Yesterday the New York Times Food section had published two recipes for the perfect Valentine's Day dinner and dessert. Upon closer inspection both could make a great weekend meal. Thanks to both David Tanis and Melissa Clark , home chefs can make and bake something not only for their sweethearts but for their sweet families.
David Tanis of A City Kitchen gives us the meal part - simple rib eye steak and potatoes. Double it's perfect for a family of four.He recommends gettng one large steak which will have juicier results when cooked.Also skip the supermarket and head to the butcher's for a perfect cut.Prepare it simply with generous dashes of salt and pepper along with some roughly chopped rosemary and a little garlic.Cooking it is easy too, especially if you have a cast iron skillet.Heat over a flame and then pop the entire skillet into an oven to roast. Let it stay there until the meat's interior temp reaches 120 degrees Farenheit (have a meat thermometer on hand for this).Of course a steak this good deserve to be paired with the best of the spuds. Mr. Tanis suggests peewee ones which are even smaller than the baby ones. They're boiled in heavily salted water and then tossing them with melted butter, garlic, lemon and parsley.It doesn't get any better than this.
Actually it does. Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite is devoted to homemade chocolate cookies with white chocolate and dried cherries. The flavors are a perfect marriage of sweet and tart.It's based on a favorite cookie of hers from a Manhattan bakery. Those were saucer sized dark chocolate ones, rich with white chocolate chunks and pecans.They reminded her of the corner brownies, gooey in the middle and crisp around the edges.Hers is a grown up version, housing dried cherries to offset the sweetness. Also to make it a bit more interesting is adding melted bittersweet chocolate chips. If that's too much, Ms. Clark then suggests reducing the amount of granulated sugar used. Unsweetened Dutch cocoa is also used in the recipe along with a pinch of sea salt and vanilla. It is a tad more labor intensive than the average homemade cookie recipe. The dark chocolate and butter are first melted together in a saucepan or even in the microwave The sugar and eggs are also beaten separately until the mixture is pale and foamy. The other ingredients are added t this until a dough forms. Sea salt is sprinkled on top to cut the sweetness and bring out the other flavors.
Put these together and it's a delicious meal for the family.The simplicity is a complex wedding of flavors that work well. Nothing beats a steak and potatoes with a dessert of home made chocolate cookies.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
The Comeback Of A Historical Rice
One of the greatest contributions to American cuisine is the African gift of rice. Many varieties were brought over and some, unfortunately, have been bred out of existence. Now a missing strain has resurfaced, connecting us to our culinary past and the African-American experience.
Kim Severson wrote an interesting piece, on the long lost strain on hill rice. It was an informative read for home chefs and historian alike , in today's New York Times Food section. The rice had been thought to be long gone here in the southern coastal states however was found thriving in Trinidad. How it got there is a course in early American history It is descended from Japonica rice that first came from Southeast Asia to West Africa sometime between the 16th and
18th centuries. It was brought here with the enslaved to the Carolina colonies. Thomas Jefferson was even a fan of this plump , colorful grain. By World War I, the rice had all but disappeared, thanks to cheaper variations coming out and the Great Migration where millions of African-Americans left the South for the more tolerant North. Hill rice, also known as upland red bearded rice and and Moruga Hill rice was found again in a small section on the Caribbean island off the Venezuelan coast. B.J. Dennis, a chef specializing in Gullah cuisine.was stunned to find the long lost breed thriving.
