Even tastier when you make it for someone you love.
Chowder recipe to follow...
Friday, October 7, 2011
Doesn't get any better
Sweet potato corn chowder, and a grilled bacon-tomato-cheese sammich.
Even tastier when you make it for someone you love.
Chowder recipe to follow...
Even tastier when you make it for someone you love.
Chowder recipe to follow...
Dave loves to eat, and cook, and feed his family and friends. Thankfully Dave's family and friends like to eat what he cooks.
Dave has achieved the Great American Dream -- suburban banality. He cooks from his modestly appointed kitchen in the leafy suburbs of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a stone's throw from Philadelphia.
Stop by for dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Pesto days
Fall has arrived and it's time to gather up the remaining herbs in the garden.
I harvested an armful of basil Sunday, and made pesto to freeze. Pesto is the best way to store basil. Basil does not dry well (it dries, but virtually no flavor remains), but whizzed up with olive oil, and frozen, it retains its flavor and color.
Like many recipes, go with your instincts. Pull leaves from the plants. Wash and spin dry. Load them into the food processor and whiz until you have nearly a paste of basil. Drizzle olive oil (or any oil, really), until you form a loose paste. You're done. You can add ground nuts (pignoli, almonds, walnuts), and grated cheese (parmigiano, pecorino) if you like -- depends how you plan to use it. If you're looking to keep the basil to add to a simmering sauce during the cold winter, then basil + oil is all you need. If you want to use it as pasta sauce on its own, then add the nuts and cheese. A pinch of salt is good, too.
Once whizzed up, the pesto can be scooped into mini-muffin tins and frozen. Once frozen, they can be popped out and stored in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.
I harvested an armful of basil Sunday, and made pesto to freeze. Pesto is the best way to store basil. Basil does not dry well (it dries, but virtually no flavor remains), but whizzed up with olive oil, and frozen, it retains its flavor and color.
Like many recipes, go with your instincts. Pull leaves from the plants. Wash and spin dry. Load them into the food processor and whiz until you have nearly a paste of basil. Drizzle olive oil (or any oil, really), until you form a loose paste. You're done. You can add ground nuts (pignoli, almonds, walnuts), and grated cheese (parmigiano, pecorino) if you like -- depends how you plan to use it. If you're looking to keep the basil to add to a simmering sauce during the cold winter, then basil + oil is all you need. If you want to use it as pasta sauce on its own, then add the nuts and cheese. A pinch of salt is good, too.
Once whizzed up, the pesto can be scooped into mini-muffin tins and frozen. Once frozen, they can be popped out and stored in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.
A big bowlful of basil leaves, picked over, washed, and spun dry.
All those leaves make this much pesto.
Doesn't seem like a lot, but a little bit goes a long way.
Doesn't seem like a lot, but a little bit goes a long way.
My silicone mini-muffin 'tin.' Perfect for this.
Pesto filling the muffin tin, and sitting in the freezer.
Once frozen, the knobs of pesto pop right out.
Dave loves to eat, and cook, and feed his family and friends. Thankfully Dave's family and friends like to eat what he cooks.
Dave has achieved the Great American Dream -- suburban banality. He cooks from his modestly appointed kitchen in the leafy suburbs of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a stone's throw from Philadelphia.
Stop by for dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sunday brunch
A beautiful Sunday brunch, with a gathering of close friends. Lots of good food, good conversation, and laughs.
Spumante mimosas
Creamed dried beef over toast
Zucchini frittata
Sliced yellow tomatoes with mozzarella, dressed with garlic oil and pesto
Oven-roasted Italian sausage
Steak fries
Golden raisin muffins
Nectarine pandowdy
Homemade jams -- strawberry, fig, apricot
Coffee, tea
Couldn't have asked for a nicer afternoon.
Spumante mimosas
Creamed dried beef over toast
Zucchini frittata
Sliced yellow tomatoes with mozzarella, dressed with garlic oil and pesto
Oven-roasted Italian sausage
Steak fries
Golden raisin muffins
Nectarine pandowdy
Homemade jams -- strawberry, fig, apricot
Coffee, tea
Couldn't have asked for a nicer afternoon.
