My little green friend

Some of you may remember a June 2008 Enchiladas Verdes recipe in which I discovered tomatillos. Ever since, I've been a fan of these little green wonders. I've spent this summer between grad school and postdoc in Seattle with my sister's family. One of the first things we did was go to the local nursery to spruce up her outdoor deck and to load up the garden. To our surprise and delight we found little baby tomatillo plants and purchased three.


Should any of you wish to undertake a similar enterprise, be advised, these plants grow at an astonishing rate! What began as a 9 inch seedling was over 6 feet tall in just under a month. Certain sunny days I swear I could see the plant grow before my eyes. It took some chicken wire to secure and stabalize the plant and about this time the beautiful yellow blossoms started to grow papery husks, the future home of the tomatillo. At two months the plant was covered with these husks, which in the sunset looked like green japanese paper lanterns. At three months, we decided to harvest and had enough to make enchiladas verdes...but what to do with the other 1.5 lbs?


Thankfully, we in the Pacific Northwest live in an agricultural paradise and my sister's house was overflowing with peaches (a special thanks to my Aunt Eunice for getting us an extra box of O'Henry Peaches)! So I found a great salsa recipe and swapped out the mangos for the peaches. Enjoy!


Rosted Tomatillo-Peach Salsa
The origonal recipe called for mangos instead of peaches, either is delicious. Balanced by the sweet peaches, the tomatillos give this salsa a nice sour tang. Don't overprocess the salsa in the food processor, there should be visible white bits of onion.

Makes 3-4 cups of salsa

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos
1 large jalapeño pepper (optional, I find 1/2 a pepper gives enough heat for me)
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
4 unpeeled garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 cups finely diced peeled peaches (about 2-3 large)

Preheat broiler.

To prepare salsa, discard the husks and stems from tomatillos, rinse and dry. Remove stem from jalapeño. Place tomatillos, jalapeño, onion, and garlic on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil until the tomatillos and onions are lightly charred (about 8 minutes total), turning once; cool.

Peel garlic. Place garlic, tomatillos, jalapeño, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse 5-10 times or until ingredients are coarsely chopped (don't over do it!). Place tomatillo mixture in a large bowl; stir in mango.

He's back...

After a few conversations with some friends and a near-death experience with a Jesuit, I decided it's time that I get back to blogging about my passion for food. "I'm just so busy" is an excuse that I use far too often and it begs the question, "what then does one fill his or her time with to cause such temporal clutter?" St. Ignatius would be quick to ask the follow-up question "are these activities life giving, do they feed your deepest desires and cause you to grow into a more loving person?"

I'm not going to try and list for you everything that I've been consumed with for the past 9 months since my last blog entry, but what I'd like you to take away from this little reflection is that we have the power to choose what fills our spare time and I'm hoping that I'll be a little more intentional about sharing my culinary discoveries through this blog.

One other change, which is apropos to the focus of this blog is that I'm no longer on a gluten-free diet. It was a bit of an experiment in the first place, to see how my body would respond without gluten. What I discovered is that I can have small amounts here and there without consequence. However, if I have a few slices of jet-puffed wonder bread every day for a week...watch out. As a result, I'll still try to highlight gluten-free recipes on this blog but I'll also be including some gluten-laden ones as well.

Now that the rambling is over, let's get to the food! Tonight for dinner I had cedar-plank grilled salmon with green beans (see blog archives for the salmon recipe) and a cheese plate. It's the cheese that I'd like to share with you this evening.


The first cheese (wedge shaped in the picture) was Petit Basque cheese from France. It's a semi-soft sheep's milk cheese that has a texture similar to provolone and a flavor like a mild cheddar. I think it would be dynamite as a fondue cheese but was very good on it's own.


The second cheese (small round in the picture) was a local artisan cheese called Fresh with Ewe (http://www.willapahillsfarmsteadcheese.com/farmsteadcheese.html). It's also a sheep's milk cheese but has a blue cheese rind on it. It's a very creamy cheese and spreads easily, while it doesn't have a strong aroma it packs a good amount of blue "punch." If you're looking to ease your way into blue cheeses this may be a good place to start. I also think it would be awesome paired with beef or in a salad.

It's not too early to plan for Turkey Day 2009!

I apologize that there has been such a hiatus in my posting. I've been busting my butt trying to write a paper for my advisor and, as a result, my recipes have been piling up. Now if you were dissatisfied with your Thanksgiving turkey this year, here's a heads-up for 2009.

It all began (like so many things) during a lunchtime discussion in our group's breakroom. We were imagining what Sarah Palin's family eats (see picture at the end for our hypothesis) and with all this food talk, and Thanksgiving being right around the corner, I thought that our lab should have a little Thanksgiving dinner. I thought this was a good idea because a) so many people in our lab like to cook b) even more like to eat and c) I wanted to introduce the foreign students (especially from Japan) to an American holiday that celebrates large quantities of food and napping.