Chef Dennis had heard about it through the culinary organization Slow Food USA and the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation, the group that brought back another lost strain, Carolina Gold, in the early 2000's. He was in Trinidad, walking past a field of unusually colored rice when it hit him. Here was the rice long thought gone.How it got to the tropical island is another chapter in American history.It starts with the War of 1812 when British soldiers promised both land and freedom to a small group of West African slaves if they would fight against their masters. They did and were rewarded with sixteen acres of undeveloped land in the southernmost part of Trinidad. They were called Merikans, the Creole rendering of Americans. The missing piece would be further confirmed by Trinidadian ethnobotanist, Francis Morean,a descendant of those freed slaves.Once found , it caught the attention of Glenn Roberts, founder of Anson Mills who grows artesanal rice and corm, including the famed Carolina Gold. He had eighty pounds of it shipped to the states. Chef Edouardo Jordan has tried it.It's a dry rice, better paired with a chutney or an okra stew.The Trinidadians cook it in coconut water until it becomes starchy. It's then covered with a chutney made from benne seeds, shadow benne, a green, garlic and birds-eye peppers. Hill rice will sure to be a hit with foodies and chefs throughout the country.
Hill rice is on the rise. This lost breed will be coming back in a big way. It will definitely be on tables around the US as it was 200 years ago.
Kim Severson wrote an interesting piece, on the long lost strain on hill rice. It was an informative read for home chefs and historian alike , in today's New York Times Food section. The rice had been thought to be long gone here in the southern coastal states however was found thriving in Trinidad. How it got there is a course in early American history It is descended from Japonica rice that first came from Southeast Asia to West Africa sometime between the 16th and
18th centuries. It was brought here with the enslaved to the Carolina colonies. Thomas Jefferson was even a fan of this plump , colorful grain. By World War I, the rice had all but disappeared, thanks to cheaper variations coming out and the Great Migration where millions of African-Americans left the South for the more tolerant North. Hill rice, also known as upland red bearded rice and and Moruga Hill rice was found again in a small section on the Caribbean island off the Venezuelan coast. B.J. Dennis, a chef specializing in Gullah cuisine.was stunned to find the long lost breed thriving.
Chef Dennis had heard about it through the culinary organization Slow Food USA and the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation, the group that brought back another lost strain, Carolina Gold, in the early 2000's. He was in Trinidad, walking past a field of unusually colored rice when it hit him. Here was the rice long thought gone.How it got to the tropical island is another chapter in American history.It starts with the War of 1812 when British soldiers promised both land and freedom to a small group of West African slaves if they would fight against their masters. They did and were rewarded with sixteen acres of undeveloped land in the southernmost part of Trinidad. They were called Merikans, the Creole rendering of Americans. The missing piece would be further confirmed by Trinidadian ethnobotanist, Francis Morean,a descendant of those freed slaves.Once found , it caught the attention of Glenn Roberts, founder of Anson Mills who grows artesanal rice and corm, including the famed Carolina Gold. He had eighty pounds of it shipped to the states. Chef Edouardo Jordan has tried it.It's a dry rice, better paired with a chutney or an okra stew.The Trinidadians cook it in coconut water until it becomes starchy. It's then covered with a chutney made from benne seeds, shadow benne, a green, garlic and birds-eye peppers. Hill rice will sure to be a hit with foodies and chefs throughout the country.
Hill rice is on the rise. This lost breed will be coming back in a big way. It will definitely be on tables around the US as it was 200 years ago.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
From Meat To Meatless
Many people want to go vegan or at least vegetarian but can't.It can be kind of daunting giving up the meats they love for -soy.What starts out as a noble dream to save animals and help the earth goes flat when faves such as bacon and chicken wings have to go. The best bet is to ease into the lifestyle. Don't go cold turkey when you're craving turkey.
The first step is to test yourself. Try a day or two without any red meat.This will be hard for hamburger and steak lovers. Think chicken and veggie burgers. If that works then eliminate poultry as the second part of the journey to go meatless.Some people become pescetarians - only eating fish and seafood. They still get protein but it's all from the sea - not the land. They can still eat eggs and dairy so the diet is more of a Mediterranean. It is healthier however but can be a bit costly, thanks to the market price of some fish and crustaceans. If that's the case, then have fish twice a month or look for specials.The diet has many benefits.such as maintaining good heart health.Another perk in an all fish diet is that is staves off macular deterioration, a degenerative eye disease.It can also strengthen lungs and prevent Alzheimer's disease.Pescetarians also enjoy healthy hair skin and nails too as a bonus benefit.
