Cookthink

Speckled Trout In Parchment With Basil, Cilantro And Lime

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:46:59 +0000

Last weekend, my dad was in town for a visit. About an hour after his plane touched down, and on the recommendation of several friends, we went fishing for redfish, trout and whatever else would bite with guide and longtime Charlestonian Peter Brown. Though the redfishing was really good, the speckled trout ended up the highlight.

Speckled, or sea trout, are among of the lowcountry's most succulent, tasty fish. This time of year they're found inshore, mostly in shallow waters feeding on crustaceans, shrimp and small fish. After a solid afternoon of catching redfish (but none in the right size window for keeping), Peter put us on the speckled trout.

My first cast with a wiggling live shrimp quickly lured a three-foot bonnethead shark from the grass. The shark aggressively circled the shrimp, then took it. With a little luck I eventually brought him in and let him go -- fun fight and a good picture, but not what we were after.

After a few more casts (and several smaller fish), I finally brought in a sea trout big enough to keep. We put the spotted iridescent beauty in the livewell to keep him fresh, then headed back to the dock where we cleaned, scaled and otherwise left the trout whole. We packed it ice, and headed home for dinner.

How to cook it? I wanted to treat it simply so I wouldn't overpower its subtle, white, delicate shrimp and crustacean-infused flesh. So, I turned to one of my favorite methods for keeping fish moist and preserving every bit of its flavor -- cooking in parchment.

First, I combined a tablespoon of olive oil, a handful each of fresh basil and cilantro leaves, a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkling of salt and fresh ground black pepper in a mortar and pestle. I pounded the mixture to a coarse paste, scored the trout to the bone several times on each side, then rubbed the mixture all over the fish, inside and out.

Next, I pulled off a big piece of parchment paper and put the trout right in the middle. I folded the paper over the fish to make an enclosure, then crimped the edges tightly all the way around to form a seal. I put the parchment on a baking dish, and baked it for 25 minutes in a 350F oven.

The aroma of fresh, steaming, just-caught sea trout was intoxicating. Gently pulled off the bone with a fork, and eaten only with some crusty bread dipped in the fish's own olive-oil and herb-infused broth, it was the best trout I've ever had.

Fall Breakfast Fusion

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:31:58 +0000

Now that fall's here, I'm settling into my new home on a small barrier island near Charleston, SC. And after a long summer hiatus, my cookbook writing and testing has begun in earnest -- an exploration of the relationship between Southern (U.S.), and Southeast Asian food and cooking. More on that later.

Meanwhile, I started the workweek off today with a hearty breakfast combining good old oatmeal with ingredients prominent in Southeast Asian cooking -- coconut (milk), bananas and cashews.

First, I combined a handful of steel cut oats, twice as much water, and a pinch of salt in a large microwave-safe glass bowl, covered the bowl in plastic wrap and cooked the oats at 80% power for six minutes. Then I moved the partially-cooked oats to a saucepan, barely covered them with coconut milk, and stirred in a tablespoon each of butter and brown sugar.

I simmered the oats, stirring often, until they were soft -- another five minutes. Then I topped them with a sliced banana, a handful of cashews I had crushed in a mortar and pestle, and a drizzle of honey.

Things that grow together definitely did go together here: the coconut milk, bananas and cashews were a great match, especially anchored by the underlying warm nuttiness of the oats.

The Perfect Fruit And Other Summer Distractions

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:40:37 +0000

This space has been quiet for the past couple of months, and we've neglected to explain why. The short answer is that we've had a really busy summer.

My book about the pluot was published last week by Bloomsbury and is now available at bookstores everywhere. In The Perfect Fruit: Good Breeding, Bad Seeds and the Hunt for the Elusive Pluot, I tell the backstory of the pluot and its creator, Floyd Zaiger.

In its review of the book, Publisher's Weekly wrote that "Brantley’s engaging mixture of agronomy, reportage and food porn... goes down easy." For more information about the book, you can visit chipbrantley.com, follow me on Twitter, or check out Bloomsbury's page on The Perfect Fruit. To keep track of upcoming readings and author events, please join The Perfect Fruit (the book) group.

