Aloha Deliciousness

Autumn in Ann Arbor is synonymous with traffic jams and tailgating; courtesy of the Big House which sits half a mile from my apartment. It will soon be too cold to fire up the grill, but before that happened I wanted one last hoorah with the Webber. For some reason I was really in the mood for a teriyaki burger. Maybe it's the refrigerator full of Asian sauces I inherited or nostalgia over Sunday evening post-UPC trips to Red Robin with my sister's family; who knows. Regardless, give this a try before you pack away the grill for the season.

Teriyaki Burger with Grilled Pineapple

It's OK if you buy pre-ground beef to make these burgers...but if you've never had home-ground beef, you don't know what you're missing! The texture and flavor of the burger is orders of magnitude better than the stuff you buy. All you need to grind your own beef is a food processor. Alton Brown can walk you through the process (skip to 5:45 for the really relevant demonstration) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Lj-ZSVvWI&feature=related.

Ingredients

8 oz. chuck steak, trimmed, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

8 oz. sirloin, trimmed, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 c. chopped green onions

1 tbsp teriyaki sauce or soy sauce

1 tsp peeled fresh ginger, grated (a microplane works well)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 28 oz. can pineapple rings, drained well

Hamburger buns

Lettuce

Mayo

vegetable oil

Serves 3

1. Place trimmed and cut beef on parchment paper in freezer (DON'T FORGET ABOUT IT, LEST YOU END UP WITH BEEF-SICLES).

2. Remove beef from freezer (should be stiff but still pliable). Pulse approximately 1/3 of the meat in a food processor (1 second pulse, 10 times) and transfer to mixing bowl. Return any excessively large pieces to the processor and process with next batch of beef. Repeat until all meat has been processed. Pick out any gristle.

Omit steps 1-2 if using preground beef (wimp).

3. Combine beef through garlic, mixing well with hand. Form meat into 5 oz patties, making a depression in the center with your thumb (this will help prevent the burger from puffing up during cooking).

4. Place pineapple rings on paper towel and blot off any excess liquid. Transfer to plate and use 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil to lightly coat the rings.

5. Cook burger on grill, flipping once, to desired degree of wellness. Transfer to plate, cover with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes.

6. Sear pineapple rings on grill, 1-3 minutes per side. Toast buns on grill, apply mayo, assemble burger and devour.

Transforming Brunch Leftovers

I love a good leisurely weekend brunch. When faced with what to make, I usually go for either blueberry buttermilk pancakes or french toast. Well it just so happens that this past weekend I had the opportunity to cook on two different mornings. The first morning I satisfied my pancake/french toast craving and was left to consider what to make on the second. Surveying my kitchen I found half a loaf of challah bread (left over from the french toast), eggs, cheese and a sage plant (courtesy of some friends). The sage made me think savory and got me digging through my freezer. A few chilled fingers later, my hands emerged having located some ground pork. It was decided; this morning called for a skillet strata.

Skillet Strata with Sausage and Herbs

For a vegetarian alternative, use your favorite textured soy substitute in place of pork. Gruyére is also good in place of Cheddar. Don't trim the crust from the bread or the strata will be dense and eggy. A 10-inch skillet is also critical for obtaining the right thickness and texture.

6 large eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dry thyme)

1 tbsp fresh sage, minced (or 1 tsp dry)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium onion, minced

8 oz raw pork

1/2 tsp salt

5-7 thick slices of day old bread (preferrably challah) cut into 1 inch cubes

Adjust oven rack to middle positon and heat to 425. Whisk the eggs, milk, thyme, sage and pepper together. Stir in cheese and set aside.

Melt butter in a 10-inch ovensafe and non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and salt and cook till softened 3-5 minutes. Add crumbled pork and cook till lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Add the bread and using a spatula carefully fold the bread into the sausage/onion mixture until its evenly coated. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes till bread is lightly toasted.

