Savory Carrot Bake

Ingredients

• ~1 lb. carrots, shredded
• 2 lg. cloves garlic
• 1 small yellow onion.
• 1 whole egg and one egg yolk
• 4 T. sugar
• 1 1/2 T. flour
• salt and pepper to taste

Process

1. Preheat oven to 375 degF.
2. Use food processor to shred carrots.  Using steel blade, process onion and garlic.  Add salt and pepper and mix vegetable ingredients together.  Place in a 9"x9" baking dish.
3. Mix egg, sugar, and flour.  Thin slightly with cream, white wine, milk, or water.  Pour over the carrot mixture, but do not mix it in.  Spread the egg mixture roughly cover the carrots.  Bake for approximately one hour, or until egg mixture begins to brown slightly.

Serves about four as a side dish.

Creamy Chicken Sauce for Pasta

This sauce is colorful, rich in flavors, and medium-rich in texture.  It will go on any pasta from angel hair to large tubes.  This recipe makes enough to sauce about 3/4 lb. of cooked pasta.

It serves 2-3 as a main course and 4 as a pasta course.
Ingredients

• ~ 3 oz. extra virgin olive oil, more to finish
• ~ 2 oz. Parma or serrano ham, sliced thinly and cut into slender strips
• ~ 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• ~ 1/2 large green pepper, finely diced
• ~ 10 grape tomatoes, sliced into quarters
• ~ 2 T. garlic, minced
• ~ 1/2 t. kosher or sea salt
• ~ 1 t. ground black pepper
• ~ 1 t. nutmeg
• ~ 1 t. oregano
• ~ 1/2 t. rosemary
• ~ 2 t. unbleached flour
• ~ 4 oz. light cream
• ~ 4 oz. water
• 1 roasted chicken breast half, without skin and bone, shredded

 Preparation

Place about 3 oz. olive oil in medium saute pan.  Saute ham on medium heat for about 1 minute.  Add onion and green pepper and saute until softened.  Add salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, and nutmeg.  Stir thoroughly.

Add garlic and tomatoes.  Saute for about 2 minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic.  Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, stir in thoroughly and cook gently for a minute so that flour loses its raw flavor.  All at once, add the light cream and the water, stirring over heat until the sauce thickens.  Adjust the thickness with water or white wine until it will coat the pasta evenly and thinly.  Sprinkle liberally with additional olive oil.  Adjust the spices and serve.

Serving hints:

• Pair this dish with either a luscious sauvignon blanc or any well-balanced red wine.
• Substitute dry white wine for any or all of the water used to thin the sauce at the end.
• Double or triple the recipe and use it as a sauce in a lasagna.

Banana, Fruit and Nut Bread

A dark and dense breakfast bread that’s not too sweet but very filling, thanks to the oats, fruit, and nuts.

Ingredients

• 3 ripe to overripe bananas
• 1/2 c. butter, at room temperature
• 1½ c. granulated sugar
• 1½ c. unbleached flour
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 t. vanilla
• ¾ t. cinnamon
• ½ t. ground allspice
• ½ t. ground nutmeg
• ½ t. ground ginger
• 1 t. salt
• ¾ t. baking powder
• ¾ t. baking soda
• 1 c. rolled oats
• 1 c. chopped dates
• 1 apple, peeled and diced
• 1 c. chopped walnuts

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 deg F.  Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Cream in bananas until smooth.  Mix in eggs one at a time.  Mix in flour.  Add vanilla, spices, salt and mix.  Mix in oats, then fruits, then nuts.  Mix in baking soda and baking powder.  Turn batter into a long and narrow (approx. 13” by 4” by 4”) loaf pan that has been buttered and dusted with sugar to coat.

Bake at 375 deg F for about one hour or until cake tester comes out clean and dry.

Lasts for about a week if refrigerator or months if frozen.

Alternative serving ideas:

• Specific fruits or nuts may be substitutued, but don't eliminate fruits altoghether
• Serve warm as a breakfast bread with butter or cream cheese
• Use in place of bread or challah in French toast
• Grill thick slices lightly in butter as a breakfast treat or dessert with ice cream or whipped cream.

Wild Mushroom Chowder

This dish is comfort food for the nature lover, a hearty and rustic yet sophisticated one-dish meal or a substantial first course during cold weather. It is savory and rich, having as its base a pureed of aromatic vegetables. The recipe further thickens the mix with the addition of a small amount of cooked flour. The dish is finished with some heavy cream, which may be omitted or replaced with whole or reduced-fat milk. It is accompanied by cheesy croutons cut from a baguette, floated on the surface of the chowder (recipe in notes, below). The adventurous might substitute plain yogurt, sour cream, or crème fraiche for the heavy cream that finishes the dish.

