What I'm bringing for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the holiday for which my entire family chooses to gather. I think we decided many years ago that everybody had something going on during Christmas and so Thanksgiving became the gathering holiday. For years we got together at my aunt Margot's and then we moved over to my cousin Poly's house. She cooks the main dishes and everybody else brings a side or dessert. I always try to bring something different, some dishes are more successful than others. This year I am going to bring my "Many Bean Salad".

Strangely enough, this recipe developed because a couple of years ago we had a bumper crop of Sage. Now, I knew that Sage was a main ingredient in sausage and of course stuffing (dressin' for you southerners). But that was about it. And when I say a bumper crop, I'm not kidding. We had a huge, beautiful Sage bush in the middle of the herb garden.

So, I did a bit of searching on the internet and found out that Sage went well with beans (who knew?). It was then that I decided to construct the recipe contained here. It has always had black and kidney beans and chick peas. The corn came later when I decided it needed that unique crunch and sweetness that it brings to the party. There have been several iterations. I think I'm happy with the current one. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Many Bean Salad
Ingredients:
1 15oz can black beans
1 15oz can kidney beans
1 15oz can chick peas
1 15oz can navy beans
1 15oz can pinto beans
1 15oz can whole kernel corn
1/2 medium red onion (about a cup) diced

Vinaigrette:
¾ cup vegetable oil (canola, peanut, corn)
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
4-5 fresh Sage leaves (about a Tbsp) finely chopped
4-5 fresh Basil leaves (about a Tbsp) finely chopped
2 sprigs of fresh Thyme (about 1/2 Tbsp) finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt

Drain and rinse beans, peas and corn in a colander under running water. In a large bowl, combine beans, peas, corn and red onion. In a separate bowl whisk oil, vinegar, garlic and salt. Add the herbs to the oil mixture. Pour over beans. Fold gently as to not break up the beans. Refrigerate for at least two hours (over night is better).

Green eggs, yum, not.

I went to a somewhat fancy restaurant in Lakeland, Florida a few weeks ago and ordered a Chef's Salad. It was presented to me with two halved hard-boiled eggs. Upon further examination, the area where the yolks and the whites meet had that lovely gray-green film. The eggs were overcooked.

I fully believe one of the reasons why hard-boiled eggs are overcooked has to do with the name. People think that you have to boil the crap out of the eggs for 10 or 15 minutes to get them right. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Hard-Cooked Eggs
Put the eggs in a pan large enough to hold them in a single layer with some room to spare so that they don't bang into each other and crack. Pour in enough cold water to cover them by about an inch. Heat over high heat just to boiling. Remove from burner and cover the pan. Let the eggs stand in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs. Cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water. Peel and serve.

By the way, if you have issues peeling the eggs, check this out (it works, I do it all the time): Peel a Boiled Egg in a Glass of Water

As easy as that. Perfect yellow yolks and no green ring.

Frijoles Negros, out of a can, really?

This is my variation of Cuban black bean soup. Black beans are a part of practically every meal in Cuban cuisine. I remember my Mom making hers and from her recipe comes this one.

If you want to be a  purist, feel free to use a pound of black beans and follow the package instructions to soak them over night and get them ready to cook. Add the beans and 3 cups of water instead of the canned beans.

However, before you do all that, try it with canned beans. Trust me.

A word about canned beans. I usually try to find the "organic" ones because they are made with little if any salt. Regardless, you want black beans NOT black bean soup. The can should contain beans, water and maybe salt. Period.

Frijoles Negros
Olive oil, for sauteing
1/2 white onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced (optional)
3 cloves garlic, finelly diced
3 15 oz cans black beans
2 Tbsp ground cumin (or more - to taste)
1 Tbsp oregano (or more - to taste)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste

In a sauce pan, saute onions in olive oil until they are translucent. Add the garlic and  green pepper and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the beans, then the cumin, oregano, olive oil, sugar, and vinegar. Stir. Season with salt to taste. Simmer covered for about 15 minutes.

Traditionally served with rice.

There are no beans in chili

Now that fall is upon us, I decided it was time to make a pot of Texas chili.