Once you've eliminated most of the meats, it's now easier to wean yourself off fish. Remember that vegetarian and vegan are two slightly different practices. Vegetarianism allows for dairy and eggs, veganism doesn't. If being a vegan sounds too severe for now, than try the other. Many have a hard time giving up omelets and eggs sunny side up. Then there's the ice cream dilemma. You do have to acquire a taste for soy and coconut milk ice cream.It's delicious but doesn't have the lush mouth feel of the real deal.Again make it a slow transition. Some vegans went the vegetarian route before completely shunning animal products. Luckily , many stores such as Stop & Shop and Acme have a wide range of vegan and vegetarian products. The most popular and varied meatless brands are Morningstar Farms and Gardein. These are my go tos for creating a wholesome and filling no meat meal.Morningstar Farms has soy beef crumbles which I use in my chili and Bolognese sauce. Their chicken strips are the backbone of my chicken mole. I've just discovered Gardein's soy Fish fillets and they're remiiscent of Mrs. Paul's. I look forward to trying their faux crab cakes.
You can go from a meat filled diet to a meat free one. It's just doing it in steps and ending at veganism. Along the way , you find new dishes and recipes that are good for you and good tasting. You'll forget aoo about meat once you do.
The first step is to test yourself. Try a day or two without any red meat.This will be hard for hamburger and steak lovers. Think chicken and veggie burgers. If that works then eliminate poultry as the second part of the journey to go meatless.Some people become pescetarians - only eating fish and seafood. They still get protein but it's all from the sea - not the land. They can still eat eggs and dairy so the diet is more of a Mediterranean. It is healthier however but can be a bit costly, thanks to the market price of some fish and crustaceans. If that's the case, then have fish twice a month or look for specials.The diet has many benefits.such as maintaining good heart health.Another perk in an all fish diet is that is staves off macular deterioration, a degenerative eye disease.It can also strengthen lungs and prevent Alzheimer's disease.Pescetarians also enjoy healthy hair skin and nails too as a bonus benefit.
Once you've eliminated most of the meats, it's now easier to wean yourself off fish. Remember that vegetarian and vegan are two slightly different practices. Vegetarianism allows for dairy and eggs, veganism doesn't. If being a vegan sounds too severe for now, than try the other. Many have a hard time giving up omelets and eggs sunny side up. Then there's the ice cream dilemma. You do have to acquire a taste for soy and coconut milk ice cream.It's delicious but doesn't have the lush mouth feel of the real deal.Again make it a slow transition. Some vegans went the vegetarian route before completely shunning animal products. Luckily , many stores such as Stop & Shop and Acme have a wide range of vegan and vegetarian products. The most popular and varied meatless brands are Morningstar Farms and Gardein. These are my go tos for creating a wholesome and filling no meat meal.Morningstar Farms has soy beef crumbles which I use in my chili and Bolognese sauce. Their chicken strips are the backbone of my chicken mole. I've just discovered Gardein's soy Fish fillets and they're remiiscent of Mrs. Paul's. I look forward to trying their faux crab cakes.
You can go from a meat filled diet to a meat free one. It's just doing it in steps and ending at veganism. Along the way , you find new dishes and recipes that are good for you and good tasting. You'll forget aoo about meat once you do.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Braving French Pastry
One of the most elegant treats any baker can make is French pastry. It's a complicated blend of crisp layers , airy creams and artistic decorations. They're a challenge for the home baker yet a feather in one's toque if done. The question is can an ordinary baker make an extraordinary sweet?
