Addendum to Addictive money saver

The new issue of Bon Appetit focuses on Italy and they have a very helpful guide to making quality stove top espresso. The key is to not overheat the water, nor brew too long. The result is a sweeter, smooth brew.  After following their tips, I have to concur!

1. Use heated (hot) water in the base - this prevents it from overheating and burning the coffee

2. Fill basket with coffee ground finer than drip coffee, but coarser than espresso. I use the first notch in the espresso option when grinding at the grocery store - not the finest grind. Fine grinds clog the pot.


3. Level grinds (don't pat) and screw top on tight to prevent leaking.

4. With lid open, heat over medium-low heat. Once there is a steady stream, close the lid and remove from heat.

5. Wrap base with a cold, wet cloth to stop the brewing process.

A cold wet hug for the Bialetti - it works!

Warming up to Spring, Tagine style; or: Toddler approved Tagine

It is still chilly here, but the shelves of the supermarkets are beginning to fill with signs of spring, like in season fennel bulbs, beets, and many others. I wanted to try an easy recipe that would incorporate these new findings with something still warming for the body and soul.

I need to get to Morocco ASAP!

This recipe is a stovetop 'tagine', a stew of meats, vegetables, herbs and spices. Traditional tagines (or tajines - from North African countries like Morocco and Tunisia) are made in conical clay pots, with a flat bottom. Inexpensive meats and additions gently bake and simmer; meat is tender and falling apart, vegetables are aromatic with a flavourful sauce.

For your kitchen (if you don't have said pot), a heavy sauce pan with a cover will work just fine. Also, there is no long baking required to get all the mentioned qualities (although that is not a knock against the traditional method!), just simmering on the stovetop.

Additional vegetables I would try next time would be artichokes, halved baby potatoes, asparagus segments and snap peas. Add the first two along with the fennel and carrots, the last two I would add to the last 15 minutes of cooking. I think lamb would be lovely here, as would pork! The beauty of tagines is the endless possibilities of deliciousness.

For stews and braises, I like to do these the day before. The flavours intensify and you get more bang for your effort, making a perfect do-ahead meal.

Chicken Tagine with Spring Vegetables
Recipe inspired from Bon Appetit, April 2003
Makes 8 servings
Serve with cooked pasta, or couscous

1/2 cup (about) olive oil
1 pound onions, chopped
8 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons (packed) grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
8 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
8 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 beets, peeled, cut in 3/4 inch wedges
3 fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed, bulbs quartered vertically
5 large carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, cut into 1-inch lengths

Preparation:

Heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.

I crush the garlic clove with the flat of the knife, then mince away

Cumin and coriander powdered together - excellent scent

 Add next 7 ingredients and 6 tablespoons each parsley, dill, and mint; sauté 3 minutes longer. Scrape contents of skillet into heavy large pot (used a Le Creuset cast iron pot); reserve skillet .

Wow - the smell here is amazing

 Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of chicken and sauté until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to pot with onion mixture. Repeat with remaining chicken in 2 more batches, adding more oil by tablespoonfuls if needed. Add broth to skillet; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Transfer broth to pot; add fennel and carrots.

Chicken thighs - cheaper and tastier

All the browning is perfect for adding flavor to the tagine

Deglaze the pan with stock (or water) 

I thought the yellow beet adds a nice touch of colour and sweetness

Bring tagine to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is almost tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer until chicken and all vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken and vegetables to large bowl.

Ready to simmer away!

Just needs the sauce reduction and you are ready to go!

Boil sauce until reduced enough to coat spoon, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Return chicken and vegetables to sauce. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.)
Rewarm tagine over medium heat. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons each of parsley, dill, and mint.

Toddler and adult approved!

Gluten free Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Quite the mouthful! A lovely reader requested this recipe - one I have never tried, but since this is a curious kitchen....

Gnocchi (nee-yo-kee), a soft Italian dumpling made of traditionally flour and potato, can be as delicate as a fluffy pillow, or as heavy and dead as its name implies (nocchio, knot of wood). The key is to have as little flour as possible, enough to hold the dough together, otherwise the gnocchi becomes leaden in the mouth. The wonderful thing about these dumplings is they can be dressed as you like, fried in butter, tossed in pesto, coated in your favourite pasta sauce with any variety of vegetables or meats, even broiled like a gratin. They can be a main course or an appetizer for a party; either way, gnocchi are versatile and delicious!

So what of our friends who must stick to gluten-free diets? Are they left out of the party? No way! With increasing understanding of food allergies, there are more products on the market catering to people afflicted with a gluten allergy. Supermarkets carry a wide variety of flour alternatives that do not contain gluten (Bob's Red Mill have a number of products). If you are making these for a 'GF' friend, check if you need to clean your utensils properly to remove any residual gluten (just in case!).