Off the heat, add the egg mixture until well combined with the bread--make sure that cheese is evenly distributed! Gently press on the strata to help the bread soak up the egg mixture and bake till the edges and center are puffed and the edges have pulled away from the pan, about 12 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Put Down that Spoon!

Historically, a good risotto is inseparable from a forearm workout. Anyone who has made it knows the regimen. Small amounts of broth are added to the pan while a wooden spoon orbits about, coaxing starch out of the rice, giving risotto its unmistakable texture. I find the process therapeutic. It's also one of the few culinary activities that one can perform while having a genuine conversation with guests. I contrast this to most other chit-chat that happens during food prep, such as chopping vegetables, in which I usually pay more attention to the paring knife than the parlance (don't anyone act shocked--I don't want to loose a finger anymore than you want me to bleed all over your food).

This is all to say, though, that a recent issue of Cooks Illustrated featured an "Almost Hands-Free Risotto" recipe and I figured I'd give it a try. I was presently surprised; the risotto had a creamy texture and the rice was nice and firm. So if you wanna give your forearms a rest, give it a metaphorical whirl. Actual whirling is not encouraged--that's the whole point.

Chicken Risotto with Herbs

Ingredients

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves (about 12 ounces each), each cut in half crosswise

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion , chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)

Table salt

1 large garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)

2 cups Arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine

2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Ground black pepper

Bring broth and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain gentle simmer.

Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until just starting to smoke. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip chicken and cook second side until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to saucepan of simmering broth and cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate and keep liquid just below a simmer. 

Add 2 tablespoons butter to now empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. When butter has melted, add onion and 3/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes.

Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir 5 cups hot broth into rice; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until almost all liquid has been absorbed and rice is just al dente, 16 to 18 minutes, stirring twice during cooking.

Add ¾ cup hot broth to risotto and stir gently and constantly until risotto becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove and discard skin and bones from chicken, and shred meat into bite-size pieces. Gently stir shredded chicken, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, parsley, and chives into risotto. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add up to ½ cup additional broth to loosen texture of risotto.

Channeling Julia

This recipe has been sitting in the queue for far too long. I actually prepared it last summer while staying with my sister's family in Seattle. It is one of those dishes where you want to set aside a good majority of the day for the undertaking. Yes it is A LOT of work but the results are simply amazing. It's easily the second most delicious stew I've ever tasted; the cioppino at the Pink Door in Seattle is currently the 1st place holder. I was also reminded of the recipe because a member of my old wine club back in Boston made the dish for our reunion this past month.

Bon appétit!

Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stew in Red Wine)

This recipe comes courtesy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child et al. I have made a few modifications, most notably increasing the amount of vegetables called for from the original version. As for wine, I used a bottle of Casa Emma, a 2005 Chianti. The mushrooms and pearl onions are cooked separately and added prior to serving. See the end of this recipe for those directions.

Instead of serving over buttered noodles, you can also serve over rice or potatoes. Be sure to have a side of bread to soak up this amazing sauce!

Ingredients

6 slices of thick bacon (approximately 1/3 lb)

3-5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

3 lbs. rump roast, trimmed of fat cut into 2 in cubes (chuck roast or sirloin tip are also acceptable), and patted dry

3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 in thick

1 onion, sliced into crescents

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. flour

3 c. of a full-bodied young red wine such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Burgundy or Chianti (a full bottle of wine is about 3 1/2 cups)

2 to 3 c. of beef stock

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2 large garlic cloves, mashed

1/2 tsp thyme

1 1/2 bay leaf

4 parsley springs (plus some for garnish)

cheesecloth

18-24 small white pearl onions (about 1 inch in diameter), peeled

1 lb fresh white mushrooms (left whole if small, quartered if large)

Preheat oven to 450 °F.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a 6-9 quart oven-safe casserole (or dutch oven) on medium heat and saute the bacon for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly brown. Remove to side dish with a slotted spoon and crumble. Increase the heat on the dutch oven to medium-high until oil is almost smoking. Saute the beef (it is important that you dry the beef before placing it in the pan, otherwise it will not brown!), a few pieces at a time in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned, approximately 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove and add to a separate side dish.

