Good to Think and Eat

Never Having to Say You're Sorry

2011-02-21T00:43:00.001-04:00

I am, by nature, an apologizer. I'm klutzy, outspoken, and generally calamity-prone, so when trouble arises I just assume I caused it.

This characteristic has become especially salient at my new job.

I'm finally not fun-employed! Since I work at nights I can still take daylight photographs and cook intricate lunches and tend to my kombucha. Oh, and did I mention I am cooking in the most fantastic vegan restaurant.

A restaurant kitchen is tiny. And hot and full of clattering pans and sharp knives and rushing people. When one needs to cross the kitchen they must navigate at least 3 other busy cooks. It's protocol to say "Behind!" or "Behind you!" just to warn someone with a knife or a blowtorch in their hand not to make any sudden turns.

I find myself saying "Sorry! Sorry!" whenever someone needs to get around me because it is my reflex to assume that I am in the way. Even when I am at my station, making an order. I need to stop. No one likes a wimpy cook.

But on another note, I am madly in love with my job. And you know what they said in "Love Story" about what love means...

Sunny Salad

2011-02-12T14:30:00.002-04:00

My mother's kitchen smells like a buttery, beefy, wine-drenched heaven. Over the past few hours the rich aroma has slowly pervaded the house until I can think of eating nothing else but beef. Alas I must wait. Tonight my grandmother celebrates her 95th birthday and we will bask in a candlelit glow and eat roasted leeks, green beans, the ragù over polenta, and some sort of chocolate cake whilst wearing party hats.

But I cannot have the beef for lunch. It has another hour to braise and besides, I mustn't eat it right now. I will resist temptation and eat this salad instead. It's spicy and fresh and bright. CSA arugula, home-sprouted lentils, shiitake mushrooms, sesame seeds and a tangy lemon-miso dressing. I will take my lunch outside to escape the cooking smells, and put on the song "The Circle Game" or "Woodstock" and close my eyes to pretend it's a chilly day in Laurel Canyon.

Maybe it's because I just read Emily Gould's essay on Joni Mitchell and Graham Nash on This Recording but right now I am craving a sort of sunshine and sprouts and bare feet kind of life. I should listen to more "Ladies of the Canyon" and less "Blue". I am sitting in the sun-dappled living room of the house I grew up in, listening to the glorious clatter-crashing of the wind chimes in the breeze. Outside it's 45 degrees and hopeful.

Winter Greens Salad

2011-02-10T14:37:00.000-04:00

The world seems utterly devoid of chlorophyll these days. Not that Philadelphia is a particularly green city to begin with, but at least in the summer I had glorious overgrown backyard jungles to stumble upon, perfectly square parks for eating perfectly square lunches, and that patch of green across the road from my house that hosted a weekly free dinner and occasional moon bounce sponsored by the local church. Even though I nearly roasted this summer, I can't help but feel nostalgic for sunshine and leaves. Now the city is slippery and gray and the parks are barren and empty. The most green I see is my yoga mat. I take what I can get.

Inspiration came to me as I was cleaning out the fridge in preparation for a weekend in DC to celebrate my grandmother's 95th birthday. I needed to finish a bunch of kale, but the sum of the ripped leaves were too paltry for my monster salad needs. I eat kale like nobody's business. I added in a few handfuls of fresh arugula from nearby New Jersey (yes, I can practically see New Jersey from my house) that we got in our CSA, and topped it with a sprinkling of home-sprouted green lentils. A post on sprouts is soon to follow. Of course, I couldn't ignore the siren call of my Chipotle Sweet Potato Dip so I just put a dollop on top. Not even a spoonful of that stuff should go to waste. A slice of red onion tops it off, making the salad both beautiful and breath ruining.

This winter greens salad is cheerful, light, and packed with protein, iron, and folic acid. Lentils are a nutritional powerhouse, providing a great deal of fiber that helps regulate blood sugar levels and lower cholestrol. Along with kale, lentils replenish your iron stores. A little fortitude is always helpful during these dark days, no? So this is my super salad of today, which is somewhat seasonal, somewhat local, and entirely restorative. I ate my greens today. I feel strong.

Ingredients:
Kale, ripped into bite-sized pieces
1 teapspoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
Arugula
1/4 cup of lentil sprouts
1 spoonful of Chipotle Sweet Potato Dip
A slice of red onion (entirely optional)

Combine the kale, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Massage the kale to soften it. Add in the arugula and toss to coat in the dressing and top with sprouts, dip, and whatever else.

