Epically Hectic Pepperoni Noodles

Hectic is a relative term. When our sons were toddlers, I would grouse about being busy with laundry, preschool and play dates. Once they were school age, the pace increased with bus schedules, homework, soccer practices and games, Sunday school, and more play dates. Regardless of how eventful our lives were, we made every attempt to eat dinner as a family every night. As the guys entered middle school, life got even more frantic with more difficult homework, karate practice 4 days a week, Debate and student government meetings, intramural sports, church activities and young ladies with blooming figures, (and believe it or not we also have activities outside our parenting duties.)

I can recall a particularly bad day when the boys were very little; my next-door-neighbor gave some sage advice. She said, “Don’t worry; this is just a phase which will be over soon. The next phase may be better or it may be worse, but at least it will be different.” We have reminded ourselves of that guidance many times over the years, but it did nothing to prepare us for the rigors of high school (and we’re not referring to the curriculum which is rigorous as well.)

Both of our guys are now in high school with REAL homework, high stakes tests, track practice every day, Latin club, Art club, tutorials, driving lessons, marathon track meets, Confirmation classes, SAT prep, AP study groups, research papers, Prom drama, and teenage angst. As you can imagine, our evening meals together can be quite difficult to arrange. On those nights when a quick supper is in order, the guys have only one request: pepperoni noodles.

There is nothing fancy about the title nor is there anything fancy about the dish; they simply love it. The first time I made this spicy pasta was when the boys were about three and five years old. On a frantic evening with little in the pantry, I fashioned a meal out of a pound of linguine, some diced pepperoni and Parmesan cheese. Little did I know that it would become a mainstay of their diets for the rest of their lives. My sister even commented recently, "you were making pepperoni noodles the last time I called, and I think the time before that." What can I say? It's been hectic around here! Coincidentally, it is the one meal that I know both will be able to duplicate once they are on their own.

• 1 lb. pasta
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• ½ cup pepperoni, finely diced
• 1 mound of Parmesan cheese, grated

In a sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add minced garlic and cook until lightly brown. Do not overcook garlic or it will taste bitter and ruin the flavor of the oil. Add diced pepperoni and toss around the pan to fully coat with olive oil and to heat the pepperoni through. You do not need to cook the pepperoni for more than a few minutes as it is already fully cured.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water which should take about 10-12 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander, remembering to save some of pasta water to help hydrate the pasta if needed. Transfer the cooked pasta to a mixing bowl.

Picture taken pre-cheese and fork to protect all limbs & appendages!

Once the pepperoni is heated (and the olive oil is a fluorescent orange color,) pour over the cooked pasta and toss thoroughly to ensure noodles are fully coated with the flavorful (disturbing-looking) oil. Serve in large bowls with generous amounts of grated Parmesan cheese and be sure to remove your hands quickly else they get gobbled in the ensuing eating frenzy.

Technique of the Week: Simmering

Simmering is a food preparation technique in which foods are cooked in hot liquids kept at or just below the normal 212°F boiling point of water. Simmering provides for a milder action than boiling to prevent foods from breaking apart or toughening up. Simmering is usually a rapid and efficient method of cooking. The technique of simmering is frequently used when making stocks or soups, and starchy items like potatoes or pastas. Food that has simmered in milk or cream instead of water is referred to as creamed. Allowing sauces and soups to simmer even for a short time helps flavors to fully unite before being served.

To keep a pot simmering, bring a pot of liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to a point where the formation of steam bubbles has almost completely stopped. You should see minuscule bubbles forming and gently rising to the surface of the water, but the water is not yet at a full rolling boil. This typically occurs at a water temperature between 180°F to 205°F. Bear in mind that if you simmer with a lid on the pan, the temperature inside the pan will rise and a simmer can very easily turn into a boil.

Tips and tricks:

• Your liquid is at a simmer when small bubbles appear (especially around the edges of the pan) but not at a full, rolling boil.
• Simmering is a good application for making soups as it cooks items slowly which allows flavors to develop without over-cooking, especially proteins.
• Simmering the liquid for a long period of time breaks down tough fibrous textures such as large, tougher cuts of meat and vegetables like collards or mustard greens.
• Season with salt after the ingredients are already cooked through and the liquid has reduced to the desired thickness. Seasoning at the beginning is recommended only for dried herbs and spices or add a sachet. Salt and can become overwhelming when the liquid reduces and is difficult to correct after the fact.

At The Beach With Elizabeth David & Tunny Fish

As mentioned in a recent post, we spent a week on Amelia Island during this year’s Spring Break. While the guys were off fishing, I spent time walking along the shore and enjoying some quiet beach reading. My usual reading stock is comprised of innocuous formulaic crime novels, but on a whim I had grabbed a copy of Elizabeth David’s Italian Food which had been unceremoniously dismissed by hubby because he felt the tone was too patronizing and imperious.

Admittedly, the book is not an easy read. The tenor is one of condescension and disdain, but given her vast experiences in the world of Mediterranean and Arabian cuisine during a time when many of the ingredients she used in her recipes were hardly known in Britain, it is understandable that she would be frustrated at the lack of available ingredients. The book was published in 1954 when there was still war-time rationing in England and most readers could only dream of trying out the crisply instructive recipes. In fact, during that time, olive oil was sold in pharmacies as a treatment for ear maladies. Garlic, eggplant, zucchini and basil were unheard of amid the austerity of 1950s Britain.

Elizabeth David was the British equivalent to America’s Julia Child and her influence went beyond mere ingredients to include her Provencal-style kitchen and its “newfangled” equipment: cast iron pans, terracotta and earthenware pots, peasant pottery bowls of eggs, and artfully arranged fruit and vegetables. Until that point, kitchens had been purely utilitarian and hidden from view. So great was her influence that Le Creuset introduced its cast-iron pans in “Gauloise blue” inspired by the color of her favorite brand of cigarettes. She also changed the way food was depicted in magazines. Mashed potatoes no longer masqueraded as ice-cream. The photographs were taken of the actual food she had cooked; not the food stylists’ replications.

Unlike the cookbook formats we have become accustomed to, each section of the book begins with an essay sometimes with definitions and descriptions and other times with history or opinions which are followed by collections of recipes on a particular topic. With 24 recipes devoted to “tunny fish,” it is clear that this was Ms. David’s preferred ingredient. Tunny fish referred to canned “tuna” or tonno, which prior to industry regulation, could have been any of several varieties of true tuna or tuna-related species. This recipe for a rolled tuna loaf was the most intriguing of the collection.

