changing tastes

Dear Kristin,

I've lived long enough to know that things change over time. In fact, many of my own likes and dislikes have changed. For instance, there was a time when I liked:

• Talking on the phone
• Playing Barbie dolls with my friends
• Partying

Today, I avoid talking on the phone (unless it's to you, of course) like the plague. I've become jaded in my old age and now view Barbie dolls as instruments of sexist propaganda, and as for partying - well, unless it's a pajama party for one in front of the television on a Friday night, well - let's just say I'd rather not, thank you very much. So, basically I've become a hermit. Today my favorite pass-times are:

• Reading
• Watching old movies (preferably ones starring Cary Grant)
• Running (by myself) on a nature trail

Some of these changes may be for the better, some maybe not. I've also noted that my tastes in food have changed over time. I used to like:

• Spam (yes - I did indeed like it - at least until I was old enough to question what it is really made of)
• Orange aid that came in a paper carton like milk - uncarbonated and full of sugar and empty calories
• Tea with milk and sugar (now I can't imagine diluting a good cup of tea with anything unless I have a sore throat - then I will tolerate some honey)

Some foods I used to HATE:

• Spinach
• Onions
• Steak (or beef of any kind)
• Mushrooms

Today these are among my favorite foods, and I can't imagine not having them as a regular part of my diet. These are certainly changes for the better - right? Spam vs. steak? No question.

While I still can't eat raw mushrooms, I do enjoy them when they are cooked, and have even expanded my mushroom munching to include quite a variety. Among my favorites are shitake mushrooms. They have a very distinctive taste that seems to brighten up anything dish they are in - for example, this easy mushroom chicken dish. (Note the way the spinach found its way into this dish as well!)

chicken with mushrooms and asiago cream sauce

2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
1/2 c. flour
4 Tblsp. butter (divided)
1/2 lb. shitake mushrooms, sliced *
1/2 lb. white button mushrooms sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 c. white wine (dry is better)
3/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. shredded Asiago cheese
Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Pound chicken until it is of an even thickness. Season with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour.** Shake off any excess flour.
2. Melt 2 Tblsp. butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and saute until nicely brown (about 5 minutes) on one side. Flip chicken and cook for an additional minute. Remove the chicken from the pan, set aside and keep it warm.
3. Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Lower the heat, add mushrooms and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until mushrooms are softened and somewhat browned. Add garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add wine to the skillet, stirring up any bits of mushroom or chicken that are sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the chicken broth and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until liquid has reduced by half.
5. Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Add the Asiago and stir constantly until melted. Return the chicken to the skillet and let it simmer in the sauce just until it has heated through and the sauce has thickened a little more. Serve immediately, sprinkling with Parmesan cheese if desired.

*You probably can mix & match whatever kinds of mushrooms you like best.
**Wegman's sells a wonderful dredging flour that can be used instead. It already contains salt and pepper, so if you are using the dredging flour there is no need to salt and pepper the chicken before dredging.

cool nights, warm bellies

Dear Mom,

As much as truly loath the end of summer, I do have a soft spot in my heart for fall.  Well, maybe not my heart, more like my stomach.  Gone are the days where it is simply too hot to contemplate eating anything but things cooked on the grill, its time to fire up that oven!  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about eating burgers, hot dogs and steaks, but after a while you're ready to dig in to a nice hearty stew or pasta.  There is nothing better than slowly braising a pot of yummy meat and vegetables for half a day and then serving it over hot egg noodles, and fall is the perfect time to do this.

coq au vin

6 oz. bacon, chopped
1 5-7 lb whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper
1 bag frozen pearl onions
8 oz. button mushrooms, quartered
1-1/2 bottles red wine, preferably pinot noir
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 medium onion, quartered
2 stalks celery, quartered
2 carrots, quartered
3 cloves garlic, crushed
6-8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken stock or broth

Egg noodles or mashed potatoes for serving

Heat a large french oven (coquette) over medium-high heat.  Cook bacon until crispy, remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Meanwhile, put chicken pieces in zip-top plastic bag with flour, season with salt and pepper.  Seal bag and shake, completely coating the chicken. 

Preheat oven to 325.  Leave bacon fat in french oven on heat, add additional oil if needed.  Brown chicken in hot oil on both sides.  Remove from french oven to plate and set aside.  Add additional oil if needed and brown (separately) pearl onions and then mushrooms.  Remove pearl onions and mushrooms from french oven and put in refrigerator.

While the french oven is still over the heat pour in about 1 cup of red wine, scrape brown bits up from the bottom.  Add remaining wine, chicken broth and tomato paste, stirring until paste is mostly dissolved.  Add chicken, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme and bay leaf.  Make sure that chicken is covered with the liquid (if not add more wine or broth).  Cover and put in the oven.  Cook for 2 - 2.5 hours or until the chicken is tender. 

