Archive for January, 2007
Chiffonading, besides sounding strange in verb form, is a simple technique you may halready know. I find it a very handy for basil, but it can be used for any leafy thing large enough to roll. Kale leaves, collards, lime leaves, whatever floats your boat. Leaves can be difficult to cut on their own, but when you stack them your knife actually has something to sink its teeth into. The end result proves that your hands are cooler than any food processor around.
Start with your basil leaves stacked. I got a little over zealous here, you can stack half this many leaves. Larger leaves like kale might not need stacking, use your judgement. You want the leaves to all go in the same direction, all neat like.
Roll up your leaves. It is easiest to roll basil lengthwise, so that the stems are parallel to the roll. With lime leaves, however, roll the leaves from tip to stem; that way you can cut out the woody center when you get there.
With a sharp knife, begin slicing the roll perpendicularly, creating fine, thin strips. The tighter the roll, the easier it is to make your slices thin. My fat roll was a little difficult to maneuver.
My finished chiffonade isn’t that fine, but you can get really crazy and make the most impossibly thin whips of basil if you prefer.
I’m trying to build up a little reference library of easy techniques that not only make cooking easier, but also make you feel fancier. So far we have:
How to Chop and Onion
How to Supreme an Orange
January 28th, 2007
This started with a teeny, tiny, adorable glass bottle filled with saffron threads. I had never cooked with saffron before, but was always curious about it. The bottle was only $4, cheap enough for an impulse purchase. Into my basket it went.
I decided to make risotto again, specifically Risotto alla milanese, or saffron risotto. After the risotto I made a few days ago, I was dying to try a baked version. When you bake risotto, you don’t need to slave over it, stirring until your arms fall off. You pop it in the oven after a few minutes of preparation, let it bake for 25 minutes, and presto. It sounded too good to be true. I had to try it.
While reseraching saffron risotto, I found that osso buco (also ossobucco) is its traditional accompaniment. I realized I had some tempeh in the fridge and decided to have a go at “notso buco.” Considering the fact that I didn’t have this idea until the risotto was almost halfway done cooking, I think it was a success. Next time I make it, I think I’ll either use thinner slices of tempeh, or marinate them first, so that the inside tastes just as good as the outside. The sauce was rich enough, though, so it really wasn’t a problem.
I was really skeptical about the baked risotto. It called for only half of the liquid I used previously, and two thirds less time. I was expecting to check it at 25 minutes and find it bone dry and undercooked. Boy was I wrong! It was perfectly cooked, fluffy, moist, golden, and fragrant. The texture wasn’t as creamy as the stove-top version, but delightful in its own way, more like a pilaf. I definitely recommend this version, especially if you’re short on time.
Recipes below the jump!
Rosemary Saffron Risotto (inspired by a Martha Stewart Recipe)
Serves four
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, minced
1 Cup Arborio Rice
1/8 tsp Saffron Threads, crushed
1/2 Cup White Wine (dry)
2 Cups Vegetable Stock (or use 1 veg. bullion cube and omit salt)
1 Tbs Fresh Rosemary, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish
1 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbs Earth Balance, cut into small pieces
Preheat oven to 450°.
In a medium oven-proof saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring until golden brown. Add rice, and stir until grains are shiny and well coated with oil, about 2 minutes more. Add saffron and wine, and continue cooking and stirring until liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add stock, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cover saucepan; transfer to oven. Bake until all of the stock is absorbed and rice is tender, about 25 minutes.
Remove the cover from saucepan. Dot the top of the rice with earth balance, arrange sage over the rice, and bake until earth balance is melted, about 5 minutes more. Serve immediately.
Notso Buco
Serves two
1 Block of Tempeh
1 Carrot, slice into thin coins
4 Oz Cremini mushrooms, sliced thickly
1 Heaping Tbs Tomato Paste
1 Cup White Wine
1/3 Cup Water and Soy Sauce Mixture, 1:1 ratio
2 Tbs Earth Balance
Flour
Oil
Slice the tempeh in half, making two smaller squares. Trim each square into a circular shape. No cut each circle in half to make two thinner circles (this is the step I wish I did!). Rub each piece of tempeh in oil, then coat with flour.