POLPETTONE DI TONNO (Polpettone of Tunny Fish)

2 small tins of tunny fish of 150 grammes (approx. 7 oz.) each, 2 eggs, a tablespoonful of capers, pepper.

Put the contents of the tins of tunny fish through the food mill with the oil from the tin, or mash the fish if it is easier. Beat in the 2 eggs, season with pepper (and salt if necessary, but it probably won’t be), and stir in the capers so that they are evenly distributed. On a floured board form the mixture into a fat sausage.

Flour a cloth or a piece of butter muslin (doubled), roll the sausage up in it, and tie it with string, as salame sausages are tied, but not too tightly. Lower the marcel into a pan of boiling water. The pan must be large enough to accommodate the sausage lengthwise, or the size of the sausage must be adjusted to the size of the pan. Simmer gently for an hour or a little more. Unwrap the polpettone only when it is cold. Serve on a long dish, cut into thin slices. A potato salad makes quite a good accompaniment.





Tasting Notes:
This tuna loaf was nothing like I had imagined. Once sliced, it looked watery and grainy, so I drizzled some olive oil over the top and added a few capers. Even with the addition of olive oil the end result was watery and very fishy. Perhaps post-war standards were a bit lower than they are today or tunny fish was better in those days, but I will not be adding this recipe to the family recipe cache.

Technique of the Week: Deveining

Generally speaking, deveining is the process of removing veins from meat. It can also refer to the removal of fibrous or inedible “veins” of vegetables such as peppers or celery. Nikkur is the procedure of removing the sciatic nerve and any forbidden blood vessels and fats from the hindquarters of slaughtered animals to make meat kosher. In Yiddish, this process is called “traibering.”

Goose or duck livers (foie gras) also have veins that are classically removed prior to cooking although some chefs prefer not to devein the foie gras, as the veins can help preserve the integrity of the fatty liver. To remove the veins, unwrap the liver and blot it with a paper towel. The liver should be pale beige in color.

Each liver consists of two lobes, one slightly larger than the other. Remove any pieces of thin, white membrane clinging to the outside. Gently pull apart the lobes with your hands, noting that they are connected by a vein through the center of the two lobes. Cut this vein with a sharp knife. Hold one lobe firmly in your hand and with a pair of flat-end tweezers, grasp the end of the vein that was severed. Gently pull with a slow, even motion. In the best case, the gentle pull will cause the rest of that portion of vein hidden inside the liver to pull free.

Deveining is also a technique used to prep shrimp for cooking which has actually nothing to do with veins. Deveining a shrimp means removing the black threadlike digestive tract that runs along the back of the crustacean. Removing the harmless tract is not necessary but makes the shrimp more aesthetically pleasing especially when larger shrimp are being used. While there are several deveining tools on the market, you can easily make do with a paring knife. Peel the shrimp first, run the tip of a sharp knife along the shrimp's back, and then lift out the delicate black vein, removing any pieces that break off with your fingers.

Recipes that feature deveining:

• View (Almost) of Savannah Red Rice
• Dom's Magical Shrimp & Cheese Grits 
• Seafood Chowder

View (Almost) of Savannah Red Rice

We spent a week on Amelia Island, Florida for Spring Break this year which is a stone’s throw from the Georgia coast. With a ready supply of fresh shrimp, Savannah red rice was quickly added to our vacation menu.

Savannah red rice is a cultural and gastronomic legacy that has been around for nearly 300 years. This traditional Southern favorite is an adaptation of a similar dish made all over West Africa called “Jollof rice.” Also known as Carolina perlou, similar variations of rice pilaf with tomatoes appear in the earliest cookbooks from Charleston and Savannah. Red rice is a part of every great Southern cook's repertoire which can be served as an entrée (with shrimp, chicken or sausage) of as a side dish (without). On occasion we have made this for pot luck cookouts and it is always the first empty dish on the buffet table!

Making a reputable red rice can be challenging and tricky. The best recipes start with a good quality bacon. The use of long grain rice, which at one time could have been exclusively Carolina Gold rice, is essential to the uniqueness of this dish in that hearty long grain rice absorbs the smoky flavor of the bacon and keeps the rice grains from sticking together too much. 

Carolina Gold rice which originated in Africa and Indonesia, was the basis of the antebellum economy of coastal Carolina and Georgia. Considered the grandfather of long grain rice in the Americas, was first produced in diked wetlands in the Charleston area and eventually planted throughout the South. It was exported worldwide by 1800, and by 1820, over 100,000 acres were producing Carolina Gold Rice.

No red rice should be started without “trinity:” equal parts of chopped celery, bell pepper and onion. High quality tomatoes are imperative as well. We use Italian crushed tomatoes, which have a little bit more texture than a puree, and have a good rich red color. We also add a tablespoon of paprika to enhance the red.

The actual cooking of red rice, on top the stove or in the oven, seems to be the source of much of the debate around what makes a good red rice. A true Savannah Red Rice, as opposed to perlou or New Orleans Jambalaya, is prepared on top of the stove, but finished in the oven where each grain of rice is able to absorb the liquid and fat but still retain its shape.

• 10 slices bacon, diced
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 ½ cups chopped green bell peppers
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 ½ cups uncooked long grain rice
• 1 (16-ounce) can tomatoes, chopped or crushed
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
• ¼ cup finely minced fresh parsley
• 
  

• Seasoning Mix:
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt 
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons white pepper
• 1 ¼ teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

Combine the dry seasoning ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl and set aside. Place the bacon in a heavy 5-quart pot, cover, and cook over high heat until the bacon starts to brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the bay leaves, onions, bell peppers, and celery, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and bacon are golden brown, about 14 to 15 minutes.

Stir in 5 tablespoons of the seasoning mix and then add in the rice. Cover and cook, occasionally scraping up the crust that forms on the bottom of the pot, until the rice is golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, then add the garlic and the remaining seasoning mix, cover, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the stock and scrape the bottom of the pot, then cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 25 minutes. Do not lift the lid (not matter how tempted).