One more personal note, Elizabeth, Angus and I moved to Alabama in June, and we're slowly getting settled to life at the edge of the subtropics. Elizabeth and I grew up in Birmingham, and while we miss our life in MA, we've loved being closer to our families and reconnecting with old friends. Birmingham is also one of the best food towns out there. Come visit us and we'll prove it.

In Cookthink news, we're excited to announce that we've recently partnered with Weather.com on a syndication deal. We'll share more details on that closer to the end of the summer, but be sure to check out the re-design at Weather.com--they're adding a lot of interesting features.

One thing we'd love to see: Al Roker talking more about the impact of weather on our food cravings. As anyone who's read Cookthink for a little while knows, that topic is one of Brys's obsessions. In fact, he's been busy this summer researching and writing a cookbook about the influence of weather and climate on cooking. (Right now, he's studying the food of a certain humid coastal plain.) Look for updates from him later this summer.

More news soon. Stay cool in August.

Drink The Whiskey Robber (And Then Read It)

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:43:53 +0000

Today is the 10th anniversary of Attila Ambrus's escape from prison. A folk hero around the world, Ambrus is a former professional hockey goalie (maybe the worst ever to play the game) who was finally arrested in 1999 after robbing more than two dozen Hungarian banks (often with great panache).

Known as the Whiskey Robber because he was frequently spotted drinking the stuff before a robbery, Ambrus escaped from prison on July 10, 1999, and the subsequent manhunt was one of the largest in modern European history. He's currently serving a 17-year sentence in Hungary, but he might be released in 2011 for good behavior.

For the whole story on Ambrus, read Julian Rubinstein's fantastic book Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts. (Or download the collectors' item audio book, performed cabaret-style by a cast that includes Eric Bogosian, Gary Shteyngart and—oddest of all—Samantha Power.)

In the meantime, pour a Whiskey Robber cocktail, named in honor of Ambrus, by mulling an orange slice in the bottom of an Old Fashioned glass filled with ice. Then, in a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine 1 1/2 ounces of Johnnie Walker Red, 1 ounce of sour mix and 3 dashes of bitters. Shake well and strain into the glass, then top with a spritz of ginger ale.

Shrimp Bounty

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:26:55 +0000

I just got back from a good long trip to the panhandle of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico coast, where we've been vacationing since I was little. I've always appreciated the amazing seafood down there, but there's one thing in particular I look forward to each trip -- the shrimp.

Shrimp, of course, look and taste reflective of the water they live in. When raw, these glisten clear and just a little opaque, with a hint of coral and aqua. When barely cooked through they're bright white and pink, firm, sweet -- the best of both shrimp and lobster in a single crustacean.

This year, a few miles from the beach on a bridge crossing a large coastal bay, I came across a shrimp boat selling shrimp caught the night before. Jackpot. I went back again and again.

Because they're so delicate, for all the ways I cooked them when I was there (I must have eaten six pounds), my favorite was simply boiled for one minute with crab boil, chilled, peeled, then eaten straight up with a glass of crisp white wine. I miss them already.

Recipe: Southern Boiled Shrimp
Recipe: Spicy Shrimp Salad Sandwich
Recipe: Spicy Shrimp And Corn Fritters

The Beauty Of Raw Vegetable Salads

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:09:20 +0000

Raw vegetable salads lend simplicity, convenience, elegance and a good dose of vegetables to a meal all at the same time. The basic formula is easy: choose three or four different vegetables you'd eat raw (corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, fennel, carrots, radishes, cabbage, radicchio, endive, sweet or green onions), add in some cheese (feta, mozzarella, Swiss, cubed parmesan) and / or toasted nut or seed (pecans, almonds, pine nuts), and toss it all with any simple vinaigrette and some chopped fresh herbs (parsley, marjoram, chives, thyme).

Raw vegetable salads are especially good in summer when the garden and farmers markets are bountiful. They're refreshing and light, contrast nicely with grilled meats and simply cooked grains (rice, couscous, quinoa), and can even serve as the main taste and flavor component of a meal. They can be made ahead and chilled so their flavors have time to meld, then brought out an hour or so before you serve dinner to come to room temperature. Cut the vegetables into large pieces for a more traditional "salad," and into smaller pieces for more of a relish feel.