• Total preparation time is about one hour.
• Serves 3 or more as entrée, 4 or more as soup course
• Serve with a light red wine such as pinot noir, or a rich white such as an oaky chardonnay or fumé blanc

Ingredients

Qty	Ingredient	Prep	Comment
1	Medium onion	Diced	~ 1 c.
1	Medium shallot	Diced	~ ½ c.
1	Medium potato	Peeled and cut in small dice	~ 1 c. diced
3	Large cloves garlic	Minced	~ ¼ c. minced
2 T.	Olive oil		Extra virgin is preferred
~4	Medium carrots	Cut in small dice	Divide into two equal portions
~2	Medium stalks celery	Cut in small dice	Divide into two equal portions
~1 t.	Marjoram		Fresh, if possible
~1 t.	Oregano		Fresh, if possible
4 t.	Flat leaf parsley	Minced	Divide into two equal portions
6 c	Chicken broth		See notes on broth
6 c	Water		More or less, as needed
3-4 T.	Unbleached flour
1 t.	Kosher salt
1 t.	Black pepper	Ground
~ 3	Medium bay leaves		Fresh, if possible
6-8 oz.	Button mushrooms	Sliced ~ ¼” thick	See notes on mushrooms
4 oz.	Changerelle mushrooms	Sliced ~ ¼” thick	See notes on mushrooms
4 oz.	Royal trumpet mushrooms	Sliced ~ ¼” thick	See notes on mushrooms
4 oz.	Shiitake mushrooms	Sliced ~ ¼” thick	See notes on mushrooms
4 – 6 oz.	Heavy cream		Use milk or half-and-half as preferred
	Croutons		For serving.  See notes on croutons

Instructions

1.	In a medium stockpot, sauté onion and shallot in olive oil until softened.  Add garlic and sauté for ~ 1 minute until softened.  Add potato and sauté for ~ 2 minutes.  Add half of the carrots, celery, and parsley.
2.	Add about 2 c. broth and bring to a boil.  Add marjoram and oregano.  Add enough additional broth to make a thick slurry.  Cook over medium heat until each of the vegetables is tender but not mushy.
3.	Remove from the heat.  Using a stick blender or food processor, carefully process the mixture until smooth.  Add salt (see note on broth, below) and black pepper to taste
4.	Return mixture to stockpot.  Add remaining broth and half the water.  Add the remaining carrots and celery.  Add bay leaves.  Bring mixture to a low boil.  Adjust salt and add pepper to taste.  Add mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes or so until everything begins to tenderize.
5.	In a small dish, blend the flour with just enough water to make a thick, smooth paste.  Stir in water by teaspoons to thin the paste to creamy consistency.  By teaspoons, stir the flour mixture into the boiling soup to thicken the mixture slightly.  Stir/whisk at a low boil to smooth the consistency.  Reduce heat to a simmer for another 10 minutes to cook flour through.
6.	Adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Add remaining parsley.  Stir in cream and reduce heat to prevent boiling from this point forward.  Hold at very low heat for no more than 10 minutes before serving.
7.	Serve in bowls with croutons (see notes, below).

Notes:

On Broth – If using commercial broth, omit added salt, or at least wait until soup is nearly finished to add salt. Commercially prepared broth is often overly salty. Start with one-half the quantity of broth, adding more if the saltiness is not yet too high. Once the soup is salty enough, add only water after that point, adjusting saltiness when the recipe is nearly complete (see step 6).

 On Mushrooms – Any combination of edible wild mushrooms will work in this recipe. Create a balance of flavors by using smaller amounts of very strongly flavored mushrooms. Using about four different types of mushrooms creates a desirable complexity of flavors and textures, although more types may be added if desired. Do not wash mushrooms; rather, brush them free of dirt and grit with a damp kitchen towel.

On Croutons – Make croutons or use commercial ones. Croutons can be easily made by thinly slicing day-old baguettes, brushing with olive oil, sprinkling with garlic powder and grated parmesan, and baked for about 12 minutes in a 350° oven until lightly browned and cheese has melted.

The Well-Equipped Cook

 

Equipping a First Kitchen with Tools You’ll Never Want to Be Without

Make no mistake – if you’re a serious cook, over time you’ll accumulate lots of pots, pans, appliances, and gadgets.  The type and number are limited only by budget and desire.  But this list is intended to provide the motivated younger cook with a shopping list that will allow him or her to attemptvirtually everything you’ll ever see on the Food Network or on reruns of Julia Child’s “The French Chef.”