Many ask themselves that.It's a long leap between cake mix cakes and mille-feulle, better known as Napoleons. The best way to acclimate yourself to it is start off with the relatively easy recipes (and there are some).One of the easiest is crepes,. It's basically sort of like a pancake batter that has to be chilled overnight.it's flour eggs milk and water mixed together and then set aside for twenty-four hours. You can buy a crepe pan for it. This is nothing more than a wider, thinner frying pan or use a frying pan or skillet. Drizzle creme Anglaise over it or serve it street style with granulated sugar and lemon juice. Another relatively easy treat is clafoutis. A plus is that it can be made with any kind of fruit, from apples to blueberries. It's basically an egg rich batter blended together - usually in a blender and poured over fruit. It's baked for only half an hour - until it's golden and puffy.Once you've accomplished that, try Kouign Amann , the mouth watering buttery sweet bread from Brittany.It's made with the same dough as the croissant which is another pastry a home baker can master. Both require a lot of butter because it's sealed in layers of rolled dough. It is labor intensive , with mostly rolling out dough and butter along with shaping into the classic crescents.
Biscuit roses is another transitional level It was featured in yesterday's Sunday's New York Times Magazine. Famed baker , Dorie, Greenspan, wrote about this after baking them. They're sort of like a cross between a lady finger and biscotti.Like biscotti, it's twice baked.and like lady fingers, the yolks and whites are separated , beaten and then joined into the dough. It''s a great way for beginners to learn about meringues along with how to shape batter with a piping bag. After this it's an easy move to eclairs, those classic Gallic pastries. They do require a choux paste which is a delicate two step method. It's first putting water .milk butter and sugar into a two quart saucepan and bringing the mixture to a boil. Flour has to be added slowly, stirred until everything is blended.It;s then adding five more eggs to give it that rich golden color. Just don;t make ti too hot or you'll have scrambled eggs on your hands. Choux paste can be used to make cream puffs along with the eclairs,One of the hardest pastries to make is the mille feuilles or thousand leaves. Also called Napoleon , after France's famed emperor it;'s taking a dough similar to croissant dough where it's rolled and folded several times.There' are intervals where it's put in the fridge. A simple vanilla cream is sandwiched in the layers .The whole thing is topped off with a decorative chocolate or vanilla glaze.
Can the average home baker handle French pastry? Oui! Once conquered these complicated recipes will be as easy as a chocolate chip or scratch cake one.
Many ask themselves that.It's a long leap between cake mix cakes and mille-feulle, better known as Napoleons. The best way to acclimate yourself to it is start off with the relatively easy recipes (and there are some).One of the easiest is crepes,. It's basically sort of like a pancake batter that has to be chilled overnight.it's flour eggs milk and water mixed together and then set aside for twenty-four hours. You can buy a crepe pan for it. This is nothing more than a wider, thinner frying pan or use a frying pan or skillet. Drizzle creme Anglaise over it or serve it street style with granulated sugar and lemon juice. Another relatively easy treat is clafoutis. A plus is that it can be made with any kind of fruit, from apples to blueberries. It's basically an egg rich batter blended together - usually in a blender and poured over fruit. It's baked for only half an hour - until it's golden and puffy.Once you've accomplished that, try Kouign Amann , the mouth watering buttery sweet bread from Brittany.It's made with the same dough as the croissant which is another pastry a home baker can master. Both require a lot of butter because it's sealed in layers of rolled dough. It is labor intensive , with mostly rolling out dough and butter along with shaping into the classic crescents.
Biscuit roses is another transitional level It was featured in yesterday's Sunday's New York Times Magazine. Famed baker , Dorie, Greenspan, wrote about this after baking them. They're sort of like a cross between a lady finger and biscotti.Like biscotti, it's twice baked.and like lady fingers, the yolks and whites are separated , beaten and then joined into the dough. It''s a great way for beginners to learn about meringues along with how to shape batter with a piping bag. After this it's an easy move to eclairs, those classic Gallic pastries. They do require a choux paste which is a delicate two step method. It's first putting water .milk butter and sugar into a two quart saucepan and bringing the mixture to a boil. Flour has to be added slowly, stirred until everything is blended.It;s then adding five more eggs to give it that rich golden color. Just don;t make ti too hot or you'll have scrambled eggs on your hands. Choux paste can be used to make cream puffs along with the eclairs,One of the hardest pastries to make is the mille feuilles or thousand leaves. Also called Napoleon , after France's famed emperor it;'s taking a dough similar to croissant dough where it's rolled and folded several times.There' are intervals where it's put in the fridge. A simple vanilla cream is sandwiched in the layers .The whole thing is topped off with a decorative chocolate or vanilla glaze.
