Cookthink

Still Something Else I Learned From JR

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:56:29 -0500

I always made poached eggs the way I was taught: in shallow, barely boiling water, with a dash of white vinegar, spooning water over the yolk to cover it and hoping the egg would turn out all right. I never understood how restaurants made those pretty oval poached eggs, chalking it up to some gadget I did not have or need. Then I learned a few tricks from a trusted source.

1. Break the egg into a ramekin, not directly into the boiling water. I am no fan of unnecessarily dirtying a dish, but this is worth it for two reasons: it's a cleaner operation, allowing you to skim out any stray eggshell fragments. And it allows you to lower the egg into the water and let it slide right out, instead of spilling from its broken shell and splattering into the boiling water.

2. Poach eggs in deep, not shallow, water. Heat water until just boiling in a small, deep saucepan. Then create a little whirlpool by running a spoon in a circular motion in one direction. Lower the ramekin into the water and let the egg slip gently out of the ramekin and into the current, renewing the circular motion in the water while the egg tumbles around in the water, the white coating the yolk.

3. Trim any stray whites with kitchen shears. After you've removed the egg carefully with a slotted spoon, let it drain in the spoon or on a clean dish towel. Trim and serve.

Did you know that you can make poached eggs in advance? Leave the drained eggs on the dish towel until you're ready to use them, then slip them into gently boiling water to reheat them just before using.

Any other egg-poaching tips I should know about?

Late For Dinner

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:11:08 -0500

Cookshrink is a weekly column that looks at the psychological aspects of how and what we cook.

Last week's column about cooking for an audience led to some discussion about the importance of preparation as as tool to keep your wits about you when cooking for others. It made me start thinking about the issue of timing when cooking for guests.

I am both wildly impatient and have a nearly pathological fear of keeping people waiting, which means that even when I plan to finish up cooking once the guests arrive, my nerves dictate that I have finished all my prep work down to the last detail before they get there. I wasn't always like this, but seemed to become more emphatic about being prepared after one too many evenings of being served dinner at midnight, me and my fellow guests long drunk on empty stomachs while waiting for the designated cook to get his or her act together.

We all run into small delays and have accidents that set us back in the kitchen, but there's a type of person who invites you for dinner at 8pm and then, when you arrive on time, seems surprised to see you, brushing his or her still-wet hair and scrambling to find the wine glasses and put some olives out, mumbling something after a half hour about how he or she needs to get dinner started.

This kind of cook is not necessarily inexperienced, just disorganized, his or her time management issues manifesting themselves in the kitchen. The kind of cook who tends to get caught up in the moment, to take on too many tasks at once, to lose track of the big picture while mired in the details. Generally overambitious, this kind of person plans elaborate meals that fall apart once the realities of making them set in.

Am I describing you or someone you know? If not, what are your secrets for getting dinner on the table?

Sausage, White Bean And Escarole Soup

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:16:20 -0500

Yesterday, with the rainy remnants of tropical storm Fay pulling into town, I was craving something nourishing and hearty. It wasn't exactly chilly, but it was cool enough here (especially for August) to give me an excuse to eat soup. I decided on a sausage, white bean and escarole soup.

Here's how I made it:

I thinly sliced two links of Italian sausage (I like to do this with kitchen shears), and heated a few tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. When the oil was hot, I tossed in the sausage and left it alone to brown for a couple of minutes.

I thinly sliced a whole bunch of green onions, and added the white and light green parts to the pot with the sausage. (I saved the more subtly flavored dark green parts to add later.) I also tossed in ten chopped fresh sage leaves.

I seasoned everything with a sprinkling of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, then stirred everything to reveal the sausage's browned underside. I sautéed everything until the onions turned soft, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, I rinsed and dried a bunch of escarole, cut off and discarded the botttom and any damaged leaves, and cut it into bite-size pieces.

I added the escarole to the pot along with six cups of water and another sprinkling of salt.

I simmered the escarole for a few minutes, then added in two cans of rinsed, drained white beans.

I covered the pot and simmered the soup until the escarole was soft and darker green, about 15 minutes. Then I stirred in the dark green part of the green onion.

I simmered the soup for a couple of minutes more, then stirred in a splash of red wine vinegar to brighten all the flavors. It was really satisfying with couple of toasted baguette slices.