Dave loves to eat, and cook, and feed his family and friends. Thankfully Dave's family and friends like to eat what he cooks.
Dave has achieved the Great American Dream -- suburban banality. He cooks from his modestly appointed kitchen in the leafy suburbs of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a stone's throw from Philadelphia.
Stop by for dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Sunday in the kitchen
A productive day in the kitchen -- roasted a big pile of red peppers, steamed a few artichokes, and made a pot of pasta e ceci.
I've posted here about roasted peppers before. The peppers at Gentile's Produce Market were magnificent and cheap -- $1.49/lb. I bought two grocery sacks full.
I haven't written about steaming or stuffing artichokes, and I should. Add that one to the list.
As for the pasta e ceci, it's a typical bean and pasta soup that's a staple in every Italian kitchen, a minestrone. Every recipe is identical and different at the same time. I'll outline a very basic recipe that you can modify to your needs and tastes.
2 large onions
2 large carrots
a big stalk of celery
6 cloves of garlic
Coarsely chop the veggies, and then process in your food processor until finely chopped. This is what Lidia Bastianich calls her "pestata." (Others call it a soffritto, but it's much the same thing.) It's an excellent base for soups, stews, and the like.
In a large Dutch oven, warm 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the pestata, a bay leaf, and sprig or two of thyme. Saute the pestata until it starts to color.
Add two 14-oz cans of chick peas ("ceci"), drained, to the pot. Add 6 cups stock (or water, if you want to keep this wholly vegetarian).
Cut up three ripe tomatoes into large chunks. Process into a puree. Add to the pot.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 20 minutes until the chick peas are tender. Salt and pepper as necessary. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Drop an immersion blender into the pot and puree a bit, leaving some beans whole.
Add 1/2 pound of ditalini or tubettini pasta. Bring again to a boil, and cook until the pasta is just tender. Turn off the heat. Taste for seasoning. Add a handful of chopped parsley at the end if you'd like -- it adds a nice color and flavor. Serve in soup plates. Drizzle with some olive oil, and pass grated cheese at the table.
This soup is always better the next day.
Variations on a theme: Saute bacon or pancetta in the olive oil before adding the pestata. If you don't have chick peas, any bean will do -- cannellini, pinto, navy, kidney. If you used dried split peas, you'd have pea soup. If you don't have fresh tomatoes, use canned whole tomatoes and crush them with your hands before adding. If all you have is tomato paste, that'll work, too. Add it to the sauteing pestata, then add your stock or water.
I've posted here about roasted peppers before. The peppers at Gentile's Produce Market were magnificent and cheap -- $1.49/lb. I bought two grocery sacks full.
I haven't written about steaming or stuffing artichokes, and I should. Add that one to the list.
Steamed artichokes, perfumed with lemon and olive oil.
As for the pasta e ceci, it's a typical bean and pasta soup that's a staple in every Italian kitchen, a minestrone. Every recipe is identical and different at the same time. I'll outline a very basic recipe that you can modify to your needs and tastes.
2 large onions
2 large carrots
a big stalk of celery
6 cloves of garlic
Coarsely chop the veggies, and then process in your food processor until finely chopped. This is what Lidia Bastianich calls her "pestata." (Others call it a soffritto, but it's much the same thing.) It's an excellent base for soups, stews, and the like.
In a large Dutch oven, warm 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the pestata, a bay leaf, and sprig or two of thyme. Saute the pestata until it starts to color.
Add two 14-oz cans of chick peas ("ceci"), drained, to the pot. Add 6 cups stock (or water, if you want to keep this wholly vegetarian).
Cut up three ripe tomatoes into large chunks. Process into a puree. Add to the pot.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 20 minutes until the chick peas are tender. Salt and pepper as necessary. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Drop an immersion blender into the pot and puree a bit, leaving some beans whole.
