea-Shoots-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmMObzOhlHl46MzT5jFfI4raXrrZ_mFYitNYa0iBWSbfvZR0LFedE4p6DvpQXH68zNBtXwZFwCLLURPriKxbpNwMSgQWk2K5Y0hM9RMi6Z7l_2zAJ8wFYHjh84AhzlOJzGJCBNbILrpo/s200/Gnocchi-w_Pea-Shoots-1.jpg" width="200" /></a>Wondering what to cook tonight? So was I the other day when I decided to take everything out of my fridge and see what's what. Turns out, I had the fixin's for a delicious meal. On friday, I'd bought fish for dinner, but then the hubby called up and said he had to work late. I hate putting a lot of effort into dinner for me and baby girl largely because she doesn't eat with the incredible gusto she use to. She's still good, but much of the time, she'll eat a few bites and then start desperately crying out, I wanna get down!<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Even better is when baby girl takes a bite and then shakes her head and says, I dun like it! She use to eat anything I put in front of her. It was wonderful, but now that she can talk and express her likes and dislikes, that's what she does... all the time. However, I have to admit that she's an incredible eater and I'm proud that her favorite foods are fish and olives and apples and, yeah, if I'm honest with myself, ice cream, chocolate and cake.<br />
<br />
That day, when I pulled everything out of my fridge, I had just been to the market and along with the fish, I'd scored some ricotta gnocchi, pecorino cheese, creme fraiche and pea shoots. Baby girl and I were exhausted after nearly three hours at the playground and I just wanted something easy and tasty. So, I boiled the gnocchi and when it was done, I mixed it up with some creme fraiche and pea shoots and lemon zest and topped it with pecorino. I was blown away by how tasty it was. All told, dinner took twenty minutes to make.<br />
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The thing about seasonal ingredients at their peak is that you don't have to do much to make some phenomenal meals. Even Alice Waters, queen of the locavore movement, said in her 60 Minutes interview that initially she was after flavor. That's what drew her to the farmers and that's what helped shape her philosophy. The more I cook with great ingredients, the more I learn and the better my instincts become. Three years ago, I wouldn't have created this dish. I would have looked at the gnocchi and boiled it with butter bypassing the pea shoots and creme fraiche for fear of messing it all up. Now, I look and get inspired and I try new things and more and more often I'm hitting a bull's eye.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Ricotta Gnocchi with Creme Fraiche, Lemon Zest and Pea Shoots</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Not only is this the fastest dinner I've made in some time, it was a hit with baby girl. Serve with a side salad and you're golden.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i></i>What You'll Need: </div>3-4 cups Ricotta Gnocchi<br />
3 tbsp Creme Fraiche<br />
Zest of one Lemon<br />
3 Handfuls Pea Shoots<br />
Salt and Pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Place a pot of salted water over a high heat and bring to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until they're floating. About 3-4 minutes. Strain the gnocchi and return to the pot. Turn the heat down to low and return the pot to the burner. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir for a few minute until the pea shoots are just wilted. Serve in bowls or family style on a platter and enjoy!!<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Groceries: It's really dependent on the cost of the gnocchi, but our groceries came to $8<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: 4 meals for 4 adults;)<br />
<br />
This Time Last Year: <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/04/simply-sausage.html">Simply Sausage</a><br />
<br />
<div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2144817199503273502&postID=4173149137921546036" id="data:post.url" name="data:post.title" onclick="return addthis_sendto()" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onmouseover="'return"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" style="border: 0pt none;" width="125" /></a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-90476934351960212782010-04-15T14:43:00.000-04:002010-04-15T14:43:56.412-04:00Snack Time: Labne with Za'atar and Olive Oil<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Please subscribe to receive Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kqrKJ-4mgF7ZLy_PJeBoqQyQIPERLv8pYjxeOdClamHGdzuuepjTcW9uhNHGunD4jgnjOVldlmGYAjkjtxs8vDZ8e_iktSWfZP27xh5qjjtNwKHC6Z3b3QOIBKHjMdRVLrhZxhqEktY/s1600/Labne-w_Zaatar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kqrKJ-4mgF7ZLy_PJeBoqQyQIPERLv8pYjxeOdClamHGdzuuepjTcW9uhNHGunD4jgnjOVldlmGYAjkjtxs8vDZ8e_iktSWfZP27xh5qjjtNwKHC6Z3b3QOIBKHjMdRVLrhZxhqEktY/s200/Labne-w_Zaatar.jpg" width="200" /></a>Hmm, this post is what my mother would call a cheatsie. As a child before TV, she and her sister spent hours playing card games. Double Solitaire was a favorite and, from time to time, when the cards weren't agreeing, my mother and aunt allowed one, two or even three cheatsies - depending on the day - where they could peer at hidden cards or reshuffle those in their hands. While I'm an admitted TV addict, I love getting away with my family where we play cards together constantly and laugh and get mad and tease and allow little cheatsies from time to time.<br />
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Well, today's recipe is a cheatsie because it's really more of a suggestion than anything else. I'm a snacker, someone who eats throughout the day and, if I don't have something healthy and alluring on hand, then I'll go for chocolate or cookies or cake for sure. My most recent filling and delicious snack is labne topped with za'atar spice and olive oil. Labne is a cultured Lebanese yogurt. It's very thick and tangy. Za'atar is a Lebanese spice consisting of hyssop, sesame seeds and a few other things. It sort of tastes like thyme. I discovered this particular combo at a humuus shop and am completely obsessed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomRmdonQyiH2dJtFgDE33aTti8Gu2U66N8QqsUywdpctc7ibWozht8jg6IVPeoKYn9ERZvC_kws2lFbPCTJ-PmAVxTAA90sF5GPhxxNcd3pGqGiBYDzYktMm9fWvzSslDb2v_hHT4Tw4/s1600/Labne-w_Zaatar-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomRmdonQyiH2dJtFgDE33aTti8Gu2U66N8QqsUywdpctc7ibWozht8jg6IVPeoKYn9ERZvC_kws2lFbPCTJ-PmAVxTAA90sF5GPhxxNcd3pGqGiBYDzYktMm9fWvzSslDb2v_hHT4Tw4/s400/Labne-w_Zaatar-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Labne with Za'tar and Olive Oil</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Again, this doesn't really warrant a recipe, but it's a great idea and one that could be altered in some many different ways: lemon juice and carrot sticks instead of olive oil and pita bread is one idea.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp Labne or thick Greek yogurt</div><div style="text-align: left;">1-2tsp Za'atar Spice</div><div style="text-align: left;">1-2 tsp Olive Oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 piece of pita bread, warm</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the labne to a bowl and top with the olive oil and za'atar and enjoy with the pita. That's it!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Groceries: $1<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: 1 snacky<br />
<br />
This Time Last Year: <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/04/farmers-fish.html">Risotto Milanese with Scallops and Balsamic Reduction</a><br />
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<div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2144817199503273502&postID=4173149137921546036" id="data:post.url" name="data:post.title" onclick="return addthis_sendto()" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onmouseover="'return"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" style="border: 0pt none;" width="125" /></a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-82797682604647196282010-04-13T14:13:00.005-04:002010-04-20T13:33:32.817-04:00Easy Dinner: Flounder with Pea Shoots and Olives<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Please subscribe to receive Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qOcMsRLPqt0zP_5D_PeV6DY1LZNTRSoljY7IpaMCSKEZErUAtFSYrpW6YjghI-QxUA4kzkkWmKR3NBScfif3hodSCaDCU_lBU_563WSyh_JUxDWTWkxqXP_2IJCSaenvAAC9Otwy3Qw/s1600/Flounder-w_Pea-Shoots-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qOcMsRLPqt0zP_5D_PeV6DY1LZNTRSoljY7IpaMCSKEZErUAtFSYrpW6YjghI-QxUA4kzkkWmKR3NBScfif3hodSCaDCU_lBU_563WSyh_JUxDWTWkxqXP_2IJCSaenvAAC9Otwy3Qw/s200/Flounder-w_Pea-Shoots-1.jpg" width="200" /></a>While spring has officially sprung, I haven't seen any evidence of it at the Farmer's Market. No asparagus or rhubarb or strawberries. It's murder walking through on a warm sunny day only to see the same old root veggies of winter.<br />
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Last Friday I was thoroughly devoid of hope, expecting to get more carrots and salad greens and cheese and apples and fish. Yes, I know even in winter it isn't a bad haul. Baby girl and our friends S and her baby boy accompanied me and before we reached the first stand, the kids screamed, I want apple!! I want cheese!! We stopped to get them each a whole apple as wholes are a very big thing these days. Anything split apart without permission first is a terrible offense.<br />
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S and I chatted as we strolled and shopped and everything seemed exactly as it has been for the last few months... that is until I stopped at a salad greens stand and noticed one of the coolers was loaded with pea shoots!! Finally, a spring veggie. Pea shoots are the vines that pea pods grow from and they taste just like peas only their texture is more salad-like. I love them raw in salads or mixed into any number of dishes. Think, saute fish or chicken and then throw pea shoots in afterwards and cook just until wilted. For dinner that night, I wilted them in the sauce of some lovely market flounder that had been sautéed in garlic, butter and lemon juice. Pea shoots are fun to eat, easy to cook and they only last a short time. So get out there and enjoy the first signs of spring!<br />