Recipe: Sausage, White Bean And Escarole Soup (Cookthink)
Recipe: Toasted Baguette Slices With Olive Oil (Cookthink)

My Five Favorite Fast Weeknight Meals

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:36:52 -0500

Though I always intend to cook a new and complete meal every night, more often than not when the dinner hour rolls around I'm tired and hungry and just want something to eat. That's why my go-to batch of fast recipes is so handy to have around. (They keep my hands from straying into the bag of Doritos calling me from the pantry.)

Here are my top five fast, easy recipes from the past few months, dishes that keep me eating well with minimum fuss (and usually in less than 30 minutes):

Black Bean, Bell Pepper, Serrano And Cheese Quesadillas
Top these with some salsa or avocado slices, and pair with a nice cold beer and Project Runway.

Spicy Shrimp Salad Sandwich
I usually keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer, but I've also made this with canned tuna.

Penne With Tomatoes Goat Cheese And Thyme
Tossing vegetables with pasta and cheese is as simple as it gets. Though it's really nice with fresh tomatoes, drained canned ones work in a pinch. I've also added spinach to give it a vitamin boost.

Baked Eggs With Spinach, Ham And Parmesan
I love eating eggs for dinner. They're inexpensive and full of protein, and practically anything you have on hand works with them. Any meat or vegetable could fill in here instead of ham. Great way to use up leftovers.

Italian Sausage Pita Pizza With Peppers And Carrots
Mmmm, pizza.

The best thing about all of these? They are complete meals all on their own -- no side dishes required. Though of course, with a few extra minutes, you can make something else to fill your plate; for suggestions, check out the "goes with" tab on every recipe at Cookthink.com.

The Cookthink Questionnaire: Lynell George

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:24:30 -0500

Lynell George is a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times who has written about the arts, culture, jazz, pop music and food. She likes to cook when she's not talking to waiters only*.

Sweet or salty?

Salty

Which ingredient(s) do you use most?

Salt, chives, cilantro, lemon, cayenne.

What's the cooking sound you most love?

Sizzle

What's your favorite cooking smell?

Garlic

What are the qualities you most admire in a dish?

Complexity that comes from just a few well-matched fresh ingredients.

What is your most treasured possession in the kitchen?

My one Japanese knife.

What is a dirty word in your kitchen?

Frozen vegetables.

What are afraid to do in the kitchen?

Bake bread -- after two major disasters.

What won't you eat?

I'm not big on entrails, although if they are prepared by someone I trust, I'll give them a try -- maybe.

Have you ever lost your appetite for a food you once loved?

I probably liked sweets more as a child; I find that my sweet tooth has diminished some as I've gotten older. I prefer to end my meal with either a cheese plate or greens. If there are sweets, I prefer dark bittersweet chocolates or citrus desserts.

Have you ever had a change of heart involving a food you once disliked?

Fish. All fish. I thought I hated it, but finally had an epiphany and realized that I'd had been having poorly prepared versions.

If you could choose one historical or living cook to make you a meal right now, who and what would it be?

I'm split on this one. Julia Child: I'd like her to make me something classic like Boeuf Bourguignon or cassoulet so I can see if I even got close!!

The kitsch side of me would say: Graham Kerr!!! I fell in love with him and the ease of the process and his sleek, 1970s TV-bachelor-kitchen. And wished I was old enough to be picked out of the audience to join him on stage. He could make me anything he'd like -- even fondue.

Which living cook do you most admire/despise?

HMMMMM. This one is almost impossible to answer: The ones whose restaurants I've returned to again and again: Thomas Keller, Alice Waters and Reed Herron.

Who are your favorite cookbook authors/food writers?

I really like NYT's Mark Bittman's columns/cookbooks because he's made me confront my fear of more complex foreign dishes. He also anticipates what mistakes you might make and helps you out of them (in a soothing tone). I've learned from him that a disaster isn't always a disaster and how to pivot during the process of a meal. And I really love Julia Reed's food writing.

What is your favorite food-related word?

Sauté, chiffonade.

What is your favorite food-related scene from literature or the movies?

Movies: "Big Night" and the dinner scene in "Stealing Beauty." (And actually, I must admit, I liked "Dinner Rush." Also, James Salter writes beautifully of food and the debris of dinner parties. Lovely.

What's your favorite food-shopping errand or journey?

I like going to cooking stores and just browsing. Particularly I like looking at stoneware and cookware. Bowls and skillets especially.

To which country would you move for the food?

Greece or Spain

If you wanted to seduce someone, what would you cook?