Add 1/2 pound of ditalini or tubettini pasta. Bring again to a boil, and cook until the pasta is just tender. Turn off the heat. Taste for seasoning. Add a handful of chopped parsley at the end if you'd like -- it adds a nice color and flavor. Serve in soup plates. Drizzle with some olive oil, and pass grated cheese at the table.
This soup is always better the next day.
Variations on a theme: Saute bacon or pancetta in the olive oil before adding the pestata. If you don't have chick peas, any bean will do -- cannellini, pinto, navy, kidney. If you used dried split peas, you'd have pea soup. If you don't have fresh tomatoes, use canned whole tomatoes and crush them with your hands before adding. If all you have is tomato paste, that'll work, too. Add it to the sauteing pestata, then add your stock or water.
Dave loves to eat, and cook, and feed his family and friends. Thankfully Dave's family and friends like to eat what he cooks.
Dave has achieved the Great American Dream -- suburban banality. He cooks from his modestly appointed kitchen in the leafy suburbs of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a stone's throw from Philadelphia.
Stop by for dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Facebook fig jam
Chalk this recipe up to Facebook!
I recently friended an old high-school friend, Lisa F., on Facebook. It's been YEARS since we've seen each other, very possibly since we graduated high school sometime in the last century. (OK, OK, it was 33 years ago. Happy now?)
Just last weekend Lisa posted on Facebook that the fig tree in her backyard was producing ripe fruit at an alarming pace, and was there anyone out there who'd like some of it? I chimed right in -- sure, I'll make fig jam.
I went over that afternoon (she lives nearby), and picked up about 5 pounds of beautifully ripe, sweet, dark figs, picked just that morning off her tree.
Just getting reacquainted after so many years was a delight, and the fruit was a wonderful dividend. I promised Lisa a couple jars of jam.
Got up early this morning and made some fig jam. Nothing fancy -- figs, sugar, a bit of lemon juice, pinch of salt. Cook, jars, process, cool. I rely upon the National Center for Home Food Preservation for my recipes. I used their Fig Jam without added pectin recipe. Can't go wrong. As I've mentioned in previous jammy posts, making jam is not difficult, but it helps to have a couple specialized tools handy, like a jar lifter, a canning funnel, a candy thermometer, and a big steel (not aluminum) stock pot.
Remind me to tell the story of the Italian word for 'fig' some day.
I recently friended an old high-school friend, Lisa F., on Facebook. It's been YEARS since we've seen each other, very possibly since we graduated high school sometime in the last century. (OK, OK, it was 33 years ago. Happy now?)
Just last weekend Lisa posted on Facebook that the fig tree in her backyard was producing ripe fruit at an alarming pace, and was there anyone out there who'd like some of it? I chimed right in -- sure, I'll make fig jam.
I went over that afternoon (she lives nearby), and picked up about 5 pounds of beautifully ripe, sweet, dark figs, picked just that morning off her tree.
Just getting reacquainted after so many years was a delight, and the fruit was a wonderful dividend. I promised Lisa a couple jars of jam.
Got up early this morning and made some fig jam. Nothing fancy -- figs, sugar, a bit of lemon juice, pinch of salt. Cook, jars, process, cool. I rely upon the National Center for Home Food Preservation for my recipes. I used their Fig Jam without added pectin recipe. Can't go wrong. As I've mentioned in previous jammy posts, making jam is not difficult, but it helps to have a couple specialized tools handy, like a jar lifter, a canning funnel, a candy thermometer, and a big steel (not aluminum) stock pot.
Cut-up figs and sugar, ready to cook.
Staging area, at the ready.
Figs and sugar, boiling hard.
Eight jars of beautiful fig jam.
Remind me to tell the story of the Italian word for 'fig' some day.
Dave loves to eat, and cook, and feed his family and friends. Thankfully Dave's family and friends like to eat what he cooks.
Dave has achieved the Great American Dream -- suburban banality. He cooks from his modestly appointed kitchen in the leafy suburbs of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a stone's throw from Philadelphia.