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PS - I'm nominated on Babble as a top food blogger. Just click the 'Like' button next to my name to vote. Thank You!! <a href="http://www.babble.com/babble-best/top-50-mommy-food-blogs/nominate-a-food-blog/">Click Here to Vote!</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyXnakAVuFJAtAyLCGXS-ocq7v2oCrRmJXKpYKwkMJV9dauxuL3S-T16A75G67HrcXN6KSqrkrhzWw0ICRQIPdDp-yU53aDXsdeNPn0ps3UWIREILkFkVZMneHK_8YBwm0MFI906zseM/s1600/Flounder-w_Pea-Shoots-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyXnakAVuFJAtAyLCGXS-ocq7v2oCrRmJXKpYKwkMJV9dauxuL3S-T16A75G67HrcXN6KSqrkrhzWw0ICRQIPdDp-yU53aDXsdeNPn0ps3UWIREILkFkVZMneHK_8YBwm0MFI906zseM/s400/Flounder-w_Pea-Shoots-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Flounder with Olives and Pea Shoots</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(This dish is a show-stopper when plated on a platter family style with the flounder laid out and the pea shoots mounded in the middle. While it's simple enough for a weeknight dinner, it's pretty - and tasty - enough for entertaining.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 cloves Garlic minced</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp Butter</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 pound Flounder fillets (or any other mild white fish. I'm making this again tonight with cod.)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 Lemon cut in half</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2-1 cup olives pitted and sliced in half (I used a Mediterranean mix)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Salt and Pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;">A large handful of Pea Shoots about 2 cups</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Set a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the butter and garlic and cook until the garlic is softened. Be careful not to brown the garlic. Place the flounder in the pan and then squeeze half the lemon overtop. If you'd like it even more lemony, squeeze the other half. Cook for about 3 minutes, salt and pepper the flounder and then flip them over. Scatter the olives over top. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. Remove the flounder to a platter. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Add the pea shoots to the pan and saute for 2-3 minutes until just slightly wilted. Removed the pea shoots and placed atop the fish. Then pour out the olives and any juices from the pan over the fish. Serve and enjoy!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span></div>Groceries: $15<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect 4-5 servings<br />
<br />
This Time Last Year: <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/04/farmers-fish.html">Risotto Milanese with Scallops and Balsamic Reduction</a><br />
<br />
<div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2144817199503273502&postID=4173149137921546036" id="data:post.url" name="data:post.title" onclick="return addthis_sendto()" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onmouseover="'return"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" style="border: 0pt none;" width="125" /></a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-49250216557158792092010-04-08T16:45:00.002-04:002010-04-13T13:32:03.110-04:00Tasty Treat: Raspberry Shortbread Bars<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">If you haven't yet had a chance, please subscribe to Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYS21zMKEhPiylJrvEghLBnytE3DpWksox5cViyTPhMHXyV9i_PnJhNkTrz1Jm_ZmJRx7DbJhyJsosIuP51vMW8qelqeteq42Ua2z_mMSseGlagUdrbDXoaHKqnT6Pk3S7mXNfMQnllTU/s1600/Raspberry-Shortbread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYS21zMKEhPiylJrvEghLBnytE3DpWksox5cViyTPhMHXyV9i_PnJhNkTrz1Jm_ZmJRx7DbJhyJsosIuP51vMW8qelqeteq42Ua2z_mMSseGlagUdrbDXoaHKqnT6Pk3S7mXNfMQnllTU/s200/Raspberry-Shortbread.jpg" width="200" /></a>Five years ago, I was an unhappy cog in the machine that is Citigroup. Five years ago, I decided to stop being a cog and be happy and do things that make me happy and hopefully make me money. Five years ago I discovered <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Food-Wine/dp/B00005NINY?ie=UTF8&tag=almosts-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Food & Wine</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=almosts-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00005NINY" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> magazine and, in the very first issue I bought, I discovered Raspberry Shortbread Bars. They are exactly what they sound like: a chewy, sweet and delicate cookie with a layer of raspberry jam in the middle.<br />
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When I first saw this recipe, I was intimidated and wondered how could I possibly make something that looks that good!! I read the recipe over and over again on the way to work and decided to seize the moment and move beyond my chocolate chip cookies repertoire. The results? I realized that the recipe is actually pretty simple since there is no rolling out of dough. I also realized that cooking makes me very happy. The first batch turned out so well, I made another and brought them into work and then to friends as I saw them throughout the week.<br />
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They were such a hit with one friend in particular that, years later while suffering from gestational diabetes, she asked if I would bring a fresh batch of Raspberry Shortbread Bars to the hospital after she gave birth. She wanted her first sugary treat to be these bars. Have I sold you yet? If you're in a baking rut and are looking for a recipe to brighten your day without driving you nuts, I highly recommend these. Enjoy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4kwVliSoy9ituZafOunOE9BKjE0I-Fo8c8d17h6Li65RtuPshIQg6VtVqF11AwAordtIoLVFLJ0VBf1brjsDsprHP1g06ZbLsZNqaJF2VDargzq4EXnmOO3v3TuH6_7MpQTnFCYgFIo/s1600/Raspberry-Shortbread-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4kwVliSoy9ituZafOunOE9BKjE0I-Fo8c8d17h6Li65RtuPshIQg6VtVqF11AwAordtIoLVFLJ0VBf1brjsDsprHP1g06ZbLsZNqaJF2VDargzq4EXnmOO3v3TuH6_7MpQTnFCYgFIo/s400/Raspberry-Shortbread-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Raspberry Shortbread Bars</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Barely adapted after all these years from </span><a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/raspberry-shortbread-bars"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Food & Wine magazine</span></a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Instead of rolling out the dough, use a large box grater. It's much easier and it adds a wonderful lightness to the bars.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp Baking Powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 tsp salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 sticks Butter at room temperature<br />
1 cup Sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 large Egg Yolks</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp Vanilla Extract</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup Raspberry Jam (the best you have)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium high until it's light and fluffy. Turn down the speed to low medium and beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the sides. Turn down the speed to low and slowly add the flour. Once it's incorporated, turn out the dough and split it in two. Wrap up each piece in saran wrap and form into a ball. Refrigerate for a couple hours until hard.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 350 when you're ready to bake.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In a square brownie tin, fold in a large piece of parchment. No need to measure and cut it. You should be able to press the parchment down and then fold it at the corners so it fits. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">With a large grater, grate one of the dough balls evenly over the brownie pan. gently spread the dough out to the corners. Then dollop the jam evenly on top of the dough and spread it out with an icing spatula. Grate the other dough ball evenly overtop the jam. Pop in the oven and cook until it's golden brown. Around 30-40 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span></div>Groceries: $8<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect 25 bars.<br />
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<div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2144817199503273502&postID=4173149137921546036" id="data:post.url" name="data:post.title" onclick="return addthis_sendto()" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onmouseover="'return"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" style="border: 0pt none;" width="125" /></a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-14432187606089134042010-04-06T14:28:00.000-04:002010-04-06T14:28:59.364-04:00Sunday Dinner: Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">If you haven't yet had a chance, please subscribe to Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-mUaHiQHhXlB4de9_8XF_J1q7I-Eoo_OLTJdCmHPV4gy7IWEsP70L5exgI8sd1yYmk1WOToe_YwZTnCGOqZNkjbkkufDvdN8R2DvDVAV3RZXXD7sJ_ZDoRr8KAlWO7BB3jPnNo1DB4U/s1600/Leg-of-Lamb-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7-mUaHiQHhXlB4de9_8XF_J1q7I-Eoo_OLTJdCmHPV4gy7IWEsP70L5exgI8sd1yYmk1WOToe_YwZTnCGOqZNkjbkkufDvdN8R2DvDVAV3RZXXD7sJ_ZDoRr8KAlWO7BB3jPnNo1DB4U/s200/Leg-of-Lamb-4.jpg" width="200" /></a>My husband's biggest fear when baby girl was baptized Catholic (he's Jewish by birth and atheist in practice) was that she would be talking all the time about Jesus and how much she loved him. I laughed hysterically at his fears since I don't remember being completely obsessed with Jesus as a child and I was basically raised by nuns and priests. Not only is my mother very religious, but she put me through Catholic school all the way through college. Seriously, I was a convent school girl. Well, funnily enough, baby girl on her recent trips to church has begun creating songs about baby Jesus and how he's coming and how she loves him so much. I have no idea where these songs came from since Catholic church is more about singing of being blind and sinning.<br />
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On Easter Sunday, the hubby got to experience her solos first hand when he accompanied us to church and watched as she clapped her hands and sang and danced all through the parts of mass when you're supposed to be quiet. Little girl loves to entertain. Luckily, the hubby seemed more amused than horrified. He's a very good sport and I'm lucky to have a husband who supports me in my beliefs even when they aren't his own. My father (an Episcopalian turned atheist turned deist - aye yai yai!) did that for my mother and I think that play between religious devotion and understanding everyone is free to hold different beliefs was a beautiful way to grow up.<br />
