The Northern Italians know how to do an antipasto platter right.There is the crunchy and fun frito misto , literally assorted fried things and the earthy and hearty bollito misto, or assorted boiled things, Both are great served together or separate, perfect for all sorts of parties and cozy winter evening gatherings.
Luckily for all fried food lovers,, David Tanis wrote about frito misto in yesterday's New York Times Foof section. He chose the Venetia style which is mostly all seafood,t's a surprisingly light fare, similar to Japanese tempura. You do need an electric fryer with a thermostat which can regulate temperatures . A regular one without a gauge can also be used ,however be care that the oil doesn't get overly hot and smokes. When you make any frito misto, try to make it like an assembly line, with cleaning or washing first, them coating all the morsels followed by frying. As for the batter, many home chefs prefer a seasoned flour instead of a batter, however it's up to you.Mr. Tanis prefers a two step coating process. The first is a mix of flour , pumped up with white wine for flavor and seltzer for bubble. The seafood pieces are them dredged in a mix of just flour, salt and pepper.. They are then fried for two or three minutes until crunchy and golden. You can also use veggies such as broccoli,, mushrooms, cauliflowers and when they're in season, squash blossoms. The last is wonderful as fritto misto and can be fried in butter instead of oil.
For a more earthier assortment , there is bollito misto This is a popular dish amongst the Piedmontese, Lombards and Emilio Romanese. It closely resembles the French pot au feu. It's a great way of using tougher cuts of meat, with the cooking process rendering the meat's texture almost buttery. Beef and veal are always cooked together as are whole hens and capons. Cooking time is two to three hours over a low simmering flame. The meats are then thinly sliced and served with mostarda,candied fruit in mustard sauce, salsa verde, a green parsley sauce, chutney and / or horseradish. For a quicker recipe just poach the meats . The water should be flavored with the addition of salt and a handful of peppercorns along with two or three bay leaves. The broth can be repurposed as a the base for zuppa montagna,the savory bread pudding popular in the Piedmontese Alps.Serve the bollito misto with thinly sliced and buttered Italian bread.
Both hot antipastos are perfect for cozy winter get togethers. Whether fried or boiled, they are tasty and fun, a different spin on a classic dish. Make it either fried , boiled or both for a yummy meal with friends or family.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Prime Rib Return Of A Classic
Many classic foods are making big comebacks, thanks to younger chefs and home chefs discovering them .This is the case with prime rib.It's starting to be seen both in restaurants and dining rooms. Once, relegated to fancy affairs it's becoming a part of the American diet again.
Jeff Gordonier explored this in today 's New York Times Wednesday Food section Once the star of Sunday roasts, it's been associated with weddings and bar mitzvahs. This is the year for it to come back into its own.Prime rib is already being seen in some of Manhattan's best restaurants such as Cherche Midi. The cut itself is stunning, a true roast with a photogenic and seductive look. It has a ruby red eye in its' center surrounded by a tender melt in your mouth meat. The exterior is a crisp rind of fat and salt, the perfect crust.There is also the plus of gnawing the bone, satisfying any Paleo urges.The meat should be aged 120 days before cooking so it has , as Mr. Gordonier puts it"a beautiful blue cheese funk about it."Prime rib is usually served with Yorkshire pudding, as it has for centuries in Britain. This is the forebear of our popover, and started as a runny batter to collect the cut's juices.
Both are easy to make. If you have a fireplace you can roast the meat the original way.It does require a hook that will hold the string wrapped around the meat.You're going to have to check antique shops or even Etsy for meat hooks. They may have a comeback thanks to the cut but stores like Williams and Sonoma and Sur la Table have yet to pick up on this trend . You can cook prime rib in an oven usually for two hours after an initial browning of 15 minutes at 500 degrees Farenheit Many chefs like to marinade the meat.The Lafayette Restaurant in New York preps the meat with packing it with salt , a necessary along with cracked peppercorns and herbs.Some, like, Washington DC chef Nate Anda of Partisan coats his in fennel pollen and red pepper flakes.it is then cooked for eigh hours in a sous vide, followed by searing. It's then sliced in wafer thin pink slices and served on flat breads.FOr home chefs just use fresh ground pepper and kosher salt to seal in the juices and to give it a nice salty crust. Yorkshire pudding is baked afterwards, using the prime ribs' dripping. It's just a simple blend of flour, whole milk and kosher salt. A teaspoon of the meat's rendered fat or even melted butter is added to the batter for more flavor.The puddings only take 10 to 12 at 400 degrees Farenheit/ minutes to bake in a muffin tin. Serve with only horseradish cream.