The true trick to getting perfect red rice every time is to remove the cover after 25 minutes of cooking, fluff the rice with a fork, remove the bay leaves, replace lid, and let it "dry out" in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 more minutes before serving. This ensures the rice won't be too wet or sticky. If you are adding shrimp to your rice, stir peeled and deveined shrimp in with the fluffed rice before covering and finishing in the oven.

Remove the rice from the oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. This will allow the shrimp to steam and the rice to absorb any remaining liquid. Top with chopped parsley and serve piping hot. A crisp white wine and a view of Georgia’s Golden Isles certainly enhances the meal too!

Technique of the Week: Kneading

This technique is used in bread making. The dough is kneaded to develop the gluten in the flour so that it will hold its shape while rising. The dough is pummeled on a lightly floured board until it is smooth and elastic. Kneading involves a particular technique that uses the heal of the hand to pull and stretch the dough. Kneading can be quite also be quite therapeutic. Kneading can also be done in a free-standing mixer using a dough hook.

Lightly dust your hands with flour to keep the dough from sticking to you. Kneading can be messy, so you should consider wearing old clothes or an apron to prevent flour from getting all over your clothes.

Always keep a measuring cup of flour beside your work area to prevent the dough form sticking to your counter or kneading board.

Place your dough on a well-floured work surface. Grab the side of the dough furthest away from you and fold it toward yourself using your body weight to push the dough into itself. The beginning of the kneading process might require a lot of flour. Be generous to start, but try not to add more than the dough can easily incorporate, or you will throw off the flour-yeast-water-salt ratio.

Pay attention to table/counter height to avoid straining your back. Use a counter or tabletop that allows you to extend your arms to knead the dough while not making you hunch over the table.

When you knead, you will use only the heels of your hands. Push down on dough with your hand heels. Give the dough a quarter turn (90 degrees). Grab the other side and fold it in half. Again, with a lot of weight behind it, push the newly folded half into itself. Repeat this process until the dough is smooth, silky, and elastic, about ten minutes or more. Don't worry about over-kneading your dough by hand, you have to really work to break down the gluten structure.

A well-developed dough should be very smooth, with small air bubbles just below the surface. When you've finished kneading, shape the dough into a loose ball. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning it over to coat the surface lightly with oil, and let it rest smooth-side up. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap to keep the surface from drying out.

Most bread recipes call for the dough to be “punched down” after it has risen to twice its size. Punching down means to lightly press the dough to express some of the gas. You don't have to fully knead the dough again between the first and second rise. The best method is to use the fingers of one hand and give the dough a few good pokes. Then replace the damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise until ready to shape and bake.

Much Kneaded Pizza Rant

Pizza. A word we’d wager that every American knows. A word most likely every kid over the age of five knows and has had a slice. It is also a word that both unifies and divides. There are pizza purists who insist on a traditional Neapolitan crust topped with handmade mozzarella, sliced San Marzano tomatoes, and freshly-picked basil baked to bubbly brown perfection. There are those who prefer the saucy indulgence of a deep dish pie over-filled with a plethora of ingredients. Then there are the adventurous types who revel in combining exotic ingredients in Wolfgang Puck-fusion fashion, and let’s not forget the gluttons that feel inclined to dump everything in the refrigerator on their disc of dough (and then douse it with hot sauce).

Additional deliberations ensue as to the method of consumption: knife-and-fork versus hand-to-mouth, folding versus flat, and the on-going cold-for-breakfast debate which rages perpetually in our house as Dom and Nic think it is absolute bliss (and will attempt varying methods to outmaneuver one another for the last sliver) while Sonny and I find it disgusting and offensive to the olfactory nerves prior to the noon hour.

Lately we have noticed a renaissance in the trend to “improve” the pizza experience. New no-knead dough recipes, upside-down deep dish pans, and grilling domes are among the latest fads. Sur la Table is currently featuring a new pizza cone set complete with dough shape cutter, edge crimper and baking cones. Pizza cones? Really? The proportions would be all wrong, too much goopy product at the top and all dough at the bottom. Why mess with a good thing? If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it!

What is wrong with regular pizza? While we have been known, on occasion, to stray from the basic Italian ingredients (salad shrimp, red onion and smoked gouda/gyro meat, feta and olives), generally pizza in our house consists of a basic pizza crust, pomodoro sauce and standard toppings. Pizza has never been a vehicle for other meals. If we want tacos, we make tacos; not taco pizza. The same is true for cheeseburgers, barbeque, and kung pao chicken.

We have been making pizza for over 20 years using the same now-memorized dough recipe with simple fresh ingredients. We make the dough in the morning or early afternoon, punch it down after an hour or two and it is ready for dinner. When the weather is cold and fresh veggies are few, perhaps a pie with sliced potatoes, a little bacon and cheese will suffice. When the weather is warm, cooking the pizza on the grill keeps the house cool. When there are fresh peppers in the garden, those are tossed on the top with some pomodoro sauce and a smattering of Parmesan for Dom’s childhood favorite Brier Hill-style pizza. 

Pizza night should be fun and relaxing; not a stressful event. Do as much as you can ahead like chopping veggies, slicing pepperoni, and grating cheeses. And, don’t worry about the flour on the floor, you can vacuum tomorrow.

Need to Knead Dough

• 1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast (or one packet)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups bread flour (all-purpose works just fine too)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Add sugar to the warm water to dissolve. Water should be warm to the touch; not hot. Hot water will “kill the yeast.” Add the yeast to the sugar water to proof. If the yeast does not start to bubble within five minutes, discard the yeast and start over with cooler water.

Mix together dry ingredients and add slowly to yeast mixture. Knead dough until smooth and elastic before transferring to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. If you have a Kitchen Aid or other stand mixer with a dough hook, let the dough “knead” in the machine for 3-5 minutes. However, don’t underestimate the therapeutic power of kneading. It can be a very cathartic activity.

“Wetter” dough is better, so add more water as needed to get a moist consistency. The dough should not be sticky to the touch but should not be too firm or dense either. It should feel like touching a baby’s cheek.

Let the dough rise for at least one hour or until the dough doubles in size. If you are making the dough well in advance, punch the dough down by removing plastic wrap and “poking” the dough with all five fingers of one hand several times. Replace the plastic wrap and let dough rise again until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. When you are ready to use the dough, roll into your pizza shape by rolling and stretching and then let it rest for 10 minutes or so.