Chipotle and Sweet Potato Dip

2011-02-09T13:11:00.004-04:00

Up until Saturday evening, I had no idea who was playing in the Superbowl. Seriously. It is because of this fundamental obliviousness that I am the black sheep of my Dad's family. While the Holdens have a fantasy football league, and I am the only exempt member. When we watch football at Thanksgiving I drink beer after beer and get angry and feministy at the commercials and try to act like I know what's going on but most of the time I am the girl who cheers when the wrong team scores a touchdown.

But I was weirdly really excited about the Super Bowl Sunday, mostly because it's the only holiday (yes, I am pretty sure it is a holiday in America) that encourages the consumption of copious amounts of dip, which is, by definition, delicious. It can go by so many names: hummos, baba ganoush, guacamole, aioli, chutney, tzatziki, etc etc etc. Is your mouth watering? I think I need to figure out a way to incorporate more dip into my life without being forced to watch football.

So I wrote earlier about my own adventures with dip, or as I naively mislabeled it, hummus. Ali, spitfire and expert in all food Palestinian and pastry-related, corrected me with the following rule:

ok, here's the deal: call the hummos "chickpea spread" or something of a similar nature and you're golden. call the unorthodox (but in all likelihood delicious) chickpea spread "hummos" and you're in hot water. call the aforementioned chickpea spread "hummos" AND insist that it's authentic jewish cuisine*, and it's fatwa time. THE RULES ARE SIMPLE, ABIGAIL.

Ali is not the only person enthusiastic about this distinction. In this New York Times article Majdi Wadi, the CEO of a hummus company that is chiefly marketed to Americans says, of his product : "BACK home, they would shoot me in the head for doing this to hummus". He says that hummus is pure, just chickpeas, lemon juice, cumin, tahini, and garlic. All of these silly tangy-ranch and horseradish plum "hummuses" have been created to appeal to an American palate, but to associate them with the original would be more than just frowned upon in some circles.

I do not want to be frowned upon because of semantics. So I dreamed up a pretty bitchin' Chipotle and Sweet Potato dip (that has a chickpea base but is CERTAINLY NOT hummus) and after many hurdles my vision has finally come into fruition. Packed with flavor and an obscene amount of beta-carotene, which boosts your immune system, protects your body against the damages of free radicals, and even enhances your reproductive capabilities (okay, fine, this isn't something that everyone necessarily wants but bear with me. The benefits of beta-carotene certainly outweigh its fertility boosting powers. Just be safe y'all) you can happily munch on this dip while you watch whatever team play whatever team, and no matter if you win or lose your belly and body will be happy. Sorry if your heart breaks or something. The almost unparalleled amount of beta-caroteine contained in sweet potatoes is excellent for boosting vitamin A levels in the blood, particularly in children. Vitamin-A aids in protecting and improving your eyesight and fighting off nasty viral infections. In order to fully absorb all that beta-carotene, it's important that you eat your sweet potatoes with a minimal amount of fat (WHFoods recommends 3-5 grams but even the teensiest bit helps). This, of course, is no problem for me. Sweet potatoes with salty butter or even miso butter is one of my favorite flavor combinations.

But my Chipotle and Sweet Potato Dip, which is sweet and spicy and tangy and salty and rich and oh my good lord delicious on anything from a cracker to a carrot to a sandwich to your finger, gives my old standby a run for its money. So what are you waiting for? Dump the ingredients in your nearest food processor or blender and give it a whirl!

Chipotle and Sweet Potato Dip

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, roasted for optimum flavor
zest of 1 lemon
juice of half a lemon
1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, de-seeded and chopped unless you are very brave (you can find these cans of peppers in most grocery stores in their "ethnic foods" isle. Even if you just use a single pepper you can store the rest in your fridge for up to 2 weeks)

Put everything in your food processor or blender, no need to carefully arrange it like I did. Puree until smooth. Add 1/4 of a cup of water if you prefer a softer consistency. Serve topped with a glug of olive oil and the the herbs or spices of your choice (I chose cracked pepper and parsley but you can certainly experiment).

*This dates back to a rousing Israeli versus Palestinian cuisine-themed brunch we had over the summer. In my defense I stayed away from contentious Middle Eastern dishes and just made matzo brei. My even more diplomatic friend Hillary brought a pineapple. We also had shaksuka, foul and pita, fried halloumi cheese, Martha Stewart's banana bread, and some kind of jam. There was no clear winner.