Prime rib is an elegant cut, a throwback to our beef eating days. Make it and Yorkshire pudding for a truly flavorful experience appealing to any and every meat lover's tastes. It's downright delicious and as you'll soon find out , addictive
Jeff Gordonier explored this in today 's New York Times Wednesday Food section Once the star of Sunday roasts, it's been associated with weddings and bar mitzvahs. This is the year for it to come back into its own.Prime rib is already being seen in some of Manhattan's best restaurants such as Cherche Midi. The cut itself is stunning, a true roast with a photogenic and seductive look. It has a ruby red eye in its' center surrounded by a tender melt in your mouth meat. The exterior is a crisp rind of fat and salt, the perfect crust.There is also the plus of gnawing the bone, satisfying any Paleo urges.The meat should be aged 120 days before cooking so it has , as Mr. Gordonier puts it"a beautiful blue cheese funk about it."Prime rib is usually served with Yorkshire pudding, as it has for centuries in Britain. This is the forebear of our popover, and started as a runny batter to collect the cut's juices.
Both are easy to make. If you have a fireplace you can roast the meat the original way.It does require a hook that will hold the string wrapped around the meat.You're going to have to check antique shops or even Etsy for meat hooks. They may have a comeback thanks to the cut but stores like Williams and Sonoma and Sur la Table have yet to pick up on this trend . You can cook prime rib in an oven usually for two hours after an initial browning of 15 minutes at 500 degrees Farenheit Many chefs like to marinade the meat.The Lafayette Restaurant in New York preps the meat with packing it with salt , a necessary along with cracked peppercorns and herbs.Some, like, Washington DC chef Nate Anda of Partisan coats his in fennel pollen and red pepper flakes.it is then cooked for eigh hours in a sous vide, followed by searing. It's then sliced in wafer thin pink slices and served on flat breads.FOr home chefs just use fresh ground pepper and kosher salt to seal in the juices and to give it a nice salty crust. Yorkshire pudding is baked afterwards, using the prime ribs' dripping. It's just a simple blend of flour, whole milk and kosher salt. A teaspoon of the meat's rendered fat or even melted butter is added to the batter for more flavor.The puddings only take 10 to 12 at 400 degrees Farenheit/ minutes to bake in a muffin tin. Serve with only horseradish cream.
Prime rib is an elegant cut, a throwback to our beef eating days. Make it and Yorkshire pudding for a truly flavorful experience appealing to any and every meat lover's tastes. It's downright delicious and as you'll soon find out , addictive
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Resolving Those Resolutions
It's already two weeks into the New Year and some diets have probably been ditched.It is hard to stick to a regime where favorite foods are forbidden and have been replaced by bland greens and cardboard crackers. Don't despair. Any dieter can combine tasty and healthy to create satisfying meals and snacks.
Most people nix chocolate from their diets. This is one of the hardest foods to cut out as we all know.
Luckily it doesn;t have to be given up. Instead of going for milk chocolate treats opt for the dark chocolate instead. A dark chocolate bar can be just as rich an even more sinful. It also is chock full of antioxidants along with being good for your heart and brain. You can even cheat a bit and have a dark chocolate drenched Mallowmar or Pinwheel. Treat yourself to the Lu company Petit Ecolier in the dark chocolate variety. This is a sizeable square of dark chocolate topping a crisp buttery cracker. Ice cream is another treat that's always a struggle with dieters.Instead of pints of rich Turkey Hill or Hagen Daz try Weight Watcher's or Skinny Cow. This last has an amazing array of cones and sandwiches. Their cones are truly delicious and have a variety of different flavors mixed with a chocolate syrup topping. The best part - they're only 150 calories with 90 fat calories. Fruit bars are also yummy and low on fat. Try Stop & Shop's chocolate dipped ones One is just 90 calories with 30 fat calories.