At this point you can cook the dough as flat bread by placing it on a pizza stone in your oven or on your grill and browning both sides. When done, brush the pizza with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

If using toppings, spoon cooled sauce on the dough and gently spread across the pie and add a light layer of toppings over the top. If you are cooking your pizza on a stone rather than a pizza pan, use a peel (a big firm piece of cardboard works well also,) to slide the pizza onto your pizza stone.

Cook for about 10 minutes and then check the bottom of the crust to be sure that it is not getting too brown. Add any additional toppings, fresh basil and cheeses at this time, and cook until toppings are bubbling and crust is toasty brown. Remove pie from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes or so before cutting. Why? If you cut it immediately after removing from the oven, all your sauce, toppings and sauce will slide right off and onto your pan, making serving it a royal pain in the backside.

Romeo Secret: You may have noticed that there is no oil in our pizza dough. This keeps it from burning in the oven as easily. If you plan to cook your dough on the grill (like we do in the summer,) you will want to add ½ cup of olive oil to the yeast water mixture before you add the dry ingredients to form your dough.

Technique of the Week: Proofing

I was comparing our recipe and techniques for pizza dough with a friend when she suddenly asked me why I bothered to proof my yeast before making the dough. I confess that I was caught off guard by this question. It is something I’ve done since I first started baking bread never realizing that it was optional. I would hate to go through all the trouble and waste of making the dough only to end up with a dud!

Proofing the yeast helps to hydrate active dry yeast and test to ensure the yeast is viable.  This process should be done before adding carbohydrates (flour) to the yeast. When proofing yeast, I usually measure out the amount of warm water (or milk for brioche) called for in the recipe, add the sugar (up to 1 tablespoon) called for and stir to dissolve the sugar a bit. Yeast is happiest at about 75°-80°, so the water should feel barely warm or lukewarm to the touch. Resist the urge to use warmer water else you risk killing the yeast. I then sprinkle the yeast over the top of the liquid and give it a quick stir.

Letting the yeast sit in the sugar water for a few minutes, you should begin to see the dry granules release the active yeast inside. The yeast will then start feeding on the sugar and a frothy foam will appear on the surface of the liquid. This is caused by the carbon dioxide being released. This spume is proof that the yeast is active and ready to be added to the other ingredients to form your bread dough.

Do WOP Chopped

The term “Wop” has long been used in America and has evolved into a derogatory ethnic slur for people of Italian origin or descent. The term has been erroneously explained to mean “Without Papers” by those who resented Italian immigrants and later by Italians themselves. Coincidentally, the initials W.O.P. were used to signify Warrants, Orders, Passes which was a term used by the United States Government to represent documents from the old country.

However, the expression ”Wop” likely derived from the Neapolitan word “guappo” used by Italian immigrants to describe native men who try too hard to act brave, play cool, and impress the girls. Originally, the Guapperia was a criminal organization (similar to the Sicilian “Mafiosi”) from the Campania province of Italy where Naples is located. 

Since the 1930s, New Orleans restaurateurs have employed the term to describe a salad consisting of iceberg lettuce tossed with anchovies and Italian olive salad; the same olive salad used in the ever-popular muffuletta sandwich.

Our version is a take on the classic Wop salad with a modern day twist. Chopped salads are on more and more menus of late, and for good reason. Fresh salad ingredients are chopped into bite-sized pieces, so every bite has several ingredients.

There are no real secrets to creating a good chopped salad. They start with fresh ingredients that are chopped in uniform, pieces and either composed or tossed, depending on the style of the salad. Chopped salads can generally be made well in advance of serving and the ingredients can be served together or separately so the diner can build his or her own dish.

Italian Olive Salad Recipe

• 1 cup large pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup cauliflower florets, steamed
• 1/4 cup carrots, chopped and steamed
• 1/4 cup celery, chopped and steamed
• 1/4 cup cocktail onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon oregano

Place a large pot with a steamer basket or colander fit inside. Fill the pot with enough water to just reach the bottom of the colander or steamer basket. Once the water comes to a boil, place cauliflower, chopped carrots and celery in the steamer basket and cover loosely. Allow vegetables to steam for about 5-6 minutes until just tender.

Allow vegetables to cool before combining all ingredients in a large bowl.  Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.  You can store any leftover olive salad in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Chopped Wop Salad

• 1 medium head of Iceberg lettuce
• ½ cup Italian olive salad with oil (see recipe above)
• 1 tablespoon non-pareil capers, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 2-oz can of anchovy filets, drained (reserve oil)
• 4-5 green onions, chopped (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Remove the outer leaves of the head of Iceberg lettuce and then remove the core. If you will be using the whole head of lettuce, the easiest way to remove the core is to slam the base of the head firmly on your countertop. The core will dislodge easily. Simply pull it out and discard. Then cut the lettuce into bite size pieces and drop into your salad bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together olive salad, capers, lemon juice and anchovy oil and mix together well. Then toss the olive mixture with the chopped lettuce in the salad bowl adding salt and pepper to taste. Don’t be afraid to use your hands to toss all the ingredients together. Add more olive oil if needed to fully coat the lettuce.

Fold salad out onto your serving dish and arrange anchovy filets over the top and garnish with chopped green onions if desired. Remember that the salt will begin to leach water from the vegetables making the lettuce limp, so don’t wait too long to serve (unless of course you like it a little limp and marinated.) To give it a bit more "Wop authenticity," we add a few pepperoncini on the side as a garnish.

Technique of the Week: Chopping

Chopping is the technique of cutting ingredients into small pieces of an even size. The cubes do not have to be perfectly equal, but should approximate the same size which ensures that they cook evenly. Chopping can be done roughly or finely: roughly means pieces of food about ½ inches, whereas finely means much smaller pieces.

You should always use a knife that you are comfortable with. Practice on soft foods like cheese, melon or bread and get a feel for how the knife works before you try chopping harder foods like onions or potatoes.

The midsection of the knife is used for most chopping tasks, such as cutting tomatoes or apples into wedges, and carrots into rounds. Use the heel (closest to the knife handle) to chop herbs, remembering to keep the fingers of your guiding hand slightly curled under to prevent cutting them.

To ensure the vegetables don't wobble around on the board while cutting, first cut them to form a flat-bottomed base. For instance, when cutting an onion, cut it lengthwise in half then lay it cut-side down. When cutting a potato or carrot, cut off a thin slice from one side then lay the flat cut-side down to finish cubing the vegetables.