Heat a dutch oven or deep, heavy cast-iron skillet with some olive oil. Sear both sides of the tempeh, until nicely browned. Remove from pan. Add mushrooms and carrots and saute until beginning to soften. Add tomato paste and stir well. Add tempeh back to pan.
Add wine and cook on high until reduced by half. Add soy sauce/water mixture and boil until a thick sauce forms. When sauce is ready, turn down heat and add earth balance. Stir until incorporated. Serve.
January 27th, 2007
Quick post, which you’ll probably appreciate since I’ve been rather long winded as of late!
Last night Stewart and I had stuffed shells, which is only slightly more complicated to make than pasta, but is a lot more interesting (and looks more impressive!). If you want to get even fancier, you could pick up some manicotti and fill them using a piping bag.
All this meal takes is a basic pasta sauce, some jumbo shells, and some easy tofu ricotta. I changed the tofu ricotta recipe slightly, and possibly for the better. After I crumbled the tofu, I squeezed at much water out of it as I could and replaced it with some soy creamer. It really helped the tofu ricotta taste much richer, and I’d do it every time if soy creamer was something I kept stocked in the fridge. If you happen to have some on hand, add it and see how you like it. If not, don’t worry about it!
The tofu ricotta can easily be made in advance, but I threw it together while the shells were boiling. (In fact, the whole meal could be made in advance and refrigerated until you’re ready to toss it in the oven.) Whenever the shells, sauce, and ricotta are ready, place a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a shallow casserole dish. Drain the shells gently, or they’ll rip! I used a slotted spoon to remove them from the water since I was nervous about it.
Using a spoon, fill each shell with ricotta and place in your casserole dish. When all the shells are all in, cover with the rest of the sauce and bake at 350º for about 20 minutes, or until bubbly and hot. I found that five or six shells was a good serving size for one person when also serving a salad and some fresh bread.
January 26th, 2007
It turns out I’m a snob when it comes to hash browns. If you have strong feelings about them, I might just offend your potato sensibilities today. I’m sorry if it comes to that, but I need to fight for all those people out there who ask for a crispy hash brown, like myself. I know they’re out there!
The worst offense against hash browns, in my mind, is confusing them with home fries. Home fries have never excited me the way glorious, crispy, hash browns do. Home fries are made from chunks of potatoes. They are usually mushy, kinda slimy, and covered in a mishmash of spices, unlike their delectably lacy and crunchy cousin which are not made from chunks at all; dare I point out that they are, well, hashed?
See. I told you I was a snob about this. Relax, I’m sure you’re home fries are wonderful. I just haven’t had the pleasure of trying them.
The two lesser offenses against hash browns (but offenses nonetheless!) are 1) an inappropriate ratio between crunchy outside and soft inside and 2) general under-cooking. I have ordered hash browns from restaurants many times and had them arrive at the table sort of browned on the outside with unbelievable amounts of a soggy white mass on the inside. I end up eating all the crunchy parts and sadly digging through the rest of it hoping to find another golden bite.
After doing some research online, it seems that preparing hash browns is like curing the hiccups; everyone has their own method that they absolutely swear by. Most everyone, including myself, agrees that you need to remove excess water from the potatoes. Suggested methods include drip drying, squeezing, pressing in a ricer, and spinning dry in a salad spinner.
This is my preferred way to dry them. Place a clean terry cloth towel on your counter. Place two sheets of paper towels on top of that, then spread out your shredded potatoes evenly on top of that. Place another two paper towels over the potatoes, and roll the entire thing up as tightly as possible. Squeeze with all your might. Unroll and sprinkle with salt.
I should mention that potatoes oxidize quickly. If you don’t work fast, you’ll have purple brown potatoes before you know it. Make sure you have everything ready to go before you shred your potatoes, including a heated pan on your range. That way, you should be able to get them in the hot pan before they start to discolor.