Recipe: Tomato, Corn, Cucmber And Feta Salad

Recipe: Greek Salad

Recipe: Moroccan Carrot Salad

Recipe: Grated Beet, Frisée, Walnut And Goat Cheese Salad

Recipe: Fennel And Orange Salad With Pecorino

Recipe: Tomato, Mozzarella And Basil Relish

Savory Parmesan Quinoa Cakes

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:37:07 +0000

I'm almost always hungry first thing in the morning. But today, after a good long jog yesterday, I was ravenous. What to eat?

Before I even got out of bed, a dish I had heard about recently, quinoa pancakes, popped into my mind. I had no idea how to make them, but it was pouring down rain outside, I had a strong cup of coffee in hand and I was up for a little experimentation.

First, I rinsed and drained a handful of quinoa in a colander (some varieties of quinoa have a toxic powdery substance coating the grains). I put the damp quinoa in my mini food processor and tried to grind it to a paste. It was slow going, but after scraping down the sides of the processor a few times and adding a few teaspoons of water, the quinoa finally formed a paste. It had an assertive, nutty aroma -- a lot like sesame tahini.

I poured the paste into a bowl, and whisked in some whole milk and an egg. I wanted a savory, not sweet cake, so I seasoned the batter with salt and pepper, and stirred in a handful of grated parmesan and a little chopped fresh rosemary.

Then I just cooked the batter as I would when making pancakes (but with olive oil instead of butter) until the cakes were brown on both sides and cooked through, about 2 minutes total. I topped the cakes with a couple of olive-oil-fried eggs and a little more grated parmesan.

The cakes were really flavorful -- bold, nutty -- and filling. I'm looking forward to tinkering with the recipe some more. I think they'd be good really big and thin, used like a flatbread.

Reference: What is quinoa?
Reference: How do you pronounce quinoa?
Reference: Is quinoa a grain or a seed?

What's a spice paste good for?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:51:13 +0000

You want to add some flavor to a cut of meat. Why use a spice paste over a marinade?

First of all, you need time to marinate, time you may not have unless you've planned things in advance. Because a spice paste clings to the meat and forms a crust when you cook it, you don’t have to give it the waiting time you do a marinade. (You could rub a spice paste on a couple of hours ahead of time, but you don’t have to.)

Once cooked, the pungent, textured crust contrasts the plain, juicy meat. Unlike a marinade, which evenly coats a cut of meat and results in a consistently flavored finished dish, the spice paste comes with surprises: a cluster of ginger here, a nugget of toasted garlic there.

The formula for a spice paste is simple: a few ground spices + puréed aromatics like ginger, garlic, chiles + salt and pepper + just enough oil to hold it together -- so try a spice paste instead of a marinade the next time you grill.

Grilling Rained Out

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:14:51 +0000

Yesterday afternoon I was looking forward to grilling two beautiful Niman Ranch pork tenderloins for a dinner party. But when it was time to fire up the grill, the sky cracked open and it started to pour. Even though my grill's just outside the door, the rain was coming down hard and I didn't feel like getting wet. So I opted instead for my second-favorite way to cook meat -- pan roasting.

I preheated the oven to 375F and sprinkled the pork generously with smoked paprika, toasted and ground cumin and coriander, salt and pepper. I seared the tenderloins in canola oil in a hot skillet until they were dark brown on all sides, then put them in the oven to finish cooking. When their internal temperature was 150F in the thickest part I removed them to a cutting board to rest, loosely tented with foil, for 10 minutes.

The pork didn't quite have the charred flavor that grilling gives, but thorough searing in the skillet, smoky paprika and toasted spices helped compensate. It went well alongside fragrant coconut rice, mango-avocado salsa, cucumber raita and the sound of steady rain through a cracked window.

Recipe: Pan-Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Recipe: Coconut Basmati Rice
Recipe: Mango-Avocado Salsa
Recipe: Cucumber Raita

Grilling the Argentine Way

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:37:44 +0000

Reading Francis Mallmann's new book Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way (written with Peter Kaminsky), I'm reminded that for all the things that cooking is about, at heart it's about fire -- cooking's "mother tongue" as Mallmann calls it. This beautifully written cookbook and fire-guide shows Mallmann and Kaminsky's fluency in that language.