One of the hardest foods to give up is the hamburger.Who can't resist a juicy patty , sometimes smothered in cheese and bacon? Again, no need for tears.Dieters can have their burgers and eat them too.Turkey burgers are much leaner and higher in Vitamin B 6. You can still have bacon but switch over to the turkey version,It has a high amount of ever needed zinc to it. As for cheese go for the soy kind. which tastes like the real thing. Another dieting no no and temptation is fried chicken. The best alternative is the baked version. it does take much longer to make(think forty five minutes in the oven) but it has fewer health risks.It does still have the flavorful crunchy coating and tender juicy meat inside. Serve with a mayo less cole slaw for a fun weekend meal.Many dieters miss big breakfasts full of three egg omelets and French toast. They can still have these, but with healthy twists. Use egg whites instead of whole eggs, along with more veggies than ham or bacon. Nix the cheeses too.The egg whites also make a great coating for French toast too. Instead of the usual white bread use whole grain for a healthier slice.Top with dark honey to mix it up and a small pat of butter.
Diets are always hard , especially if it means giving up much loved favorites. Turn these into healthy good for you meals. It'sll make sticking to that resolution easier.
Most people nix chocolate from their diets. This is one of the hardest foods to cut out as we all know.
Luckily it doesn;t have to be given up. Instead of going for milk chocolate treats opt for the dark chocolate instead. A dark chocolate bar can be just as rich an even more sinful. It also is chock full of antioxidants along with being good for your heart and brain. You can even cheat a bit and have a dark chocolate drenched Mallowmar or Pinwheel. Treat yourself to the Lu company Petit Ecolier in the dark chocolate variety. This is a sizeable square of dark chocolate topping a crisp buttery cracker. Ice cream is another treat that's always a struggle with dieters.Instead of pints of rich Turkey Hill or Hagen Daz try Weight Watcher's or Skinny Cow. This last has an amazing array of cones and sandwiches. Their cones are truly delicious and have a variety of different flavors mixed with a chocolate syrup topping. The best part - they're only 150 calories with 90 fat calories. Fruit bars are also yummy and low on fat. Try Stop & Shop's chocolate dipped ones One is just 90 calories with 30 fat calories.
One of the hardest foods to give up is the hamburger.Who can't resist a juicy patty , sometimes smothered in cheese and bacon? Again, no need for tears.Dieters can have their burgers and eat them too.Turkey burgers are much leaner and higher in Vitamin B 6. You can still have bacon but switch over to the turkey version,It has a high amount of ever needed zinc to it. As for cheese go for the soy kind. which tastes like the real thing. Another dieting no no and temptation is fried chicken. The best alternative is the baked version. it does take much longer to make(think forty five minutes in the oven) but it has fewer health risks.It does still have the flavorful crunchy coating and tender juicy meat inside. Serve with a mayo less cole slaw for a fun weekend meal.Many dieters miss big breakfasts full of three egg omelets and French toast. They can still have these, but with healthy twists. Use egg whites instead of whole eggs, along with more veggies than ham or bacon. Nix the cheeses too.The egg whites also make a great coating for French toast too. Instead of the usual white bread use whole grain for a healthier slice.Top with dark honey to mix it up and a small pat of butter.
Diets are always hard , especially if it means giving up much loved favorites. Turn these into healthy good for you meals. It'sll make sticking to that resolution easier.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Easy Winter Meals
Winter brings a lot of hard work. There's shoveling the front walk, winterizing the shrubs and doing whatever else that involves ice and snow. After all that work you need a good dinner but not the work attached with it. There are some easy dinners out there to at fill all a winter's meal requirements.