Can the average home baker handle French pastry? Oui! Once conquered these complicated recipes will be as easy as a chocolate chip or scratch cake one.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Doctor That Dish!
Never be afraid to doctor up dish, whether store bought or homemade. That extra fillip of something can turn a blah dish into something more palatable. What was once bland can be tasty and exciting. Just add a dose of this or that to bring extra life into any recipe.
That happened to me today when i opened can of Bush's vegetarian chili.It looked similar to our family recipe for it so I figured the taste was also similar. Wrong!!! The sauce tasted like the Spaghetti-os one (which is nothing wrong if its' bathing Spaghetti-os), with a funny kind of bland sweetness. It had lost all its' appeal in a second. What to do?Throw in a large pinch of cumin and two heaping tablespoons of chili powder. I then scattered a few pinches of flaky Celtic sea salt (my absolute go to in making any food better) and a few good turns of the pepper mill. After stirring it all together I tasted it . Voila! The perfect chili. It had gone from being a lunch time disaster to a tasty bowl. I ladled it over crunchy tortilla chips and it turned into a textured, flavorful , fun meal.Basically it was adding oomph to a dull can of chili. Home chefs can also do this, reconfiguring and fussing with it to achieve the taste they want. The chili is also a great way of using up leftover roasts. Cut up steak, chicken or turkey would fare well in it., making it a heartier dish.Vegans can add Morningstar Farms soy chicken strips or soy beef crumbles.
You can also doctor up established recipes to make them your own I have done this with my Mom's chili and tomato sauce recipes. My signature ingredient in dark wild flower honey. A dollop of this mellows out the chili and gives the sauce an earthy sweetness.My new favorite recipe chicken mole has been doctored to create a brighter,more flavorful sauce. The recipe that I took from the All Recipes site calls for a can of tomato soup. As much as I love tomato soup, I don't like the idea of it being an ingredient in a sauce. I prefer to use tomato sauce which is purer in taste. It marries well with the cocoa powder, adding a brightness I know I wouldn't have with the soup. Also I add a smidge more cocoa powder for a slightly more intense taste. Frosting is another recipe I doctor up. The chocolate buttercream that I made yesterday got amped up. Instead of the required 3/4 th cups of cocoa powder I increased it to a cup.The result is a dark, fudgey icing that is not too sweet. This offsets any cake' s sugariness. I also sub in light cream for milk - this gives the texture a lush mouth feel.Instead of the usual one to two tablespoons, I increase it to a glug of it, maybe four or five tablespoons, Doing such gives it the malleability and smoothness s needed for icing it across a cake's surface.
Never be afraid to tinker with a recipe. The end result is usually delicious, flavor filled dish. Doctor it up. It's a cure for avoiding a dull recipe.
That happened to me today when i opened can of Bush's vegetarian chili.It looked similar to our family recipe for it so I figured the taste was also similar. Wrong!!! The sauce tasted like the Spaghetti-os one (which is nothing wrong if its' bathing Spaghetti-os), with a funny kind of bland sweetness. It had lost all its' appeal in a second. What to do?Throw in a large pinch of cumin and two heaping tablespoons of chili powder. I then scattered a few pinches of flaky Celtic sea salt (my absolute go to in making any food better) and a few good turns of the pepper mill. After stirring it all together I tasted it . Voila! The perfect chili. It had gone from being a lunch time disaster to a tasty bowl. I ladled it over crunchy tortilla chips and it turned into a textured, flavorful , fun meal.Basically it was adding oomph to a dull can of chili. Home chefs can also do this, reconfiguring and fussing with it to achieve the taste they want. The chili is also a great way of using up leftover roasts. Cut up steak, chicken or turkey would fare well in it., making it a heartier dish.Vegans can add Morningstar Farms soy chicken strips or soy beef crumbles.