In the beginning of the book, Mallmann describes seven types of wood-cooking apparatus: the parilla (a grill grate set over hot coals), chapa (flat cast iron griddle set over fire), infernillo (two-story fire with a cooking surface in between), horno de barro (wood-fired oven), rescoldo (covering food with embers), asado (vertical spit for cooking whole animals) and caldero (iron kettle).

For the rest of the book he harnesses those fires to make dozens of beautiful dishes from salads to desserts, with plenty of meat, seafood and vegetable dishes in between. Savory Corn Pudding, Empanadas, Mussels With Garlic and White Wine, Beef and Potato Pie, Peached Pork . . . the alluring list goes on and on, each accompanied by a little history, clear instructions and beautiful photography.

In a world replete with books about barbecue Mallman manages a completely original take on the subject, a primal exploration of grilling's "new frontier." It will have you dying to cook with wood and fire.

Root Source: Brown Mustard

Fri, 29 May 2009 13:01:48 +0000

what you should know

Are they right, those boosters, when they say that mustard is the world's oldest condiment? Maybe they are. Its storied history as a spice, a medicine and a metaphor has made mustard important to people from Nanur to Napa.

But by the mid-1980s, the word had come to mean pretty much one thing in the U.S.: the sour water-paste of French's yellow mustard. It took a French accent and a Rolls Royce for Grey Poupon to finally break up the great American mustard monopoly and help bring about a browner, spicier era in mustardry.

The king of the browns is Dijon mustard, some of which are French, some of which (like Grey Poupon) are not. What makes Dijon Dijon is the use of wine must and white wine in the mustard. (Other brown mustards can contain water, vinegar or grape must.)

hot flashes The trademark heat in mustard -- that dash that starts on the tongue but seethes into the nostrils and then fades -- settles down as the mustard ages. "America's Test Kitchen" surveyed Dijons and found that fresh mustard is hotter. ATK's advice: buy small amounts of mustard and look for a date stamp on the bottle.

let mustard be your muse In addition to hosting a National Mustard Day, the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum, in Wisconsin, sponsors an annual contest about the much loved condiment.

what you need

From Mount Horeb's online gift shop, you can order very own personalized mustard.

Subscribe to a mustard of the month club.

Order mustard seeds or a sampler from Raye's Mustard, in Maine, home of North America's last remaining stone-ground mustard mill.

I would like to get to a point in my life where I use a mustard pot often and earnestly.

Recipes for homemade mustard abound online. The basic formula: soak mustard seeds (usually a combo of brown and yellow) + water + wine and/or vinegar + spices and/or herbs + salt and pepper. Blend. Taste. Tinker.

what you do

Mustard adds tons of flavor without bringing with it many calories. On broiled chicken, a mustard and parsley crust also gives the dish more texture. Ditto for grilled chicken coated with mustard and herbs.

Alongside the egg, Dijon mustard is one of the best emulsifiers around. Simply braised cauliflower shows off this mustard-tarragon vinaigrette.

When I was little, there was a period when I ate mustard with everything. I still love bacon dipped in mustard. Call me immature.

Root Source: Cumin

Fri, 29 May 2009 12:54:10 +0000

what you should know

A fixture in both curry and chili powder blends (as well as in Indian masalas), cumin's smoky warmth has made it a key ingredient in spice mixtures and pastes across the globe.

Cumin can fly solo, too. We love to rub it into lamb chops before grilling, or mix it into the cheesy filling of a burrito, or use it to accent a slaw or simple sautéed vegetable dish.

a(cumin) For the longest shelf life, your cumin should be stored in an airtight glass jar and kept in a cupboard (or some other dark place). As with many spices, you'll get the most flavor from cumin if you buy whole seeds and then grind them as you need them.

dry pan Lightly toasting cumin seeds in a dry skillet before using them helps release some of the seeds' aromas and lends a headier flavor to a dish.

cue: men With mentions in the Bible and the writings of Apicius ("when one is tired of all seasonings, cumin remains welcome..."), cumin has a long history as a culinary and medicinal spice. Apparently, there's also an old superstition about how cooking with cumin can keep your lover from wandering, but if you think spices will help with that, your problems are bigger than cooking.

what you need

Ana Sortun's Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean is split into chapters based on spice and herb groupings. Chapter 1: Cumin, coriander and cardamom.