When chopping an onion, first use the tip of the knife to cut evenly spaced slices into the onion, leaving the onion attached at the root end. Then turn the onion 90 degrees, and use the midsection of the knife to cut crosswise through the slices to form small cubes.

Lastly, always use a sharpened knife. Dull knives will not only make chopping more difficult, but can easily slip and cause injuries. If your cutting board tends to slide while you are chopping, place a damp towel underneath the board to keep it in place.

Corned Beef Rehashed

After enjoying a corned beef feast to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, the question becomes what to do with the leftovers. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the classic Reuben sandwich: corned beef stacked on rye bread layered with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut topped with Thousand Island dressing and griddled to perfection.

Another option is a traditional hash (also known as "stovies" in Scotland,) a dish consisting of a base of mashed or chopped potato and leftover meat; usually roast beef. Growing up this was a staple of our diets with canned corned beef as the meat of choice. It was hearty, filling comfort food that was also easy on the checkbook. This version has an extra zing from the addition of horseradish and Worcestershire sauce.

• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 ½ cups corned beef, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• Hot sauce to taste
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Eggs for frying, if desired

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add potatoes. Cook potatoes, turning often for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.

Add garlic, oregano, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce, and stir to combine. Stir in corned beef and toss to distribute evenly. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Once combined, spread the hash evenly over the pan and firmly press down with a spatula. Cover pan with the lid and cook until browned and heated completely throughout.

If you are serving with fried eggs, cook eggs sunny-side-up in a separate pan and slide onto hash. Serve with a toasted slice of rye bread for a delicious, filling meal any time of day!

π Cracking Pie

Pi (π) is an irrational number, which means that its value cannot be expressed exactly as a fraction; its decimal representation never ends and never repeats. Pi is also a transcendental number meaning that no finite sequence of algebraic operations can determine its value.

Scientists have studied the properties of pi for the last four centuries. In October 2011, Alexander Yee and Shigeru Kondo computed π to 10 trillion digits, while the contributors of “Cracking Pi,” are exploring the nature of pi and its relationship to gravity. “Cracking Pi” is an in-depth study of randomness using the unique methodology known as "action at a distance.

For those of us who do not have advanced degrees in Physics or Game Theory, perhaps a better way to celebrate our fascination with the world’s most popular mathematical concept is with a delicious pie… a crack pie that is.

Based on the best-selling dessert from New York’s famous Momofuku Milk Bar, this rich, sweet and salty pie with its oat cookie crust is truly like crack to an addict. Because Dom’s favorite cookie is oatmeal raisin, we added cinnamon and raisins to ours.

Oatmeal Cookie Crumble:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats*
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon (generous) salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line in cookie sheet with parchment paper; coat with nonstick spray. Combine 6 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat until pale and fluffy. Add oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Turn oat mixture out onto prepared baking pan; press out evenly to edges of pan. Bake until light golden on top, 17 to 18 minutes. Transfer baking pan to rack and cool cookie completely.

Oatmeal Pie Crust:
1 batch oatmeal cookie crumble
3 tablespoons butter
1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar

Using your hands, crumble the oat cookie into large bowl and then add butter and brown sugar.  Rub in with fingertips until mixture is moist enough to stick together. Transfer cookie crust mixture to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Using fingers, press mixture evenly onto bottom and up sides of pie dish. Place pie dish with crust on rimmed baking sheet.

Crack filling:

• ¼ cup raisins (optional)
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar mixed with cinnamon (for dusting)

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Arrange raisins in a layer on the bottom of the pie shell.

Whisk both sugars, milk powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add melted butter and whisk until blended. Add cream, then egg yolks and vanilla and whisk until well blended. Pour filling into crust over raisins. Bake pie for 30 minutes (filling should be beginning to bubble,) and then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Continue to bake pie about 20 minutes longer until the filling is brown in spots and set around the edges. The center should still move slightly when pie dish is gently shaken. Cool the pie for 2 hours in pie dish on rack. The filling will fully set as it cools. Chill the pie uncovered before serving or overnight. Dust with powdered cinnamon sugar before serving.

*You can use quick oats as a substitute for old-fashioned oats. Old-fashioned oats will give you a chewier texture, and quick oats will result in a more homogenous consistency with slightly less chew, but will still have the same flavor. It's really personal preference which one you like better for baking.

Technique of the Week: Creaming (Butter)

Creaming butter is one of the most basic techniques in baking. Most cakes and cookies require that the butter be well creamed to achieve a fluffy end result. Well creamed butter is especially important in baking cakes.

To cream butter properly, the butter should be room temperature. Do not over soften or melt the butter or it will be oily and it will not “cream” correctly. Creaming of butter can be done with a wooden spoon, a handheld beater or a stand beater. Butter is usually creamed with sugar first because it has fine granules that cut through the butter and add air, creating little bubbles. These air bubbles help cakes to rise and maintain a light texture. The more air pockets you start with, the more loft you will get from the batter, regardless of the amount of baking powder or baking soda you add. Once heated, the air in the pockets expands, helping the dough/batter to rise.

Begin by beating the butter on low speed briefly and add in the sugar and continue beating on low speed to combine. When the sugar is evenly distributed, increase speed to medium and continue beating. When the granulated sugar is first added, the texture of the butter will look sandy but after a minute or two the sugar seems to dissolve into the butter. The color of butter will start to pale. Stop the beater occasionally and use a spatula to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl to incorporate any stray sugar and butter. Finally, when butter is properly creamed, the color will be off-white, the texture is thick and creamy and the volume will have increased noticeably. At this point, do not continue to cream the butter or it may soften and all efforts will be wasted.

If liquids are added too quickly, the creamed mix will curdle and separate. For this reason, add one egg and mix in slowly followed by 1 tablespoon of flour. Continue adding all the eggs (and alternately a tablespoon of flour) and beat well. The eggs will allow even more air to be whipped in (think meringue here).

Next, add the dry ingredients alternately with wet ingredients like water or milk. When adding the dry and liquid ingredients, it is important to mix as little as possible while getting the ingredients combined. The less you mix, the less gluten is developed, resulting in a tenderer final product. Adding flour before adding the liquid helps to coat the flour with fat, further inhibiting gluten production. If you add liquid first, and then add flour, you will end up with a chewier final product since more gluten will be activated. The batter can get very thick, as in cookie dough, or fluffy like cake batter. Rarely does the creaming method produce a batter that is truly wet and pourable.