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OK, that's the closest I'll ever get to preaching about politics and religion and freedom. This is a food blog for goodness's sake!! What I really want to tell you is that after church, we went on an easter egg hunt and then to brunch with some wonderful friends. And then after that, while baby girl was sleeping, I made the most delectable Easter dinner. My father use to make leg of lamb with garlic inserted in slits all over. He'd grill it and serve it with Laban, a Lebanese yogurt sauce. Well, I decided to do something similar: I bought a huge butterflied leg of lamb and inserted garlic. Then I doused it with lemon, salt and pepper and wrapped it up with rosemary in the middle. I roasted some potatoes with it (also doused in lemon juice and rosemary and garlic) and served it with a beautiful green salad. Easiest holiday meal I've ever made and quite possibly the tastiest. Enjoy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxD8iAx46WlLb2l8wgxqbeutbo24moteyXmq3PJtEJ6l9dWKlu-Vmhlitru6HDbIoc75x2teDSH11LvWg8lFvYaZABC8VeIui_rRJpK3DH2A06JNOuxJuGypXKK_m9oWvRiFBFsssLCy0/s1600/Leg-of-Lamb-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxD8iAx46WlLb2l8wgxqbeutbo24moteyXmq3PJtEJ6l9dWKlu-Vmhlitru6HDbIoc75x2teDSH11LvWg8lFvYaZABC8VeIui_rRJpK3DH2A06JNOuxJuGypXKK_m9oWvRiFBFsssLCy0/s400/Leg-of-Lamb-2.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(This is a perfect meal for entertaining since it's so easy and delicious. It's a show stopper. I'm terrible at tying up chicken and roasts so just do your best. It will still look pretty.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 3-4 pound Boneless Leg of Lamb butterflied</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 head of Garlic cloves separated and cut into thick slices</div><div style="text-align: left;">2/3 cup Lemon Juice fresh squeezed</div><div style="text-align: left;">5 good sized sprigs of Rosemary</div><div style="text-align: left;">Salt and Pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;">Cooking string</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">2-3 pounds Baby Potatoes such as fingerling sliced down the middle</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 350.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Place the lamb in a roasting pan and open it up so the the cavity is facing up. Tuck in the garlic into any little coves and nooks. Then stab the lamb gently making slits and slipping in pieces of garlic all over. Use about a third of the garlic. Lay 3 sprigs of rosemary in the middle along the length of the lamb and pour about a third of a cup of lemon juice over it. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Then tie the lamb up as best you can with string, gathering it up and either rolling it or pressing it snuggly together and securing it with string. (I know, I definitely need to learn how to do it properly so I can share the wealth.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-P0OQDszwmNvU3acJpVpZrE7QOCWlLizavtau8vAsRmqYZKtv6qLT63aJwnLKaTd_FSGEQ23dH-__ojn2DkkwXI15RT4QFZrhUZbDvFwXhIWd94X-KpuWy0E9wiynGvhLDwEM63v1Sg/s1600/Leg-of-Lamb-FG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-P0OQDszwmNvU3acJpVpZrE7QOCWlLizavtau8vAsRmqYZKtv6qLT63aJwnLKaTd_FSGEQ23dH-__ojn2DkkwXI15RT4QFZrhUZbDvFwXhIWd94X-KpuWy0E9wiynGvhLDwEM63v1Sg/s200/Leg-of-Lamb-FG.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zG3Vg-1lmHRuV7McXXhaHQf2Awrx0ZFf_dy4HCsok6-VYZVu3xu2fg2I8dJK3DshuylzPj-SEHhTmLp5aymm_RBqmtdtsQlik8qVhT6LlqT2aSGmMOIS4995Dj4GI4WbHX9enaMulRs/s1600/Leg-of-Lamb-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zG3Vg-1lmHRuV7McXXhaHQf2Awrx0ZFf_dy4HCsok6-VYZVu3xu2fg2I8dJK3DshuylzPj-SEHhTmLp5aymm_RBqmtdtsQlik8qVhT6LlqT2aSGmMOIS4995Dj4GI4WbHX9enaMulRs/s320/Leg-of-Lamb-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Now that the lamb's tied up, make slits all along the outside and slip in another third of the garlic all over. Scatter the potatoes and remaining garlic in the pan alongside the lamb. Add the remaining rosemary sprigs and lemon juice. Salt and pepper the potatoes and the roast generously and pop in the oven. Cook until a thermometer reads 140, about 1.5-2 hours. Every so often stir the potatoes. Remove the lamb and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Turn up the oven heat to 375 and cook the potatoes until they are soft and browning on the outside. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">To serve, remove the string from the lamb and cut into half inch thick slices. Place on a platter alongside the potatoes and enjoy with a salad or even some minted peas. Yum!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Approximate Cost:</span></div>Groceries: $50<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: From a 4 pound roast, you can expect 8-10 servings. This is a pricey meal best save for a special occasion.<br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-5921283355952921802010-04-01T13:05:00.001-04:002010-04-01T13:15:49.144-04:00Happy Birthday Almost Slowfood!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUErSPmF7mRr_QBewM207r3sL95DXM75tTm9P3_E8bbUsbT8zih8hMd5XAjd37Y4Iz0rIp7_zocM_ZiGpSdccHGGXvvK90YCIGXTEWCsktnPdXKkJejo0Eju_L84bb-T3jMgX63Qb9H4/s1600/Chives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUErSPmF7mRr_QBewM207r3sL95DXM75tTm9P3_E8bbUsbT8zih8hMd5XAjd37Y4Iz0rIp7_zocM_ZiGpSdccHGGXvvK90YCIGXTEWCsktnPdXKkJejo0Eju_L84bb-T3jMgX63Qb9H4/s320/Chives.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>On this day 32 years ago, I was born. And then last year, on this same day, I mustered up enough courage to finally start a blog. Over the last year, I've shared stories, recipes and my ideas on local food and how easy and affordable it can be to eat well while supporting the environment. While I've tried not to preach, I hope you've found some recipes and some fun along the way.<br />
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I thank you all for reading, trying out recipes and telling your own stories. I'm excited for another year of cooking and eating well and sharing it all with you!<br />
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xx,<br />
Peggy<br />
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PS - if there's anything you'd like me to try or if you have any suggestions on how to make this blog better, I'd love to hear them!Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-6146322507760670062010-03-30T13:31:00.003-04:002010-03-30T22:19:53.616-04:00Tasty Treat: Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">If you haven't yet had a chance, please subscribe to Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="color: #8c39ac; text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxhN_JQ6n4t4m0YqOhrEprpLAWqEnzROhIu34xGVEUKZ-kL30U6ch-lKf8zqKrSdlHeqa8196XJ_QVSuI3HTsCBi4lHWrpIKJSFGzE1cypBN69Hrb9DuWW4T9JnLEkKzjcHN1w45f2QM/s1600/Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxhN_JQ6n4t4m0YqOhrEprpLAWqEnzROhIu34xGVEUKZ-kL30U6ch-lKf8zqKrSdlHeqa8196XJ_QVSuI3HTsCBi4lHWrpIKJSFGzE1cypBN69Hrb9DuWW4T9JnLEkKzjcHN1w45f2QM/s200/Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Einstein's theory of relativity changed the course of science; so too will my Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies change the course of, well, my baking at least. It's been years and years of off again on again experimentation and finally, finally, finally I've discovered the most amazing chocolate chip cookies. Crispy, chewy edges with soft chewy innards, my dream cookie, are now a reality.<br />
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I'm one of those people who's tried every single chocolate chip cookie recipe: The Neiman Marcus Cookies, the New York Times Cookies, Willie Mae's cookies. I've ripped recipes out of newspapers and magazines and copied them from books. However, what changed things for me was finally realizing that brown sugar makes things softer - that's what Dorie Greenspan said. So, rather than add equal parts white and brown sugar, I shook things up and bet in favor of brown, dark brown muscovado sugar to be exact. The only problem was, while the cookies were chewy, they were also pancake-flat.<br />
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To unflatten them, I remembered back to a time long before the great brown sugar discovery. Two years ago, my niece and I made cookies together at my grandmother's beach house. While we got the eggs from a farmer's market, they might have been from a farm on 3 Mile Island because every single egg had a double yoke. Seriously, it was weird. While we used two eggs like the recipe called for, there were four yolks. I expected a disaster, but those cookies were soft and perfectly shaped: thin, but not flat.<br />
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So last Sunday, before I realized that baby girl was running a 104.5 fever, I whipped up these cookies. Straight from the bowl into the oven they were pretty tasty. Almost there. But, because baby girl required lots of mommy cuddles, the extra cookie dough went into the fridge overnight. There, my friends, is how baby girl's fever helped me make the best ever Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies: chewy, soft, chocolatey, sugary and worthy of a milk-dunk.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2LbqElujSIbb_CTpH251PQzHimpK3lf0BXJ05S9Y8M6rDmQqRy0H8TM8TksTlkDvlHEUjH2kF_xgSCZedcsyMv5nNW2uVqOyYp-wDWmmImpBfM6JLJnc4bDHNC9hELtoSDjPmE66rD4/s1600/Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2LbqElujSIbb_CTpH251PQzHimpK3lf0BXJ05S9Y8M6rDmQqRy0H8TM8TksTlkDvlHEUjH2kF_xgSCZedcsyMv5nNW2uVqOyYp-wDWmmImpBfM6JLJnc4bDHNC9hELtoSDjPmE66rD4/s400/Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Like my good friend, Martha Stewart, I use an ice cream scooper to get uniform cookies. It works really well and allows me to know exactly how long to bake them: for my ice cream scoop size, 14 minutes is perfection.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp Baking Soda</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp Salt plus a pinch to grow on</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup Sweet Butter at room temperature</div><div style="text-align: left;">2/3 cup White Sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 1/3 cup Muscovado Sugar (or dark brown sugar)</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp Vanilla Extract</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 cups Guittard Extra-Semisweet Chocolate Chips<br />