Something from my family's recipes, so something Creole. Something that takes lots of slow simmering for all the flavors to marry: It feels like making an exotic potion.

What's your poison?

Tequila

What's your standard outfit in the kitchen?

Shorts and a T-shirt.

You wish to die with what in your stomach?

A Santa Maria BBQ tri-tip.

If heaven exists, what do you hope they have on the menu?

A wafer-thin crust pizza with fresh basil, garlic, tomatoes and anchovies.

If you came back as a fruit or a vegetable, which one would it be?

A satsuma.

What are you craving right now?

A very good salt bagel and lox and onion and tomato. Good black coffee. Then I'm good to go.

*Paraphrased from Jack Kerouac's Big Sur.

(Image created at Wordle.)

When In Rome (or Paris), Do Not Order Italian Sausage

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:40:09 -0500

Years ago, I walked into a neighborhood charcuterie and asked the nice butcher for "Italian sausage." I was met with a blank stare, an open mouth, dead silence. People behind me in line sighed. Finally the butcher asked: "Do you know where you are, Mademoiselle? We are not in Rome. In France, we eat French sausage!"

The crowd behind me roared. After explaining what I needed it for -- to make an Italian pasta sauce I learned from a man in California -- he proposed some Toulouse sausages instead.

It was the first time I'd really given any thought to the term "Italian sausage." There are of course countless numbers of sausages in Italy, but in the U.S., the term "Italian sausage" has a pretty uniform and precise definition: it refers to a fat, rustic pork sausage spiked with fennel or anise seed, garlic and optional red pepper flakes. When did that become "Italian sausage?" Does anyone know?

Recipe: Italian Sausage Pita Pizza With Onions And Carrots (Cookthink)
Recipe: White Bean Soup With Crispy Sausage (Cook & Eat)

Impromptu: Sausage Roll With Peppers, Onions And Mustard

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:35:25 -0500

Today, just back from a week out of town, I was craving something nourishing and comforting. With my refrigerator stocked with Italian sausage for this week's Root Source, and a bunch of fresh produce on hand, I decided to make a sandwich.

I put a link of sweet Italian sausage in a small skillet, covered it with water, and simmered it, turning once or twice until it was firm and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, I thinly sliced half a red bell pepper and half an onion,

and tossed those in a pan with a diced chile, a splash of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

I covered the vegetables and sautéed them, stirring often, until they were soft -- about 10 minutes. (I added a little of the sausage simmering liquid about halfway through to help them soften.) When they were soft, I stirred in a splash of apple cider vinegar for bite.

Then I turned to the dressing: In a small bowl, I mixed together a tablespoon of Dijon mustard and a couple of teaspoons each of olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

I split open a length of baguette and slathered the insides with the dressing. Then I topped the dressing with the sausage,

and every bit of the pepper, onion, chile and vinegar mixture.

I folded the baguette over to enclose the filling, sat down, and dug in. The full-bodied, mustardy sauce soaked into the baguette, and went well with the tangy, spicy vegetables and sweet Italian sausage.

Something I Learned From Barbara Kafka

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:20:30 -0500

I'm one of those people who adds garlic to every pasta whether the recipe calls for it or not. So when Barbara mentioned that she likes to add cloves of garlic to the boiling pasta water, it made sense to me and I've been doing it ever since. It gives the pasta (and reserved pasta water) a very slight garlicky flavor and it leaves the cloves tender, spreadable and just mild enough to add as is to the pasta in question (or to spread it over toasted bread drizzled with oil).

What Makes A Dish "Rustic?"

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:03:06 -0500

We spend a lot of time thinking about how our mood affects our cravings. Every Monday, we share some of what goes on inside Cookthink as we’re analyzing recipes for the Cookthink database. The subject of this week’s Root Source is Italian sausage, which inspired us to consider the meaning of "rustic.”

Last week's mood post about foods with a bursting quality made several people think of sausage, busting out with fat and flavor from its balloony intestine case.

That got us thinking more about Italian sausage -- a rough mixture of pork, pork fat, fennel or anise seed and seasonings -- and the kind of dishes that call for it. We often think of these dishes as "rustic."

So what makes a dish rustic? Merriam-Webster tells us that rustic means "suitable for the country" or "lacking in polish." We call food rustic when it is simple, down-to-earth, unrefined -- smashed versus mashed potatoes, a pie versus a tart, a chunky bowl of soup versus a smooth purée. "Bowl food," says Claire. "Hearty ingredients and easy preparation -- big chunks of root vegetables, sausage, often in a stew. I think it's also about a minimum of utensil fuss -- things that can be eaten with just a fork, or a spoon." Or your hands.