Remedial Omelet Lessons

2011-02-03T15:31:00.001-04:00

I have long believed that it is only right and appropriate that before one sleeps with someone, one should be able – if called upon to do so – to make them a proper omelette in the morning. Surely that kind of civility and selflessness would be both good manners and good for the world. Perhaps omelette skills should be learned at the same time you learn to fuck. Perhaps there should be an unspoken agreement that in the event of the loss of virginity, the more experienced of the partners should, afterward, make the other an omelette – passing along the skill at an important and presumably memorable moment.

Anthony Bourdain

After reading this gem on my friend Ali's hilarious, thoughtful and awesome blog I had the harsh realization that at the ripe old age of 23, I have absolutely no idea how to make an omelet. Sometimes I make an elaborate egg-scramble and call it an omelet, but that is very very wrong. It looks kind of like this:

Tony would look down his nose at my efforts. Luckily he, along with Jacques Pepin and the internet, teamed up to shepherd the wayward back to correct omelet making. Here is simple lesson on omelet making from one of the cooking masters. You're welcome.

Images of School Lunches from Around the World

2011-02-02T23:25:00.001-04:00

          Looking at the images of American lunches, it is apparent that the US school lunch program is in dire need of an overhaul. Here's hoping the recently passed Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act that eliminates junk food and restrict fat and calories in meals affects some positive change, granting kids access to healthy, delicious lunches at school.

         In this NPR slideshow, images of school lunches from around the world convey a variety of approaches to feeding children, informed by both economic resources and cultural beliefs about nutrition. These images also make me consider the "syntax" of a meal and how it varies based on location, a concept first introduced to me in an Anthropology of Food class that I took in college. A syntax would describe the various components, for example a starchy carb, a vegetable, a meat, a sweet, etc. For me, a properly constructed meal has to have something green. That is non negotiable. One of my favorite parts of being an adult is having the freedom to construct and concoct meals to my choosing.

          Also, given the choice, I'd lunch in Saint Etiennes, France, any day.

Eating Your Blunders

2011-02-01T17:59:00.001-04:00

My original intention for this post was to write about beta-carotene, family politics, and the Super Bowl. The accompanying recipe was one I'd dreamed up a few days ago and I could not wait to share it. I still can't. Unfortunately I needed sweet potatoes to execute my vision, bright red beta-carotene rich sweet potatoes to be exact, and the ones I bought at the farmers market and set aside for the role baked up into a sludgy, sweetly rotten-smelling mess. They went straight into the garbage.

Still determined not to defer this dream, I snow-hiked over to my neighborhood supermarket, Thriftway (yes, I'm naming names), and perused the produce section for red sweet potatoes. A few months ago I was tricked by Thriftway into buying white sweet potatoes to make a pie for Friendsgiving, and was sorely disappointed when I sliced open the freshly baked spuds to reveal a bland creamy greenish yellow flesh. Gross. Luckily the caramel in the pie masked the color and flavor deficiencies, but I the lesson was learned: Beware of Thriftway.

This time I bought red sweet potatoes. I really did. At least that's what the sign said. I threw them into the oven and let my house fill with the caramel-sweet aroma. When they finally felt soft (after many peeks into the oven), I cut them open and prepared for rich jewel tones.

!!!

I nearly gave up. Instead I mashed up a potato with a generous pat of Amish butter and sulked for a bit while snacking and drinking tea. Then I took a deep breath and decided to proceed with the recipe, viewing it as a test batch. Figured that if it was atrocious I would throw it away. I used to eat each and every one of my mistakes, viewing the discomfort as penance for carelessness, but nowadays I don't think it's healthy to punish myself, or anyone else, for kitchen blunders. Of course choosing not to eat a mistake is a privileged position, and I recognize I am the luckiest girl to live in a house with well-stocked cupboards. I am also more resourceful than I was in the past, and these days I can pretty comfortably rescue most disasters and turn them into a passable meal. Just lopping off the burnt bits or adding a generous dose of Sriracha goes a long way.

The results of today's experiment were actually very good. So good, in fact, that I had to close my blinds so that the neighbors wouldn't see me eating it straight out of the food processor. With my fingers. Here is the first draft of my Chipotle-Sweet Potato Hummus. A recipe, as well as a rumination on football, family, and the vitamin content of a sweet potato are soon to follow.

