Today over at Accidental Hedonist, I’m talking about a simple technique I’ve found for cooking for one. Check it out!
August 30, 2008
August 28, 2008
Sangria on Las Ramblas
In Spain, Sangria has become a sort of tourist trap: every restaurant offers it, even if it isn’t very good and is little more than bad red wine and orange juice. More often than not, the emphasis is on quality, not quantity: on las Ramblas I was served this liter of Sangria with a supremely long straw.
I’m not complaining. I’m not above drinking a liter of sweetened wine, but a true good Sangria is a combination of several ingredients that come together and mix and end up providing a drink that’s complex and delicious, not just sweet and alcoholic with fruit floating in it.
I’m sorry to say that a lot of the Sangria that I tried in Barcelona fell into the latter category. It’s perfectly drinkable and tasty, but it isn’t what I think of when I think of Sangria. The drink I was served reminded me more of a fruity cocktail like a cosmopolitan than the Spanish beverage.
How strange, then, to find that the tiny bar Alex and I fell into (literally… I was wearing very high heels that were entirely inappropriate for a walk through the 11th) served a perfectly spicy Sangria. Alex didn’t like it as much as I did, but I couldn’t get enough. Reminiscent of mulled wine, but chilled and with an orange slice, this deep red drink featured all sorts of spices and flavors that complemented each other and the wine itself. And to top it all off, a generous glass of the house-made Sangria during happy hour was only 3.50.
So you can imagine how angry I am with myself that I managed to forget to get both the name and the address of the bar. What I can tell you is that the address is an odd-numbered building before 51, rue Montreuil. I’m planning on heading back to that neighborhood on Sunday, so I’ll be sure to make a note for any of you who may be interested in a true Sangria experience, even if it is displaced from sunny Barcelona to Paris.
August 27, 2008
Wednesday How Tos: Polenta
Polenta is the Italian word for boiled cornmeal mush. Polenta can either be eaten in its porridge-like state, or baked and used as a sort of semi-soft material that can be topped with sauce or deep fried and served like a cornmeal French fry to dip in marinara sauce. But in order to get there, you first have to learn…
How to Cook Polenta:
You’ll need…
yellow cornmeal
milk
salt
a saucepan
a whisk
1. In your saucepan, heat 2 cups of milk until nearly boiling, but not quite. (Boiling is big bubbles… you want to see little bubbles on the surface, but not enough for the milk to scald.
2. Add about a teaspoon of salt. You can check for seasoning later.
3. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup of cornmeal and begin whisking. Whisk constantly until the polenta is cooked. (Sidebar: In Italy, you’re taught to stir the polenta in only one direction and to never change the direction. I don’t know what happens if you do… I’ve never changed direction to find out.)
Depending on what sort of cornmeal you use, the cooking process can take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when it has the consistency of porridge. Taste for seasoning, and then use it either plain, as a side dish, or add a few extra flavors to make it a meal. Some suggestions…
… for sweet polenta…
Try adding a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of maple syrup. Sprinkle some chopped pecans and bananas over the top for a hearty breakfast.
… for savory polenta…
Top with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and stick the whole thing under the broiler for a minute to allow the cheese to melt.
… for decadent polenta…
Prepare a mushroom cream sauce (What? You don’t know how to make mushroom cream sauce? Hmm… I’ll have to remedy that) or an alfredo pasta sauce and serve it on top.
August 26, 2008
Baked Peas with Yogurt and Tarragon
When I set out to make this dish yesterday, I was positive that, for once, I was going to follow a recipe. It was a simple one, and I had my list of ingredients all ready to go: all I had to do was pick up some peas, yogurt and some scallions. I headed out to the supermarket… only to find that my cheap favorite, Ed, didn’t stock scallions. I debated heading to another market, but instead I just bought regular onions and headed home. That’s when the series of changes started.
Soon after, I decided that I didn’t want to blend the dressing ahead of time: I was going to cook the onions with the peas on the stovetop, and then add the yogurt and pistachios. It looked so good on the stovetop when I stirred the yogurt in… I should have followed my intuition and eaten it right then and there. But I diligently followed one recipe instruction and stuck the whole thing in the oven for 15 minutes. When it came out, it was dry… not at all saucy and creamy like I had expected.