Once all ingredients are combined, bake according to recipe instructions. You should be able to see the difference in a well-made batter in the final product.

Hungry Bracketologist's Chili

Ah yes, it is the month of March and everyone knows what that means: March Madness! And, Selection Sunday just wouldn’t be the same without steaming bowls of chili while you watch with bated breath as college basketball's top 68 teams are announced for the upcoming NCAA Men's College Basketball tournament bracket. Chili is a definite crowd-pleaser and is easy to serve. You can cook up a huge pot in advance and keep it warm on the stove, so that bracketologists can imbibe all evening long.

Chili is probably the most hyped dish in America, but that is understandable. It is hearty, comforting, full-flavored and satisfying. I can’t think of a single person that doesn’t like chili in some form or fashion. In fact, most folks are highly opinionated about their chili preparation which may explain the vast number of chili competitions still held in the U.S. even when it would seem that every possible variation has been created.

Chili was originally popularized by brightly-dressed Mexican women known as "Chili Queens" who built wood fires to reheat cauldrons of chili in downtown San Antonio during the 1880s. The aroma was a potent sales pitch and mariachi street musicians provided ambiance to the dining experience. People from other parts of the country were introduced to chili at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago where the San Antonio Chili Stand sold bowlfuls of the Texas concoction.

Of course, our chili recipe is by far the best you will ever try. The combination of spices, the addition of cocoa powder and beer and the finishing touch of cornmeal create a spectacular blend of flavors that are sure to please all of your senses. (A mere demonstration of the personal conviction that most cooks have about their own cherished chili recipe!) Anyway, this is our favorite formula for the world’s most popular Super Bowl dish!

• 2 ½ lb. lean chuck, ground
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup diced tomatoes (canned is fine*)
• 1 cup beef broth or water
• 1 12-oz. bottle of beer
• 2-3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 Tablespoons cumin, ground
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons oregano leaves
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon coriander, ground
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
• 2 15-oz. cans of kidney beans
• ½ teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornmeal or corn flour

Heat a large heavy saucepot over high heat, reduce heat to medium and add half of the ground beef. Cook the meat until well browned then drain the fat and set aside. Add the remaining ground beef to the skillet, brown and again drain reserving about 2 tablespoons of the pan juices.

Add the garlic and onion to the reserved liquids in the pot and cook until tender and the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes, broth, beer, dry ingredients (except cornmeal) and hot sauce and mix well. Add the browned meat back to the pot and stir to combine all ingredients.

Bring the chili to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours. The chili can be removed to a crockpot or a large oven-safe dutch oven and allowed to cook in a 250 degree F oven for the same amount of time.

If you are making the meal ahead, the chili can be allowed to cool and brought back to temperature. Allowing the chili to cool actually lets the ingredients marry and enhances their flavors.

Place the cornmeal in a non-stick pan and gently toast the meal for about 2 minutes.You can visibly see the cornmeal darken. Remove from the heat and set aside.

About 30 minutes before serving, sprinkle the toasted cornmeal over the top of the chili and stir to incorporate fully. Replace cover and cook for 20-30 minutes more until ready to serve. Serve in your favorite bowls and top with grated cheese and chopped green onions for a hearty meal that is sure to warm the soul and inspire accurate bracket predictions!

* As you can see we used Red Gold® tomatoes. They sent us a variety pack of 6 cans of their tomatoes for us to sample which we used in this recipe. As you can see from the picture they added a gorgeous red color to the dish and a tangy sweetness that would stand up to any San Marzano tomato product on the market.

Technique of the Week: Corning

Color us confused! In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, people will dye almost anything green from potatoes and pudding to beer. So what is the deal with the pink-hued brisket otherwise known as corned beef? And, what exactly is corning?

The exact origins of the corning technique have been lost to history; however, it most likely came about as a method for preserving meat by salt-curing. The term “corn” stems from Old English and is used to describe any small, hard granules or kernels. In the case of "corned beef," the word refers to the coarse granular salts that were used to cure the beef.

The Irish certainly cooked corned beef on occasion, but it was actually rashers (Irish bacon) and colcannon (cabbage and mashed potatoes) that was their annual tradition. While most Irish families did own cattle, they were kept to provide milk (and the butter and cheeses made from the milk.) Corned beef was considered a luxury product in Ireland, so it wasn’t until the Irish immigrated to the United States that they began to eat the corned beef dishes known today because it was inexpensive and readily available in America.

Corned beef actually features prominently in many cuisines, including the Jewish and Caribbean cuisines. Corned beef is also a main part of the German dish Labskaus, well known during World War II and still served today in restaurants on Germany's Northern coast.

You are probably thinking, “That is all wonderful background information, but exactly why is the meat pink?” In corning beef, most manufacturers add saltpeter (potassium nitrate) or sodium nitrite as a food additive because it prevents growth of the bacteria that causes botulism. It also alters the color of preserved fish and meats when it combines with the meat’s natural pigment in a series of normal chemical reactions.

2 quarts water
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 teaspoons sodium nitrite (saltpeter sub)
1 cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
8 whole cloves
8 whole allspice berries
12 whole juniper berries
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cups ice

1 (4 to 5 pound) beef brisket, trimmed

Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F.

Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add enough brine to fully cover the meat while still being able to seal the bag. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and mix the brine. After 10 days, remove the brisket from the brine, rinse well under cool water and cook as desired.

Tunisian Tuna Salad Sandwiches

The Tunisian "sun cuisine" is based mainly on olive oil, spices, tomatoes, seafood and lamb. Tunisian fare gets its distinctive fieriness from their Mediterranean neighbors and the many civilizations which have ruled the land now known as Tunisia; Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Turkish, French, and the native Berber people.

Because tuna, eggs, and olives feature prominently in Tunisian dishes, they make good meals for meatless Fridays during the Lenten season in which Catholics abstain from eating meat as an act of penance. This tuna salad works especially well for lunches which can otherwise be quite challenging for kids who take their lunches to school during Lent!

While this version of tuna salad is significantly more involved than just adding chopped onions, celery and pickle relish to a can of tuna, but it is well worth every extra minute. The potatoes make the tuna salad creamy and the lemon gives it a good tang.