Stop by for dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Sated in Seattle
I was in Seattle last week on business and had couple very good meals.
Upon arrival, I headed over to Belltown, the Monday location of popular food truck "Where Ya At, Matt." I tried the jambalaya. Very good indeed. Smoky, spicy, but not outrageously hot. Good andouille, chicken, lots of veggies. Matt himself was not there so I didn't get to meet him.
Monday night I dined at The Walrus and the Carpenter, an oyster bar in the Ballard neighborhood. Their website said it opened at 4 pm. Well, I was still very much on east-coast time, and was feeling a bit hungry, so wandered over to the bar at a very unfashionable 4:30 pm. There was one seat left, at the bar. Fine with me!
I'm not much of an oyster person, so forewent them. But ordered a couple of the small plates on the menu, including grilled sardines with a shallot, walnut, and parsley sauce that was knock-your-socks-off good. I then had their house-cured salmon, sliced and arrayed on the plate with a smear of creme fraiche, a couple slices of tomato, red onion, and a scattering of capers. All I needed was a bagel!
Upon arrival, I headed over to Belltown, the Monday location of popular food truck "Where Ya At, Matt." I tried the jambalaya. Very good indeed. Smoky, spicy, but not outrageously hot. Good andouille, chicken, lots of veggies. Matt himself was not there so I didn't get to meet him.
Monday night I dined at The Walrus and the Carpenter, an oyster bar in the Ballard neighborhood. Their website said it opened at 4 pm. Well, I was still very much on east-coast time, and was feeling a bit hungry, so wandered over to the bar at a very unfashionable 4:30 pm. There was one seat left, at the bar. Fine with me!
I'm not much of an oyster person, so forewent them. But ordered a couple of the small plates on the menu, including grilled sardines with a shallot, walnut, and parsley sauce that was knock-your-socks-off good. I then had their house-cured salmon, sliced and arrayed on the plate with a smear of creme fraiche, a couple slices of tomato, red onion, and a scattering of capers. All I needed was a bagel!
Dessert was a locally produced, very fresh, very rich ricotta cheese -- an ice cream scoop-sized dollop on top of Ballard Bee honey. Extraordinary. The honey was so good I stopped at a local Whole Foods to see if I could find it. No luck at Whole Foods, but it is available online.
Dinner Tuesday was another popular Seattle dining spot: Serious Pie. It's one of Seattle restaurateur-entrepreneur Tom Douglas's places. (If you know Stephen Starr in Philly, well, Tom Douglas is the Seattle equivalent, but Douglas, unlike Starr, is a chef.) Good place. A bit warm, from the gas oven. Communal seating, meaning I shared a table with a couple on a date to my left and three business people in town for a sales meeting on the right.
I got the clam pizza. Very tasty. Excellent, tender crust (not crisp or cracker-y in any way, more like a tender focaccia). Problem was, it didn't taste much like clams. I picked up the lemon thyme and the pancetta, but the clam flavor was very subtle. I though I'd get a clam pizza like the ones I knew from Sally's in New Haven, but I was wrong. The starter, sauteed mustard greens with a blue cheese drizzle, was very good.
One of the threesome to my right apparently was quite the gourmand, and another was clearly a reluctant eater of new things. They were friendly, though, and we chatted a bit. I did have to laugh -- Mr Gourmand was telling Mr Relucant about the pizza Mr Reluctant had ordered -- house-cured guanciale, a soft-cooked egg, and arugula. Mr Gourmand kept pronouncing it "guan-i-cal-e," but I didn't have the heart to correct him. I'll add that to the list that includes "vinegar-ette," "maRscapone," and "papper-ika."
Lunch Thursday was at Palisade, a waterfront restaurant overlooking the marina on Elliott Bay, with magnificent views of the Seattle skyline and Mt Rainier. Excellent salmon bisque and then crabcakes. Afterwards, my very eager client took me up to a park on a bluff overlooking the bay (Kerry Park), with breathtaking panoramas of the city, the Sound, and the mountains.