When the chicken is done, remove it to a heat-proof container and keep warm.  Strain the sauce through a collander and return to the stovetop over medium-high heat.  Reduce by 1/3, about 30 minuties (if sauce is still not thick go ahead and whisk in a little roux).  When the sauce is thick add the mushrooms, onions and chicken back to the pot.  When everything is hot your ready to serve, I recommend egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

oysters!

Dear Mom,

Well I completely agree with you when it comes to oysters!  I'm not a terribly picky eater, but I just cannot tolerate those nasty little boogers of the sea.  I realize I'm probably offending a lot of mollusc-munchers out there, but I just am totally repulsed by them.  I really wonder what the first oyster eater was thinking when he picked up one of those things and said "Hey, maybe if I wrench this rock open there will be something edible inside..."  Perhaps he first watched an otter eat one?  I just don't know.  I suppose the same could be said for a lot of foods, lobsters and shrimp honestly look like the insects of the sea.  Although a lot of cultures eat land insects like grasshoppers, which to me seems like more of a stretch than a shrimp. 

Don't forget about the weird fruits or vegetables that make their way on to our plates.  Things like mushrooms, rambutans, romanescu, celeriac.  I think what makes these things slightly easier to digest is that they don't have eyes and they can't really get away.  Then again I don't think oysters have eyes, nor are they capable of escape; so I guess by that logic I would love oysters.  There was a time when I didn't really care for mushrooms, they are odd, when cooked improperly they can be very slimy, and they're a fungus (as is athlete's foot).  So, ew.  But I have grown up and grown to like them. 

This was a very round about way to get to a recipe, and I realize at this point you all are totally grossed out.  But, this recipe is quite delicious and not too difficult to prepare.  I'm not going to try to salvage this post, so just check back in a day or two, skip reading the post again and just make the recipe. :)

chicken marsala

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 tbsp. flour
salt & pepper
extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint presliced white button mushrooms
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
1-1/2 cup marsala wine (the real deal, its a fortified wine should be near the ports/sherries)

Thoroughly rinse and pat dry chicken.  Place the chicken in a zip-top plastic bag and pound to a little thinner than 1/2-inch thick.   Add the 4 tbsp. flour and salt and pepper, zip up the bag and shake until the chicken is completely coated.  Heat a large non-stick skillet, add a good amount of the olive oil.  When the pan is hot place the chicken in, turning once, cook until done (8-10 minutes).  When the chicken is done, set aside on a plate and cover with foil.

In the chicken drippings, melt the butter.  Add the onions, garlic and mushrooms, and saute over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are golden and the onions translucent.  Add the flour and cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes.  Add the chicken stock and marsala wine, scraping the bottom of the pan and stirring.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the sauce gets thick. 

Plate the chicken and divide the sauce between the two plates.

poor man's wellington

Dear Kristin,

I have a confession. I'm in love with a flake.

Before you say "I know - you married dad!", let me clarify.

Specifically, I'm in love with those lovely, flaky sheets of divine decadence known as puffed pastry. Whether it's sweet or savory, puffed pasty has the ability to elevate even the most mundane filling or topping to levels of epicurean delight that scream "I'm special" to the eager diner. Honestly - wrap it around a homely hot dog, and suddenly you have a designer dog that could win at Westminster!

And talk about versatile! Puffed pastry can be shaped into cute little cut-outs for appetizers, layered with custard or fruit for dessert, or in this case, formed into a pouch to hold an entree special enough for Sunday dinner, but easy enough to make on a Wednesday.

I have another confession. I've never had real Beef Wellington. It's not something that appears on Denny's menu in the Senior Citizen's early bird special section, so I decided to try and make it myself, on a shall we say, somewhat less extravagant scale. Modest meatloaf is encased in pastry, and instead of topping the meat with a mushroom duxelles, the pastry packets are topped with a mushroom-wine sauce. This is about as fancy as I can get in my little comfy kitchen - but who needs fancy when dinner is just plain good?

poor man's wellington

For the meat:

1 lb. 80-20% ground beef
1 egg
2 Tblsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 pkg. frozen puffed pastry

For the sauce:

8 medium sized white mushrooms
3 Tblsp. butter
1/2 c. dry red wine
1 c. plus 3 Tblsp. reduced sodium beef broth (divided)
1 1/2 Tblsp. corn starch
1 tsp. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Make the meatloaves:

Spray 6 regular sized muffin cups with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375F.
Mix ground beef and next five ingredients gently in a bowl. Divide mixture into prepared muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until center is no longer pink. Run a knife along inside of muffin cups to loosen the
meat. Remove meat muffins from pan. Let cool while you prepare the puffed pastry.

Raise oven temp. to 400F.

Roll 1 sheet of pastry into a square approximately 12" by 12". (Or larger, if the pastry is thicker.) Divide square in half, creating two 12" x 6" rectangles.

