Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Ask Whatever: I have a ton of brussels sprouts

"Do you have any brussels sprout recipes?? I just bought 2 stalks since the farm stand was closing for the winter."

Lauren, this is a great questions since brussels sprouts are so very plentiful right now.

An easy cure for plain jane sprouts is obvious and can be applied to any vegetable, mineral or meat: add bacon and cheese.

But if you want to get a little crazy, use brussels sprouts in a breakfast hash. It's so good and different and healthy and less carbs since you're skipping the tots.

Clean and cut the sprouts in halves and quarters (they can be tough to tackle in one bite whole). Cover them in a little oil, salt and pepper and start cooking them in a frying pan. Add some white onion, garlic, maybe a little chopped tomato. And sure go ahead and add some bacon, I know you can't control yourself (cut the bacon into bits before frying). Then top with some runny, dippy, sunny side up eggs.

You have never experienced a garden breakfast so healthy and hearty all at once.

Another unique option I like (which may not be kid friendly) is to stir-fry the sprouts with garlic, butter and douse them in red wine. It's an easy, delicious new way to experience them.


Mushroom Marsala Soup

My husband and I recently marked our 1-year wedding anniversary (gosh, that sounds weird). To celebrate, we spent a long weekend in Kennett Square, PA the mushroom capital of the world. (I think they are at least). We were there for the Annual Mushroom Festival, where we sampled over 15 types of mushroom-based soups, stuffed mushrooms 5 ways and even had mushroom icecream. It was awesome and inspiring.

My plan for 2011 is to enter the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival's amateur mushroom soup contest. After you submit your recipe, judges make your soup at their home, then the top picks are invited to cook live at the fest ala Food Network. One winner takes home the crown and $500.

It just so happens the Marc Jacobs ballet flats I need cost exactly that.

So, after experimenting with some recipes, here is the best I have. It's an ode to traditional soup with a Devor twist- Marsala wine. Think of how savory and juicy mushrooms in chicken marsla are and how that would translate into a soup. Amazing.

PLEASE loyal friends and readers- try to make this soup and let me know how it goes. Are the instructions easy and accurate (remember, I'm free styling here)? Was it good? Did it look pretty/edible? And most importantly do you think it will win?





Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 large shallots chopped thin and small
2 celery stalks, chopped thin and small
3 thick sliced of onion chopped thin and small
3 large garlic cloves chopped thin and small
3 cups thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms
3 cups thinly sliced white button mushrooms
3 cups thinly sliced oyster mushrooms
1/2 cup marsala wine
1/2 cup Cooking Sherry
1/4 cup all purpose flour
32 ounces vegetable broth
1 pint whipping cream

Prep:
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large soup pot and add garlic, onion and shallot. Cook until mushy, about 6-8 minutes.

Add mushrooms and continue to cook until mushy and soft, additional 6-8 minutes.

Add wine and sherry and bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.

Mix remaining butter and flour in small bowl until it starts to form a crumbly paste type substance (use a fork to mash the butter into the flour, usually takes about 2-3 minutes.

Add flour/butter paste mixture to the pot and stir until all the vegetables are covered in it. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.

Turn off heat and stir in cream. Working in batches, add soup to a blender or food processor and blend each batch for about 10 seconds or until desired constancy.

Serve hot. Can be made in advance and kept for several days.

Add toast points, chopped chives or sliced oyster mushrooms as edible garnish.




Shown here with rye toast with a anchovy, olive oil and roasted garlic spread topped with chives

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Jen's Quick Tips: Rosemary Mashed Potatoes


I was recently asked if I had any mashed potato recipes, and my response was: "Yes, mash potatoes and add whatever you want."

Really. Cheeses (thanks, Jaci), other veg, ground turkey, bacon obviously. Anything savory can be paired with mashed potatoes.That is the beauty of the mash.

But, if you want to make yours just little bit special, here is a helpful trick to take mashed potatoes to the next level.

When boiling the potatoes, add a generous amount of rosemary sprigs (the more the better in my opinion).

After the potatoes are softened (usually about 25 minutes) carefully remove the rosemary leaving behind just a few clues that it was there.

This will give your potatoes an extra winter-y taste without being overbearing.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Jen's Quick Tips: Tossing and Turning

Just a real super quick tip that I realized tonight while reheating some pasta in a pan: don't 'over turn'.