What do you do with your kitchen blunders?

Raw Kale, Blood Orange and Beet Salad with Cilantro-Pistachio Pesto and Chevre

2011-01-31T15:23:00.002-04:00

     I used to think I hated raw kale. I can trace this opinion back to one lazy afternoon, perhaps a year ago, when I was curled up in my sun-filled living room preparing to watch "Wife Swap" with my ever so lovely roommate Rachel. Having read about raw kale salads throughout the blogosphere I thought I'd try my hand at one. I mushed up an avocado and dutifully massaged it into a bowl of kale leaves and decided that would be my Wife Swap lunch. Unfortunately I was sick, or the avocado was unripe, or the kale was too tough, and I might have gratuitously added some nutritional yeast in a misguided attempt at healthfulness, but for whatever reason I could barely choke down the bowl of greenery.

      Last week when I was craving something verdant and bright and I ran across a recipe for a raw kale salad with green apples, hazelnuts, and pecorino romano cheese, dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette. I steeled myself for the worst, but once I whipped up the salad I was hooked. Raw kale, when properly massaged and seasoned, is rich and dynamic, toothsome but somehow tender. At a time of the year when most plants need a high dose of heat to be tasty, raw kale stands out as a wintry green that can be served cool and tastes incredibly fresh.

     Kale is also one of the healthiest foods one can consume. A cruciferous vegetable, well known for its antioxidant nutrients, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and anti-cancer nutrients in the form of glucosinolates, kale also supports detoxification because it the isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from kale's glucosinolates have been shown to help cells detoxify on a genetic level.

     So onto the salad! In creating this dish I sought to make a salad so cheery and bright one could forget about the gray slush and bitter winds that rage outside. Clearly I am really ready for spring.

Ingredients:

3 small beets, in various and even variegated colors
3 cups kale, cut into thin strips
1 blood orange
1/4 cup chevre

Pesto
1 bunch of cilantro, destemmed
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1 clove garlic
juice and zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Garnish
chopped pistachios
pesto

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle the beets (I keep typing beats!) with olive oil and salt and roast until tender, 45 minutes to an hour depending on their size. When fully cooked they should be easily pierced with a fork and will shimmy out of their skins when run under cold water.

2. While the beets are roasting, make the pesto. In a blender or food processor pulse together all the ingredients except for the olive oil. Taste for seasoning. Then slowly add the olive oil until it reaches a desired consistency. I like my pesto to stay a bit chunky so that I can get a bite or pistachio here or there.

3. Massage the dressing into the chopped kale, reserving about a tablespoon for decorative drizzling.

4. Supreme the blood orange (essentially get the little sections out of the tough outer membrane)

5. Slice the beets and arrange the salad to your liking. Top with the chevre and drizzle with additional pesto.

This is a work in progress. If I had unlimited ingredients, and an endless appetite, I'd remake it with basil, or with balsamic vinegar drizzled into the pesto or reduced and spooned atop the cheese. I'd experiment with different types of kale (I guess plain old curly green) or maybe even different fruit. The point is that the kale salad is a remarkably versatile winter beast.

Western Spaghetti

2011-01-11T10:32:00.000-04:00

I had to interrupt my The Postal Service dance party (is that grammatically incorrect? Probably. Why do bands make things so difficult?) to bring you this video. Because it is delicious.

Loveliest Lentil Soup

2011-01-09T23:16:00.000-04:00

This, my friends, is the before shot. Alright fine I didn't include stock, parsley, and a lemon (what was I thinking? Seriously!) but this soup is still a miracle. Using the ingredients pictured and about 45 minutes I cooked up a soup that was "hearty but not heavy" (says Sam), exquisitely spiced and balanced and incredibly nutritious.

I can't take credit for the recipe. I am heavily inspired by Sarah at My New Roots (my new favorite food blog) who gives a complete nutritional rundown of the lentil soup here.

Ingredients
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 heaping tbsp of minced ginger root
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 15 oz can of tomatoes
1 1/2 cups red lentils, carefully rinsed
4 cups of stock (I used chicken but I am sure vegetable stock would taste equally smashing)
1 organic lemon
Parsley or cilantro

1. In a medium pot melt the coconut oil over medium heat and add the onions, garlic, and ginger. Saute until softened but not browned, 4-5 minutes.