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Add the dry ingredients to a bowl, whisk them together and set aside.<br />
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In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend the sugars and butter together on medium-high until light and fluffy. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides. Set the mixer on medium and add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla. Scrape down the sides and turn down the mixer to low. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Turn off the mixer and incorporate the chocolate chips by hand. Place the dough in the fridge and chill for a couple hours or overnight. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">When you're ready to cook them, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and then scoop out equal size balls of dough and place on your cookie sheet. Mine were perfect after 14 minutes in the oven, but it really depends on how big your cookies are. You want them to be brown around the edges and soft in the middle, not raw. Cool them on a rack and enjoy!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-b2W-XnxXPJ7JIyUz66y2YPnzrdsvn-j3H8v2Xq1HpTYXUXH1O5o8SDyBswuffkM_oNfsqjjrukimdNYjkM6IVwTLDlK6AP1regLYMDMjzaK3K3ooZT8nIGNdwCPsnFqKORNsRuPOlQ/s1600/Chocolate-Chip-Cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-b2W-XnxXPJ7JIyUz66y2YPnzrdsvn-j3H8v2Xq1HpTYXUXH1O5o8SDyBswuffkM_oNfsqjjrukimdNYjkM6IVwTLDlK6AP1regLYMDMjzaK3K3ooZT8nIGNdwCPsnFqKORNsRuPOlQ/s320/Chocolate-Chip-Cookies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><br />
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<b>Approximate Cost:</b></div>Groceries: $7<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: I think you'll get 3-4 dozen cookies out of this<br />
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<div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2144817199503273502&postID=4173149137921546036" id="data:post.url" name="data:post.title" onclick="return addthis_sendto()" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onmouseover="'return"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" style="border: 0pt none;" width="125" /></a><br />
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<a name='more'></a>Imagine my surprise last week when I found out part of her secret is using cans of already-baked beans in her baked beans!! That plus some molasses and Karo syrup. So, I guess she's the precursor to Sandra Lee's Semi-homemade.<br />
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As much as I love my grandmother's baked beans, I had to figure out how to make some beans without using canned beans. Two weeks ago, I briefly mentioned my first attempt in my <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2010/03/easy-dinner-red-wine-spaghetti.html">Red Wine Spaghetti post</a>. It was beyond disastrous. I used pinto beans and put in enough molasses to kill even more people than the <a href="http://edp.org/molasses.htm">Great Molasses Flood of 1919</a> did (No, I'm not kidding. There really was a molasses disaster!). Baby girl started crying the next day when her unsuspecting nanny put a bowl in front of her. I had failed miserably.<br />
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But then, after chatting with my grandmother, I had a better idea of how to go about it. I used less molasses, a dab of Karo syrup, dried mustard and a can of diced tomatoes. While the accessories aren't local, the beans are, hailing from <a href="http://www.cporganics.com/live/">Cayuga Pure Organics</a> up in Ithaca, New York. I switched to navy beans which are closer to the small white beans old Boston Baked Bean recipes call for. I cooked them for about 6 hours and they were really tasty. Another bonus? They don't make baby girl cry!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaf8fUgJTTK17IOfxJsXfnIcR_6w-UVOMv_M6i1EoXRy_N0l1ui5NHEk4YLM_VUKX5VIv_5qwx5ZQCcve16PnUpuq5uqBQzuVB_U8hTN69RDUj-SSg8MNV0QGzMerE6gcBFi7SFT0lsQA/s1600/Boston-Baked-Beans-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaf8fUgJTTK17IOfxJsXfnIcR_6w-UVOMv_M6i1EoXRy_N0l1ui5NHEk4YLM_VUKX5VIv_5qwx5ZQCcve16PnUpuq5uqBQzuVB_U8hTN69RDUj-SSg8MNV0QGzMerE6gcBFi7SFT0lsQA/s320/Boston-Baked-Beans-1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Boston Baked Beans... my way</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(These are great as a side in the summer for cold dishes like ham or for, ahem, <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2010/03/classic-meals-esthers-fried-chicken.html">Esther's Fried Chicken</a>. Since Sunday, I've been eating them every night with a salad and a buttered roll. Make sure to use that roll wisely and sop up the sauce.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 pound dried Navy Beans (soaked overnight in plenty of water)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 large Onion chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">7 oz bacon cut into bite sized chunks (if you can find a big piece of bacon, I find that tastes even better than pre-sliced)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup Molasses</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon plus 2 tsp Karo Syrup</div><div style="text-align: left;">1-2 tbsp dried Mustard (like Coleman's)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 32 oz can of diced tomatoes<br />
6 cups Water<br />
1 tsp Salt</div>1 tbsp Molasses (for later)<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350.<br />
<br />
Place a stockpot or dutch oven over a medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper toweled plate. Pour off all but about a teaspoon of bacon fat. Add the onions and cook until softened.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aGNN7F_3BJDprwtvAStYYjGMxVninL8x13hpxwuoG2v11bH3CsGaTBlWt2fRVrEzW5IVlVv2_lwIdmEhtKQCAuEZbKWqRh8GSPu2-ymsapHo4UqS1bBEKmdFZPnPvu2nkCSRwHh8mfM/s1600/Bacon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aGNN7F_3BJDprwtvAStYYjGMxVninL8x13hpxwuoG2v11bH3CsGaTBlWt2fRVrEzW5IVlVv2_lwIdmEhtKQCAuEZbKWqRh8GSPu2-ymsapHo4UqS1bBEKmdFZPnPvu2nkCSRwHh8mfM/s320/Bacon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
In a small bowl, mix the molasses with the mustard powder and Karo syrup and set aside.<br />
<br />
Once the onions are softened, return the bacon to the pot and add the beans, tomatoes, molasses mixture, water and salt. Stir well, bring to a boil, cover and pop into the oven.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-i-M2fnUX8i7iH7ne6gDzq41RPkNxv2rUl8N8SV-tCQgaEfW1O04yPOBq2i3PJH7Eh0XmySTbXGDVVN1dhsEYACRjfqQgV0gA07sowUe-GcUfIkOLxjW6ES892vUTcTpZt7a5QtPQIY8/s1600/Boston-Baked-Beans-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-i-M2fnUX8i7iH7ne6gDzq41RPkNxv2rUl8N8SV-tCQgaEfW1O04yPOBq2i3PJH7Eh0XmySTbXGDVVN1dhsEYACRjfqQgV0gA07sowUe-GcUfIkOLxjW6ES892vUTcTpZt7a5QtPQIY8/s320/Boston-Baked-Beans-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
After 4 hours, add the extra tablespoon of molasses and stir. Cover and put back in the oven. After another hour, uncover the beans and cook until the liquid is thick and the beans are soft. Remove from the oven and enjoy!<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><b>Approximate Cost:</b></div>Groceries: $9<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect a million gagillion servings. Seriously, it's a bottomless pit.<br />
<br />
<div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2144817199503273502&postID=4173149137921546036" id="data:post.url" name="data:post.title" onclick="return addthis_sendto()" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onmouseover="'return"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" style="border: 0pt none;" width="125" /></a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-89617058696365247742010-03-23T14:57:00.005-04:002010-03-24T14:09:30.296-04:00Classic Meals: Esther's Fried Chicken<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzg5RHCQDvgNsQCsoP7P-2EBn3wJC5lPbN7CqaBgMt3EQLTNNJm70wWcRtn5C_EONRQDQwCFA324ot9S5DxDeObgzEbhoP_QS2tj1jZCVvtX33g73gKNktQ7knbFYGVYrtomIzKD5x8vI/s1600-h/Fried-Chicken-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzg5RHCQDvgNsQCsoP7P-2EBn3wJC5lPbN7CqaBgMt3EQLTNNJm70wWcRtn5C_EONRQDQwCFA324ot9S5DxDeObgzEbhoP_QS2tj1jZCVvtX33g73gKNktQ7knbFYGVYrtomIzKD5x8vI/s200/Fried-Chicken-1.jpg" width="200" /></a>I've been sitting here trying to put words together for two hours and thinking how I use to complain about writer's block all the time. It was my ultimate excuse. Writer's block meant I didn't have to query work on my assignments or my fiction. I could go out for a walk or get a pedicure or clean the bathtub. Nowadays, ever since baby girl was born to be exact, I just don't have time for writer's block and I've found the a** in chair approach really is best (except for when the Internet and email beckons.) But really, now that I have a babysitter to come while I'm working, I feel like she's babysitting me too and ensures I work!<br />
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Ahh, I needed to say that. Now I can write to you about more important things: Esther's Fried Chicken. Esther is my grandmother's cook. She's a tall, soft-spoken women of my grandmother's generation. And she's been frying chicken since my mother was in diapers.<br />
<br />
Until last Thursday when I went to my grandmother's for dinner, I always thought of fried chicken as a breaded affair. Some thick and crumbly. Delicious, but not for the faint of heart. Esther has changed all that and I'm starting to think that all the breaded chickies we see isn't what fried chicken was originally. Esther is of the old Southern tradition and I'm going to believe her when she says "season the chicken first, shake it in a bag with a little flour and fry it up slow."<br />
<br />
That's it. That's all Esther did and lemme tell you everyone from baby girl to my grandmother ate in silent ecstasy. The outside is crispy and crunchy all around with an extra special crunch around the skin. And, with every bite there is actually moist chicken. I'm use to eating the breading first, but this version is all about the chicken. Esther's recommendation to season the chicken first also means that the chicken is bright and spiced.<br />
<br />