In the same fat cook the sliced carrot and onion, on medium heat, until browned, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove the vegetables and pour out any remaining fat (but be sure to leave any browned bits on the bottom of the pan).

Return the cooked vegetables and beef to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss. Then sprinkle with the flour and toss again to lightly coat the contents. Set dutch oven, uncovered, in the middle position of the oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 more minutes (this browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust). Remove the dutch-oven and turn the oven down to 325 °F.

Stir in the wine and enough beef stock so that the meat is barely submerged. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove and using a wooden spoon scrape off any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Then cover and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 2-3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking. Prepare the onions and mushrooms (see recipes below). Set them aside until needed.

When the meat is tender, use a slotted spoon to remove the solid contents from the dutch oven, leaving only the liquid. Combine the meat and vegetables (including onions and mushrooms) in a large bowl or serving dish (feel free to add back the bacon from earlier too, I like to add it this point because if it simmers with the beef, the bacon becomes very tough).

To the liquid, add any juice from the sauteed mushrooms or browned onions. Skim any fat off the surface of the liquid in the dutch oven, there should be approximately 2 1/2 c, and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock.

For immediate serving: Top a bed of buttered egg noodles (cooked according to package directions, then tossed with butter) with the meat and vegetables, then spoon sauce over the dish. Garnish with a sprig of parsley.

For later serving: Combine meat, vegetables, and sauce. Once cooled, refrigerate. Reheat on stove top gently simmering for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with sauce.

Champignons Sautes au Beurre (Sauteed Mushrooms)

It is critical that the mushrooms are dry, the butter is very hot and the pan is not crowded. If you crowd the mushrooms while cooking they will steam instead of fry; their juices escape and they do not brown. So it's best to saute the mushrooms in 2 batches with a large 12 inch skillet.

Place a skillet over high heat with 2 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil. As soon as the butter fom begins to subsite, add 1/2 lb of mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Repeat with other 1/2 lb of mushrooms and set aside with first batch.

Oignons Glaces a Brun (Brown-Braised Onions)

Combine 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and 3 inch sprig of fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried thyme) in cheesecloth and tie closed.

Place a 8 or 10 inch skillet over medium heat, add 1 1/2 Tbsp butter and 1 1/2 Tbsp oil till the butter begins to bubble. Add the pearl onions, rolling gengly every minute so they brown nicely (will take approximately 10 minutes total). You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

Pour in 1/2 c. of beef stock and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 30-40 minutes, until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape. Remove the herb bouquet, and combine onion and juices with sauteed mushrooms (above).

Caroline Remebered

As many of you know, I returned home this summer for the funeral of my Grandmother Caroline. Even though Caroline was born in South Dakota, her love of polka and the Lutheran Church gave away her German heritage. When I was younger, we'd visit her home in Oregon and two common breakfast foods that she'd serve were grapefruit and shredded wheat bars. Do not be mistaken, this shredded wheat was neither frosted nor mini, it was the size of a small loaf and had to be softened in milk. In her later years, through, Grandmother developed quite a sweet tooth. So when I came across this recipe for a German apple pancake, that features a healthy amount of brown sugar, I though "this is a dish she would have thoroughly enjoyed."

If you're in the mood for something savory, you can replace the brown sugar and cinnamon with some diced ham and fresh minced sage.

German Apple Pancake

A 10-inch ovenproof skillet is necessary for this recipe; I highly recommend using a nonstick skillet for the sake of easy cleanup, but a regular skillet will work as well. You can also use a cast-iron pan; if you do, set the oven temperature to 425 degrees in step 1, and when cooking the apples in step 3, cook them only until just barely golden, about 6 minutes. Cast iron retains heat better than stainless steel, making the higher oven temperature unnecessary. If you prefer tart apples, use Granny Smiths; if you prefer sweet ones, use Braeburns. For serving, dust the apple pancake with confectioners' sugar.