Chili is one of those things for which there is a recipe for every cook. This is my recipe that I have tweaked over the years and yields a delicious bowl of chili. There are no beans in my chili. There are no beans in chili period. If you were to enter a chili with beans in it in the grand daddy of all chili cookoffs, the Terlingua International Chili Championship, you would be summarily disqualified: "NO FILLERS IN CHILI - Beans, macaroni, rice, hominy, or other similar ingredients are not permitted". Enough said.

A word about jalapeños. Like most peppers, the heat lives in the seeds and veins inside the pepper. Even though this recipe calls for six jalapeños, it will be rather mild if all the veins and seeds are removed from the peppers. I usually leave the "innards" in about half the peppers for a spicy result. You'll have to experiment to find your desired level of heat.

Update: My original recipe used chili powder. I have changed to using a paste with a base of Ancho chiles instead. I can't take credit for this. I stole it from Rick Bayless.

Fernando’s Chili
1 lb coarsely ground beef
1/2 lb coarsely ground pork
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion - chopped
4 cloves of garlic - minced
2 medium jalapeños - chopped
2 14.5 oz cans of tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can of chopped stewed tomatoes
1 12 oz can of beer
6-8 medium dried Ancho chiles
2 tsp ground oregano
2 Tbsp ground cumin
Salt to taste

Grated cheddar cheese and chopped raw onions

"Break off the stems of the chiles, tear the chiles open and shake and/or pick out all the seeds. For the mildest sauce, be careful to remove all the stringy, light-colored veins. Next, toast the chiles (to give them a richer flavor) a few at a time on your medium-hot skillet or griddle: open them out flat, lay them on the hot surface skin-side up, press flat for a few seconds with a metal spatula (if the temperature is right you’ll hear a faint crackle), then flip them. (If you pressed them just long enough, they’ll have changed to a mottled tan underneath. If you see a slight wisp of smoke, it’s okay, but any more than that will mean burnt chiles and bitter taste.) Now press down again to toast the other side (you won’t notice as much change in color on the skin side). Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl, cover with hot water and let re-hydrate for 30 minutes, stirring regularly to insure even soaking. Pour off all the water and discard." ~ from Rick Bayless

Transfer the drained chiles to a food processor. Add the oregano and cumin. Add a bit of water and process until it forms a paste.

In a stew pot, brown ground beef and pork until fully cooked. Drain and set aside. In the same pan, heat the vegetable oil and onions and sauté until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and half the jalapeños for a couple of minutes. Stir so as not to let this mixture brown. Return the meat to the pan and stir to incorporate the ingredients. Add the rest of the jalapeños, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, beer, and chile paste. Stir. Salt to taste. Cook over low heat for at least a couple of hours. After the first hour, taste and add more oregano and/or cumin and/or salt as needed.

Serve in bowl with raw onions and grated cheese on top.

For a Texas treat, put a layer of fritos on the bottom of the bowl before adding the chili, cheese and onions. Frito Pie, yum!

To ghee or not to ghee

I love Indian food. I think it may be my favorite cuisine. Definitely top three.

For those of you that aren't familiar with the cuisine, they don't call India "The Land of Spices" for nothing. The flavors and the ingredients are as varied as its people and its regions. The food is spectacular.

I used to work a couple of blocks from an Indian restaurant for several years and I went to lunch there almost every day. I got to know the owners and tried practically every dish in a very extensive menu. There are so many favorites - vegetarian dishes, chicken, lamb, fish - so many favorites. But if I had to pick one favorite dish, it would have to be Saag Paneer (aka Palak Paneer). A creamy spinach  and white cheese concoction slowly cooked with ginger, garlic and caramelized onions and infused with a variety of spices. Anyone who has ever gone to an Indian restaurant with me, knows I will order this every time.

Saag Paneer is not that hard to make. It takes a little bit of time to make but it is well worth it. It does call for a few ingredients that are not in the average American pantry - all are easy to find at any Indian store and some can be made at home:

Ghee: Is simply clarified butter - same stuff you eat with Lobster. Easy enough to make (very expensive to buy if you can find it). Honestly, I use Canola oil and it works just as well. But if you want to be authentic, ghee is the way to go.