2. Add the spices and cook for another minute, until extremely fragrant (this soup smells incredible)

3. Add the tomatoes, lentils, and stock and three slices of lemon (peel and all!) and bring to a boil. Then drop it to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes or until the lentils are lovely and soft.

4. Serve, garnished with a lemon wedge and some parsley or cilantro.

Bliss in a bowl.

back in action- banana bread

2010-12-22T21:54:00.000-04:00

apologies to all our ever so devoted readers, hope you haven't abandoned all hope. we seem to have dropped the ball (or well, a few of them) but hope to be back to regular scheduled posting in the new year. to tide you over, here's some delicious and easy banana bread! as easy to make as it is to eat that is.

i got the recipe from savory bites who got the recipe from baking illustrated, and tested it against a different recipe to decide what were the better ingredients- milk, yogurt, or sour cream? melt or cream the butter? i took her advice plus added an extra banana's worth of chunks to my pureed banana batter mix- i like my treats on the chunky side.

I'm basically copying the recipe, but here it is if you are too lazy to click over:

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped coarse (optional)
3/4 cup of sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (~3 bananas, plus another for chunks if you like it like that)
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled (3/4 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease the bottom/sides of a 9 by 5 loaf pan. If your walnuts aren’t toasted, spread them on a baking sheet and toast them until fragrant for 5-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and walnuts together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined. The batter should look thick and chunky. Add extra chunks of banana if desired. Scrape into the loaf pan.

Bake for just a little over 60 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes then chow down!

pizza party

2010-11-20T18:10:00.000-04:00

one of my favorite things is the term 'pizza party'. pretty much any time the consumption of pizza occurs can be categorized as such. i may have made a song on garage band of the same name. anyhow, i am too lazy to make my own pizza dough, sorry, so i used flat breads from whole foods. and pasta sauce for the tomato sauce. i'm turning into sandra lee i guess. but the pizzas turned out so good! and the bread got crispy like a really good crust!

Lazy Pizza

oven set to 400
1 flatbread
1/4 cup red pasta sauce
1/3 cup mozzerella cheese, shredded
1/2 small onion, sliced thin
1-4 small mushrooms, sliced thin
1 tsp oregano
bake for 10-20 min

the next night we did a mash up: bibimbop pizza!! whodathunk it?? obvi the new korean taco, just sayin..

Bibimbop Pizza
1 flatbread
1/4 cup red pasta sauce
1/3 cup mozzerella cheese, shredded
1/2 small onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup seitan beef- or whatever protein you prefer
1 carrot, shredded
1 egg, fried with a runny yoke
lettuce, shredded
1/4 cup bean sprouts

bake for 10-20 min, then top with lettuce, bean sprouts and fried egg

Vegetarian Chili

2010-11-12T12:36:00.001-04:00

Is there really anything better on a wet blustery night than coming home to a hot and hearty bowl of chili? I can't seem to think of anything. I had been stocking up on canned beans and tomatoes planning for this day since late September. The switch to daylight savings means that when I'm getting out of work at 6, night has already fallen. And yesterday, a light gray rain and chilly wind greeted me as I began my daily bike ride home. All the way, I ignored my numbed fingers by imagining how I would toss off my wet coat and shoes, throw on a big soft sweater, and stuff my face with bubbling hot chili.

This chili is strictly vegetables, and if you leave off the cheese and sour cream, it can be vegan as well. But with the addition of wheatberries (my new favorite grain!) it packs a meaty punch. The berries become similar to the texture of ground beef, plus they are more full of nutrients than you would believe.

Vegetarian Chili with Wheat Berries, adapted from 5 Second Rule

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 14-ounce cans no-salt-added peeled tomatoes, whole or diced, don't drain
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 cups cooked wheat berries (they take 1 cup wheatberries to 3 cups water- cook like rice about 40 min- 1 hr)
Half box whole wheat macaroni, cooked (cook simultaneously so it's still hot with the chili is done)
cheddar cheese, shredded
sour cream (I like the vegan version)

Heat oil in a big pot (biggest you got) over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cumin, oregano, salt, pepper. Add beans, tomatoes with their juice, and vegetable broth. Crush up the tomatoes if you used whole ones. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Serve over macaroni. Garnish each bowl with cheese and sour cream. Oyster crackers are great too.