I can be pretty dramatic and flamboyant in the kitchen and have noticed recently that I over turn or over toss things when cooking on the stove top. Too much turning actually reverses the process, putting the cooked side back on the heat.

Seems obvious but just something to be cautious of.


Ask Whatever: Thanksgiving, Abridged

"Jen, I have a Q for the blog. It's my first time putting on Thanksgiving, and it will be a small gathering of 3 people, what should I prepare? A Turkey would be too much."

Girlfriend, let me tell you. I wish my first Thanksgiving was for 3 people. You're gonna be great! I agree that a large, plump bird would be too much for just the three of you unless you all really like cold turkey leftovers. However, this is a very special holiday so not just any old drumstick or fillet will do.

If you're open to 'Tradition Interpreted', there are a few ideas I can offer.

Quail or Poussin

Though eating a bird other than a chicken or a turkey can seem weird, don't be put off just yet as both Quail and Poussin are considered pretty regal. You'll eat like a petite queen with these impressive wild fowl. Not only are they small (usually serve 2 Quail or 1 Poussin per person) but the meat is the perfect vehicle for seasonal flavors like apples, pears, cranberries, and beets so you don't have to put too much effort into finding pairing ingredients. This will give you the look of a traditional Thanksgiving with an exotic, smaller twist. Try wrapping it in bacon to make it even more perfect.



Leg of Lamb

What a freaking feast this will be. Yes, cooking a leg of lamb requires some skill and beginners luck and there will be leftovers as most legs are about 5 to 7 lbs and serve 6 to 8 people - but when the heck do you ever eat lamb? Take advantage of the savage yet delicate piece of meat. I suggest playing up the holiday theme and finding a recipe that involves rosemary and garlic. Instead of cranberry sauce, make a mint jelly and you might never do turkey again.



Ask Whatever: Thanksgiving

Hosting Thanksgiving should be mandatory at least once for anyone with even the slightest interest in cooking. It is C-R-A-Z-Y but can also be a lot of fun and is almost always rewarding (even if the entire turkey is ruined ala Christmas Vacation-style). I like to pretend I am on a cooking competition show when I host, putting on my game face and being in it to win it.

I have a few girlfriends hosting their first Thanksgiving this year and they asked me some really great questions that can be applied to any big meal. Here are some of the highlights.

Q:"How can I ensure excellent timing? I am worried things will not come together at the right time"


If you are hosting Thanksgiving you're going to be spending a lot if time in the kitchen so first make sure to assign someone to keep refilling your cocktail and bring you hors devours throughout the day.

Of course, try to make and prep as many things as possible in advance- especially if you have a big turkey and a small oven (think space issues and temperature specifications). Things like cranberry sauce and soups can be made a few days in advance, and actually taste better when they've sat a bit so start with them. Chop vegetables and seal them the night before, prepare and slice cheeses and snack plate foods on trays and wrap as is for easy serving the next day and sit butter out on the counter in the morning so it melts faster later that afternoon.

I also map out my game plan and agenda a few days before and stick a copy of it on the fridge for easy reference (this I got from my mother-in-law who is a thanksgiving veteran). I'll set labeled alarms on my cellphone to remind me when I need to start working on the next dish, like "3:00 put pies in oven." These tricks allow me to drink as much as I want and still stay on track - perfect!

My favorite tip for a large diverse meal is writing down the different menu items on index cards and placing the cards inside or on top of the serving dishes. That way, when you have mashed potatoes in one hand and creamed corn in the other there is no mixing up placement.

Q:"How long should I cook my turkey? It's huge - what do I cook it in? And if I pre-stuff my turkey before cooking it will I die of salmonella?"

Turkeys are a big bird to take on so it can be intimidating at first but once you roll up your sleeves and get started you should be fine. I suggest putting both hands on the bird and giving it a little grab. Seriously. You'll soon see it's just like a giant chicken breast once you actually touch it and you can totally manage hooking it up with deliciousness. You own this bird, and there is nothing be scared of.

A turkey's cook time ranges on the size of the bird and the heat of your oven. I don't mess around with second-guessing poultry so I am going to defer you to a website dedicated to cooking birds: www.eatturkey.com

As for what to cook it in, just use what makes sense - you can cover a deep baking pan with foil, buy a disposable aluminum pan from the grocery store (not the most green choice, but that's how I do it) or be wild and buy a fancy bird pan. There are some options from my favorite independent gadget store Kitchen Kapers for going all out.