In the end, I adored the combination of flavors. I was surprised that tarragon, an herb that I’m not too familiar with but that I generally associate with creamy steak sauce, would go so well with peas, something I tend to always pair with mint. Throw in pistachios, and this healthy, hearty veggie dish was completely golden and more than enough for supper. But next time, I’ll stick with my instincts: if I’m going to stray from a recipe, I should go all the way with it.
Before I leave you, two things: firstly, the blog where I found the recipe, 101 Cookbooks, is one of my new favorites. I absolutely adore the recipes and the photos. I think I’ve added about half of the recipes on the site to my list of things to try. If you haven’t been by yet, be sure to check it out.
Also, I’ve decided (after a request this afternoon on how to cook polenta) to integrate a new theme on my blog. Every Wednesday, I’m going to take a technique that is a bit old hat for most of us food bloggers out there and really teach it to those of you who may just be starting out cooking. Everything from properly slicing, dicing, chopping and mincing to the best way to cook broccoli and basic techniques behind classics like risotto and polenta. Stay tuned… I’m psyched!
Peas with Yogurt and Tarragon (adapted from 101 Cookbooks)
Note: This isn’t the way I made it, but it’s the way I think it should be made, and the way I will make it in the future. The only difference is the absence of baking.
1 tsp. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cups frozen peas
3 tbsp. Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. dried tarragon
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
salt
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and some salt sweat until sweet and translucent. Add the peas and defrost in the skillet with the onions. When the peas are fully warmed, turn off the heat of the skillet. Add the yogurt, tarragon and pistachios. Taste and season with salt if needed.
August 25, 2008
Paella… Again
I wrote once before about paella, a while back, but I have to do it once more, mostly because paella in Mallorca, just as it is vastly different from the version my mother makes at home, is also vastly different from the ones found in Barcelona.
When Alex and I were in Barcelona, I let him know about my personal obsession with sticking with native food. Whenever I travel, I feel the need to always eat that which the region is known for: never mind that I may be in the mood for simple spaghetti with tomato sauce (a craving that hits more often than I’d care to admit), in Interlaken, I’m eating rosti, in Rome I’m sampling the cacio e pepe or amatriciana, and in Barcelona, I’m most definitely going for tapas or paella, which is how I managed to eat tapas at least five times during my stay in the city, and paella twice.
The first thing I noticed about this paella marinara that Alex and I ordered to share (and failed miserably at finishing) was the abundance of both tomato-based sauce and whole pieces of seafood. I had always thought of paella as a rice dish, but this pile of mussels, squid and prawns most definitely considered rice the afterthought. While this particular version was a bit too heavily salted for my liking, both of the two versions I tried in Barcelona were a far throw from the tinted yellow rice I knew. I loved it.
My main problem with paella had always been its tendency to become dry: I love the crispy, crunchy bottom layer of rice that clings to the paella pan (which this dish did not lack at all), but I always find myself sprinkling Tabasco over the rice of a “typical” (as I knew it) paella, not only to pump up the spice, but to keep the starchy grains from growing too dry. The abundance of sauce along with the massive shellfish reminded me more of similarly spirited Italian pasta dishes, where the carb becomes secondary to the fish and sauce. It’s a different method and attitude towards paella, but I embraced it thoroughly.
August 24, 2008
Canned Sangria
With all of the Sangria I tried in Barcelona (and yes, I am one of those wacky people who loves the sweetened wine decorated with slices of fruit), it may come as a shock that one of my favorites came out of a can.
This Sangria was ready-made: much in the spirit of Starbucks doubleshot (which, for the record, I can’t stand), the guesswork of ordering a drink that is so varied because of its made-to-order nature was canceled out. This left only the parts of Sangria that I love: the sweetness, the bright red color, the certain alcohol percentage… and made sure that the parts that often make Sangria an unpleasant experience: diluted ice, old fruit, an unexpectedly disproportionate alcohol content, were nowhere to be found.
I’m not saying that this canned Sangria is the best I’ve ever had: that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I can think of an incredible Sangria cava (with white wine) that had strawberries floating in it and tasted like heaven. And I have to say that pouring my own Sangria over a plain glass of ice made me realize how much of my love for Sangria is based entirely upon the fact that traditionally, the drink comes with a free snack floating in the glass. But when it comes to deciding between an unfamiliar and possibly unpleasant version of one of my favorite apéro choices or this mediocre but consistent alternative, I’d definitely grab a can (or two) again in the future.