One of the easiest and most filling dishes is zuppa di montagna. This classic Piedmontese dish is just stale Italian bread or breadsticks (my favorite) layered in a casserole dish. Swiss cheese slices are layered over them and then hot broth is ladled over the entire dish. . Cook in a 325 degree oven for around half an hour. Microwaving it adds to the simplicity. It can be made in just five to six minutes. for variation add a layer of parboiled (think two minutes in a hot bath ) Savoy cabbage leaves. Another easy dish is spaghetti. I just discovered the ease and tastiness of microwaved spaghetti. This is so simple to make .It's micro boiling pasta for only ten minutes and then serving with a ready made sauce. If you do want a quick primavera, then saute sliced plum tomatoes in olive oil and garlic. You can also add onions, broccoli and cauliflower for a more Spring like taste.Try your microwaved pasta with peas and pine nuts for a lighter dinner.
Even more substantial dishes can be easily made. Nothing beats sliced roast beef or turkey with hot gravy.What you can do is buy the meats already sliced along with jarred gravy at your local supermarket. Use Stove Top Stuffing as a base for the two, and you have a hot filling meal. Microwave some green beans, corn and succotash to complete it. Chili is another easy dish, made easier in either a huge stock pot or crock pot. It's just a simple blend of sauteed chop meat and onions along with canned beans and canned whole tomatoes.The heat is up to you. Add as much pepper as you want to combat that winter chill. Tacos are another easy and fun meal. All you need to do is just cook the meat part. The fixings are usually pre sliced and you can even buy already made guacamole.The same goes for burritos and soft tacos.
Cold weather brings about hard work. Think about making easy meals that are also filling and hot.It's a nice way to end a day full of snow shoveling.
One of the easiest and most filling dishes is zuppa di montagna. This classic Piedmontese dish is just stale Italian bread or breadsticks (my favorite) layered in a casserole dish. Swiss cheese slices are layered over them and then hot broth is ladled over the entire dish. . Cook in a 325 degree oven for around half an hour. Microwaving it adds to the simplicity. It can be made in just five to six minutes. for variation add a layer of parboiled (think two minutes in a hot bath ) Savoy cabbage leaves. Another easy dish is spaghetti. I just discovered the ease and tastiness of microwaved spaghetti. This is so simple to make .It's micro boiling pasta for only ten minutes and then serving with a ready made sauce. If you do want a quick primavera, then saute sliced plum tomatoes in olive oil and garlic. You can also add onions, broccoli and cauliflower for a more Spring like taste.Try your microwaved pasta with peas and pine nuts for a lighter dinner.
Even more substantial dishes can be easily made. Nothing beats sliced roast beef or turkey with hot gravy.What you can do is buy the meats already sliced along with jarred gravy at your local supermarket. Use Stove Top Stuffing as a base for the two, and you have a hot filling meal. Microwave some green beans, corn and succotash to complete it. Chili is another easy dish, made easier in either a huge stock pot or crock pot. It's just a simple blend of sauteed chop meat and onions along with canned beans and canned whole tomatoes.The heat is up to you. Add as much pepper as you want to combat that winter chill. Tacos are another easy and fun meal. All you need to do is just cook the meat part. The fixings are usually pre sliced and you can even buy already made guacamole.The same goes for burritos and soft tacos.
Cold weather brings about hard work. Think about making easy meals that are also filling and hot.It's a nice way to end a day full of snow shoveling.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Girls NIght In
It's Saturday night and you know what that means - a round of drinks, yummy food and even yummier dishing . However the bar and restaurant scene can be a bit too noisy - and you never know who's sitting a booth or table away. That's when it's time to bring the party home for a girl's night in.