You can also doctor up established recipes to make them your own I have done this with my Mom's chili and tomato sauce recipes. My signature ingredient in dark wild flower honey. A dollop of this mellows out the chili and gives the sauce an earthy sweetness.My new favorite recipe chicken mole has been doctored to create a brighter,more flavorful sauce. The recipe that I took from the All Recipes site calls for a can of tomato soup. As much as I love tomato soup, I don't like the idea of it being an ingredient in a sauce. I prefer to use tomato sauce which is purer in taste. It marries well with the cocoa powder, adding a brightness I know I wouldn't have with the soup. Also I add a smidge more cocoa powder for a slightly more intense taste. Frosting is another recipe I doctor up. The chocolate buttercream that I made yesterday got amped up. Instead of the required 3/4 th cups of cocoa powder I increased it to a cup.The result is a dark, fudgey icing that is not too sweet. This offsets any cake' s sugariness. I also sub in light cream for milk - this gives the texture a lush mouth feel.Instead of the usual one to two tablespoons, I increase it to a glug of it, maybe four or five tablespoons, Doing such gives it the malleability and smoothness s needed for icing it across a cake's surface.
Never be afraid to tinker with a recipe. The end result is usually delicious, flavor filled dish. Doctor it up. It's a cure for avoiding a dull recipe.
Friday, February 9, 2018
The Bonbon Cake
What could be better than a chocolate covered strawberry? A cake made like one. I had this idea pop into my head when I saw Duncan Hines' strawberry cake mix.It sounded like a good idea......
Here is what the batter looks like, a kind of Pepto Bismal pink with dried strawberries thrown in.
Here is what the batter looks like, a kind of Pepto Bismal pink with dried strawberries thrown in.
It's the standard Duncan Hines, add three eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, and one cup water. Bake for thirty minutes .
And this is the result. The pinkish shade can't be seen here but there is a rosy hue to the cakes. I have to admit I was nervous , considering the birthday sprinkle cake fiasco. I had nightmares of gooey batter dripping on my oven floor. Thankfully it didn't. It was then onto the icing.
I have fallen for the Two Sisters chocolate buttercream icing.I usually add more cocoa powder than they recommend . It creates a rich, fudgey kind of icing.
The two sisters recommend mixing the confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder first.
It looks like ashes
Two sticks or a cup of softened butter cut up .Milk is usally added but I prefer light cream for a richer, smoother icing.
This is what it looks like all mixed together.
This is the iced cake. I had leftover buttercream icing from the sprinkle disaster.I added a bit too much red food color (all safe) and got this watermelon colored icing.
I should have added lard to it so I could make more defined decoaration.
In the end it turned out to be the perfect ending to a perfect dinner/ (And thank you Polly Bertos and Lili Dugan for inviting us over and for a chance to for me to make this cake.)
Thursday, February 8, 2018
That Secret Ingredient?Squid!!
Squid is one of those foods that 's either met with smiles or frowns.If done right it's a nice alternative to shrimp or scallops.Squid can be made in a variety of delicious dishes from pasta to stew. It's truly versatile, appealing to seafood lovers who want to change it up a bit.