Brys points out that sausage is "inherently a farm/make-do-with-what-you-have/preservation product," a rustic ingredient often served with other rustic ingredients: "pasta, polenta, sauerkraut, etc." Banger Sausages With Cabbage And Turnips or Chicken Apple Sausage Chowder With Sweet Potatoes are cases in point.

Rustic food means country, which is possibly why it has such great appeal for urban dwellers wanting to connect with or emphasize their real or longed-for roots. Rustic food is often comfort food -- homey, reassuring, unpretentious, messy, satisfying. Think roasted vegetables, bread salad, stew.

What foods do you think of when you think of "rustic?"

Hair Of The Dog: Bloody Mary

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:07:37 -0500

In New England, it’s been a rainy, wretched summer for the tomato, and what better way to mourn than with a Bloody Mary?

Originally just a blend of tomato juice and vodka, with a dash of bitters, the "Bloody" has evolved over time to include ingredients as diverse as basil and roasted garlic. It is an endlessly reinvented drink, but the one thing I have learned over the years of mixing is that everyone who makes a Bloody Mary claims to make the best Bloody Mary.

As to the genesis of the drink, Dale DeGroff traces it back to the Tomato Juice Cocktail served at the Ritz Bar. In his Craft of the Cocktail, DeGroff reports that this called for a large ripe tomato to be crushed and blended with celery salt and Worcestershire sauce. I need not point out what is missing!

The creation of the Bloody Mary -- with booze -- is credited to Fernand “Pete” Petiot, who mixed it up in Harry’s Bar in Paris from 1919 to 1936. He supposedly named it after a forlorn lass named Mary who spent long hours at the bar awaiting her lover.

After prohibition, Petiot went to New York to become head bartender at the Regis. Since vodka was not yet popular in the States, gin was substituted. The Regis also thought the name was a bit grisly for its clientele, so it was changed to the Red Snapper. As much as one may drink like a fish, few wanted to drink one, and the drink was re-christened the Bloody Mary.

With expected bravado, Earnest Hemingway boasted to a friend in a letter of 1947 that he brought the drink to Hong Kong in 1941 where it "did more than any single factor except the Japanese Army to precipitate the fall of that Crown Colony." Right. The Bloody Mary did not enter its full phase of glory until John Martin used it along with several drinks to promote a relative newcomer to the drinking scene -- Smirnoff vodka.

As some of us have learned, the only real cure for a hangover is to stay away from your brain until the malady passes, and the Bloody Mary is the quintessential "hair of the dog that bit you." Brunch is therefore the most common time to mix a batch of Bloody Marys, especially since you've probably overslept breakfast. (It is an equally stimulating afternoon pick-me-up if you've overslept brunch.)

The only trouble with the Bloody Mary as a hangover remedy? All those questions: Horseradish or no horseradish? Celery salt, seeds, stalk, or none of the above? Bouillon or no? Dale DeGroff even suggests a Bloody Mary buffet. Set out a large pitcher of tomato juice and a cold bottle of vodka. Surround those two essentials with any ingredient ever used to concoct a Bloody Mary and encourage guests to make their own.

Recipe: Bloody Mary (Hair of the Dog)
Recipe: Thai-Inspired Heirloom Tomato Bloody Mary (Cook & Eat)

What is simple syrup?

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:31:15 -0500

A simple syrup is truly simple -- just sugar dissolved in boiling water. The water-sugar ratio varies, but the standard is two parts water to one part sugar.

Simple syrup is a bartender's staple; it's easier to swirl in a liquid than it is to add sugar directly, because the granules don't need to dissolve. Simple syrup is also handy to have on hand to sweeten iced tea or coffee. The syrup will keep almost indefinitely if stored in a tightly sealed bottle in the fridge.

Simple syrups are used to soak cakes, poach fruit, sweeten frostings and make candy. You can flavor the syrup by adding any number of other ingredients -- ginger, orange or lemon zest, mint, basil, rosemary, lavender. Just put them in once the water boils right before adding the sugar, and strain them out before bottling.

Root Source: Italian Sausage

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:26:49 -0500

what you should know

The general makeup of any fresh sausage is ground meat and fat plus seasonings ("not too much of this and just enough of that," as the Joy of Cooking prescribes.)