Accidental Hedonist
This week over at Accidental Hedonist, I hope I redeemed myself somewhat in the eyes of you die-hard pro-American foodies. Check it out and let me know what you think.
August 22, 2008
Lemon-Spinach Chicken
Sometimes, the easy classics are good to serve up for something quick and comforting. I dug this out of my archives of unposted photos and decided to share it with you today, because I lost the little blue thing that reads my memory card somewhere in the abyss that is the Volkswagon Transporter, and I’m way too lazy to go out and find it at this time of night. I swear, I really did go to Barcelona. And I really did eat things there. You just don’t know about it yet.
In the meantime, have fun with this quick and simple recipe for a chicken piccata-inspired dish that I made at the beginning of the summer. The ingredients are things that I pretty much always have around or can pick up on short notice, and the techniques are fairly basic: this recipe was one of three or four in my repertoire when I first started out cooking for myself.
The key is cooking the chicken in the wine: it’s a bit like poaching, and the juiciness that the extra bit of liquid imparts on the chicken means that even the most inexperienced of cooks won’t be plagued with the whole dry-as-a-bone boneless, skinless chicken breast fiasco that makes everyone understand why this particular cut of poultry is regarded as the dreaded “diet food.” Believe me, this flavorful sauce, while suspiciously low in calories (really, it’s just some wine and a bit of olive oil, and the rest is “free”) is super high in flavor.
Alternatively, you could do it with bone-in chicken pieces (I’m a fan of thighs: cheap and flavorful). Slightly less diet-y, but twice the fun! If you decide to go this route, I would recommend browning the chicken on the stovetop but finishing it (including the sauce) in the oven at 350 degrees Farenheit for even cooking.
Lemon-Spinach Chicken
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup white flour
1 lemon
½-1 cup white wine
salt and pepper
8 oz. spaghetti
1 cup thawed frozen spinach
Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Dredge first in flour, then in egg, allowing the excess to drip off, and then again in flour. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts.
Heat the olive oil in the skillet until hot but not smoking. Lay the chicken breasts in the pan and allow to sear, two minutes on each side. For optimal browning, do not move the chicken while it is browning.
Turn the heat down to medium low and add the wine to the pan. Allow to cook, making sure that there is always liquid in the bottom of the pan so that the chicken does not burn. Turn once.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until al dente, about six minutes. Drain, reserving about a cup of cooking liquid, and add the spinach to the pasta.
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the chicken, and then remove to a separate plate. Add more wine to the pan if necessary, and scrape up all of the bits on the bottom. Whisk together and add to the spaghetti. Add the juice of the other half of the lemon.
Serve the chicken over the spaghetti, with cheese on the side if desired.
August 21, 2008
100 Things
I used to have a Xanga.
I know… that’s rather embarrassing. But I was 17, and it was pretty cool in my nerdy little circle, so I learned some basic html, took a very cool picture of eyes and set it as the background, and started sharing little details of my life that no one really wanted to know.
One of the most fun things about having a Xanga was memes. I loved them. Little surveys, sometimes about your music choices, others about little details of your life… it was nice, every once in awhile, to pretend that someone else cared about what you were doing.
All this to say, I found this little meme hanging around the blogosphere, and I decided it was high time I got back into it. So without further ado, this Omnivore’s Hundred, care of Very Good Taste.
Here’s what I want you to do:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.
The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake
Only two things I would never try… I’m sorry. I’m an adventurous eater, but whole insects and roadkill are a bit too much for me. I’ve tried 39 on the list… quite a few less than most people out there. Oh well… I guess I’ve got some tasting to do!
August 20, 2008
I’m Back!
Back from Barcelona, my friends, and tons of things to show you. But while I organize my pictures, please ooh and ahh over this little girl washing salad. My God, seeing pictures like this reminds me of why I stay up until midnight painting railings for this job.
Please note that the salad-washing was purely voluntary. This kid was incredible in the kitchen… she used the potato-dicing machine like a pro. She used to appear every night just as we were starting to get dinner ready to ask if there was anything she could do to help. When there wasn’t, we created jobs for her.
What I’m trying to say is, she wanted to wash the salad. Really. We do not force children to do manual labor here. Unless we REALLY don’t want to do it ourselves.
Kidding. Mostly.
Hasta mañana!