Serves 1-2 people

Ingredients

½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon table salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup half-and-half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 ¼ pounds Braeburn or Fuji apples (3 to 4 large apples), peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

¼ cup light or dark brown sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

confectioners' sugar for dusting

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position; heat oven to 500 degrees.

Whisk to combine flour, granulated sugar, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half, and vanilla until combined. Add liquid ingredients to dry and whisk until no lumps remain, about 20 seconds; set batter aside.

Heat butter in 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon; cook, stirring frequently with heatproof rubber spatula, until apples are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice.

Working quickly, pour batter around edges of pan and then and the middle. Place skillet in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees; bake until pancake edges are brown and puffy and have risen above edges of skillet, about 15-18 minutes.

Using oven mitts to protect hands, remove hot skillet from oven and loosen pancake edges with heatproof rubber spatula; invert pancake onto serving platter. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve!

Friendships forged in a deep fryer

Nearly a whole year since I last updated this blog...truly unbelievable. Well for those of you who don't know, I've relocated to Ann Arbor and am working as a postdoc in the Chemistry department at the University of Michigan. I've been blessed to work in a lab with three other amazing postdocs: Lori, Malathy, and Will. Lori hosted a monthly potluck at her place which came to be known as "Lori's Food Club." Needless to say, sharing a passion for food and deep frying (we made fish and chips for the Superbowl) we bonded rather quickly. Lori and her husband John just moved to California for a job. Before their departure, they deposited 5 boxes of assorted kitchen goodies at my place. Two of these boxes were entirely full of oils, spices, and sauces. So it seemed a fitting tribute to Lori and John to whip up some vegetable tempura and put those sauces to use. Besides red peppers, zucchini, onions, and mushrooms you could also try using green beans, scallions, eggplant, asparagus, chicken or shrimp.

Tempura

Do not omit the vodka; it is critical for a crisp coating. For safety, use a Dutch oven with a capacity of at least 7 quarts. Be sure to begin mixing the batter when the oil reaches 385 degrees (the final temperature should reach 400 degrees). It is important to maintain a high oil temperature throughout cooking. The temperature will drop once you add your food so after the first batch of frying check the temperature again and adjust stovetop accordingly. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces (I like soy sauce, garlic chili paste, sweet chili sauce) and rice.

Serves 3-5 people

Ingredients

3 quarts vegetable or canola oil

2-3 pounds vegetables (see above)

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup cornstarch

1 large egg

1 cup (average priced) vodka

1 cup seltzer water

Kosher salt

Dipping sauces

White Rice

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels and place a wire cooling rack on top then place lined sheet w/ rack in oven.

Prepare vegetables by slicing peppers into 1/4 in thick strips, zucchini and onions into 1/4 in thick rounds, and halving (or quartering very large) mushrooms. Lay out on paper towel to remove any moisture.

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. In large, heavy Dutch oven fitted with clip-on candy thermometer, heat oil over high heat to 385 degrees, 18 to 22 minutes. Alternatively, monitor occasionally with an instant read thermometer.

Whisk flour and cornstarch together in large bowl. Whisk egg and vodka together in second large bowl. Whisk seltzer water into egg mixture.

When oil reaches 385 degrees, pour liquid mixture into bowl with flour mixture and whisk gently until just combined (it is OK if small lumps remain). Submerge 6-10 vegetable pieces in batter. Using tongs, remove vegetables from batter 1 at a time, allowing excess batter to drip off, and carefully place in oil (temperature should now be at 400 degrees). Fry, stirring with chopstick or slotted spoon to prevent sticking, until light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to rack in oven to keep warm.

Return oil to 400 degrees, about 2-4 minutes, and repeat with another batch of vegetables. Once all vegetables are cooked, arrange on a platter with rice.

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.