And no - you won't die from stuffing your turkey before you cook it, but keep in mind it takes longer to cook a stuffed turkey. I suggest finding a recipe and sticking to it to ensure a fully edible meal.


These are some highlights from my first time hosting last year: local vegetables, table setting and bourbon apple pie courtesy of my sexy, pie-loving husband.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Dogfish on TV

Beer goes great with food. One of my favorite local(ish) craft brews is Dogfish Head. I just found out the brewery has a new show called BrewMasters on Discovery Channel. The series follows Dogfish Head Brewery founder and president Sam Calagione as he travels the world searching for unusual brews and learning about age-old beer making techniques. 


Sam Calgione


Be sure to check it out! I know I'll be watching.

Root mash

I've been obsessed with making mashed potatoes this week (fatty as heck, I know, but whatever). To mix things up a bit while still satisfying my cravings, I created this recipe using turnips, green onions and carrots. As I've mentioned before, carrots are a great way to add subtle flavor and have a huge impact on presentation.

Root Mash
Ingredients:
Small Bunch of turnips (5-6)
8-10 baby carrots
2 big garlic cloves crushed and sliced
1 1/2 cup green onion stems
Salt and Butter to preference

Prep:
Turnips and carrots boil until soften (usually about 20 minutes)
Add garlic about half way through
Drain completely
Add butter and salt and mash in
Mash in chives
Add butter on top, cover until ready to eat then stir in before serving
And voila! Pictured below with cranberry dijon sauce (From Bon Appetite 11/09) and drumsticks with an Austin, Tx rub.

Note: one of the best investments for holiday cooking is a masher. Other than a knife to chop the veggies, it's the only tool I use in mashes. Check out these selections from local, independent kitchen store: Kitchen Kapers

Jen's Quick Tips: Zucchini bread

Next time you make zucchini bread, add some shredded carrots to it.
It not only adds an additional, unique sweetness, but the color combination is bold and impressive.

If you think it sounds weird, just think about how good carrot cake is!

Here is zucchini bread (with shredded carrots) paired with homemade creamed corn ice-cream .

Credentials

Even though I am 100% sure the only people reading this blog right now beside my husband are the three friends I emailed the beta link to, I wanted to share some credentials with you.

I am by no means a chef or food expert, just a person who has a distinctive and curious palette combined with confidence in the kitchen. I love every type of food (the only things I won't eat are marinaded baby octopus and ranch dressing) and am willing to try everything.

To see some of the dishes I've created in the past (almost all were Freestyled) check out my original food blog: Devor.snaplog.com







Iron Chef

Iron Chef is one of my favorite foodie shows. I would love to do an Iron Chef amateur competition with friends some day. Off the top of my head, I think apples would be an excellent, challenging secret ingredient.

What would you want the secret ingredient to be if you were competitng for the title of Iron Chef?



Jen's Quick tips: Basil


When using basil in recipes, always break the leaves before adding to whatever you're making. This will release the sweet aroma inside the leaf making the flavor stronger and more fragrant.

Freestyle Cooking

Cooking, creating recipes and even sometimes eating out takes confidence. You have to trust your instincts on timing, what tastes good and what elements will come together for the perfect bite.

That's why when my friend and former co-worker Tina used the term 'freestyle cooking' I knew it was gold. Freestyle cooking, just like freestyle rapping is thinking quick on the spot, surveying your surroundings and using whatever in reach to produce a successful, creative outcome.

Dinner tonight was a great example of freestyle cooking.

I was making pasta and only had plain canned sauce. So I poked around the fridge and pantry to see what I could add to it. I found a can of sliced mushrooms, a green pepper, some jarred garlic, white onion and parmigiana cheese.

Knowing what tastes I liked together, I pulled everything out, placed it on the butchers block and stared for a minute and devised a plan.

I took all the 'hard ingredients': onion, green pepper and mushrooms (all chopped small first) and added them to the pot with some oil and started to sauté them. Which makes sense to turn hard ingredients into soft for a sauce, right?

Then once the onions were translucent and the pepper looks a little brown, but not burnt, I added the can of sauce, garlic and parmigiana cheese and brought everything to a boil and was done.