• 2 7-oz. cans of water-packed tuna
• 1 large Idaho potato, peeled, cubed (½-inch pieces)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4-5 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon Lindsay black olives, sliced (optional)
• 2 large hard-boiled Safest-Choice eggs, sliced
• 2 tablespoons Harissa (Tunisian hot chili sauce)
• 2 crusty bâtards (short baguettes)
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Cover the cubed potatoes with cold, salted water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender, about 20 minutes, then drain and let cool.

Meanwhile, cover eggs with cold water in another small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 9 minutes. Drain the eggs and cool, remove shells, slice and set aside until ready to assemble sandwiches.

In a large bowl, combine the tuna, olives, capers, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix together with a fork. Gently fold in the potatoes without mashing them too badly.

Split the bâtard(s) in half lengthwise and toast under the broiler until light brown. Spread one side of the bread with harissa and then layer the tuna salad on top and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Place egg slices on top and close the sandwiches. Cut each sandwich in half crosswise and serve with crispy chips and some homemade pickles.

Technique of the Week: Blackening

The cast iron pan glowed red as the spice-covered snapper hit the pan. Inside the tiny (really tiny) apartment, Dom and I coughed as the napalm-like fumes filled the air while a beautiful brown crust began to form on the outside of the snapper. However, before the fish was fully cooked, the smoke billowed from the open door and window sending neighbors to our rescue and to their phones to dial 911. Yes, it was the age of blackening.

Often associated with traditional Cajun cuisine, this technique was popularized by Chef Paul Prudhomme in the early 1980s to duplicate the flavor and style of charcoal grilling in a commercial kitchen. Blackened redfish became so popular that the state of Louisiana imposed a statewide ban on commercial fishing for redfish, in an effort to keep the species from becoming extinct.

Blackening is a cooking technique commonly used in the preparation of fish and other protein foods such as steak or chicken cutlets. It is a fairly violent form of cooking that demands a firm fleshed fish like redfish, snapper, mahi, grouper or even salmon.

The meat is dipped in melted butter and dredged in a mixture of herbs and spices, usually some combination of thyme, oregano, chili pepper, peppercorns, salt, garlic powder and onion powder and then cooked in a very hot cast-iron skillet.

The characteristic brown-black color of the crust results from a combination of browned milk solids from the butter and charred spices. When the butter chars the instant it lands in the pan, it creates a sealing crust on the fish that keeps it from drying out.  The blackening comes from the butter charring in the pan, not from the spices.

Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container, in a cool, dark place until ready for use. Don’t use fresh herbs since they instantly burn and turn bitter.

Open all your windows and turn on the fans.  Blackening food creates a lot of smoke and sometimes some flames. Preheat your pan getting it as hot as possible as this will prevent sticking and promote the blackening. We highly suggest using a cast iron skillet to achieve the best results. They can stand the intense prolonged heat and provide excellent flavor for your chicken or fish, whereas other pans may warp.  If you don’t have a cast iron skillet and still want to blacken your meat, do not use a non-stick pan, instead use a thick-bottomed pan meant for higher heats. The original method is for single servings in a small cast iron skillet as would be done in a commercial kitchen. If you are feeding a crowd, you can use a large 12- inch skillet provided you have a big enough heat source like an outdoor cook-top used to deep fry a Thanksgiving turkey.

For blackening, you want to cut the meat into pieces you can easily handle with a large spatula; 4"x6" is a good size. Use filets that are around 1/2″ thick.  If they’re any thicker they may not cook all the way through without burning the outside to an inedible state. If the fish is thicker than 3/4", butterfly it or simply slice that piece laterally in half to make two thinner pieces. Keep the meat cold before blackening.  Butter and oils will stick better to a cool piece of fish or chicken.

Melt enough butter to coat all the meat you plan to cook on both sides, and then a few tablespoons extra to spare.  Pat your chicken or fish dry. This helps the butter create a sealing crust on the meat, keeping it from drying out. The blackening is caused by the butter charring in the pan, and the spices will add to the flavor. 

Dredge the fish completely in melted butter, and then sprinkle your blackening spices mix moderately on the fish. The spice is not the key part of the cooking method. Do not put the fish down while sprinkling or at any time between the butter dredging and hitting the pan because you’ll remove the butter from the meat.

Lay the fish in the pre-heated HOT cast iron skillet and immediately spoon a tablespoon of melted butter over the top of it. Be careful, it sometimes flames up.  Cook 2-3 minutes and then flip. Spoon another tablespoon of butter over the fish. Cook another 2-3 minutes and it's done. 

Cajun spices are the most popular for blackening, but you can use the spice mix of your choosing. This is our recipe for Cajun Seasoning Spices. Apply this rub on the fish when blackening or in your crawfish étouffée!

Cajun Spice Mix:
¼ cup of salt
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
1 ½ tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon ground mustard

Mix spices together and store in an airtight container placed in a cool, dark place until ready to use. It is best not to use fresh herbs as they instantly burn and turn bitter.

East Meets Cajun - Adzuki Bean Gumbo & Millet Maitake Jambalaya

We have taken on another Marx Foods Challenge; East Meets Delicious. Several weeks ago we received a goodie box in the mail which contained Adzuki Beans, Dried Maitake Mushrooms, Mochi Rice, Organic Millet, Hijiki (a variety of seaweed), and Dried Star Fruit.

Our assignment was to create TWO original recipes using at least four of the ingredients. But unlike challenges of the past, this one has an added task: we would have to create one recipe for an appetizer and the second for a main course.

The first step was to decide what type of meal to make. The choices were not as obvious as one might suppose since three of the six ingredients (i.e. Adzuki beans, Mochi rice and dried star fruit) are used to make traditional Chinese and Japanese desserts.

With Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) only a few days away, we decided to try some dishes with a Cajun flair beginning with a red bean gumbo as the starter and culminating with a variation on jambalaya using millet and Maitake mushrooms. We were worried that these mild Asian ingredients would not hold up to the bold flavors and spices typical of Cajun cuisine, but we were pleasantly surprised with the results. We think you will be too!

Adzuki Bean Gumbo with Mochi Rice
Generally speaking, gumbos are soups that begin with a base of roux (which is browned flour in an oil base) and Cajun mirepoix*. In gumbo, roux can be used alone or in conjunction with either of the other thickeners such as okra or file powder (made from the dried and ground leaves of the sassafras tree).