Jane and Michael Stern's Chili Nation chronicles some of the countless versions of this alternate national dish, to which cumin often lends its musky smoke flavor.

One easy and effective way to get more flavor into your cooking: buy your spices whole and spend $15 on a coffee grinder you use exclusively for grinding spices.

Chip uses his All-Clad 8-inch fry pan mostly to toast spices.

what you do

Cumin flavors both a spicy Indian okra and the cucumber raita that can help offset the okra's heat.

On a hot summer night, a steaming ragout or stew can actually have a cooling, cleansing effect. Try this delicious Indian style beef and sweet potatoes dish with a bowl of simple quinoa or basmati rice.

Brys is big on isolating single spices in a dish, like in this grilled cumin veal chop.

Or you could try a slightly more complex spice mixture with this grilled chili-cumin pork chop.

With its tart citrusy flavor, coriander rounds out cumin. Their natural affinity is on display in these black bean burritos with carrots, zucchini and cilantro.

Root Source: Quinoa

Fri, 29 May 2009 12:50:03 +0000

what you should know

Are we less inclined to warm up to foods we're not sure how to pronounce? That's the only reason we can think of to explain why quinoa ("KEEN-wah") has yet to take off in the U.S.

A "pseudo cereal" native to the Andes, quinoa is mild and slightly nutty, with a beautiful, pillowy texture that's a little like couscous. It's a farmer-friendly crop that grows easily in many different climates and at high altitudes. It's simple to process and prepare. It's gluten-free. It's easy to digest.

Quinoa has all the goods that grains and seeds are supposed to have (dietary fiber and so on). The real kicker though? Quinoa has the highest protein levels (up to 20%) of all the cereals -- pseudo or otherwise.

the case for quinoa This nutritional profile has led normally sober people to rhapsodize about the promise of quinoa. (Its potential as a hangover remedy was the subject of our first blog post.)

saponin warning Raw, quinoa is coated in a toxic, bitter substance called saponin. Almost all commercially available quinoa has been de-saponinized. Still, go ahead and rinse your quinoa a couple of times before you use it.

what you need

Rebecca Wood loves quinoa so much that she wrote a whole book about it. If Wood's Quinoa the Supergrain is too narrow a study for you, pick up her award-winning The Splendid Grain, one of the very best single-subject cookbooks out there. (Wood has recipes and tips at her website.)

Five years ago, Corby Kummer wrote in the Atlantic (sub. req'd) about a company called Inca Organics. The company works with thousands of quinoa farmers in Ecuador to supply worldwide food distributors. IO has a list of online retailers. Brys buys his quinoa from White Mountain Farm, one of the first large-scale quinoa operations in the U.S.

what you do

As with rice and pasta, it's next to impossible to make just the right amount of quinoa. We like to use leftover quinoa in burritos, stir-fries, salads and really anything that could use some texture. But leftover quinoa also shines as a breakfast grain. Try this quinoa with dried cranberries, toasted walnuts and honey.

Once you try quinoa in the place of pasta for this ham, cabbage and sage dish that Brys assembled out of the ether one day, you may never go back.

If you're a newcomer to quinoa, start with the basic preparation and go from there. One of Chip's favorite afternoon snacks is simply steamed quinoa mixed with sour cream and hot sauce.

Root Source: Marjoram

Fri, 29 May 2009 12:46:04 +0000

what you should know

Marjoram is oregano's calmer, sweeter fraternal twin. Oregano = zesty + peppery + lemony. Marjoram = delicate + floral + round. The two are often used interchangeably, but if you get up in their mix you'll see some big differences.

the tear-smell test Get a fresh sprig of marjoram and a fresh sprig of oregano. Tear an oregano leaf in half. Hold it up to your nose. Smell that piney resin? That jolt? It's sharp, isn't it? Almost one note.