The basic formula for what we Americans call "Italian sausage" is ground pork + salt/pepper + fennel or anise seed.

hot or sweet From there, Italian sausage diverges into two camps -- hot and sweet. The sweet isn't really (though some do add sugar to the mix), but the hot can be plenty hot depending on how many red pepper flakes you use.

comi ti chiami? Asking for "Italian sausage" in Italy will no doubt solicit this response: "Which one?"

take 2 anise & call me in the AM The Romans used anise as a medicinal herb for digestion -- important if you're eating more than a couple sausages.

play it loose The casing is an integral part of sausage. But you can also make or buy the mixture loose if you're cooking a casserole or sauce for which you have to break up the meat anyway.

my hero Italian sausage is the foundation for many sandwiches, such as this Pittsburgh classic. (Go Steelers!)

what you need

Move beyond just Italian sausage with Home Sausage Making: How-To Techniques for Making and Enjoying 100 Sausages at Home.

For home sausage making, pull out your stand mixer and the meat grinder and sausage stuffer attachments.

While the weather's still cooperating, take your sausages on a picnic and fire them up on a portable grill.

what you do

For a classic sausage sandwich, top the meat with peppers onions, and a dollop of mustard dressing.

Rich and hearty, this sausage, spinach and cheese lasagna is great for potlucks.

Packing for a picnic? You can make a batch of sausage, portobello, and barley pilaf the night before.

For a quick weeknight dinner, try whole wheat penne with Italian sausage, cauliflower and rosemary.

A crispy pita pizza is strong enough to hold up to hefty toppings like sausage, peppers, and carrots.

As the evenings start to cool off, dig in to a white bean soup with sausage and escarole.

This week's Root Source Challenge featured recipe is a Soprano's-inspired dish of Roasted Sausages, Peppers, Potatoes and Onions. Congratulations to Nikki of Nik Snacks!

What is Italian sausage?

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:35:05 -0500

So-called Italian sausage is a style of plump, uncured pork sausage that comes in hot and sweet varieties -- essentially, with or without hot red peppers.

Sold in links and flavor-enhanced with garlic and fennel and/or anise seeds, it can be cooked like any old sausage and is especially popular in sausage-based pasta sauces or eaten in a sandwich with fried onions and bell peppers.

Go to Italy and ask for "Italian sausage," and you will receive either a blank stare or a multitude of options; what we think of as Italian sausage is a generic label specific to the U.S.

Recipe: Pappardelle With Sausage And Yellow Squash (Cookthink)
Recipe: White Bean Soup With Spicy Sausage (Cook & Eat)
Reference: What is chorizo? (Cookthink)

Root Source: Cherry Tomato

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:19:16 -0500

what you should know

These tiny things, so sweet they're named after fruit, resemble the small, wild ancestors of today's cultivated tomatoes.

A disappointingly large chunk of the cherry tomato crop winds up in salad bars. Ours rarely make it out of the garden -- like even smaller grape tomatoes, we like to eat them right from the vine.

bit part Cherry tomatoes are always sneaking in to whatever we make. We love them stuffed with you-name-it, dropped into braises and salads, arranged on pizzas and worked onto skewers.

sweet deal Cherry tomatoes are sweeter than their larger counterparts, and sweetest of them all are the yellow cherry tomatoes. Look for varieties like Sweet Gold, Sun Gold, or Gold Nugget.

vine wine Unlike plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes aren't well-suited for sauce. And while making wine out of cherries isn't that unusual, try wine from cherry tomatoes.

best. week. ever. With tomatoes in abundance this month, it's easy to acquire a surplus. Read Melissa Clark's chronicle of a week's worth of tomatoes.

cold turkey Tomatoes should not be refrigerated. The cold turns their bursting texture to mealy mush and kills the flavor.

what you need

Do you know a picky eater who avoids tomatoes? This book may help.

Tomato-topped salad would look mighty nice in this acacia bowl.

Though slicing cherry tomatoes is not required, this tomato knife, with a serrated edge and forked tip, is the ideal tomato tool.

We like to store cherry tomatoes right in the colander. That way, they're ready for washing and draining whenever you need them.

Use this classic dish to roast your cherry tomatoes.

what you do

Simplicity itself: roasted cherry tomatoes alongside grilled meat.

Simplicity itself, part II: orecchiette with cherry tomatoes and a glass of grüner veltliner.