Garam Masala: Like curry, it is a blend of spices - cumin, coriander, cardamom, black peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and nutmeg. This you're better off buying simply because it will cost you a mint to buy all those spices and make it yourself. My local Indian grocer has 400g for $2.99.

A note: Spices are a lot cheaper at Indian stores than they are at the grocery store. For example a 47g bottle of McCormick Coriander Seeds is 5.49 at the grocery store. A 400g bag is $1.99 at the Indian store. That's almost ten times more for less than half the price. Just sayin'.

Paneer: Is an un-aged, farmer's cheese that can be easily made at home. All it takes is milk, vinegar and cheese cloth. I make my own. It's easy. Takes three of four hours so make it in advance.

So, without further ado,

Saag Paneer
2 Tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, processed
5 medium cloves garlic, processed
2 Tbsp ginger root, peeled and processed
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp coriander seed, ground
1 Tbsp cumin seed, ground
1/2 tsp ground red pepper or cayenne
1 tsp salt
2 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and processed
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes browned Paneer (brown in a bit of ghee/oil)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp Garam Masala (measure carefully, this stuff is powerful).

1. In a food processor or blender, process the onions until they are pureed. Set aside.
2. Process the garlic and the ginger-root. Set aside.
3. Process the Spinach. Set aside.
   
4. Heat oil in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add onions and brown slowly (do not burn) - this takes about 20 minutes. Stir frequently.
   
5. Raise heat to medium. Add garlic and ginger-root; stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Stir in tomato sauce, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground red pepper, and salt; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 7 to 8 minutes.
7. Stir in the spinach. Cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until spinach turns a light olive green. Stir occasionally.
   
8. Stir in the Paneer and the Garam Masala. Cover and simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese is hot; remove from heat.
9. Stir in whipping cream.

Serve with Basmati rice and/or Naan. Yum.

Gonna make some tomorrow for dinner.

There is no sour cream in Tzatziki (maybe).

Tzatziki (τζατζίκι) is one of those rare dishes that can serve many roles. Traditionally it is a Greek appetizer. However, it can be eaten alone, as a dip or as a sauce. Regardless, it is one of the best things ever. Goes great with lamb and I love it with a steak. If you are a fan of gyros, you almost always get a side of Tzatziki when you order one of those. I like eating it with warm pita bread too.

Tzatziki is made with, of course, Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier than "regular" plain yogurt. If you can't get your hands on Greek yogurt, mix about a 3:1 ratio of plain yogurt and sour cream and you will come close. Or you can strain plain yogurt using a cheese cloth or, if you are in an industrious mood, you can make your own Greek yogurt.

Also, I use a lot more cucumber and garlic than most recipes I've seen. Hey, that's how I roll!

16 oz (2 Cups) Greek yogurt (or 1-1/2 cups plain yogurt and 1/2 cup sour cream)
6 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
1 medium cucumber - peeled, seeded and diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients until well mixed. Some may find it easier to combine the oil and lemon juice together and slowly add the yogurt and then add the cucumber and garlic. Refrigerate.

As with most dishes of this nature, it will be better tomorrow than it is today.

Happy Birthday to me!

My neighbors Charles and Patricia gave me Julia's Kitchen Wisdom for my birthday. If you know your way around the kitchen, this is the one book to have on your bookshelf. It was inspired by all the little notebooks and pieces of paper that Julia Child accumulated over all her years of cooking. Do you want to make a killer Macaroni and Cheese? Start off with a Bechamel sauce. How do you make a Bechamel? It's in the book. As are all the "mother" sauces plus practically everything you need to know to cook really well. The book's subtitle tells it all: "Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking".

I'm going to enjoy reading through it and cooking from it. Thanks C&P!!

Tostones

One of my birthday gifts this year was a new black iron skillet. This gave me an immediate urge to fry something. One of my favorite fried foods are Tostones. These are twice fried green plantains that are so friggin' good it is hard to describe.

Plantains are a close cousin to the banana with a lower sugar content and much starchier. Usually must be cooked (I've never heard of anyone eating them raw). The key to Tostones is that the plantains must be green. Ripe plantains are sweet and there are a number of other ways to prepare them. We'll save that for another post.