Okay, wait a few minutes, then do the same thing with the marjoram. Smell the complexity? The spice is still there but it's perfumed, heady. Almost soapy. (If you use too much of it, that soapiness can take over a soup or sauce.)

the short and long of it You hear conflicting views about the best use for marjoram. First, you hear it's a great sauce and stewing herb that lends some woodsiness to long-cooked dishes. Then, you hear that marjoram should be added at the end of cooking so that you don't lose its delicate flavor.

We're marjoram centrists. When we're roasting, grilling or broiling something, we like a lot of marjoram and we like it on its own. The high heat tames that soapiness, leaving a delicate floral taste to contrast the meat. In sauces, salads, and dressings, where the marjoram's more potent, we like to use it sparingly and we taste as we go.

what you need

Claudia Roden was born in Egypt, where most of the cultivated marjoram in the world comes from. She's written many great books on the food of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Right now, we're into her new Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon.

Can you survive without a Zyliss herb mill? Yes. Do you feel a little dignified when you use one? Yes. Is it up to you to decide if that kind of dignity is worth $12? Yes.

Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs versus Herbs and Spices: The Cook's Reference. In a steel cage match between the two, we're not sure who would come out on top. They're equally good.

what you do

Next time you're feeling like a quesadilla, stow the cilantro and try mixing marjoram and coriander with Monterey Jack. Against the cheese's gooey richness, the marjoram brings in a little lemon that the coriander picks up on and rounds out as orange. It's a match made in cielo.

We liked a toned-down version of moros y cristianos, the famous Cuban dish of black beans and rice. Though usually you'd use dried oregano, we think that fresh marjoram gives it more complexity.

Marjoram is underused as a flavoring for root vegetables. With carrots and Brussels sprouts roasted at high heat, marjoram highlights the sweet and woodsy qualities of the vegetables.

But if you really want to talk about marjoram and roasting, you've got to talk about lamb. To see what the herb's all about, try this seared and roasted rack of lamb inspired by one of Brys' favorite cooking shows, Take Home Chef.

Root Source: Pecorino

Fri, 29 May 2009 12:42:20 +0000

what you should know

For too long, pecorino has been Italy's other hard cheese.

Unlike Parmigiano-Reggiano, a cow's milk cheese made in northern Italy, pecorino cheeses are made with sheep's milk (pecora means "sheep") and they usually come from southern Italy and Sardinia, terrain too dry for mooing.

Most are grana: hard, aged, granular cheeses. But beyond that, "pecorino" can apply to any number of cheese styles. (Tasting notes at the blog.)

grate it yourself, sloth Most pecorino imported to the U.S. is sharp, "grating" cheese. In the time it has taken you to read this far, you could have grated 1/4 cup of pecorino. Unless you have to, don't buy grated pecorino. Seriously.

keep it under wraps When hard cheese is left out uncovered, the exposed surfaces oxidize and dry out. So unless you buy your pecorino by the wheel, it's best to store it in the crisper of the refrigerator. Pecorino is durable enough to tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Change the wrap every other day or so to let the cheese air out, but always rewrap it tightly. And for fullest flavor, let the cheese come to room temperature before using it.

try the rind Some pecorinos are brushed with olive oil. Others are rubbed with tomato paste. Others are wrapped in walnut leaves. And so on. Taste the rinds to get closer to the cheese. You may not like it, but at least you'll have tried.

what you need

The pungent graininess of Pecorino Romano and other hard grating pecs can be a lot to handle on its own. Try some shavings with a dollop of a spicy-sweet mostarda, the popular Italian fruit and mustard condiment.

I have one essential cheese tool: a Microplane grater. I use it almost daily. The Microplane's been so touted that it's almost not worth mentioning here. Almost.

If you don't live in New York, you should visit Murray's the next time you're there. In the meantime, get affineur Rob Kaufelt's new book, Murray's Cheese Handbook: A Guide to 300 of the World's Best Cheeses.

Rather buy American-made? Some of the best hard cheeses in the world are being produced in the U.S. My favorite monger, Boston's South End Formaggio, sells several pecorino-esque cheeses from Vermont: Woodcock Farm's Weston Wheel and Peaked Mountain Farm's Vermont Dandy.

what you do

Pecorino is classic for grating over pasta. It elevates already classic fusilli with sausage and broccoli raab.