Braising chicken with fennel, cherry tomatoes and capers keeps the chicken juicy and leaves you with a bread-sopping, savory sauce.

Go Provençal and roast cherry tomatoes with black olives and garlic.

Featured: If roasted tomatoes are too soupy for your tastes, try slow-cooking oven dried tomatoes. Congratulations to Real Food For Real People, who submitted this week's Root Source Challenge featured recipe.

Root Source: Tortilla Chip

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:40:19 -0500

what you should know

In 1950, tortilla chips originated in Los Angeles as a tasty solution to an imperfect tortilla problem.

Rebecca Webb Carranza took misshapen corn tortillas from her family's new automated tortilla factory, cut them up and fried them to a crisp for a party. Soon, the chips were the company's best selling product.

changeable crunch While tortilla chips are most common as an envoy for salsa and other dips, they can easily make their way into eggs, soups, and muffins. (They also figure prominently into a well-known hangover remedy.)

not your cheese Top your chips with melted cheese or place them around a pile of chile-braised pork shoulder, and you have nachos. If you're a true enthusiast, consider attending the International Nacho Festival in Mexico.

sweet treats Tortilla chips don't have to be confined to salty snacks. For something sweet, try a homemade cinnamon tortilla chip, or pick up a bag of Chocolate Tortilla Chips from Food Should Taste Good.

what you need

Making homemade chips? Start with corn or flour tortillas -- some are bound to be misshapen -- and then pick up one of these.

Have tortilla chips everyday by cooking Mexican Everyday.

The best way to serve chips and salsa? Keep it nice and simple with this dish.

Want to combine chip topping ideas with some Spanish lessons? Try a bilingual cookbook.

Salad tastes better in an edible bowl. Make your own with this tortilla mold.

what you should do

Chips out of the bag are easy, but deep-frying them at home is also easy and so much better.

Use your tortilla chips to make cornbread for skillet spoonbread cobbler.

For a gluten-free alternative to tortilla chips, try this brown rice version.

As an appetizer for many or a lunch for a few, scoop up some bites of layered chicken-avocado bowl.

Layer tortilla chips with cheese and veggies and you'll get Karina's nachos fabuloso.

Featured: With a creative spin on matzo brie, soaked tortilla chips and eggs make a savory breakfast dish. Congratulations to Olga of Mango & Tomato, who submitted this week's Root Source Challenge featured recipe.

What is masa harina?

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:04:41 -0500

Masa harina is a type of corn flour used in Mexican and Latin American cooking to make the dough for tortillas, tamales and pupusas.

Masa, which means "dough" in Spanish, is made from dried corn kernels that are cooked and soaked in limewater and then ground. Masa harina is the dried and powdered version of masa that is then turned back into dough by adding water. It is not the same thing as regular corn meal or corn flour and should not be substituted.

What is a tortilla?

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:41:05 -0500

A tortilla is a Latin American flatbread, a pancake-like disc made from masa harina or wheat flour and baked on a griddle.

Though the bread itself predates the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, the name of the bread came from the Spanish, because it resembled an Iberian omelet (traditionally made with potatoes or salt cod) called a "tortilla" (which you can still find at most any tapas bar).

Tortillas can be eaten on their own, or used as an envelope for burritos, tacos, quesadillas or enchiladas. They can be cut up and fried or baked to make tortilla chips. Stale tortillas can be toasted or deep-fried whole to make a tostada shell for salad.

Recipe: Shrimp Tacos With Cabbage, Avocado, Feta And Cilantro (Cookthink)
Recipe: Black Bean And Carrot Burritos With Cilantro (Cookthink)
Recipe: Potato And Cheese Enchiladas (Washington Post)
Recipe: More Tortilla Recipes at Cookthink.com

Root Source: Plum

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:01:24 -0500

what you should know

In 1885, Luther Burbank imported twelve plum varieties from Japan. He bred them together and with varieties native to America.