The invitation was simple--bring something that for you symbolizes Thanksgiving dinner...and should you not celebrate Thanksgiving in your country, a dish that you really enjoy. As host, I undertook preparation of the poultry but we also had a fantastic array of dishes from the traditional (sweet potatoes, cheesy potatoes, mashed potatoes) to the exotic (smoked salmon sushi--Japan, pierogies filled with pork and sauerkraut--Poland, and potato-bacon pancakes--Germany).




As for the bird, I fused a recipe from Cooks Illustrated for the preparation with Alton Brown's method for cooking. The key is brining! None of the steps that follow are difficult, it just takes time and the right equipment. So keep up, here we go.

Thanksgiving Roast Turkey

This recipe is for a 15lb turkey, cooking times and ingredients may need to be scaled for a larger bird. Also don't wait till the last minute to buy your turkey--especially if it's frozen!! A 15 lb. turkey will take at least 3-4 days to thaw in your refrigerator (and add an extra day for brining). Remember to place it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any liquid.

Equipment:
Roasting Pan
V-rack (for roasing pan)
Digital thermometer with probe
Aluminium foil

Ingredients:
1 15lb turkey (thawed)

2 gallons water
4 carrots (chopped)
2 onions (chopped)
4 celery stalks (chopped)
1 tsp. peppercorns
3 bay leaves

1 1/4 c. parsley (chopped)
4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp fresh sage (chopped)
1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary (chopped)
1 medium shallot (chopped)
2 medium garlic cloves (chopped)
3/4 tsp lemon zest
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 c. olive oil

Step 1: The Brine
Combine 1 gallon of water, 4 carrots (chopped), 1 onion (chopped), 4 celery stalks (chopped), 3 bay leaves, and 1 tsp. peppercorns. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hour. Remove solids then add 1 1/2 c. salt and 1/2 c. brown sugar. Stir to dissolve. Let brine chill completely (ideally overnight in your refrigerator).


Remove thawed turkey from package and extract neck, gizzard, heart (and any other "parts" that come with the turkey--reserve if you want, I never do). Rinse turkey under cool water and transfer to a 5 gallon plastic pail (breast down, so the legs are sticking up) with lid.


If you live somewhere cold (40 °F or below): Add chilled brine then an additional 1 gallon of cold water. Cover pail and place outside to keep cold (between 5–40 °F) for 6-12 hours.

If you live somewhere warm (above 40 °F): Choose one:
A) Repeat instructions for if you "live somewhere cold" and park the pail in your refrigerator.
B) Add chilled brine then 8 c. ice and 8 c. chilled water. Monitor temperature every 1-2 hours to make sure it stays below 40 °F, add additional ice if necessary. Using an insulated cooler instead of a pail will help keep it colder longer if you resort to option B.


Step 2: The Rub
Remove turkey from brine and rinse liberally with cold water (rinse inside the cavity too). Pat dry with a paper towel. Combine parsley through black pepper in food processor and blend with ten to twelve 10-second pulses. Add Dijon mustard and olive oil. Pulse an additional five times (10-seconds each pulse) and scrape down sides with spatual. Repeat five 10-second pulses. It should look like pesto at this point (see picture).


With a knive make a small incesion near the top of the breast where the skin flops over (opposite end of the cavity). Using your hands, loosen the skin from the breast and thights (you'll be amazed how stretchy the skin can get--whoohoo biology). Evenly rub paste on meat beneith skin. Finally, brush the outside of the turkey skin with canola or vegetable oil (use a brush or paper towel).

Step 3: The Heat
Preheat oven to 500 °F.

Prepare a foil "breast plate" by taking 2 sheets of aluminum foil and fold the ends over to make a traingle at one end (see pictures). Now, gently mold the foil onto the breast of the raw turkey and remove (making sure to retain it's shape). This is so that you don't have to cover the breast with your hands when it's 500 °F! Finally, insert digital probe into breast (making sure not to hit bone). See Alton Brown on You Tube for a helpful video on this section.


Place turkey into V-rack (breast up) in roasting pan. Place in oven for 30 min. Then remove and cover breast with pre-formed aluminum "breast plate." Return to oven, reduce heat to 350 °F, and bake until breast reads 161 °F (thigh should be around 180 °F at this point--double check with thermometer). The turkey should be done in about 2 hours at 350 °F (so 2.5 hours total). Remove and cover with aluminum foil and a few dish towels, let rest 20-30 minutes.

Carve and devour!


Finally-- What we envision the Palin family served for Thanksgiving.