Of course there will be drinks (but as the hostess be aware that you'll be to blame if there's any drinking and driving. Set a designated driver before hand or just let them sleep over if they've had too much). Theme the drinks with what you'll be serving. Margeritas are always served with Mexican food but you can also make mojitos too.Chili is the easiest dish to make and serve, perfect for a frosty Saturday night.A more fun idea is to serve tacos or fajitas. This way those on a diet can make them the way they want to , without the sour cream and cheese. Have different toppings as well as a choice of meats and veggies too. A different dessert to serve is chocolate mole cake. This is a typical chocolate cake made with trimoline sugar filled with a mole ganache. Mole is a sauce made from different spices, peppers and unsweetened chocolate. You could even make chocolate mole cupcakes with a Kahlua icing. Another idea is having a Hawaiian night with roast pork and pineapple sliders or shrimp kabobs.Serve a big platter of Huli Huli chicken wings . These are wings that have been brushed with a marinade of pineapple juice . white wine, chicken broth along with ketchup and ginger. Worcester and soy sauces balance out the sweetness , tempering it with a savory flavor.With this have frosty pina coladas , complete with those little umbrellas.
A girl's night can easily be classy, sophisticated and French. Think about making dinner crepes.These can be bought in your local supermarket like Stop & Shop or the A&P however they're easy enough to make at home. There are only six ingredients, all purpose flour, eggs milk , water salt and butter for cooking. Crepe batter works best when it is chilled for exactly one hour. The fillings can be as simple as a Provencale ratatouille or as complex as a beef burgundy from Burgundy. Spinach and mushroom crepes are wonderful, especially served with a Gruyere or cheddar sauce. Have the crepes with an appropriate wine or if you haven't celebrated the New Year together, a good bottle of French champagne. If you want, you can save the crepes for dessert, turning them into a magnificent Crepes Suzette or a simple Parisian street crepe with lemon, butter and powdered sugar. Serve a French bistro style dinner first . This could be the delicious steak Diane, small filets of beef in a rich cognac sauce or tasty and diet friendly Salad Nicoise, , loaded with tuna, , hard boiled eggs,garlic and capers. Of course , a girls night in could be a simple wine and cheese party. Have everyone bring their favorites or set out a cheese table, that also has fruit, cold cuts, sliced French bread and crackers
Nothing beats an evening full of eating and catting. Have a fun girls's night in at home. Make sure there's plenty of good food and drinks to go with all that good gossip..
Of course there will be drinks (but as the hostess be aware that you'll be to blame if there's any drinking and driving. Set a designated driver before hand or just let them sleep over if they've had too much). Theme the drinks with what you'll be serving. Margeritas are always served with Mexican food but you can also make mojitos too.Chili is the easiest dish to make and serve, perfect for a frosty Saturday night.A more fun idea is to serve tacos or fajitas. This way those on a diet can make them the way they want to , without the sour cream and cheese. Have different toppings as well as a choice of meats and veggies too. A different dessert to serve is chocolate mole cake. This is a typical chocolate cake made with trimoline sugar filled with a mole ganache. Mole is a sauce made from different spices, peppers and unsweetened chocolate. You could even make chocolate mole cupcakes with a Kahlua icing. Another idea is having a Hawaiian night with roast pork and pineapple sliders or shrimp kabobs.Serve a big platter of Huli Huli chicken wings . These are wings that have been brushed with a marinade of pineapple juice . white wine, chicken broth along with ketchup and ginger. Worcester and soy sauces balance out the sweetness , tempering it with a savory flavor.With this have frosty pina coladas , complete with those little umbrellas.