Things worked out. Burbank released 100 new plums during his lifetime. His best known, the Santa Rosa, was introduced in 1907 and was the most widely grown plum in the U.S. until the 1970s.

cornerstone Why the history? Pretty much every plum (and pluot) in the grocery store has some Santa Rosa in it. These "Japanese" plums, almost all of which come from California, tend to be larger and more resilient than the prunes, the gages and the other "European" plums that can be found scattered in orchards across the states.

looks like sugar in a plum Fresh plums are notoriously tough to gauge for ripeness. Because plums come in all shades, color won't help you much. Avoid shriveled plums, but don't shy away from rings around the stem end, as this can be a sign of high sugar in a plum.

firm with give Unless you really trust the produce guys, don't buy soft plums from the store. Look for firm -- but not hard -- plums with just a little give. Bring them home and put them in a paper bag on the counter for a day or two to ripen. Then, store them in the icebox.

ok bloom That chalky white powder on plums is completely natural. It's called the bloom, and its presence is a good sign that a plum hasn't been handled too much from orchard to store.

what you need

In the need of something to pit those stubborn cling-stone plums? Look no further.

One of Chip's favorite books -- period -- is Edward Bunyard's classic treatise on fruit, Anatomy of Dessert.

If you're planning to make jam, you're definitely going to need some of these.

Wild Pacific plums grow in northern California and southern Oregon. Stringer's Orchard, which sits on the edge of Goose Lake at the border of the two states, use the plums to make delicious preserves, wines and brandy.

coming soon: Next summer, look for Chip's book on the history of pluots, the popular plum-apricot hybrds. It's called "The Perfect Fruit" and it's due out in July 2009. To sign up for news and updates on the book, send an email to pluotbook@gmail.com.

what you do

Simple, grilled plums are so versatile. Sprinkle them with salt and serve with meat as a side. Sprinkle them with sugar and serve as dessert.

This plum barbecue sauce adds a sweet fullness to grilled chicken or pork. (Not feeling the sauce? Try this instead.)

Plums are a natural companion to other fruits. We are especially fond of them with pears and blackberries.

This maple plum crumble is a sweet way to use plums. The grade B maple syrup gives the crumble an especially rich flavor.

In the mood for baking? We recommend two recipes from Cook & Eat: this plum cardamom loa f and these plum bars.

Featured: Take a savory fruit salad, jettison the lettuce and put the whole thing on a pizza crust. That's what Olga of Mango & Tomato did for this week's Root Source Challenge. Her pizza with plums, onions, gorgonzola and pine nuts is our featured recipe.

Root Source: Beet

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:40:15 -0500

what you should know

If it's ugly, the old produce adage goes, it must be good. Nothing proves this so convincingly as the subsoil family of dark taproots, homeliest among them the beet.

The beet may not be much to look at on the outside, but what really defines it is the sweetness of its flesh, which is usually a vibrant red, yellow or orange.

Its high sugar content and hardiness have made it a fiber-rich workhorse in northern climates such as the Ukraine, whose national dish is the beet-based soup called borscht. (The family of America's most famous beet farmer, Dwight Schrute, came from Germany.)

keep the beet Stay away from beets that are soft or that have wet or bruised spots. You want smooth, firm beets. In the refrigerator, they'll keep for a month or so. Before cooking, gently scrub the beets. To prevent them from "bleeding," wait until after you've cooked and let them cool a little before you peel them.

it's chard When you can, buy beets with the tops still attached. When you get them home, lop off all but a half inch or so of the greens and store them separately. Cook the greens just like you would chard, which is actually a beet that's been bred as a leaf vegetable.

what you need

Peeling with the OXO 7" Good Grips swivel peeler is like writing with your favorite pen. With its thick grip, you can get an easy peel that doesn't maul the beet. (It won't keep your hands from staining pink, though. If soap doesn't get it out, try lemon juice.)

n her book Chez Panisse Vegetables, Alice Waters lets beets and other roots shine with as little embellishment as possible. We endorse this.

For borscht, you've got to have a good loaf of locally made bread. At my local market, I buy fresh rye made by Holyoke's El Jardín Bakery. Slice it, toast it and drizzle it with butter or oil. Or just tear a chunk off for sopping.

what you do

You can do no wrong by simply roasting beets. (Wrapping or covering them in foil makes them easier to peel). While they're still warm, peel and toss them with quality vinegar. Waters insists that the vinegar highlights the sweetness of the beets. We agree.

That sweetness is the perfect canvas for playing around with contrasting flavors. Grate raw beets and toss them in a salad with frisee, walnuts and creamy fresh goat cheese.

Depending on where you find yourself in the world, borscht (or barszcz or bartsch or bors) can range from a cold, light broth to a hot, meaty stew. Here's a delicious but simple vegetarian borscht.