Cold winter weather doesn't necessarily demand a comforting, warm dish. This fennel, orange and pecorino salad tastes bright and fresh -- just the thing when you've got the winter blues but don't feel like cooking.

Tangy Pecorino Toscano makes a perfect crown for a mild hors d'oeuvre of lentil bruschetta with basil.

Root Source: Beet

Fri, 29 May 2009 12:37:17 +0000

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.)

In 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. 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: Lemon Zest

Fri, 29 May 2009 12:32:18 +0000

what you should know

Our anti-fruit sauce zealotry got some people worked up last week. As a gesture of fruit-love, we decided to make peace with this week's root source on lemon zest.

why zest? James Beard chose the perfect word when he wrote that the lemon is "irreplaceable" in cooking. Lemon dignifies whatever it touches. Zest, the outer, yellow surface, is the intense, perfumed essence of the lemon. As a bright flavoring or finish, it acts like a spice or an herb. When you zest a lemon, you're basically taking the color from it and using that color to enliven something else.

5 zest notes 1. Buy firm, thick-skinned lemons that are heavy for their size. 2. Non-organic lemons have been sprayed with pesticides and other treatments. They've also been handled, dropped on the floor, and who knows what else. Before zesting a lemon, scrub it with a brush and a little soap and water. Then, rinse it well and dry it. 3. Zest only the outer yellow surface of the lemon. Avoid the bitter, white pith just below the surface. (And unless you're a "fruit detective," also avoid the pith helmet.) 4. Don't zest the lemon until you're ready to use it. 5. Then again, get in the habit of zesting every lemon you buy. If you're not using the zest right away, it will keep for a few months in the freezer.

what you need

How you zest a lemon depends on what kind of zest you want. For a fine, airy zest, use a Microplane or some other fine grater. For a julienne cut, use a zester. For longer, thicker strips of zest, use a vegetable peeler.

Cookbook author Lori Longbotham specializes in desserts, but in her comprehensive Lemon Zest, she features some delicious savory dishes as well.

what you do

As a nod to the last days of winter, brighten a dish of collard greens and white beans with lemon zest and hot sauce.

As a nod to the first days of spring (one more week), get outside and grill a New York strip with a spicy gremolata vinaigrette.

As a nod to arborio rice (why not?), try this cremini mushroom risotto that highlights the natural affinity between thyme and lemon.

Sealed inside parchment paper, lemon zest perfumes a salmon, fennel and potato papillote.

Root Source: Pork Tenderloin

Fri, 29 May 2009 12:27:31 +0000

what you should know

Here's a widespread practice that we'd like to see scaled way back: pairing pork tenderloin with fruit.

Don't think it's that widespread? A challenge then: flip through the indices of your cookbooks until you find three pork tenderloin recipes in three separate books.

just let it be savory There's nothing inherently wrong with pairing pork tenderloin with fruit. It just shows a collective failure of imagination that it is all anyone ever seems to want to do with this leaner, milder cut more prized for its tenderness than its flavor. As with a filet mignon, a generous seasoning of coarsely ground salt and pepper paired with high heat can transform a pork tenderloin.

temp, not time The key to a juicy pork tenderloin: temperature. You can cook a tenderloin in just about conceivable way, but always have your meat thermometer ready. You cannot reliably use a timer and expect a juicy tenderloin. It's that simple.

While the National Pork Producers Council has for years recommended a blistering internal read of 160F, we're glad to see more and more people champion medium-rare and medium pork. We've been consistently pleased by pulling pork at 142F. We let the meat sit covered for 5-10 minutes, during which time the temp will tick up a few more degrees.

what you need

Cooking pork tenderloin gives us an excuse to wield our favorite kitchen tools: a pair of OXO Good Grips tongs (Chip) and a Taylor instant-read digital thermometer (Brys). No one's favorite kitchen tool is butcher's twine, but when you need it, you need it. And often for a whole pork tenderloin, you need it.

You may not need Peter Kaminsky's Pig Perfect or Bruce Aidell's Complete Book of Pork, but owning either or both means you'll never need another email like this one to remind you of this next point.