David Tanis wrote about it in his column A City Kitchen. in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Squid and its' cousin, cuttlefish is eaten a variety of various ways in different parts of the world.It can be sauteed in garlic, parsley and lemon for a bright, fresh taste Cooked in a rich sauce containing its' own ink, it 's at home in risotto, pasta or paella.Squid or calamari can be stuffed with breadcrumbs for a take on a popular Mediterranean dish. Want crunch? Then try the Chinese "salt and pepper' squid that has a whisper of the famed Five Spices.Many other cultures enjoy barbecued or fried squid as well. Mr Tanis reminisces about a dried squid he bought off a street vendor while visiting Thailand. It was briefly toasted over hot coals, flattened to the thickness of a potato chip and served with a spicy dipping sauce. The Spanish sell a paper cone full of flash fried cuttlefish rings called chipirones that are doused with lemon juice. Of course the Southern Italians have calamari. Done right it can be crispy and slightly chewy , perfect for dipping into marinara sauce.
Mr. Tanis doesn't offer a quick crispy snack. Instead he proposes a stew made with the sea creature. It's an out of the ordinary idea. Squid and stew usually aren't combined, yet it is popular in some parts of Spain.The Catalans usually cook it with chickpeas and tomatoes, sort of like a thick chowder. Clams are sometimes tossed in too. Mr. Tanis first ate in in a restaurant north of Barcelona. It was done in such a way that it looked like braised veal but tasted like pot roast.It's an easy stew so novice chefs can give it a try.Use a heavy soup pot and start with chicken broth, an onion, a thyme sprig and white wine. Add some carrots and turnips along with chopped leeks and peas. Cleaning it , however, is not for the squeamish. The head and innards have to be yanked out through the tail (where the tentacles are). The tail can be cut off and used in the stew or saved for calamari. The backbone or cuttle also has to removed.It's a clear bone, resembling hard plastic. The squid's skin can also be removed. It's simply tearing it away from the flesh for a cleaner look.
Squid stew sounds like a perfect dish on a winter's night. It's rich with the taste of the sea and the land. It makes for an interesting supper.
David Tanis wrote about it in his column A City Kitchen. in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Squid and its' cousin, cuttlefish is eaten a variety of various ways in different parts of the world.It can be sauteed in garlic, parsley and lemon for a bright, fresh taste Cooked in a rich sauce containing its' own ink, it 's at home in risotto, pasta or paella.Squid or calamari can be stuffed with breadcrumbs for a take on a popular Mediterranean dish. Want crunch? Then try the Chinese "salt and pepper' squid that has a whisper of the famed Five Spices.Many other cultures enjoy barbecued or fried squid as well. Mr Tanis reminisces about a dried squid he bought off a street vendor while visiting Thailand. It was briefly toasted over hot coals, flattened to the thickness of a potato chip and served with a spicy dipping sauce. The Spanish sell a paper cone full of flash fried cuttlefish rings called chipirones that are doused with lemon juice. Of course the Southern Italians have calamari. Done right it can be crispy and slightly chewy , perfect for dipping into marinara sauce.
Mr. Tanis doesn't offer a quick crispy snack. Instead he proposes a stew made with the sea creature. It's an out of the ordinary idea. Squid and stew usually aren't combined, yet it is popular in some parts of Spain.The Catalans usually cook it with chickpeas and tomatoes, sort of like a thick chowder. Clams are sometimes tossed in too. Mr. Tanis first ate in in a restaurant north of Barcelona. It was done in such a way that it looked like braised veal but tasted like pot roast.It's an easy stew so novice chefs can give it a try.Use a heavy soup pot and start with chicken broth, an onion, a thyme sprig and white wine. Add some carrots and turnips along with chopped leeks and peas. Cleaning it , however, is not for the squeamish. The head and innards have to be yanked out through the tail (where the tentacles are). The tail can be cut off and used in the stew or saved for calamari. The backbone or cuttle also has to removed.It's a clear bone, resembling hard plastic. The squid's skin can also be removed. It's simply tearing it away from the flesh for a cleaner look.
Squid stew sounds like a perfect dish on a winter's night. It's rich with the taste of the sea and the land. It makes for an interesting supper.
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