Root Source: Pita

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:04:48 -0500

what you should know

It's a testament to pita's versatility that you can have it with many prepositions. You can serve food in a pita, on a pita, with a pita, around a pita, beside a pita, and between a pita (though not, as far as we know, during a pita).

the world's flat(bread) This slightly leavened, wheat flatbread is a cousin to similar breads across the globe: naan, chapati, piadina, roti and even pizza, which some consider to be a modern derivative of pita bread.

we picked pockets Though modern pita eaters are used to splitting an arc around the bread's perimeter to form a pouch, traditional pita was used mostly to scoop dips and salads and to wrap loosely compiled sandwiches (like shawarma). The pita pocket is a modern creation.

it's all pita The shape, texture and significance of pita changes according to where you go in the world. The Lebanese pita is more of a rounded rectangle, and the pouchless Turkish pita tends to be softer and chewier.

what you need

To make your own pita, you're best off using a pizza stone. We prefer a rectangular stone to the increasingly popular round stones.

The curved, serrated blade of this KAI-made stainless steel knife easily slices delicate breads without tearing them. That's important when you're filling a pita.

Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Eastern Food will inspire you to eat more pita and to learn about the pita-loving regions of the world.

what you do

It's worth the time and work to make your own pita. We love Cook & Eat's pizza stone method.

We like having pita on hand to make sandwiches from leftover salads, meat and vegetable dishes. A pita filled with hogwash's apple-walnut chicken salad or Karina's peanut broccoli and chicken stir-fry makes a fast and filling lunch.

You can't really call it a panini, but that's pretty much what this pressed pita with ham, Brie and apple is.

We've said it before and we'll probably say it again (after this time): pita bread makes an incredibly crispy pizza crust. Try this mozzarella, black olive and basil version.

Pita goes hand-in-hand with lamb kebabs and Middle Eastern condiments like hummus and baba ghanoush.

featured recipe Open a cold beer, get out the caul fat and start rolling meatballs for this delicious Sheftalia In Cyprus Pita. It's the featured recipe of this weeks Root Source Challenge and it comes to us from Ivy and her Athens-based blog Kopiaste.

Roasted Broccoli Crostini

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:54:23 -0500

High heat gives surprisingly complex flavor to broccoli, but keep an eye on it as it browns so that it does not burn. Roasted broccoli is naturally at home sitting atop toasted garlicky bread -- and a great side for soup.

Parmesan Crostini

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:14:42 -0500

Garlicky, toasted bread is an ideal medium for salty, full-bodied parmesan, but just about any cheese would work here. Is there a simpler, better companion for soup?

Whole Wheat Penne With Italian Sausage, Cauliflower And Rosemary

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:12:45 -0500

If you love cauliflower, you'll really love this simple cauliflower pasta dish. If you think you don't love cauliflower, make this dish just to be sure.

Bread Stuffing With Sausage, Apples And Caramelized Onions

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:03:20 -0500

Italian sausage, sautéed apples, caramelized onions and savory herbs are an irresistible combination for stuffing.

Read more about this recipe in Diane Morgan's The Christmas Table.

Italian Sausage

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:36:52 -0500

Our family friend, Linda Coronato, who created this recipe, once remarked that there is more than one way to serve Italian sausage. Splitting and marinating the sausages creates a new flavor profile.

Sausage, White Bean And Escarole Soup

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:59:47 -0500

Sausage, white beans and escarole are a classic match. Fresh sage adds woodsiness, and red wine vinegar and red pepper flakes wake up all the flavors. Chop the escarole into bite-size pieces to make the soup easy to eat.

Sausage Roll With Peppers, Onions And Mustard Dressing

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:28:38 -0500

Poaching is a quick and easy way to cook sausage, but it would be delicious grilled, too. Read more about this recipe on the Cookthink blog.

Sausage, Mushroom And Onion Pizza

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:51:24 -0500

You should have enough sauce left over to make another pizza or two; (it can be frozen in a tightly covered container for about a month).

Read more about this recipe at the Washington Post.

Roasted Sausages With Peppers, Onions, Potatoes And Thai Eggplant

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:53:30 -0500

Sausage with peppers and onions is a classic combination, but the eggplant and lemon-infused olive oil keep things lively.

This recipe was featured in Root Source: Italian Sausage. It comes from Nik's Snacks.

Italian Sausage Pita Pizza With Peppers And Carrots

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:16:49 -0500

Using pita bread as pizza crust is fast and easy -- and it crisps up nicely. The carrots, onions and peppers on this pizza also add a nice crunch and a burst of color.