You’ll note that there are only two electric appliances on the list: a mixer and a coffee-maker.  There's no food processor, no waffle iron, no panini press, no espresso maker.  If you want a food processor and your budget allows it, then great.  But it’s probably best to learn how to cook using the basic hand tools (like a chef’s knife) anyway.  Buy the food processor and other stuff when kitchen skills and money allow.

Although this is by no means a Boy-Scout-camping-trip-style, minimalist list, there are a lot more kitchen tools and gadgets that didn’t make this list.  Anything that’s not on this list is something I can do without, although I still have many of them anyway.  Who really needs an egg separator if you can still buy your eggs with built-in separators called shells already included?  Who really needs an electric citrus juicer?  Answer:  My wife does (and I’ll cop to using one when large quantities of juice are required).  Otherwise, use your hands when your hands will do the trick. 

Note to prospective brides:  If your lucky enough to be in a situation in which someone else will pay for your first kitchen, then simply print out this list and take it along when you register.  Go to a good local kitchen store (see Do #3, below) or to a Sur le Table, Williams-Sonoma, Macy's or Target and register away.  If someone really loves you, they won't hestitate to buy you 10 or 15 of the items on this list!

First, a few do’s and don’t’s:

Do:

•  Learn to recognize quality construction and materials in your kitchen tools.  Learn to understand the materials and the differences between them.  Look at how the parts of the tools fit together and are fastened.  Figure out why things are made the way they are.  If you do, you’ll buy stronger, more durable, and more functional products with a lower total cost of ownership.

• Buy the best quality you can afford, without breaking the bank.  Over time, your tastes will change, your experience will suggest what you really want, and new and better gadgets will come along that will cause you to add and replace.

• Establish a relationship with a reputable kitchen store.  It’s good to have knowledgeable help with certain important purchases, like knives and counter appliances.  Besides, sometimes you can get incredible bargains on closeouts that only the store’s staff will know about.

• Consult the reviews on websites like epinions.com or amazon.com before you make significant tool purchases.  Even if the item is inexpensive, sometimes a review written by a knowledgeable cook will alert you to product features that you’d rather not have to put up with.  There are lots of competitors for many products.

• Understand that there is more than one way to skin a cat (although I haven’t seen many cat recipes that don’t call for the cat to be skinned prior to preparation).  You may not need an elaborate machine to help you remove stubborn jar lids if you learn how to gently and repeatedly tap the reluctant lid with the back of a knife in the direction it opens (“righty tighty, lefty loosy”).  Workarounds work.

Don’t:

• Don’t hesitate to discard something when it becomes old and ratty.  You’ll have enough clutter  in your kitchen without a lot of junk that’s outlived its usefulness.  When it’s questionable, replace it.

• Don’t wash your cooking knives in the dishwasher.  They often bang against other metal objects, which nicks and dulls the blades.  Exposure to water and detergent causes wooden handles to delaminate and plastic handles to discolor and peel over time.  Hand washing and drying is by far the best treatment for your fine knives.

• Don’t store your cooking knives in a drawer.  Instead, use a knife block so that the blades do not contact other metal objects.

• Don't hack up your non-stick surfaces unless you're rich.  Good pans are expensive to replace.  If  food sticks on one, soak it for a bit in warm, soapy water and it should release.  Never use steel or other utensils to tend the contents of the pan.  Never cut into food in the pan -- remove it first to a cutting board, do the cutting, and replace the food in the pan. 

So here’s the list:

Kitchen Aid stand mixer -- The smaller of the two models, on which the mixer head rotates backward, does a stellar job.  For more money, the larger model’s bowl lowers on a hand crank mechanism to allow easy access to the bowl and beater bar.  Either model accepts a plethora of optional attachments driven off the powerful Kitchen Aid motor that allow you to do everything from juicing lemons to stuffing sausage.

Counter scraper -- Also known as a dough scraper, this handy device (essentially a thin rectangular sheet of steel mounted in a wooden handle) allows you to pick up and transfer chopped ingredients from the cutting board to the pan with ease.  You can also use it to scrape clean your cutting board of sticky dough or accumulated food left over from a lengthy chopping session.