From Bottom to Top: moose (chopped), ritz crackers, salmon hash, easy mac, crumbled hot dogs and velveeta, tater tots and cream of mushroom soup, french's onion rings and shredded AMERICAN cheese, sprinkled moose, corn flakes.

Baked Palin...I mean Alaska

Disclaimer: IT'S NOT GLUTEN-FREE (but you could easily make it so by substituting a GF cake).

The vice presidential debate was last night and my roommate and I hosted a little "viewing party," complete with foods to honor the two candidates. Our labmate Megan made cookies (initially she was going to make macaroons to represent Delaware but they fell through) and I made Baked Alaska to represent Sarah Palin (because I think many of her positions are about as substantial as the fluffy meringue topping on the dessert).

While the debate lacked the kind of fireworks we were hoping for, there was plenty of fire when the Baked Alaska came out. If you've never made it before, it's really not that difficult. It just takes a little time and common sense (and having a dad who's a firefighter is a big plus).

Baked Alaska
If anyone knows of a good GF cake recipe that tastes ok after it's chilled, let me know. The reason I used a normal gluten cake is because most GF cakes taste really grainy and dry once they're refrigerated or frozen.

For the base:
1 9x13 cake (any flavor--I used chocolate)
2 quarts ice cream (any flavor--I used vanilla)

For the meringue:
1/2 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
6 egg whites (at room temperature)
3/4 c. sugar

Prepare cake according to instructions. Cool completely then transfer to a foil lined baking sheet (with rims). Allow ice cream to stand at room temperature 5 minutes then scoop out slices and place on top of cake (like puzzle pieces), as the ice cream becomes pliable, smooth the pieces together to form a single layer. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

Prior to serving, preheat oven to 425 °F. Combine water, 1 1/2 tsp sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan. Heat till boiling with constant whisking. The mixture will turn translucent and thick (the consistency of pudding). Remove from heat and cover with lid.

Combine egg whites in a large mixing bowl and beat on high till frothy (about 1 minute). Add vanilla and cream of tartar, beat till soft peaks form (see pictures). Then add 1 c. sugar and beat till stiff peaks form. Finally, add the cornstarch "pudding" from above and beat at high for 20 seconds to incorporate.

"Soft Peaks"


"Stiff Peaks"



Remove plastic wrap and spread meringue over cake like frosting. Be sure to cover sides of cake with meringue, to create a complete seal between the cake and the baking sheet (basically, you should only see meringue, no cake). Finish by making little "peaks" on the meringue using the back of a spoon and quick pulling motions.

To finish you have two options:

Option 1: Brown meringue completely in oven---In this case, bake 4-8 minutes (depending on oven) until top is well browned like a marshmallow.

Option 2: Watch Video. Lightly brown in oven then flambe at table---Bake 3-5 minutes (depending on oven) until the tips of the meringue peaks look tan (not brown) and it smells fragrant. While the meringue is baking, place 1/8 c. alcohol (must be at least 80 proof!! I like Grand Marnier) in a metal 1 c. measuring cup and heat on stove till you see small bubbles start to form (don't go too long or you'll boil off all the ethanol). Remove meringue from oven once tan, place on table, ignite alcohol in measuring cup and pour over top of meringue. Voila!

Syrah Tasting

A few years ago Dustin, a friend in the lab next to mine, suggested that we start a wine tasting group. The idea was simple; a bunch of amateur wine lovers get together every few months, each person brings a bottle of a particular kind of wine, and we have a blind tasting (and if they're lucky, I cook something to go along with the wine). When the wine group meets, it's always the highlight of my week. And thanks again to Dustin's suggestion, I've decided to post the results of our conclave.

So below you'll find our Top Pick (the one we liked the most) as well as one bottle that will become a part of the Wall of Shame (clearly, we didn't like it so much) in my apartment. From time to time you may also see Noteworthy Finds (this is for bottles that didn't really fit in with the others but we liked nonetheless).



Syrah Tasting

Syrah also is sold under the synonym Shiraz, which became the popular name in Australia and South Africa (but don't be fooled, it's the same grape). Syrah is known for its full body. This refers to how it feels in the mouth--think of the difference between whole milk (full body) versus fat free milk (very watery). They typically have hints of berry and pepper which makes them an excellent accompaniment to grilled foods or spicy dishes like Jambalaya (I'll post my recipe for that soon) which is what we ate.

Top Pick: Earthquake Syrah; Lodi Valley, CA; Michael & David Vineyards; 2004; $30.00+


This wine had a very fruit aroma, without being overpowering. It starts out juicy and then finishes with a light pepper taste on the back of the tongue. It sits in the mouth like a pinot noir (at least Crystal and I thought so).