When meat is cool enough to handle, cut each meat "muffin" into three slices. Arrange 1 and 1/2 meat muffin slices on lower third of one pastry rectangle, trying to arrange as evenly as possible, and leaving a 1" border between meat and edge of pastry. Moisten edges of rectangle with water. Fold pastry over, completely enclosing the meat, and crimp edges with a fork to seal.

Repeat with remaining pastry and meat muffins.

Bake pastry pouches for 20-25 minutes or until slightly brown.

While pastry bakes, prepare sauce:

Clean and slice mushrooms. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and cook on medium heat for five minutes, or until mushrooms are softened.

Add 1/2 c. wine to mushrooms and continue cooking another 5 minutes.

Mix 3 Tblsp. beef broth with corn starch, making sure corn starch dissolves completely. Add this to the mushrooms along with the remaining cup of broth and thyme. Continue cooking, stirring frequently until sauce thickens and appears rich and silky. Test for seasoning, and add salt and pepper as needed.

Remove pastries from oven, and allow to stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Top with mushroom sauce. Serve additional sauce on the side.

Comfy's note: You can use your favorite meatloaf recipe for these, as long as it is not too moist, or so highly seasoned that it competes with the taste of the sauce.

a late summer love affair

Dear Mom,

Some of my absolute favorite recipes are the ones that can easily translate into different variations.  Once you learn how to make a good pizza dough, you can easily make any kind of pizza you want.  Same thing for pasta or quiche, once you learn the basics you can make all different kinds, and use up any combination of items that may be hanging out in your fridge.  About a year ago I learned how to make ristotto, and it truly has changed my life! 

Just thinking about risotto makes me happy...  I wish I had discovered it sooner, but like so many people I was frightened off of it because of the "long and laborious" cooking time.  But believe me, it is worth it.  Once you master the technique you will probably want to eat it every day of the week.  It's really not hard to make, but it is a little time consuming.  Contrary to popular belief you do not need to stir it constantly, which may quell some nerves out there, but an attentive eye is required.  Ultimately, its going to take you approximately 45 minutes to an hour, but that includes prep time. So its not really that much worse than any other recipe out there.  And, again, its so great because once you master the technique of cooking the rice, you can add any additional veggies or protein that you've got in the fridge. 

This recipe I'm sending you was recently developed with the delivery of our CSA produce box and my desire to do something with the plethora of corn other than corn on the cob (although I do adore some good old grilled corn on the cob). I'm calling it "late summer risotto," and I really think its my new favorite.  I served it with some seared sea scallops which I seared off in some of the leftover bacon fat, and it was a scrumptious accompaniment, but this risotto is so good you can just make it by itself. 

late summer risotto

3 ears fresh corn
1 box low-sodium chicken broth
extra virgin olive oil
2 slices apple-wood smoked bacon
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
extra virgin olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. paprika
groung cayenne pepper (to taste)
freshly ground pepper
8 oz. white button mushrooms, quartered
chopped scallions, for garnish

Preheat grill to medium-low.  Remove husks and silk from corn, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Place corn on grill and cook until lightly charred on all sides, rotating them every few minutes.  This should take about 15 minutes.

Empty the chicken broth into a 3-4 quart sauce pan and bring to a low simmer.  Meanwhile in another 3-4 quart sauce pan add about 1 tbsp. olive oil and the 2 slices of bacon (cut bacon in half to fit in pan).  Cook bacon until crispy, remove from pan and drain on paper towels.  Drain into a separate skillet about 2 tbsp. of the rendered bacon fat.  Set aside. 

Leave about 2 tbsp. of the bacon fat in the sauce pan and lower heat to medium-low.  Add the minced shallots and garlic.  Cook about 5 minutes stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant.  (If it starts to brown, turn down the heat.)  Add the rice and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the 1/2 cup white wine, stir occasionally until the wine is mostly absorbed into the rice.  Add about 1/2 cup of the warmed chicken broth to the rice mixture, and stir.  Continue adding about 1/2 cup of the broth to the rice mixture, allowing each addition to absorb into the rice before adding the next.  Stir after each addition and occasionally stir or lightly shake the pot in between additions.

When the broth is gone your risotto should be ready, this will take about 30 minutes.  It should be slightly soupy. 

While you are adding the broth and stirring/shaking, prepare the remainder of the ingredients: When the corn is cool enough to handle, remove the corn from the cobs and set aside.  Heat the skillet with the reserved bacon fat over medium heat and add the mushrooms and a little salt.  Cook the mushrooms until golden, set aside.  Finely chop the bacon, set aside. 

In a small bowl add the parmesan, butter, thyme, 1 tsp. salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and as much cayenne as you dare.  When your risotto is ready (all the broth is absorbed) empty this bowl into the risotto and stir vigorously until butter is melted and all ingredients are incorporated.  Add the mushrooms and corn, stir to combine.  Top with chopped bacon and scallions. 


cosmo's cooking notes:  Ok, fine, I know this sounds difficult!  But again, you'll just have to trust me on this one, it's worth it!!!