Once dry, toss them in hot pan with some canola oil. Don’t overload the pan! You actually want to see through to the bottom of the pan in some spots. Spread the potatoes out evenly and press down with the back of a spatula. Heat is key here. I find a medium or even medium-low heat works best. This will brown the potatoes fairly slowly, which is a good thing. If you brown them too fast, they’ll be raw in the middle.
Besides pressing on them occasionally, don’t touch them until you can actually see that they’re turning brown on the other side. If you try to move them or flip them too early, they won’t fuse together. If you think they’re ready to go, lift up the corner and peek to make sure.
You’ll need to cook them on the other side for another few minutes. This is where I add “cheese.” Vegan cheese is notorious for many things, not the least of which is its melting capabilities (or lack thereof). I use one slice of Tofutti “American Style” cheese. If you decide to use cheese, chop it small and sprinkle it evenly over the hash browns. To help it melt, turn down the heat and cover the pan.
Once the other side is sufficiently browned, remove it from the pan and drain for a moment on a paper towel. Slice into wedges and serve with ketchup and/or hot sauce if desired. You’ll never want them any other way.
January 25th, 2007
Someone really needs to open a vegan bakery in Boston and hire me. I’d love to decorate cakes and cupcakes all day long. In case all you were waiting for was an employee, I give you the go head to set up shop. I’ll wait.
I’m sure many people are inspired by pictures of food, or something they ordered in a restaurant, or by those gorgeous, full-color coffee table cookbooks. I am too, to some extent. Sometimes, though, I feel most inspired by gadgets, pans, and obscure kitchen tools. I have the most adorable little kitchen store near me, and I often go in there needing cupcake liners and leave with something else entirely. The last time I went I brought home two 4.5″ spring form pans, and this is the tiny, sugary result.
Layer cakes are something I often crave but rarely have the initiative to get up and make. In fact, I talk about cake often enough that my husband invented “bowl of cake” for me – he mixes some ingredients together in a cereal bowl and microwaves it until baked, then voila! Bowl of cake!
I don’t really have a recipe to share with you since both the cake and the icing is from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I do have some random tips and ideas, though, so maybe those will inspire you.
This, first of all, wasn’t my idea originally. I can’t remember where I saw it, but it’s so brilliant, you should know about it if you don’t already. Go into your closet, find a pants hanger, attach to cookbook, and hang from your cabinets while cooking. I could kiss whoever thought of this. My cookbooks stay clean (when I remember to hang them), the recipe sits at eye level, and I don’t have to use up precious counter space!
It won’t work too well with thick, hardcover books, but most of my paperback cookbooks hang without a problem.
I baked two separate layers, though it’s possible to bake one and split it in half. I was worried about doing this for two reasons. Not only was I not sure that one layer would rise enough to make a decently tall cake, but I also don’t trust my slicing skills that much. I’m glad I baked two separate layers.
Speaking of slicing, you’ll need to level off the cake to make it pretty. I used a long serrated bread knife, held my breath, and started cutting at the lowest edge of each layer. Little imperfections don’t matter so much, since the frosting will hide them. Definitely use a sharp knife for this, though, or you’re tear your pretty little cake to shreds.
You can pre-pipe your decorations! This is a wonderful idea for so many reasons, not the least of which is automatic stress reduction. You don’t need to pipe directly onto the cake, you can pick only the most perfect flowers and stars to use, and you can even remove them if you change your mind about their location. I covered a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and a thin (THIN) layer of cooking spray and piped right on that. Let air dry overnight. You can also freeze them if you only have an hour or two. If you freeze them, remove each one with the tip of a butter knife and work quickly, they’ll soften up fast!
I didn’t realize until this morning that I had failed to take a picture that truly shows the scale of this cake. Here’s two of the leftover, half eaten, saran wrap dented and smooshed cake:
January 24th, 2007
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