Noteworthy Finds: Joel Gott Syrah; Oakville, CA; 2005; $13.99


This wine was all around fantastic. It had an amazing aroma that was very complex and not as sweet as the other Syrahs. The flavor is also awesome, very, very juicy compared to the other Syrahs but with the same peppery finish. This wine was noteworthy because it was totally different from the other Syrahs--but in a good way!

Wall of Shame (WoS): Sinceryl Shiraz; Western Cape, South Africa; 2004; $14.99


Bad aroma! Smells like a storage bin. No distinct flavor, weak, with a sour finish.

Mixing old and new memories

An old memory and a recent experience are the inspiration for today's recipe. Let's begin with the old memory.

Old Memory: Growing up, our family made an annual summer pilgrimage to Mt. Rainier National Park. We would always stay at site C-9 in the Ohanapecosh campground (see picture from this summer). The years that we would borrow Grandpa Van Dyke's motorhome, I would wake to the smell of blueberry muffins baking in the oven. We always used a box mix which, alas, contains gluten and is now off-limits.


Recent Experience: A classmate and labmate of mine, Kate, from MIT got married this past August. Having grown up on Cape Cod, she wanted the wedding to also be out there (how awesome is it to get to attend a wedding in sandals and a suit). We stayed with friends of Kate's family in Hyannis Port, Janni and Jeff, and over breakfast I discovered that Janni also cannot eat gluten. On the way out the door back to Boston, she gave me some gluten-free blueberry muffins that she purchased. She admitted the were a bit dry and after one bite I agreed.



There has to be a way to make a moist, tender, muffin that's gluten-free right? Yes, Victoria, there is...and you can find the recipe below.

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Once these muffins have cooled, store in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave prior to consuming, about 20-30 seconds, otherwise they'll taste wicked dry.

10 tablespoons unsalted, soft butter
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sweet white sorghum flour
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups plain or vanilla yogurt
1 cup blueberries (frozen are fine)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons crystallized ginger, minced (optional)
2 tablespoons raw sugar (not granulated, look for Turbino)


Preheat the oven to 375.

Combine all the dry ingredients together (sorghum flour through salt). Set aside.

Cream the butter and white sugar together, until just creamed. If you leave the stand mixer running as they are creaming, these muffins will not rise. Simply cream them until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg.

Add one half of the dry ingredients, mixing well. Add one-third of the yogurt and combine until well mixed. Add one-half of the remaining dry ingredients to the mixture, and combine. Continue this, alternating the yogurt and dry ingredients, until you have mixed both of them in, completely.

By hand, stir in the blueberries, lemon zest, and crystallized ginger.

Line a muffin tin with paper or foil cups. Fill each cup two-thirds full. Sprinkle the raw sugar over the top and set them in the oven.

(This recipe will give you enough batter to make two tins of muffins, or close.)

Bake the muffins for about 35 minutes, or until the tops have browned and started to harden.

Sweet bread that's practically a vegetable!

I've always loved carrot cake. Not only does it taste fabulous but when you compare it with, say, Triple Chocolate Truffle Decadence Cake...well which one do you think sounds healthier? Of course, this is a silly rationalization, something that us Van Dyke's are quite good at, but I've always liked baked goods that incorporate a vegetable.

Enter Chocolate Zucchini Bread. I first had this at Sarah's apartment. I think it was when she and Justin were still living in married housing at Seattle Pacific University. Not only did this bread taste fabulous, but it filled the kitchen with the faint aroma of cinnamon and cloves while baking. Now, with the exception of people who don't like cinnamon or cloves, I ask you, who wouldn't love that!? The recipe presented here is a much lighter version (the initial one called for cup quantities of vegetable oil) and I'm happy to say that a simple swap of the AP flour for a GF substitute (and the addition of a thickener--xanthan gum), generated a flavorful and moist bread that got rave reviews from the starving graduate students in my lab (and I'm inclined to think other people will like it too).

So eat up, it's practically a vegetable serving on the food pyramid right?!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I used Bob's Red Mill AP Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Therefore, you need to add something to replace the job of the gluten (which is to hold everything together). Xanthan gum does this nicely. The batter will have a somewhat elastic consistency but it'll bake up just fine. You can use a single 9x5 inch loaf pan or 3 min loaf pans (which I like). Store in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave.

For really nice looking bread, sprinkle a few whole walnuts and chocolate chips on the top of the batter in the loaf pan just prior to baking.

3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups finely shredded zucchini (about 1 medium--shred with a cheese grater).
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at low speed until well blended. Stir in applesauce.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 6 ingredients (through salt), stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating just until moist. Stir in the zucchini, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray or three mini-loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 45-60 min or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack, and remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack then refrigerate.

Cooking Light, July 2004