It was super easy and was made up on the spot from whatever was in the fridge and all it took was some basic common sense.

YOU can totally do this, too!

Following recipes are great, and I encourage everyone to try the ones I post here, but the secret to being a good cook is having confidence and improvising.

Try to freestyle cook a meal with whatevers in the house. Email me at cookingwhatevs@gmail.com and let me know how it went. Good luck.




Jen's Quick Tips: Onions


Quick cooking tip that I've learned: Anytime you're cooking onions you want to make sure they are cooked long enough to be translucent. That's when they are tender and have soaked up the flavor of whatever they're cooking in.

Ask Whatever: Cheap eats on date night

"Hey Jen! I need ur help. I want to go to a cheap good restaurant in south Philly before going out tonight. Any ideas??" - GF

This is a text I got from a girlfriend last night, and has inspired me to do a Q&A tag. Not to brag (cough) but I do get a fair share of questions from girlfriends and the occasional guy friend on cooking and dining out. And I absolutely love it. So, with that said, here were my top picks for GF this weekend.

1. Snockey's Oyster and Crab House
1020 S. 2nd Street

Delicious, inexpensive fresh seafood in a real fisherman's bar setting. Everything is good here, even the cheap house wine. Best part is their Clammy Hour, from 4-6 M-F and 2-4 on the weekends (I dare you to spend more than $20). It's a real fun, cool authentic place which is getting harder to find in the newly chic South Philly-area.

2. Pho Hoa
1111 S. 11th Street

Cheap, healthy, clean Pho. Yes, Pho Hoa is a chain franchise that is sandwiched in-between very authentic vietnamese restaurants but I love it so and I love it the best. Plus whether you're adventurous or not, the menu is very extensive though it is hard to stray from the #5 small for about $6 bucks.

What is Pho you ask? Traditionally pronounced 'Fa', butchered by Philadelphians a 'Fo' it's a delicious beef broth-based noodle soup served with sprouts, basil, pickled onions and more. It's also a great hangover cure.

3. South Philly Tap Room
1509 Mifflin Street
Classic yet not without a scene so make sure you look good before going. The SPTR is an awesome place for a simple perfect cheese burger or a weird but delicious duck heart appetizer - and anything in between. And whatever you order there a million different beer varieties to wash it down with.




Deconstructed Creamed Spinach

Late fall is my absolute favorite cooking season. It's an easy excuse to eat red meat and add extra cream and butter to meals to beef up for the winter ahead. Here is a super easy way to really impress whom ever you're cooking for.

If you try this recipe, please let me know how it worked for you.

Deconstructed Creamed Spinach
Spinach Ingredients
3 Lemon slices
3 garlic Garlic
1 bag of Spinach
3 tbs butter
Sprinkle of nutmeg

Prep
Place lemon, garlic, 1/2 the butter and spinach in deep frying pan (wok style is ideal) and cover with water, boil until soft, adding remaining butter half once the water has started to evaporate. Drain and mix in nutmeg.

Cream Ingredients
For the cream, you'll be making a savory whipped cream to serve on top
Heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp Capers (optional, but real good)
1/2 tsp lemon zest

Prep
Mix whipping cream with an electric mixer until self-standing peaks form.
With a plastic spatula or wooden spoon fold in capers and lemon zest.
To serve, remove lemon slices and reserve for garnish. Plate spinach and add dollops of cream on top. Decoratively sprinkle nutmeg or place lemon slice on plate, for example laying gently on top of dollops.

Seen here with roast pork and hand cut fries.



Not the fanciest picture but you can see how fluffy the dish is.

Where to start...

I was recently asked, "where do you see yourself in 5 years?" The first thing that came to my mind was, "doing what I'm doing now." But then i thought, "what am I doing now"? I'm married, I work full time at a non-profit, I love television and I have a dog.

OK. But what defines me?

I love to cook and host, I love being a good friend, and I love the Internet (yes, the general internet).

So, in an effort to expand on the things I love, and maybe even figure out exactly what I am going to do with my life, I decided to start this blog. It will be a combination of homemade recipes, answers to reader-submitted questions about food, and some insight from my areas of expertise: the local food movement, interior design, table manners and more. And I want to hear from you - send in any questions you have about cooking (or whatever) and I'll do my best to answer them here.

Stay tuned, it'll be one tasty journey...
My favorite food groups: Meat, beer and cheese.