6” utility knife -- Ideally, this knife is a miniature chef’s knife, with enough heft to the blade to allow you to cut up a chicken and do 99% of your knife work.  I use a Henckel’s Four Star, but there are many acceptable competitors out there.  You can add an 8" or even a 10” chef’s knife when you feel comfortable with your skills with the slightly smaller utility blade, without sacrificing any functionality.

Long, thin-bladed slicing knife -- The flexible blade should be at least 12” long.  This knife is used for thinly slicing ham, roasts, or smoked fish.

Serrated bread knife -- About 10” to 12” long, it doesn’t need to be expensive to be useful.  However, if you don’t want to be replacing it every five years or so, you’ll be happier with a good one.  By the way, one can find “left-handed” bread knives, in which the serrations are on the opposite side from the usual, which results in more vertical cuts for left-handed operators.  Not much else in the kitchen equipment world is made for left-handers.

Two-tined meat fork -- For cooking or carving.  Long tines help lift large pieces of roasting meat and hold it steady when carving or cutting up for serving.  Slender, tapered tines slide easily out of food when the fork is pulled straight up.  One-handed cooking at its best.

Knife sharpener -- A 10” sharpening steel is good.  Learn to use one and you’ll need nothing else.  A flat sharpening stone is good also.  Electric knife sharpening devices work well but are pricey and wear out (I have my great-grandfather’s steel).

Oxo Good Grips manual can opener -- Manual because it you prepare mostly fresh foods, food cans are not frequently encountered.  Manual because you can throw the thing in the dishwasher.  Oxo because it’s designed to properly fit the hand.

12-cup coffee maker -- Simple is better.  Drip is better.  Get one with a metal filter.  You can add a paper filter if you don’t like your morning brew “chunk-style.”

Cutting board -- Made of end-grain maple and at least 18” by 12”, and preferably larger.  The board should have four rubber or silicon feet to assure that it stays put on your countertop while it’s in use.  Although a wooden board will wear out after a number of years of hard use, a well-made product should last most people a lifetime.  If you’re careful with regular and thorough cleanup, you’ll run into no sanitation problems.  But if a wood cutting surface bothers you for this reason, then a solid polypropylene board should be your choice.

Two stainless steel bowls -- Get the deepest you can find.  Heavier gauge stainless is better because it’s harder to dent (although with long use, some denting is inevitable and acceptable).  One bowl should be about 8” across, the other should be the largest diameter (at least 14” across) you can afford.  You’ll use the large one for making bread dough, mixing green and pasta salads, and cleanup.  The small one will come in handy for nearly everything else.

Silicone spatula/bowl scraper(s) -- One medium size one is OK; a few are better.  The silicone models can take fairly high heat, so they don’t disintegrate if you inadvertently stir food in a hot skillet.  They come in a wealth of attractive colors.

Two stainless steel microplane graters -- A microplane grater is generally hand-held.  It consists of a handle and frame, into which is mounted a stainless steel sheet covered with tiny, razor-sharp blades raised from the metal.  You’ll want two:  one with fine teeth for grating citrus rind and hard cheese (e.g., parmesan) and a medium-toothed one for vegetables and medium hard cheeses (e.g., cheddar).  They last a long time.  With a little care in use, you can keep all the skin of your knuckles intact.

Rolling pin -- Although mine is long, thin, made of hardwood, and tapered at the ends, yours can be cylindrical, have handles, ball bearings, be made of non-stick materials, or be made to hold ice water for rolling delicate pastry dough.  It’s your budget and your call.

Small, medium, and large pastry bags and a few tips -- Disposable conical plastic piping bags are OK.  Add decorative tips for creating décor food.  These bags have multiple uses, from making éclairs to stuffing sausages.  In a pinch, you may use a zip-to-close plastic bag, cutting off the corner with a scissors to make an appropriate size opening.  Learn how to pipe potatoes, vegetable purees, and meringues.

(At least) two wooden spoons -- Spoons with various shaped bowls are useful.

(At least) one stainless steel whisk -- A medium one is the one to have when you’re having only one.  Add a larger one if you make cakes and soufflés.  Don’t buy any of those “cute” baby ones.  They’re essentially useless.

Non-stick 10” skillet -- This size pan will accommodate two adult-size entrée servings.  Get two medium priced ones rather than one expensive one.  Cheap ones don’t provide good value, but you’ll want a second one to do quick-cook dinners on the stovetop.  Get ones with Y-shaped metal handle attachments for heat dissipation.  All-metal construction (no plastic or rubber in the handle) is best so that the pan can go from stovetop for browning to hot oven for finishing the dish.