Seattle skyline from Kerry Park, with a ghostly Mt Rainier in the background.
I had some free time Thursday afternoon between client appointments. I'd seen some signs posted about the Queen Anne Farmers' Market, that afternoon. Naturally I couldn't resist stopping by and taking a few photos. The produce was lovely, and the scene lively and fun.
Thursday night was a business dinner, and I hosted my client at Wild Ginger. Very, very good pan-Asian food -- noodles, stir-fries, and their signature satays. Mountain lamb satay and scallop satay to start. Then a couple stir-fry dishes -- Angkor Wat chicken, Mongolian noodles, and wok-fried barbecue prawns. Lots of kick, lots of flavor, very pleasant serving staff, and good business conversation to boot. Heck, with a meal that good, I'm bound to get his business!
After dinner, I rushed back up to Kerry Park and took advantage of the waning dusk light, and got some good nighttime photos of the skyline.
Dave loves to eat, and cook, and feed his family and friends. Thankfully Dave's family and friends like to eat what he cooks.
Dave has achieved the Great American Dream -- suburban banality. He cooks from his modestly appointed kitchen in the leafy suburbs of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a stone's throw from Philadelphia.
Stop by for dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Red
RED. That is all.
Dave loves to eat, and cook, and feed his family and friends. Thankfully Dave's family and friends like to eat what he cooks.
Dave has achieved the Great American Dream -- suburban banality. He cooks from his modestly appointed kitchen in the leafy suburbs of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a stone's throw from Philadelphia.
Stop by for dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast.
Bloob muffin redux
The blueberries are in profusion. Can't resist making some muffins. Peg and Adoom like them, too.
Bloob muffin recipe from last year
I made a small variation when I made the muffins yesterday -- I added a heaping tablespoon of sugar to the just-washed berries, tossed them around, sprinkled on a bit of cinnamon, and added a teaspoon of shredded lemon zest. Nice.
I also sprinkled some turbinado sugar on top of each before popping them into the oven. Turbinado sugar is a coarse, crystalline, free-flowing brown sugar. ((Dr Dave puts on chemist's hat)) Not quite sure how 'raw' it is -- it would have to go through some serious processing to achieve a crystalline, free-flowing state -- but it's nice on top of muffins or pies.
One nice thing about muffins is that they keep well. There's SO much butter in them relative to the amount of flour that they keep 'fresh' for a couple days well-wrapped.
Bloob muffin recipe from last year
I made a small variation when I made the muffins yesterday -- I added a heaping tablespoon of sugar to the just-washed berries, tossed them around, sprinkled on a bit of cinnamon, and added a teaspoon of shredded lemon zest. Nice.
I also sprinkled some turbinado sugar on top of each before popping them into the oven. Turbinado sugar is a coarse, crystalline, free-flowing brown sugar. ((Dr Dave puts on chemist's hat)) Not quite sure how 'raw' it is
One nice thing about muffins is that they keep well. There's SO much butter in them relative to the amount of flour that they keep 'fresh' for a couple days well-wrapped.
Hot out of the oven.
You can see the turbinado sugar glistening on top.
Dave loves to eat, and cook, and feed his family and friends. Thankfully Dave's family and friends like to eat what he cooks.
Dave has achieved the Great American Dream -- suburban banality. He cooks from his modestly appointed kitchen in the leafy suburbs of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a stone's throw from Philadelphia.
Stop by for dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Reading Terminal Market's makeover
Reading Terminal Market's makeover -- Philadelphia Inquirer
Reading Terminal Market homepage
More on the makeover
Reading Terminal Market homepage
More on the makeover
Adam, dazzled by the selection at Reading Terminal Market!
Dave loves to eat, and cook, and feed his family and friends. Thankfully Dave's family and friends like to eat what he cooks.
Dave has achieved the Great American Dream -- suburban banality. He cooks from his modestly appointed kitchen in the leafy suburbs of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a stone's throw from Philadelphia.
Stop by for dinner. Or lunch. Or breakfast.
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