Here is a recipe I gleaned off the internet, adjusted to my specifications. In place of potatoes, are sweet potatoes (not as starchy and more moist than regular potatoes) - adds an additional sweet flavour and hit up of vitamin A etc. And in place of flour are a 'Gluten-free all purpose baking flour' from Bob's Red Mill, and hazelnut meal. To hold the dough together, whole milk ricotta cheese (do not substitute skim milk ricotta).

Helpful tools:
*food processor or blender
*food mill, or potato ricer, or potato masher


Gluten-free Sweet Potato Gnocchi

2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 medium-large)

2/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour, plus generous amount for the work surface
1/4 cup hazelnut flour/meal (can purchase, or make by processing to a fine powder, whole hazelnuts. See below for pictures)

Makes approximately 100 gnocchi.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Slice sweet potatoes in half. Bake the sweet potatoes until tender and fully cooked, between 40 to 55 minutes depending on size. Cool slightly. Cut in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl.

Handy food mill - a potato masher is just as effective

Finished product - any extras can go straight to baby!

I processed the sweet potatoes through a food mill, which is highly effective for drier potatoes, but perhaps for these, may not have made a difference. Measure out 2 cups of sweet potato puree, and place in large bowl.
Add the ricotta cheese, salt, and pepper and fold in until well mixed.

Blend flours together in a separate bowl. Add the flours, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing gently each time. This dough does not become a solid dough like the regular potato-flour gnocchi, so look for the 'dough' to come together, but still quite wet.

A lone hazelnut on a field of his fallen comrades

Ready to go, mise en place

Folding in the flour - it is becoming 'dough-ier'

After becoming alarmed at how wet this dough was, I took a breath. Should I add more flour to this dough? So instead of likely ruining the batch, I generously floured the work surface before beginning the next step. The outer coating of flour helped the dough from sticking and helped with its shape very well.

Scoop out a handful of dough. On the floured surface, roll out each ball into a 1-inch wide rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Re-flour surface in between each scoop.

Roll dough, moving hands from the center out, taking the dough gently with you

Still sticky! Just sprinkle a bit more flour and keep going

If you like, roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork. This dough does not handle it very well, but the ridges formed help to hold sauce, and it just looks cute! I tried a few, but left the rest plain.Transfer the formed gnocchi to a large baking sheet. Continue with the remaining gnocchi.

I left the extras on the tray - pop them in the freezer , bag when solid. Instant supper!

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Salting the water after it has boiled gives the gnocchi a hit of flavour

Add the gnocchi in 3 batches and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the gnocchi using a slotted spoon onto a baking sheet. Tent with foil to keep warm and continue with the remaining gnocchi.

From here: you can do any number of methods to finish the gnocchi. I fried these darlings in butter (over medium-low heat) until crispy and browned, turning occasionally (about 5-7 minutes), and tossed with a Parsley-nut pesto. This browning caramelized the sugars in the sweet potato and gave that 'extra' something. The resulting gnocchi went as follows: bite, crispy-sweet-savoury, soft-gentle-light texture, smile.

Fresh pasta

One luxury in this world, in relation to the mouth, is fresh pasta. In fact, it is a relatively cheap and simple luxury, and well worth the time, if you are so inclined.

Your Italian ancestors (or any ancestor with noodles in their cuisine) would say that you can do this by hand, and they are correct. But if you are going to get this process done efficiently (especially for beginners), a pasta maker is a good tool to invest in. It may collect dust for the first 3 years (looking in my direction), but if you can find a good go-to recipe, it will become an important kitchen tool. I use an Imperia brand hand crank machine, but there are many others on the market that work great. Stand mixers also come with this as an attachment too. Think of this as the talking piece to a fun pasta party night, glasses of red wine, and good cheese.

I have recently found an excellent recipe that produces a strong, resilient egg dough, which produces silky noodles, perfect for an infinite number of recipes. The basis of most egg noodles is eggs and flour, sometimes water, sometimes oil. Traditional recipes call for durum wheat, but if this can't be found, all-purpose flour is good too. A mixture of different grain flours can also be incorporated for textured noodles with interesting flavours. Vegetable purees (spinach, squash etc.) can be incorporated into the eggs before mixing to make a colorful noodle. But here is the basic recipe that is sure to please, from The Art of Simple Food, by Alice Waters (of Chez Panisse, Berkeley). This dough will be the basis for any shape and form of pasta, so have fun!

Fresh Pasta
For 4 servings

Measure into a bowl 2 cups flour
Measure into another bowl 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks.

• Make a well in the flour and pour in eggs. Mix with a fork, as if scrambling eggs, incorporating flour bit by bit. If using a stand mixer, combine with paddle attachment, pouring eggs in at low speed.
• When flour is too stiff to mix with a fork, finish mixing by hand. If crumbly, add water dropwise, mixing until dough starts to come together.
• Turn out onto floured surface and knead lightly (for both hand and stand mixer method).
• Shape dough into a disk and wrap in plastic to rest for at least an hour. The dough can be put in the fridge overnight, allowing to come to room temperature before using.