A girl's night can easily be classy, sophisticated and French. Think about making dinner crepes.These can be bought in your local supermarket like Stop & Shop or the A&P however they're easy enough to make at home. There are only six ingredients, all purpose flour, eggs milk , water salt and butter for cooking. Crepe batter works best when it is chilled for exactly one hour. The fillings can be as simple as a Provencale ratatouille or as complex as a beef burgundy from Burgundy. Spinach and mushroom crepes are wonderful, especially served with a Gruyere or cheddar sauce. Have the crepes with an appropriate wine or if you haven't celebrated the New Year together, a good bottle of French champagne. If you want, you can save the crepes for dessert, turning them into a magnificent Crepes Suzette or a simple Parisian street crepe with lemon, butter and powdered sugar. Serve a French bistro style dinner first . This could be the delicious steak Diane, small filets of beef in a rich cognac sauce or tasty and diet friendly Salad Nicoise, , loaded with tuna, , hard boiled eggs,garlic and capers. Of course , a girls night in could be a simple wine and cheese party. Have everyone bring their favorites or set out a cheese table, that also has fruit, cold cuts, sliced French bread and crackers
Nothing beats an evening full of eating and catting. Have a fun girls's night in at home. Make sure there's plenty of good food and drinks to go with all that good gossip..
Friday, January 9, 2015
Friday Night Fun Dinners
Friday nights should be full of fun; They're the end of a hard work or school week. There should be a celebration of sorts, namely in the form of some kind of equally as fun supper.Forget the meat loaf and sensible sides. Live a little , from starters to dessert.
For decades families have celebrated Friday night with pizza. They're still doing so.Nothing beats a fresh from the oven pie, rich with tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese. There are still pizzerias that make home deliveries however home chefs can also make their own. Many pizzerias will sell just plain dough to be baked at home.If you're adventurous you can definitely create a fun version using everyone's favorite toppings. There's nothing wrong with a chicken pepperoni mix or onions and steak. Seafood lovers can put crab and shrimp on theirs to create a pizza de frutti e mare. Vegetarians can use soy mozzarella as well as fun veggies such as onions , broccoli and peppers. Even edaname or soy beans can be sprinkled on top. You can also make mini pizzas as starters as well as inside out ones. This last is made by putting a spoonful of tomato sauce and olive oil along with a ball of mozzarella on a rolled out piece of dough . Cover with another piece of pizza dough and bake until golden.For an entirely different spin try spring rolls. They can be bought or made and be stuffed with all sorts of fun fillers. Try baby shrimp and cabbage together or minced pork and red peppers. Have dishes of soy , duck and hoisin sauce on the ready for dipping.
If you've had a staid Friday night dinner then go wild with dessert. Chocolate fondue is a great ender, plus it brings the family together as everyone go for some communal dipping. Have bowls filled with cut up strawberries and bananas for something healthy and for something wicked think marshmallows, along with cubed brownies and pound cake.You can also try a caramel fondue by melting caramel and dipping in apple slices and even pretzel rods.Even though it's January , ice box cakes can still rule.A favorite and easy one to make the night before is the chocolate log, made with chocolate wafers and Cool Whip. Banana pudding cake is another neat Friday night dessert. Again this is simple to construct ,especially when you use instant vanilla pudding.Make Jello stained dessert squares for a party like ending. This involves first making three or four different flavors of Jello in Pyrex pans, then cutting them in cubes and then mixing them in a blend of unflavored gelatin and condensed milk.The result are confetti colored squares of glistening jewel like squares. If this is too much for you, then stick with the tried and true sundae bar. Have two or three kinds of ice cream with different toppings and syrups along with Reddi whip.
Celebrate TGIF with Friday fun dinners and desserts. You and especially the kids will appreciate a visit to a culinary party. It's the end of the week. Have fun!!!!!!
For decades families have celebrated Friday night with pizza. They're still doing so.Nothing beats a fresh from the oven pie, rich with tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese. There are still pizzerias that make home deliveries however home chefs can also make their own. Many pizzerias will sell just plain dough to be baked at home.If you're adventurous you can definitely create a fun version using everyone's favorite toppings. There's nothing wrong with a chicken pepperoni mix or onions and steak. Seafood lovers can put crab and shrimp on theirs to create a pizza de frutti e mare. Vegetarians can use soy mozzarella as well as fun veggies such as onions , broccoli and peppers. Even edaname or soy beans can be sprinkled on top. You can also make mini pizzas as starters as well as inside out ones. This last is made by putting a spoonful of tomato sauce and olive oil along with a ball of mozzarella on a rolled out piece of dough . Cover with another piece of pizza dough and bake until golden.For an entirely different spin try spring rolls. They can be bought or made and be stuffed with all sorts of fun fillers. Try baby shrimp and cabbage together or minced pork and red peppers. Have dishes of soy , duck and hoisin sauce on the ready for dipping.