I was so inspired that I decided to make it this weekend for the hubby since he wasn't down in Virginia with us last week. I picked up a whole chicken cut into parts from Dickson's Farmstand, I seasoned it with some sweet paprika, salt and pepper and then shook it in a plastic bag (rather than the paper one I'm sure Esther used) with just a touch of flour. Frying chicken doesn't mean submerging it in oil - well not entirely anyway. I cooked it in vegetable oil slowly like Esther said. The results? AMAZING!!! I was worried since it looked like all the flour was going to wash off in the oil, but instead it provide a light coating so that the chicken could get crunchy all around without weighing it down.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JNQwsSF8dmmnYXecfeoj3Awx03yPOWt5IRtU1TGRrrzCIRopgHSsgr3KpD1f9XDngbONHzrxf-Br51AaYZy5V845HgUlU3G_G3eD3hiU29lKmHkkA2n7QlCR9CTythhDRuIH51SgQ4g/s1600-h/Fried-Chicken-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JNQwsSF8dmmnYXecfeoj3Awx03yPOWt5IRtU1TGRrrzCIRopgHSsgr3KpD1f9XDngbONHzrxf-Br51AaYZy5V845HgUlU3G_G3eD3hiU29lKmHkkA2n7QlCR9CTythhDRuIH51SgQ4g/s400/Fried-Chicken-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Esther's Fried Chicken</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(This is a great every-so-often Sunday dinner. While it doesn't taste at all greasy, I still wouldn't recommend frying anything too often:) And in the great Southern tradition, my grandmother recommends making this for a picnic with some potato salad and deviled eggs.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 Whole Chicken cut into breasts, thighs and drumsticks (reserve the backs, wings and neck for stock)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sweet Paprika</div><div style="text-align: left;">Salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">Pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;">Flour</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Set a large frying pan over a medium heat and add enough vegetable oil to cover a third of the chicken's height. Bring to a shimmer. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Pat the chicken pieces dry and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper all around. Then sprinkle lightly with paprika. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Add about three tablespoons of flour to a plastic freezer bag and, working one piece at a time, shake the chicken in the bag until it's well coated. Remove the chicken from the bag and tap it lightly to remove any excess flour. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Test the oil with one piece of chicken. There should be a nice sizzle. Add all the pieces skin-side down and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook another 10 minutes. Keep flipping the chicken until a thermometer reads 180. It took me about 35-40 minutes. If the chicken browns too quickly turn the heat down a bit. You want a nice steady cook and golden brown chicken. Remove the chicken to a plate of paper towels.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">To serve, place the chicken on a platter and serve it family style. That night, we had baked beans and a lovely green salad. Enjoy!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Approximate Cost:</b></div>Groceries: $20<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect four to five servings from this one.<br />
<br />
<div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2144817199503273502&postID=4173149137921546036" id="data:post.url" name="data:post.title" onclick="return addthis_sendto()" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onmouseover="'return"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" style="border: 0pt none;" width="125" /></a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-79362512209387289122010-03-16T14:40:00.000-04:002010-03-16T14:40:09.502-04:00Easy Dinner: Sausages with Polenta and Swiss Chard<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRn2uaDQLXTGYAb2sBjTx7O7LggpNmJwbv5sxGPO6rTBbFoM4iHBmB3Z6BBGooU5IJmrfw1a-Gk1TunR8gFNmLGFmLkNwokqZq4cnZr3V1gMgZh99Bbo2uSHV190-H5AES-50SoHixLCE/s1600-h/Sausages&Polenta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRn2uaDQLXTGYAb2sBjTx7O7LggpNmJwbv5sxGPO6rTBbFoM4iHBmB3Z6BBGooU5IJmrfw1a-Gk1TunR8gFNmLGFmLkNwokqZq4cnZr3V1gMgZh99Bbo2uSHV190-H5AES-50SoHixLCE/s200/Sausages&Polenta.jpg" width="200" /></a>I'm spending the week in Virginia with my mother and grandmother and brothers and cousins and aunts and uncles. Everyone but me lives in Old Town, Alexandria and I do adore being overwhelmed with family. It's how I grew up: my grandmother up the street and my aunt and cousins round the corner and various and sundry other relatives sprinkled throughout the area. While Alexandria is a huge city outside an even huger city - Washington DC - for me and my family there's something very small-town about it. We've been here since the 1800's, since Robert E Lee lived here and since Northern Virginia was considered the South. Heck, to me and mine, we are Southern and we have a sad Confederate statue to prove it.<br />
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I'm here this week for my Aunt Sarah's funeral. She was somewhere in her nineties and, apart from being my grandmother's sister-in-law, they were best friends from the age of four. While we celebrate Aunt Sarah's incredibly healthy long life, I feel sad for my grandmother who is now the last of her generation in Old Town. While living long and strong is a wonderful thing, it's also very difficult outlasting everyone you know.<br />
<br />
So this week hasn't been one of cooking and experimenting. It's been one of filling our bellies with soothing easy to make and eat meals. One of my favorites is Pork Sausages with Creamy Polenta and Swiss Chard. It comes together in about 40 minutes and hits all the right buttons. Baby girl loves everything in here and it's a meal I turn to time and again when I just want to eat something I know.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzomfdIkrKmMrZSOtL9dctz3hPYKZTVHO05eTCxIsYD265ORHcWtN-orlvivTsf3YHA3ehKfJT0XyLFvrVDan29ZtJI7ZeFlgcnmZpBER83zSft7rTtMiwHfO_A_YQxqrs85Jvr-0eDk/s1600-h/Sausages&Polenta1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzomfdIkrKmMrZSOtL9dctz3hPYKZTVHO05eTCxIsYD265ORHcWtN-orlvivTsf3YHA3ehKfJT0XyLFvrVDan29ZtJI7ZeFlgcnmZpBER83zSft7rTtMiwHfO_A_YQxqrs85Jvr-0eDk/s400/Sausages&Polenta1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Pork Sausages with Creamy Polenta and Swiss Chard</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Apart from the red wine, everything is local and should be easy enough to find at your local farmer's market. Pork sausages can be kept in the freezer and polenta in the pantry so the only thing you might have to pick up would be the swiss chard.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 Pork Sausages (large ones)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup Polenta</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 cups Chicken Broth</div><div style="text-align: left;">1-2 bunches Swiss Chard chopped (About 4-6 cups)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Optional:</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 cups red wine</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sugar</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPe12DEettx8OJtoPObmDlYziGH5bo86ObwTNaMpXdY-Cihfhlx3OZBd3gan4JKedu4xRtXZ2xVp_UDG59iNPvbi_ONcvj5ppLhOgqZhTnyO7EEkrJOV26xQ40giui2NdEFeaS3o6vkA/s1600-h/Pork-Sausages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPe12DEettx8OJtoPObmDlYziGH5bo86ObwTNaMpXdY-Cihfhlx3OZBd3gan4JKedu4xRtXZ2xVp_UDG59iNPvbi_ONcvj5ppLhOgqZhTnyO7EEkrJOV26xQ40giui2NdEFeaS3o6vkA/s320/Pork-Sausages.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Set a frying pan over a medium high heat. After a few minutes place the pork sausages in the pan and turn down the heat to medium low. Cook turning them every so often until the sausages are cooked through. About 30 minutes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKFBNlGR-MZ-hwnRqjILki1KWb05szhXKFbLpf66CjUFfP09IzJCouoyCmHUwepEw-7d1lwsVZP1TixupWqJkaDm9FxRyDJoL0X1cuAsgPfa9BCfkis6nWxbCar0jwjWHLS3Y3cMyksA/s1600-h/Polenta2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKFBNlGR-MZ-hwnRqjILki1KWb05szhXKFbLpf66CjUFfP09IzJCouoyCmHUwepEw-7d1lwsVZP1TixupWqJkaDm9FxRyDJoL0X1cuAsgPfa9BCfkis6nWxbCar0jwjWHLS3Y3cMyksA/s400/Polenta2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Meanwhile, add the chicken broth to a medium pot and bring to a boil. While stirring the broth with a wooden spoon, add the polenta in a steady trickle to the broth. Stir until the the polenta thickens and absorbs all the broth. About 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
Once the sausages are ready, add the swiss chard to the sausage frying pan and cook while scraping up the porky bits until the leaves are wilted and the stalks are tender.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12lXylttr2bbAHyQcmn2wz5w5yU6R9z2u06qw7QpPlxo3LEkeV4K6W3Xr10LHNdwG4ZWfUKXl5QG6zoHL8kJMwyIncsYq11u03szhWRA1tycmVEpY1xxjkYSw2-35WsdBBSooTr9qWjc/s1600-h/Swiss-Chard2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12lXylttr2bbAHyQcmn2wz5w5yU6R9z2u06qw7QpPlxo3LEkeV4K6W3Xr10LHNdwG4ZWfUKXl5QG6zoHL8kJMwyIncsYq11u03szhWRA1tycmVEpY1xxjkYSw2-35WsdBBSooTr9qWjc/s320/Swiss-Chard2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>If you'd like a little read wine sauce simmer the wine and about 3-4 tablespoons of sugar until the wine is reduced by three quarters.<br />
<br />
To serve, place a large spoonful of polenta in the middle of the plate with the swiss chard and sausage on top. Add a little splash of sauce if you've made it.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Approximate Cost:</b></div>Groceries: $14<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Expect four servings from this one.<br />
<br />
<div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2144817199503273502&postID=4173149137921546036" id="data:post.url" name="data:post.title" onclick="return addthis_sendto()" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onmouseover="'return"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" style="border: 0pt none;" width="125" /></a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-77062283893192329372010-03-11T01:00:00.003-05:002010-03-23T13:14:40.668-04:00Tasty Treat: Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">If you haven't yet had a chance, please subscribe to Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZAKRwrtGOtg2lBhOnm7R62PDiBgnBpvUgiuYOfuvdm-TQEJs8V9L98XL1khQMvWyiYJ3aTguwbX_9jdoN7TD-9-g4RimnJF7SdbDSk0SRo7vApWlkLgVeey1o9BnbMlrkcz6KyKsSMM/s1600-h/Cookie-Bars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZAKRwrtGOtg2lBhOnm7R62PDiBgnBpvUgiuYOfuvdm-TQEJs8V9L98XL1khQMvWyiYJ3aTguwbX_9jdoN7TD-9-g4RimnJF7SdbDSk0SRo7vApWlkLgVeey1o9BnbMlrkcz6KyKsSMM/s200/Cookie-Bars.jpg" width="200" /></a>You know you're in Bourjaily-land when you peer into a tin of brownies and see all of the edges have been removed. We are an outside-in kind of family. My mother, father and older brother each got an entire long, narrow edge of brownie to munch on. While my younger brother and I had to be satisfied with the warm gooey innards. Tough life, I know. It wasn't until I started baking brownies that I finally even got to see what the big edge deal was and boy was it fabulous. Chewy and soft and chocolatey and sweet. I really shouldn't write a post like this unless I'm armed with a fresh pan of brownies... or chocolate chip cookie bars.<br />