To roll by machine:

• For ease of rolling, cut a quarter of the dough (wrap the remaining to prevent drying).
• Roll pasta through widest setting. Fold dough into thirds, and pass through machine again. Repeat two more times.

Folding dough into thirds, like an envelope, circa 1810 (just need a wax seal!)

This also kneads the dough, so multiple passes through is important

• Roll, decreasing settings each time until pasta is of desired thickness. I did the pasta to the thinest setting ('6'). The dough is now quite long, and if you would like a specific length of noodles, divide sheet appropriately.

Before and after

• Run pasta sheet through desired noodle cutting attachment. My machine comes with a fettuccine cutter, but other options are available. It is also fun to cut the noodle sheets by hand, so get creative with widths and shapes.
• Toss noodles lightly with flour to keep from sticking. 

To prepare:

• Boil a large pot of water, salting once boiling. Keep at a rapid boil.
• Add pasta (stir to keep from sticking), cook for 3-6 minutes, depending on the thickness of noodle. The pasta is done when the noodles are cooked through, but still have a good bite (al dente).

For a super easy, comforting pasta for one, mash 1 tablespoon of butter, pinch of salt, pepper and quarter of garlic, minced. Toss with cooked pasta (1/4 of the dough), and you are ready! Fresh herbs, lemon zest, and parmesan cheese would fit in nicely too!

Quesadillas

I caught a glimpse of my copy of Rick Bayless' Mexico - One Plate at a Time today, and was inspired to have quesadillas for a light and simple lunch.

Quesadillas are Mexico's answer to the France's croque monsieur, and America's grilled cheese. It is a meal in hand - crisp tortilla, and basically any filling you can think of, topped with melted, rich cheese. Flour tortillas are the norm in the US when preparing this dish, but the most traditional form is corn masa tortillas. Fresh ground masa is the ultimate choice (check out your nearest mercado that makes this fresh daily for a ball or two), but the home cook can find instant corn masa in most supermarkets. The flavor of fresh corn tortillas is only 2 minutes away! Corn masa tortilla dough is the basis for many traditional recipes, like gorditas and sopes, so keep this one in your back pocket.

For 4 small tortillas (following package directions):
1/2 cup masa flour
1/3 cup water
pinch of salt

Here's everything you need!

Mix ingredients in bowl until a soft dough. If dough appears dry, add extra water a tablespoon at a time until dough feels moist. Keep in moist towel to prevent drying out.

Divide into 4 equal pieces and roll into balls. To press into tortillas, you can use the traditional tortilla press, or your own creation. Mine are two ceramic baking pieces (see below). Cut open a freezer bag, and place ball in between layers. Press down to flatten, and peel tortilla carefully from plastic. Keep moist until ready to cook.

I made quesadillas today with prepared refried black beans, a local cow-sheep smoked cheese, and fresh cilantro. Bayless suggests squash blossoms, Oxacan string cheese and epazote leaves - will try this in the summer. On each tortilla, spread filling on one half, folding gently to enclose with the other. Press edges to seal - if tortilla is getting dry it will tend to split. This didn't seem to effect the cooking or deliciousness.

Bayless instructs to fry tortillas in 3/4 inch oil (375F) - a definite treat, but I pan fried with a coating of oil today. Fry on medium high heat, turning 2-3 times until browning and crisp. Enjoy!

With a side of summer squash, tomatoes, cumin and oregano - lovely!

Toasty cumin, tasty cumin

Mrs. Sengupta's spice collection

 Along with the friendships I took away from living in a certain East coast state, it was gleaning from many of my Indian colleagues the wonders of fresh spices in cooking. There would be close at hand in their warm kitchens, small tins within a larger tin of fresh cumin, fenugreek, black mustard seed, tumeric, chili pepper, and other mysteries to the Western palate. While I do not have such a wonderful organizing system (think a jumble of small plastic bags), this philosophy still rings in my kitchen long after leaving.

A spice that reaches across many cultures is cumin - Mexican, North African, Chinese, Mediterranean, and more. The next time you want to make a Cuban-inspired marinade, or even Egyptian dhukka (and yes, I had to look that one up!), a great way to punch up the cumin factor (and many other spices, like coriander and oregano) is to quickly toast in a handy frying pan. Heating on low, until there is a earthy 'cumin' aroma, and the seeds darken, is all you need to make a party in your mouth later on. Store the seeds in a small, air tight container, or use right away.

If you want to go a step further, a nice investment is an automatic spice mill (like a coffee grinder, although don't grind coffee with it!), or an old-fashioned mortar and pestle. A little elbow grease never tasted so good.

Ahhh - all the frustrations of the day just melt away

Cumin before and after

A great source for fresh spices are natural food markets, or markets serving communities that use a variety of spices in their food. Perhaps a whole new culinary path will come of it!