Which is that, in the past several decades, pigs have changed dramatically. What used to be a lush, fatty meat has been bred into something leaner, less marbled. Across the country, certain small-scale producers specialize in heritage pig breeds like the Berkshire and the Red Wattle. We urge you to try these breeds. Compared to most of the supermarket cuts (with Niman Ranch as an exception), they're juicier, they're tastier, and they're more humanely raised. To save them you have to eat them.

what you do

Get back to basics. Forgo the fruit, the marinades, the rubs. Forget everything you've heard about the tenderloin's blandness. Track down a good quality cut. Season and moisturize it in a simple brine, then sear and roast it. Using just a few ingredients and direct high heat, let the meat speak for itself.

Or, instead of a brine, try Mark Bittman's twice-seared pork medallions (video) with a good pan sauce. (Not a fruity one, though.)

Sticking a tenderloin in the freezer before using it in a stir-fry helps keep the meat firm as you thinly slice it. We love this clean, textured stir-fry of pork, eggplant, red peppers and basil.

What is pate sablee?

Mon, 18 May 2009 08:37:04 +0000

Pâte sablée is the richest of the French short pastry crusts. It is used to make sweet flans and tarts.

A pâte sablée is made with butter, flour or powdered almonds, butter, egg, sugar and flavored with vanilla. It has more calories than a pâte brisée or pâte sucrée and the most flavor.

What is a pate a bombe?

Mon, 18 May 2009 08:36:54 +0000

A pâte à bombe is the French term for a mixture used as a base for making chocolate mousse and other mousse-like desserts.

It is made by pouring a sugar syrup that has been cooked until it is 121 degrees celsius (249.8 farenheit) over egg yolks and whipping the mixture until it is completely cold and has transformed into a uniform, unctuous, airy mass.

Moroccan Minestrone

Wed, 27 May 2009 10:10:02 +0000

Serve this colorful vegetable soup with warm whole-wheat pitas, or chunks of crusty whole-grain bread. Read more about this recipe on the Cookthink blog.

Aunt Helen's Pineapple Pie

Tue, 19 May 2009 06:18:29 +0000

Before I got married, I purchased a thick notebook and drove 30 miles every Saturday morning to my Aunt Helen's house in Flint, Michigan, where I would sit at her kitchen table and copy down her recipes and cooking secrets. Cooking for a man was Aunt Helen's specialty. Serve this pie at room temperature.

Caramel Tin Roof Pie

Tue, 19 May 2009 06:18:05 +0000

Doesn't this recipe sound good? It is. If you'd like some ideas about what to eat with it, click on the "goes with..." tab to the left. For the lowdown on ingredients, techniques and tools, click on "related tips."

Frida's Lemon Chess Pie

Tue, 19 May 2009 06:17:37 +0000

Redemption Hazelnut Pie

Tue, 19 May 2009 06:17:06 +0000

Flaky Pie Crust

Tue, 19 May 2009 05:58:59 +0000

Chile-And-Peanut-Crusted Halibut

Mon, 18 May 2009 09:40:05 +0000

I bought some Thai lime and chile peanuts from Trader Joe's and decided they would be fabulous crushed and pressed into the top of halibut fillets for the grill. If you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby, use another brand of seasoned peanuts or add your own spices.

Char-Grilled Pork Chops With Red Miso Barbecue Paste

Mon, 18 May 2009 09:19:39 +0000

The combination of red miso, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and a touch of fiery sambal oelek gives grilled pork a sweet, smoky, pungent flavor.

Read more about this recipe in Diane Morgan's Grill Every Day.

Sponge Cake

Mon, 18 May 2009 09:07:30 +0000

A shot of Cognac is the secret ingredient that gives this simply flavored sponge cake a lovely taste. Serve it on its own or with ice cream, whipped cream or berries.

Gin Rickey

Mon, 18 May 2009 02:51:17 +0000

Embarrassingly simple to make, this classic cocktail from the turn of the 19th century was the first in a long line of Rickeys, dry cocktails usually made without any sweeteners: All you need is gin, a fresh lime, cold club soda -- and a powerful thirst. Read more about this recipe on the Cookthink blog.