4 large green plantains
Cooking oil - enough to come up about 1/2" on a skillet
Salt

Heat the oil to 375F. While the oil heats, peel and cut the plantains into 1" pieces (like you cut a banana to put on cereal). With tongs, place the plantain pieces on end in the hot oil for three to four minutes until they begin to brown, turn them on the other end until it begins to brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Do them in batches. Do not overcrowd the skillet.

A hamburger press or two saucers work well for the next step. Using either method, flatten the plantains. Put them back in the hot oil until they are lightly browned (two to three minutes). Remove to a paper towel lined plate and salt liberally. Serve hot. They are best right off the stove. See my Picadillo post to see a picture of the finished product.

Tostones are very good on their own but I like to make the dipping sauce below to go with them. This dipping sauce is good with plain tortilla chips too.

6 oz plain yogurt
4 oz sour cream
1 clove of garlic finely minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

In a bowl combine all the ingredients. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours. Overnight is even better.

Yum!

Picadillo

Today I had an inkling for a meal my Mom used to make all the time: Picadillo, Rice and Tostones. I am reminded of when my bff Tony and I used to stand in the kitchen and eat the tostones as they came out of the pan almost as fast as Mom could crank them out.

Picadillo is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries. Usually made with ground beef, the Cuban version features pimento stuffed Spanish olives, raisins and sometimes capers. I have watched my Mom make this a million times and my version is pretty close to hers. Easy to make and delicious. Enjoy!

1-1/2 lbs ground beef.
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup pimento stuffed olives
1/4 cup raisins
1 Tbsp capers (optional)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp fresh oregano (2 tsp dry)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 bay leaves
a pinch of sugar
a pinch of cinamon

In a 12" skillet on medium heat, brown the ground beef. Remove from pan and drain. Put aside.
In the same pan, heat olive oil and add bell peppers, onions and garlic. Sautee until onions are translucent.
Return the ground beef to the pan and combine with the onions, peppers and garlic. Stir in the rest of the ingredients until well incorporated. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving. Serve with rice.

Serves four.

Making rice the wrong way

Every time I tell anyone how I make rice, they tell me I'm doing it wrong. This is the way my mom makes rice and the way I've always made rice. Turns out right for us. Must be magic cause it's wrong!

One cool thing about this recipe is that it easily multiplies. If you need to double it, double all the ingredients. If you need to triple it, triple the ingredients. You get the point. Remember, rice doubles its yield as it is cooked so if you need 2 cups of cooked rice, start off with 1 cup of uncooked rice and so on.

There are many kinds of rice suited for different applications. Short grain is a must for sushi. For just regular side dish rice, long grain is best. I am partial to Jasmine rice, a staple of Thai cuisine with an unmatched fragrance and nutty taste. Basmati is very good too. Good ol' Mahatma long grain works too.

I always wash my rice before cooking it. There are a lot of reasons but the best is that you can get very "gluey" rice if you don't. Asian cooks wouldn't dream of cooking unwashed rice, it's a tradition to wash it. Just do it. The easiest way I've found is to put the rice in a wire strainer and run water through it while stirring it with your hands til the water runs clear.

The pan is important too. Heavier pans usually transfer heat more consistently and  produce better results. Also, a tight fitting lid is a must.

1-1/4 cup of water
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vegetable oil or butter
1 cup long grain rice washed
1 tsp vegetable oil

Bring the water, salt and oil to a boil. Add the rice and lower the heat to a simmer while stirring. Once at a simmer, cover and cook for 18 minutes. No peeking! Remove from the heat, drizzle with the remaining oil and fluff the rice with a fork. Cover and set it aside for 5 minutes. Eat.

Fluffing is a lot like folding (if you are familiar with that technique). You insert the fork down the sides of the pan and bring the rice up and fold it upon itself. This maintains the integrity of the rice. This is not stirring!

Saffron Rice
Saffron is the world's most expensive spice at upwards of $200/oz. The good news is that a little bit of saffron goes a long way. It is one of those unique flavors that can't be described. It's kinda like trying to describe chocolate to someone who's never had it. It's just good!