Non-stick 12” to 14” skillet -- This pan will accommodate four or more servings when cooking for a crowd.  Although you’ll probably only need one (unless you are making more elaborate meals or meals for a large group), the same comments apply as those on the 10” skillet, above.

Medium to large cast iron skillet, with domed lid -- Cast iron can be used to get a serious sear on meat, blacken fish, or generally stand up to all the heat you can throw at it.  With a domed iron or glass lid, this becomes a useful stovetop oven for roasting, with the dome condensing water vapor and returning it to the pan for braising.  Follow manufacturer’s instructions for seasoning the pan the first few uses.  Be prepared for the added weight of the iron and use utmost care when moving one full of food and fat over a working burner.

All purpose pot lids -- Get at least two that are large enough and flat enough to cover your skillets and saucepans which may not have come with lids.  You might be able to steal these from your mom’s collection while she’s not looking.

Non-stick griddle -- Get aluminum or cast-iron according to your preference.  The non-stick surface will accommodate pancakes, eggs, bacon, burgers, grilled sandwiches, and more.  One that fits over two stove burners will cook a breakfast for six with no problem.

3 quart sauce pan with lid -- This is an all-purpose device, used for boiling water to cooking polenta or vegetables.  Non-stick is good for this pan.  A lid is necessary for steaming, accelerating cooking, and helping to avoid boil-overs.

Six quart (or larger) stock pot with lid -- You’ll want this for soups, chili, stews, and such.  Get one that you can put in the oven (no meltable handles or parts).  Non-stick isn’t as necessary with a stockpot because you will generally be making things in it with an excess of water, so burning is less of an issue.

One quart sauce pan -- You’ll use this small pan for melting butter, boiling a few eggs, making a béarnaise, or cooking a single serving.  You’ll save energy with the smaller pot because you’ll only heat the amount necessary to do the job.

Roll of parchment paper -- Use this as a disposable baking surface, to enclose foods prepared en papillote or other tasks.  Although you can set parchment on fire in a too-hot oven, it resists burning more than many papers, especially when it’s in direct contact with moist food.  Unused parchment lasts a long time.  You can even use it to write a declaration of independence or a grocery list.

Several bag clips – A well-clipped bag is a happy bag.  Various sizes iz good.

Corkscrew – You only need one, but it has to be one you can use confidently.  I guess that’s why many old cooks have more corkscrews than money.  A waiter’s type corkscrew is best if you’re truly a one corkscrew type of person.  The device is compact, inexpensive, effective, and easy to use (with a little training to avoid gouging yourself if it slips off the rim of the bottleneck).  This folding unit allows the most flexibility and leverage in removing all types of corks.  Use it gently on old corks.

Medium size strainer with handle -- A strainer with a handle makes it easier to maneuver hot foods onto a platter after it has been drained.  A colander will do just fine if you need to cook larger quantities of pasta or other foods.

One small spreading knife (lab spatula type) -- This is good for spreading soft cheeses or condiments.  A table knife works just fine, too.

One medium (about 10”) cake spatula -- Use this to spread batter into a sheet pan or to spread icing on a cake.  A table knife is a poor substitute for one of these.

One medium (about 10”) offset cake spatula -- Great for icing or spreading fillings on a flat surface or in a recessed pan.  Keeps your knuckles out of the food and allows for a truly flat result.

One medium sized Silpat or other brand silicone baking pad -- Allows any baking pan to be non-stick when necessary.  Nothing seems to stick to it, it cleans up fairly well with a wipe, and you can roll it up to store it.  A luxury item?  Maybe.

One baking tray (half-sheet pan size) -- This can be aluminum or stainless, non-stick or conventional surface.  You can line it with parchment paper for baking cookies, coat it with olive oil to bake pizza, roast chicken breast, you name it.  It’s your oven workhorse.

One loaf size baking pan -- Use this for baking loaf-shaped yeast breads, quick breads, and your mother’s meat loaf.

One 9” cake pan -- Circular with straight sides, made of heavy-gauge aluminum is best for keeping its shape over the long haul. Once you start making layer cakes, you'll need two..

One 9” by 13” baking dish -- Stainless or aluminum, and non-stick is OK

One 6-hole non-stick muffin tin (for large muffins) -- You can always use less batter to get small muffins out of a large pan, but not the other way around.  If you want dainty, though, buy dainty.

Beyond this, the sky’s the limit.  If you can envision it, someone’s probably already made it.  Or maybe two people have.  And if not, invent one and market it yourself.  Then maybe I’ll put it on my list.