If you've had a staid Friday night dinner then go wild with dessert. Chocolate fondue is a great ender, plus it brings the family together as everyone go for some communal dipping. Have bowls filled with cut up strawberries and bananas for something healthy and for something wicked think marshmallows, along with cubed brownies and pound cake.You can also try a caramel fondue by melting caramel and dipping in apple slices and even pretzel rods.Even though it's January , ice box cakes can still rule.A favorite and easy one to make the night before is the chocolate log, made with chocolate wafers and Cool Whip. Banana pudding cake is another neat Friday night dessert. Again this is simple to construct ,especially when you use instant vanilla pudding.Make Jello stained dessert squares for a party like ending. This involves first making three or four different flavors of Jello in Pyrex pans, then cutting them in cubes and then mixing them in a blend of unflavored gelatin and condensed milk.The result are confetti colored squares of glistening jewel like squares. If this is too much for you, then stick with the tried and true sundae bar. Have two or three kinds of ice cream with different toppings and syrups along with Reddi whip.
Celebrate TGIF with Friday fun dinners and desserts. You and especially the kids will appreciate a visit to a culinary party. It's the end of the week. Have fun!!!!!!
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Leeks The Green Of Winter
Winter brings the dull colors of nature, from grey skies to stark black trees.The foods seems that way too.Bland looking soups.Washed out veggies.Luckily we have the leek to add a spark of bright green to our culinary landscape.Their flavor and look brightens up any winter kitchen.
David Tanis knows this and featured them as an article in yesterday's New York Times Food section.Leeks are a wonderful addition to any diet.They have a slightly onion like flavor that goes well in everything from soups to salads to even sandwiches.However , unlike other veggies, they are temperamental.Creating the perfect leek dish starts in the green grocers or supermarket.Choose the right leek.For stockpots choose one that's fat and about two feet long.Soups require ones that are smaller.The famed French dish leeks vinaigrette called
For small or medium leeks.Remember though, the really small ones otherwise known as baby leeks can taste a bit grassy,Leeks require a bit of snip and trim before cooking.Trim the scraggly looking root, leaving a tiny bit of the bottom still intact.Always peel away the tough outermost layer.Peel away until you see the spring green colored tender center.If you have medium sized leeks, then divide the white part from the green by cutting straight across.This makes cooking them easier because the denser white part takes much longer to cook up.
Soup leeks need to be cut thinly and crosswise.Large pieces need to be cut to bite size manageable pieces.
All leeks need to be set in a lukewarm bath before doing anything.This gets rid of the grit and sand that they are raised in.
Leek dishes are wonderful.There are some pointers to remember , though, before,cooking.Simmer your leeks in well salted water.Don't let them boil and not for a long time.the texture should be tender and silky, and not mushy and stringy.However if you cook them too long, you'll have to deal with a chewy,tough stalk.
Never ever refrigerate cooked leeks.They can be kept at room temperature.If you're making them vinaigrette style,give them a dressing with jolts of vinegar and mustard.Even add some capers or anchovies.Bread crumbs are great over them too.Mr. Tanis gives his bright green leek soup.The leeks are pureed for this as is the spinach that adds to the color.Garlic and cayenne give it bite and flavor. A blob of creme fraiche adds coolness to it.One of my favorite leek recipes is a family recipe from Piedmont.It is leeks on toast, a gem of a recipe from my m
Great aunt,Albertina. Cooked leeks are heaped on generously buttered toast and then an ample sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.They are then placed in a toaster oven for ten minutes until cheese is melted.
Leeks are a wonderful addition to the winter diet.They are versatile and just downright delicious.Have them on toast or enjoy them in a springy, bold salad.
Aujourd'hui je sues Charlie!!!!!!
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