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Last week, in my ongoing quest for the perfect chewy chocolate chip cookie, I made some seriously tasty and chewy cookies. However, they were way too flat. So, I shoveled the rest of the dough into a brownie pan and thought, what the hey, let's see what happens. What happened is my less than perfect chocolate chip cookie became the most wonderful chocolate chip cookie bars I've ever had. I'm talking chewy edges beyond my wildest dreams and soft gooey innards that all you non-chewies would adore. I'm still determined to figure out the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, but, in the meantime, here's a recipe that knocked my socks off and hopefully will tug at yours.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZjyeX3iVjdwU8fD-xJ5cKQG0alzGpgO_SYfwE4QLo_J1PKjaQyPlLl-Y1agF0-_E8x745rz8yOjLEQXl4idlh42ZdO-80MC-PKb1xm_NFzLn7wvOSfg_9FxNcAs1c5-Yav7ZDx6bKEk/s1600-h/Cookie-Bars-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZjyeX3iVjdwU8fD-xJ5cKQG0alzGpgO_SYfwE4QLo_J1PKjaQyPlLl-Y1agF0-_E8x745rz8yOjLEQXl4idlh42ZdO-80MC-PKb1xm_NFzLn7wvOSfg_9FxNcAs1c5-Yav7ZDx6bKEk/s400/Cookie-Bars-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(The beauty of these bars is you don't have to wait for the butter to soften and you don't have to put tray after tray of cookie dough in the oven. When a craving strikes, you can meet it head-on in about an hour... maybe 90 minutes.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp Baking Soda</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 heaping tsp Salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 c Butter (2 sticks)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 1/3 c Brown Sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">2/3 c Sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp Vanilla Extract</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 large Eggs</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 cups Chocolate Chips (About 12 oz)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 9 inch square baking pan.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Place the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and zap it for about 30 seconds or until the butter is partially melted and very soft.<br />
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Using the paddle attachment to your mixer, beat the butter and sugars on high until light and fluffy. Turn the the second lowest setting and beat in the eggs one at a time. Then the vanilla. Wait until it's fully incorporated and then turn it down to the lowest setting and add the flour mixture. Turn off the mixer and incorporate the chocolate chips by hand. Pour the dough in the pan and spread it out evenly. Bake until the top is brown and the dough are pulling away from the sides. About 30-40 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Approximate Cost:</b></div>Groceries: $5<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: Hmm, this is a tough one. Probably 12-24 servings depending on your will power.<br />
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<div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2144817199503273502&postID=4173149137921546036" id="data:post.url" name="data:post.title" onclick="return addthis_sendto()" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onmouseover="'return"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" style="border: 0pt none;" width="125" /></a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-27480350228831822402010-03-09T15:07:00.004-05:002010-03-09T15:12:02.030-05:00Easy Dinner: Red Wine Spaghetti<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">If you haven't yet had a chance, please subscribe to Almost Slowfood via </span></span></i></span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">EMAIL</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> or </span></span></i><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">RSS Feed</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. Thank you!</span></span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYAUpehgbTQF_rFjhiRxg9WgmW7Y6HEriDZ3iuZzkJYb-NvU44cX0VSqMqAm_Wu9wp22FvRHNqZ9TUhumOM1Rn7R69gNt6VqTiP8YiSP9WoSgJJNfTEgTAxjj9rOy5mzBudw8g72Tszw/s1600-h/Red-Wine-Spaghetti-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYAUpehgbTQF_rFjhiRxg9WgmW7Y6HEriDZ3iuZzkJYb-NvU44cX0VSqMqAm_Wu9wp22FvRHNqZ9TUhumOM1Rn7R69gNt6VqTiP8YiSP9WoSgJJNfTEgTAxjj9rOy5mzBudw8g72Tszw/s200/Red-Wine-Spaghetti-5.jpg" width="200" /></a>"Where have you been!" wrote several of you last week when it became apparent I wasn't posting. Well, my other life as a freelance writer became stressful what with deadlines and contract negotiations. I apologize. Next time I have a deadline looming, I'll be sure to have something ready to go!<br />
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This weekend, the hubby's Aunt A and Uncle S came over for dinner. Thankfully, Aunt A is an avid fan and one of the first to subscribe to my weekly emails (see subscription box to the right;). Sadly, all of that evening's experiments were disappointing flops. I'd seen a recipe for braised lamb's necks, which take 10 hours to cook and I thought wouldn't that make an impressive meal! On Friday, I reserved the necks at my new favorite butcher, Dickson's Farmstand at the Chelsea Market. Baby girl and I zipped down there on the condition that I buy her a cookie. However, when we arrived at Amy's Bread, she saw a pink cupcake and demanded that. Later on, after devouring the cupcake, she asked where her cookie was - what!<br />
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On Sunday, I woke up at 6am to pop the necks and the Boston Baked Beans (another disastrous dish I tried, but will try again until I solve that mystery) into the oven. The smells that came out of my oven were delightful, but the necks, even after 10 hours of braising, weren't as tender as they should've been and the beans? Yikes, let's just say Baby Girl put them in her mouth very eagerly and then started gagging and spitting them out onto her plate while wiping the bits off her tongue with her hands. Aunt A and Uncle S were very polite, but I'll have to have them back for another round. Luckily dinner was saved by my <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2010/01/tasty-treat-best-ever-chocolate-pudding.html">Best Ever Chocolate Pudding</a> for dessert.<br />
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In retrospect, I wish I'd served this delightful pasta I made recently which takes only about 30 minutes and is so friggin' tasty. I'd read somewhere about boiling spaghetti in a mixture of red wine and water. One night, as I was rummaging through the fridge for something to eat, I decided to give it a go. Of course, I expected the spaghetti to turn red, but what I didn't expect was this tangy delightful flavor! Combined with the swiss chard, lemon and anchovy paste sauce, this dish turned out to be an incredible pleasure to make and to eat. If I weren't testing so many recipes to share with you, this would make it to the weekly rotation list. Enjoy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YVsyWX_MLOurrKqTNeTiXT4GoS7RqX0MLOj28wkSwV6NWl9jpVnE_BiRgnPUoRgPlcIK9VOsm4l1KiqCu8kSKplDxnlFUWzNu09W07dG3ddpjjzqTHvZQvX6QSk9d3ELt7dv7-oUK68/s1600-h/Red-Wine-Spaghetti-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YVsyWX_MLOurrKqTNeTiXT4GoS7RqX0MLOj28wkSwV6NWl9jpVnE_BiRgnPUoRgPlcIK9VOsm4l1KiqCu8kSKplDxnlFUWzNu09W07dG3ddpjjzqTHvZQvX6QSk9d3ELt7dv7-oUK68/s400/Red-Wine-Spaghetti-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Red Wine Spaghetti with Swiss Chard</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(With the incredible selection of great, inexpensive red wines out there, I'd choose one of those for this dish. I don't think a particular type of red is required, but I used a pinot noir. However, in the spirit of the dish, feel free to use what you have on hand.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">5 cups Water</div><div style="text-align: left;">3/4 bottle of Red Wine</div><div style="text-align: left;">8 oz Spaghetti</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup Walnuts chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 small Onions chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 bunch Swiss Chard chopped (2-4 cups depending on how much you love the chard)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp Anchovy Paste</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup Lemon Juice</div><div style="text-align: left;">Parmesan Cheese for garnishing</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 350. (Or toaster oven if you have one.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Poor the wine and water into a large pot. Salt generously. Place the pot over a high heat and bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. About 12 minutes.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQqWLuHS6TZuEW5ocZjNeSjHSDr7c5f5EKLMjGtluBO3HA0fHHJatpadW1y8COp0aftIwTZbHSr_Tz6X_2Kg856R_vmgC7GdfqeCAx8XavPbIIK9Kf47Uisy3qLva2-b8mct4uJnEPgI/s1600-h/Red-Wine-Spaghetti-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQqWLuHS6TZuEW5ocZjNeSjHSDr7c5f5EKLMjGtluBO3HA0fHHJatpadW1y8COp0aftIwTZbHSr_Tz6X_2Kg856R_vmgC7GdfqeCAx8XavPbIIK9Kf47Uisy3qLva2-b8mct4uJnEPgI/s320/Red-Wine-Spaghetti-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until brown. About 10 minutes. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">While the water is getting up to temperature and the walnuts are toasting, place a pan over a medium high heat. Add a splash of olive oil. Once the oil starts shimmering, add the onions and cook until softened. Add the swiss chard and simmer.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXjHW-y6fd1vCIDoHV86v-KRmRLDuh_y8fzC1t2k-83jvqAB8EDKukfBQQYZv-HyJ2W6dbcjkTfyzSUJm3uA9ultFRn2f6YMr1-UgdiXij7yaMYz_bmuheL7apOQTMwpvygMcFxdYUmM/s1600-h/Red-Wine-Spaghetti-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXjHW-y6fd1vCIDoHV86v-KRmRLDuh_y8fzC1t2k-83jvqAB8EDKukfBQQYZv-HyJ2W6dbcjkTfyzSUJm3uA9ultFRn2f6YMr1-UgdiXij7yaMYz_bmuheL7apOQTMwpvygMcFxdYUmM/s320/Red-Wine-Spaghetti-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Whisk the anchovy paste and lemon juice together and poor over the swiss chard mixture. Simmer.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Once the spaghetti is nearly done. Remove 1-2 cups of the pasta water and set aside. Strain the spaghetti and add to the swiss chard mixture. Add a cup of the past water and simmer until slightly thickened and a light sauce forms. Add more if need be. Remove from heat.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">To serve, place a portion of the spaghetti and sauce on each plate. Top with a handful of walnuts and some grated parmesan cheese. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><b>Approximate Dinner Cost:</b><br />