First, you make a roux...

• ¼ cup peanut oil
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small bell pepper, chopped
• 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 cups water or broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup dried Adzuki beans, cooked and drained
• 1 cup cut okra (frozen is fine)
• 1 cup Mochi rice, cooked
• 1½ cups cold water
• Salt to taste
• Fresh parsley or green onions, chopped for garnish
• Louisiana hot sauce or ground cayenne pepper to taste

Soak the Adzuki beans overnight and cook until tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in large heavy pot over medium heat, then stir in the flour to make a dark roux. Stir the roux constantly to prevent burning; until the color has changed from white, to beige, and finally to dark brown. When it is ready, it should smell great, like roasted nuts. If it smells burnt, you went too far. A truly dark roux can take up to 30 minutes, so patience is the key.

Once the roux is browned to your liking, add the onions, bell pepper, and celery and cook until the onions are clear. Slowly add 1 cup of the stock stirring well to form a thick paste then add the remainder of the stock. Stir in the Worcestershire and garlic then the sausage and wine. Next stir in prepared Adzuki beans and okra, and then add salt and hot sauce to taste. Cover and reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer at least 45 minutes ( up to 2 hours) stirring frequently and adding water or broth if the gumbo gets too thick.

Meanwhile, cook the rice. Mochi rice is very glutinous so begin by rinsing the rice thoroughly to remove extra starch. Bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil and add the rinsed rice to the boiling water with a pinch of salt. Bring back to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat but do not remove lid and allow rice to steam for an additional 10-15 minutes.

When ready, serve gumbo in small bowls or cups and (using a small ice cream scoop,) add rice to the bowl and garnish with parsley and/or green onions, and of course, your favorite hot sauce. Be sure to remind everyone that this is just the beginning; the main entree is yet to come...

Cajun Chicken Millet Skillet
This one-pan meal is simple to prepare and packed with flavor and nutrition. Traditional jambalaya is made in three steps: the meat is browned, vegetables are cooked until soft, and the dish is completed by adding stock and rice. It is a close cousin to the saffron-infused paella found in Spanish culture.

Maitake mushrooms on the cutting board

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,
• 4 (about 1 1/2 pounds) skinless boneless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 5-6 dried Maitake mushrooms, reconstituted and chopped
• 1 cup uncooked Organic Millet Seed
• 1 teaspoon Cajun spice mix
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth (or reserved mushroom broth)

Rehydrate dried Maitake mushrooms by placing them in a cup of boiling water and allowing them to sit until the water is cool. Strain the mushrooms and reserve the water to use as broth.

Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with a smattering of Cajun spices, then arrange the chicken breasts in the skillet. Cook, flipping once, until deep golden brown all over, about 10 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a large plate and set aside.


With all of the breasts browned and resting, add remaining tablespoon of olive oil, onions, chopped reconstituted Maitake mushrooms and millet to the same skillet, and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and Cajun spices and cook for about one minute more. Stir in white wine and broth and mix together until well combined. Place the chicken breasts back into skillet, nestling them in the millet mixture. Bring the whole dish back to a boil. Then cover, reducing heat to medium-low, and cook until the chicken is cooked thoroughly and millet is tender (not crunchy), about 25-30 minutes.

Spoon chicken and millet onto plates and serve with your favorite hot sauce, preferably with good Cajun music playing in the background!

Cajun Playlist:
File – 2 Left Feet (as seen at the Maple Leaf!!)
Beausoleil – Cajun Conja
Buckwheat Zydeco – Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire
Wayne Toups – ZyDeCajun
John Delafose - Heartaches and Hot Steps
BooZoo Chavis – American Explorer Series

And, try our homemade King Cake for dessert! Remember if you find the baby, you must bring the next King cake!!

*Mirepoix (also known as “Holy Trinity”) is the classic French combination of onions, celery and carrots, and in a ratio of 2 parts onions, 1 part celery and 1 part carrots, and is used in making stocks, soups, sauces, and stews. Cajun Mirepoix or Cajun Trinity (onions, celery and bell pepper in equal amounts) is the Cajun equivalent and is used in classic Cajun “receipts” such as gumbo, jambalaya, and étouffée.

♥ Heart Pops For Your Valentines ♥

In A.D. 270, a Roman priest named Valentine enraged the Emperor, Claudius II, who had issued an edict forbidding Christian marriages. Claudius felt that married men made poor soldiers, and therefore abolished the practice. Valentine invited young lovers to come to him to be joined secretly in marriage. Claudius imprisoned Valentine who refused to renounce Christianity and the sacrament of matrimony and was subsequently beheaded for his defiance. Some historians claim that while Valentine was imprisoned he fell in love with the blind daughter of his jailer, Asterius. Valentine’s love restored her sight and his last message to her was signed: “From Your Valentine.” A phrase that would regrettably live longer than Valentine did. To honor the martyred champion of love, we celebrate St. Valentine’s Day each year on February 14th with roses, and chocolate and all things red. 

However, if you are like us, you still have candy leftover from the other bastion of ‘all things red,’ Christmas. So instead of buying more sweet treats, I decided to “re-purpose” some we had on hand. And, who wouldn’t “love” to receive one of these adorable heart pops on Valentine’s special day?

• 20 candy canes (or any even number)
• 1 bag white or pink chocolate chips (I used Wilton Candy Melts®)
• Sprinkles and colored sanding sugar
• Ziploc bag
• Bamboo skewers
• Parchment paper or silicon mat
• Cellophane bags
• Ribbon

Lay out parchment or silicon mat and place candy canes in opposing directions forming a heart shape. Place a bamboo skewer between the bottoms of each heart shape (as shown.)

Working in batches, place about one-quarter of the chocolate chips in a Ziploc bag, leaving the top unzipped, and heat in 30-second intervals. Massage the chips in the bag between intervals until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Then seal the top of the bag and cut one of the corner of the bag creating a make-shift pastry bag. Hint: make the hole in the bag pretty small, because unlike frosting, the chocolate will flow freely out of the tip!

Fill the area between the candy canes with melted chocolate and smooth with the back of a spoon. Decorate with sprinkles and/or sanding sugar and allow to cool fully before moving.

Place pops in the cellophane bags and tie with a pretty ribbon or string. Give to your favorite valentines and wait for the Ooooos and Ahhhhs!