The recipe above remains the same except that you take 1/4 cup of the water, heat it and drop a pinch of saffron (maybe 10 threads) in it to steep while the rest of the water boils. Right before you add the rice, add this saffron tea to the boilng water and continue to cook as described. Oh yeah, it will make your rice the coolest shade of yellow (Paella anyone?)

For it being the wrong way to make rice, it sure is yummy.

There is no sour cream in Guacamole

Everybody on the planet claims they make the best Guacamole. I am astonished by the amount of crap that most people put in Guacamole. If you put in sour cream and/or mayonnaise it is now an avocado dip and no longer Guacamole. Lettuce, really?

There are exactly five ingredients in classic Guacamole:

3 Haas avocados fleshed
1 Tomato chopped
1/2 red onion finely chopped
1 Tbsp lime juice
Salt to taste

In a large bowl combine the first three ingredients until they reach the desired consistency. A potato masher works great for this. If you're gonna use a food processor or blender, take it easy or you'll end up with green juice. Good Guacamole is somewhat chunky. Once the consistency is right, add the lime juice and salt. Stir with a fork and eat.

Fleshing an avocado can have its moments. The easiest way I have found is to halve it and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Be careful not to get any of the avocado skin in the Guac as it is extremely bitter.

If you want to get really fancy, peel and de-seed the tomato. Remove the stem end and make a couple of shallow crisscross slits on the other end of the tomato and drop it in boiling water for about a minute. Once it cools, the skin comes right off where you cut the slits. Cut the tomato in half and squeeze it, the seeds shoot right out. This can be entertaining. The resulting tomato concasse (fancy French term) is less acidic than the whole tomato and excludes the sometimes bitter seeds.


Optional Ingredients:
Any of the stuff below can be added at the end.
A clove of garlic very finely chopped (this is my secret ingredient).
Couple of tablespoons of chopped cilantro (please do not use coriander powder - not the same thing!).
A small chopped jalapeño (the heat is in the seeds and veins - milder if you remove them).
If you must use pepper, use white pepper. Just do it.

And please, no sour cream or mayonnaise.

Enjoy!

3-3-5-15 Chicken

Over the years, I've been trying to figure out how to grill the perfect chicken breast. Lots of experimenting yielding everything from "burnt on the outside-raw in the middle" to delicious "suitable for resoling those old shoes" results. Finally, I think I finally figured out how to grill perfect, skinless-boneless chicken breasts - every time!

A couple of caveats: This works on my Weber Silver Series gas grill that gets up to a toasty 550-600 degrees. Also, chicken pieces other than skinless-boneless chicken breast will not cook the same. In other words, your mileage may vary.

First thing, fire up the grill. Full blast, no holds barred. Close the lid and let it heat up as hot as it will go. Obviously if your grill gets hotter than around 550, adjust it so that it settles at 550.

While the grill is heating pat dry and then season as many chicken breasts as you want to make (I've done as many as 12). Season to your liking. I like sea salt, pepper and garlic powder. I've tried Cajun seasoning and a number of other spices  - doesn't really matter - however you like it. Only dry spices though.

Before putting the chicken on the grill, take a paper towel and put a little bit of cooking oil on it. Use this to season the grates on the grill. This accomplishes two things: It will make the grates more non-stick and it will get rid of any carbon deposits from your last grilling. Close the lid and go get the chicken.

When the grill gets back up to temperature, put the chicken breasts "pretty-side" down on the grill for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, turn them 90 degrees for another 3 minutes - this will get those nice crisscross grill marks. At the end of the second 3 minutes, turn the breasts and cook them on the "ugly-side" for 5 minutes. Remove from the grill to a plate and cover them. Let them rest for 15 minutes.

While the chicken rests go clean the grill grates - so much easier to do when they are blazing hot.

That's it, 3-3-5-15 chicken. The only thing left to do is eat.

PS: This method also makes perfect medium-rare 1" thick ribeye steaks. Who knew!

In the beginning

Went and saw Julie and Julia last night (good flick!). I've always wondered if I could do a blog. So, I got inspired and decided if she can do it I can do it. I have no idea what it will be about, probably lots of recipes and stuff like that. Who knows? We'll see.

How bad can it be?