Groceries: $16 depending on the wine you choose<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: 4 servings at $4 each.<br />
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<div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2144817199503273502&postID=4173149137921546036" id="data:post.url" name="data:post.title" onclick="return addthis_sendto()" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onmouseover="'return"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" style="border: 0pt none;" width="125" /></a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-1638213904928892882010-02-24T17:53:00.000-05:002010-02-24T17:53:36.852-05:00Tasty Side: Warm Potato Salad with Cider Vinaigrette<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you haven't yet had a chance, please subscribe to Almost Slowfood via </span><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">EMAIL</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> or </span><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">RSS Feed</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Thank you!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrlPPi_Ju8eLxMuz5MWBGgT_qpvVWDDViPC0iD0EN8e5Ldh-uk90s4xyy17h_JLvJ2ycHsRCwJ_kc1JgZgaAvHqxhJg6Th8n0OrwFnK6ZDVtnewa7yNZHOEe1vhPExUZEvloJxkCBpA0/s1600-h/Warm-Potato-Salad1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrlPPi_Ju8eLxMuz5MWBGgT_qpvVWDDViPC0iD0EN8e5Ldh-uk90s4xyy17h_JLvJ2ycHsRCwJ_kc1JgZgaAvHqxhJg6Th8n0OrwFnK6ZDVtnewa7yNZHOEe1vhPExUZEvloJxkCBpA0/s200/Warm-Potato-Salad1.jpg" width="200" /></a>If Mayonnaise addiction were recognized as a sickness, then my mother would be in Mayo Anonymous. She'll eat mayonnaise in staggering amounts (Hellmann's of course) on everything from the normal - chicken sandwiches, potato salad, deviled eggs - to the severely abnormal - green salad, steak. Steak? Yes, in fact she'll eat mayo with any kind of meat if sour cream isn't available.<br />
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My first job out of college was as a writer for an Internet company. PC was not understood. There was dirty joke telling, prank calling and all around bad behavior. I loved every single minute until the day, nine months later, when we were all laid off. My mother doesn't know this (until today, that is), but we created something called Operation Meat and Mayonnaise in honor of her love for, well, meat with mayonnaise. We created billboards and screensavers and chants all celebrating this operation, which stood for nothing and achieved nothing since it was all just about the name and being silly.<br />
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Funny, all this talk about mayonnaise and today's recipe doesn't even include it. However, to know where I ended up, you must understand where I began: potato salad in my family is all about the mayo. My mayo -hater of a husband groans whenever we go to a family picnic since he knows the only thing he'll eat is ham. Everything else, all the salads, are half vegetable, half mayo.<br />
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The other day, I received 3 pounds of some kind of small potato from my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). My dear friend picked them up for me and I neglected to ask her what they were so I'm assuming they're either miniature russets or yukon golds. Anyhoo, rather than making mashed potatoes or latkes, I decided to make potato salad. However, rather than use mayonnaise (blasphemy, I know) I decided to so something more wintery with bacon, scallions, hard-boiled eggs and caramelized onions. Dressed in a cider vinegar dressing, the result was basically a meal in itself. While you could serve it alongside say, a <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2010/02/roast-chicken-with-lemon-and-oregano.html">Roast Chicken with Oregano and Lemon Zest</a>, I've been eating the leftovers with a salad and I'm a very happy little piggy. Enjoy!<br />
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PS - Baby girl helped wash the potatoes, peel the eggs (she only mangled one!) and shake the vinaigrette. So, if you have any littl'ns under foot, they'll love helping.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1q9FYLfeiSXhMzLk7DbfS4TGxbQZxYP5bQWnhoxFQnL0CW6qvT-_DYMlCDwnCbPug-JTYGeInL1xnr0UP3ULzibb4UDrKB_G02HBOMhAAWd5lBTReTCsjuIe96VvYFxagqITgY_xVG4/s1600-h/Warm-Potato-Salad3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1q9FYLfeiSXhMzLk7DbfS4TGxbQZxYP5bQWnhoxFQnL0CW6qvT-_DYMlCDwnCbPug-JTYGeInL1xnr0UP3ULzibb4UDrKB_G02HBOMhAAWd5lBTReTCsjuIe96VvYFxagqITgY_xVG4/s400/Warm-Potato-Salad3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Warm Potato Salad with Caramelized Onions and Cider Vinaigrette</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(While this is an easy salad to prepare, there are a few steps. Happily, you can make this salad in stages or the night before. Just warm it up in the microwave before serving - should be warm not hot.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 pound Potatoes cut up into bite sized chunks (1-2 inches around)</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 medium Onions cut in half and then into thin slices</div><div style="text-align: left;">6 strips of Bacon</div><div style="text-align: left;">6 Eggs</div><div style="text-align: left;">6 scallions green and white parts cut into thin slices</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup Cider Vinegar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 1/2 cup Olive Oil<br />
1 tsp Salt<br />
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Place the eggs in a small sauce pan and cover with cold water. Set the sauce pan over a high heat, bring to a rolling boil and then turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit for 30 minutes. Then run them under cold water, peel them and slice them into moderately thin pieces.<br />
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Place a steamer basket in a stock-pot and fill with cold water just until it reaches the steamer basket. Add the potatoes to the pot and then place over a high heat. Cover, bring to a boil and steam until the potatoes are soft. Test them with a sharp knife - it should go in and come out easily.<br />
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Set a frying pan over a medium heat and add a splash of olive oil. Once with begins to shimmer, add the onions. Turn down the heat and cook slowly and gently until the onions caramelize. They'll turn a nice golden color and give off a nutty sweet smell.<br />
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Set the bacon in baking dish and cook under a broiler until they are nice and crispy, but not cooked to death. Drain them over some paper towels and then cut them up into little pieces.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ObYlpQ86ouidB38BG53toztAjypOT6dDCmIfqPp3nJ8ISKDH8CjVZjW-BFPlwP7OSCiJYchEEYKI9xokISumjoA5qeK526V94imP1HHjjTa51Ew3X84X6MOnFyajtR0XUspJC4BD6jg/s1600-h/Warm-Potato-Salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ObYlpQ86ouidB38BG53toztAjypOT6dDCmIfqPp3nJ8ISKDH8CjVZjW-BFPlwP7OSCiJYchEEYKI9xokISumjoA5qeK526V94imP1HHjjTa51Ew3X84X6MOnFyajtR0XUspJC4BD6jg/s320/Warm-Potato-Salad.jpg" /></a></div><br />
To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, vinegar and salt in a sealable container. Shut it tightly and shake until the dressing is combined.<br />
<br />
Throw everything into a large salad bowl and mix together. Serve as a side or eat with a salad. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><b>Approximate Dinner Cost:</b><br />
Groceries: $10<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: 8-10 servings at least!<br />
<br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-14953274900205209832010-02-23T14:22:00.002-05:002010-02-24T14:31:06.135-05:00Roast Chicken with Lemon and Oregano<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">If this is your first visit or if you haven't yet had a chance, please subscribe to Almost Slowfood via <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify">EMAIL</a> or <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlmostSlowfood">RSS Feed</a>. Thank you!</span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoC4pkSLNU73f91mekNkn8l-RtnakKGhj9MTJxgjVsJtn5lGUIjhkC4JZb27zkz9GXV7Lxfeh84cczEIXc0B-aa3Ue5E727BXbTNo3x6mBf08GE98YyygkYXVbJ5yT59EEDePLk3c-hg/s1600-h/Roast-Chicken1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoC4pkSLNU73f91mekNkn8l-RtnakKGhj9MTJxgjVsJtn5lGUIjhkC4JZb27zkz9GXV7Lxfeh84cczEIXc0B-aa3Ue5E727BXbTNo3x6mBf08GE98YyygkYXVbJ5yT59EEDePLk3c-hg/s200/Roast-Chicken1.jpg" width="200" /></a>I've been trying so many new things in the kitchen lately: <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2010/02/classic-meals-steak-frites_16.html">Steak Frites with Lavender Hollandaise</a>, <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2010/02/freezer-favorite-pork-potstickers.html">Pork Potstickers</a> and <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2010/02/entertaining-rack-of-lamb-with-herbed.html">Rack of Lamb with Goat Cheese</a> come to mind. However, this week, after celebrating Chinese New Year in Chinatown on Sunday and stuffing myself silly with Peking Duck, I decided to go back to basics and roast a chicken.<br />
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Like so many other chefs and cooks, I'm madly in love with roast chicken. In fact, my <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2009/04/here-chicky-chick-chick.html">first post</a> here was about the simplicity of roasting a chicken and how a little butter, salt and pepper is all you need to make an amazing meal. The better quality your chicken the better it will taste. I avoid those fat roasters from the supermarket and go for the smaller heritage birds who are humanely raised without antibiotics and are let out to pasture to eat worms and whatever else they peck from the earth. Not only is it better for the chickies and the earth, but it's better for us.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, I made a rub out of lemon zest, salt and some fresh oregano from my CSA (Community Support Agriculture), massaged half of it under the the breast skin and the other half all over the chicken's exterior. Oftentimes, the meat lacks seasoning since the skin that gets all the butter and salt, but with this method, the breast meat was bursting with flavor. We all loved it so much, aside from the wings, there was very little left!<br />
<br />
*PS - sorry about the photos this week. I've bought a tripod and was trying to figure it all out. Unfortunately, the lighting wasn't what I'd hoped and we were all starving so I sort of took a few haphazard shots and called it a day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGdDacce74rrSHjxBXImoOUnvS6IAi6pVs_MQ8SqbER34MX-Ua8KQloUeCVb1KF9Z0Op0V6bpKxtseFYJ3CYXNRCuLoVdARENRDxQ0WmJc_Fxj1BlPgkwNEozP65kaX1zc7LoTUnpPck/s1600-h/Roast-Chicken2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGdDacce74rrSHjxBXImoOUnvS6IAi6pVs_MQ8SqbER34MX-Ua8KQloUeCVb1KF9Z0Op0V6bpKxtseFYJ3CYXNRCuLoVdARENRDxQ0WmJc_Fxj1BlPgkwNEozP65kaX1zc7LoTUnpPck/s400/Roast-Chicken2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Roast Chicken with Lemon Zest and Oregano</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(While nothing gets more simple than butter and salt, this is just a smidge more complicated. Plus, with just a splash of olive oil to bring the rub together, the fat come from the chicken.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 3.5-4 pound Whole Chicken</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp Salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">Zest of 2 large lemons (about 2-3 tbsp) minced plus the lemons quartered</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup Fresh Oregano Leaves plus 5-6 stems of oregano</div><div style="text-align: left;">Splash of Olive Oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">Pepper to taste</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup White Wine</div><br />
Preheat the oven to 400. Wash and pat dry the chicken and place it in a roasting pan. Loosen the breast skin by gently running your fingers underneath it and pushing them as far back and to the sides as they'll reach.<br />
<br />
Add the oregano, salt, lemon zest and olive oil to a mortar and smash it into a paste with a pestle. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, then chop the oregano leaves very finely and combine with the salt, lemon zest and olive oil.<br />
<br />
Rub half of the herb paste underneath the chicken skin spreading it evenly back and to the sides of the chicken breast. With the remaining paste, rub it all over the chicken's outer skin along the breast and the drumsticks.<br />
<br />
Stuff the chicken with the oregano sprigs and as many lemon quarters as will fit. Add the wine to the bottom of the pan along with the remaining lemon quarters. Pop in the oven.<br />
<br />
Baste with the pan juices every 20 minutes until the thermometer reads 175. Remove from the oven and let rest for fifteen minutes. The temperature will come up to 180 which is the proper poultry temp.<br />
<br />
To serve, carve the chicken and pour the drippings over top some rice or egg noodles. A nice salad or sauteed spinach would finish off the meal nicely.<br />
<br />
<b>Approximate Dinner Cost:</b><br />
Groceries: $15<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: 4-6 servings<br />
<br />
<div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=2144817199503273502&postID=4173149137921546036" id="data:post.url" name="data:post.title" onclick="return addthis_sendto()" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onmouseover="'return"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" style="border: 0pt none;" width="125" /></a><br />
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</script></div>Peggy Bourjailyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08597706915998108040noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144817199503273502.post-54560309955463236832010-02-18T01:00:00.003-05:002010-02-18T07:39:56.926-05:00Tasty Treat: Lavender Lemon Poundcake<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqIE0dqkqIHM2ENB1Wq2D3pOos0KoQH5oYkFyxKlBaNqOqKoVX8X2oz5QPRmea0rq44BjEAVjLs_c-hTlrbWB_5Tji1JQBnJw-tWxcu1TmAyCoIrU2EWODbu87SVbEEuKXobEBtU_s-o/s1600-h/Lavender-Lemon-Poundcake-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqIE0dqkqIHM2ENB1Wq2D3pOos0KoQH5oYkFyxKlBaNqOqKoVX8X2oz5QPRmea0rq44BjEAVjLs_c-hTlrbWB_5Tji1JQBnJw-tWxcu1TmAyCoIrU2EWODbu87SVbEEuKXobEBtU_s-o/s200/Lavender-Lemon-Poundcake-3.jpg" width="200" /></a>It was Sunday, Valentine's Day, around 2PM. Baby Girl was asleep in her crib and the hubby was asleep on the couch. I was sitting in an armchair sipping earl grey tea and thumbing through Claudia Fleming's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Course-Desserts-Gramercy-Tavern/dp/037550429X?ie=UTF8&tag=almosts-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Last Course</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=almosts-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=037550429X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>. Specifically, I wanted to make the Warm Chocolate Ganache Cakes, which are like molten chocolate cakes but even more intensely chocolate. My mother and I use to gobble them down at Gramercy Tavern where Fleming was the pastry chef years ago.<br />
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However, I'd already committed to making <a href="http://www.almostslowfood.com/2010/02/classic-meals-steak-frites_16.html">Steak Frites</a> for dinner, which might've been a stressful undertaking and baby girl isn't one to wait patiently for a bespoke molten chocolate cake to bake after dinner's done. So, I sighed and promised myself I'd make those ganache cakes another time. I flipped some more and came across Fleming's recipe for Lavender Lemon Poundcake. It's a recipe I'd flipped past several times, but hadn't found the right time to try it out. It's a breeze to make and baby girl greatly enjoyed helping me brush the lemon sugar syrup over the cake. As she went back and forth and back and forth over the same little corner, she chanted happily, "I'm painting! I'm painting!"<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EZXIL3jMECwHYii9zNi9u2U3DK3cMbfKuDKbPpCmdpuRSoHqxvDFLHqxxNDf1Pj-teaAUwy6UV-qyrlQNSPttjzuruLdeicyskycrWJV3n8RUDaRtxZAMVOEG1x_eTiIg5BEoTJJwzE/s1600-h/Lavender-Lemon-Poundcake-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EZXIL3jMECwHYii9zNi9u2U3DK3cMbfKuDKbPpCmdpuRSoHqxvDFLHqxxNDf1Pj-teaAUwy6UV-qyrlQNSPttjzuruLdeicyskycrWJV3n8RUDaRtxZAMVOEG1x_eTiIg5BEoTJJwzE/s400/Lavender-Lemon-Poundcake-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Lavender Lemon Poundcake</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from Claudia Fleming's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Course-Desserts-Gramercy-Tavern/dp/037550429X?ie=UTF8&tag=almosts-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Last Course</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=almosts-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=037550429X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Light and lemony with a hint of lavender, this is about the most perfect tea cake.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">What You'll Need:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>For the Cake:</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup Unsalted Butter</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tbsp Dried Lavender Blossoms</div><div style="text-align: left;">5 large Eggs</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup Sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 1/2 cup White Whole Wheat Flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 tsp Salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tbsp Lemon Zest minced</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tsp Vanilla Extract</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>For the Syrup:</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup Sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup Water</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 cup Lemon Juice</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan and set aside. Add the butter and lavender to a small saucepan and melt over a low heat. Remove from the heat and let the lavender infuse into the butter for 10-20 minutes. Heat up again if the butter starts to coagulate and then strain the butter into a small mixing bowl and set aside.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In a mixer fitted with a whisk, add the eggs and sugar. Beat on high until the mixture has lightened and grown immensely. 5-7 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Combine the flour and salt in a separate bowl and whisk together. Gently whisk it in stages into the egg and sugar mixture. Add the vanilla. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Add a cup of the batter to the melted butter and gently combine it. Then add the butter mixture to the remaining batter and gently stir. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and pop in the oven. Cook for 35-40 minutes until brown on top and a knife comes out clean. Set on a rack to cool.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In a small saucepan, add the water, lemon juice and sugar and warm up just enough for the sugar to dissolve. Remove from the heat.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">As the cake is cooling, poke it all over with a knife and then brush the lemon syrup all over the cake. Let it cool for 10 minutes and then turn the cake out, invert it and brush the bottoms and sides with the syrup. Turn the cake right side up and brush the top with the remaining syrup.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">To serve, a little fresh whipped cream is a lovely addition. Enjoy!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><b>Approximate Dinner Cost:</b><br />
Groceries: $7<br />
<b> </b>Cost per Meal: 8-10 servings<br />
<br />
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