Star Anise Masala with Dates and Chickpeas

2010-11-10T20:20:00.005-04:00

“Star Anise,” he murmured as we peered into the steamy cauldron of mulling cider and Jim scattered the stars into the pot

“I could name my daughter Star Anise." I said "It’s beautiful!”

“Star _________.” He chuckled. No, he cackled. He loves a dirty joke.

And that’s how the staff celebrated the start of autumn in 2009 at the Green Street Café, by sipping a steaming mug of mulled cider while listening to Neil Young’s Harvest Moon. My boss, the bawdy, elegant, and spry old man named Jim suggested that we dance to welcome the new season, and when I refused he sulkily pirouetted away downstairs. I stole a single star anise and kept it in my apron pocket, turning it over and over with my fingers throughout the shift. At the end of the night my hands smelled like the fall.

This dish incorporates the sweet and smoky spice typically associated with autumn sweets into a savory masala. Using cupboard-common ingredients this curry whips up in under 20 minutes, but tastes complex and sophisticated. It’s also versatile: Quadruple the recipe and bring it with a bed basmati rice to a potluck. Throw the leftover chickpeas on top of a salad. Serve in pita bread or a wrap with some vegetables for a tasty sandwich. Last night we ate it with a whole lot of green (roasted asparagus with lemon, steamed kale, quinoa for Sam) and it was a perfectly simple, perfectly satiating late autumn meal.

Serves 2
Adapted from the New York Times

Ingredients
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas
2 tablespoons of a neutral cooking oil such as canola
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 dried dates, pitted and chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
2 whole star anise, or 1⁄3 teaspoon ground.

1. Rinse and drain chickpeas, set aside.
2. Crack open the cardamom pods using the flat side of a knife. Gather the seeds and crush them in a mortar and pestle, discard the outer shell.
3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions for 8 to 10 minutes, until they have softened and started to brown. Stir in the garlic and sauté for a minute or so, until it, too, has softened.
4. Lower the heat to medium and add tomato paste and spices. Cook for about three minutes.
5. Add the chickpeas and maybe ¼ cup of water to loosen the sauce, enough to make them less than dry. Cook until the chickpeas are heated thoroughly, stirring to evenly distribute the sauce. Serve warm.

crispy polenta, butternut squash, miso kale tower

2010-11-09T15:08:00.002-04:00

somehow a simple dinner from 'whatever's left in the fridge' turned into a fancy little combination of flavors and colors. which is good, because i love meals with lots of pretty colors. isn't it terrible to sit down and realize everything you've made is yellow? with lots of color, you must be getting all your proper vitamins! well that's my theory anyway.

Polenta-
I had this prepared polenta log I bought from Trader Joe's ages ago. I love Trader Joe's but they are not helping me buy less pre-packaged foods. Anyway, I decided it was time to finally put the log-o-'lenta to use. Sliced it into plump little rounds. You could make this from uncooked polenta by cooking it, letting it cool a bit, and shaping it into patties. Then place into skillet with about a 1/4 inch of heated canola oil and fry until crispy and a little darker yellow on the bottom, flip and repeat. Place them on paper towels when done and pat down to take off extra oil.

Butternut squash-
Peel outer skin off, half the squash long ways, and scoop out the seeds and guts. Slice into about 1/4 inch pieces and place on buttered baking sheet. I forgot to grease it and some got a little stuck. Pat with olive oil and spice of your choice, I went with rosemary. Stick in oven at 400 for about 40 minutes.

Miso kale and purple cabbage
Heat big pat of butter in a pan. Throw in bite sized pieces of kale and chopped cabbage. Kale really cooks down, so use more than you think you need. I use probably 1/3 of a bunch. Mix a spoonful of miso paste with a small amount of water, only a few table spoons. Pour over the greens and mix up good. Add some more butter and cover. They are done when they are wilted but before they get too dark, about 5 minutes.

Then stack in a cute little tower and pretend you are an uber modern chef!

The Raw and the Uncooked

2010-11-07T19:17:00.005-04:00

I don't like to brag, but I do happen to possess a degree in the highly esteemed field of Anthropology. As a classically trained ethnographer* I am uniquely qualified to delve into the strangest, wildest, most inexplicable practices in human culture, and study them.

Like, for example, raw vegans. Raw veganism is a movement of folks who eschew foodstuffs that have been heated above 118 degrees.

For my ethnography I traveled about 90 miles north, to the uncharted territory of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and met my dear friend and primary informant, Sarah, for brunch at Rockin Raw. Sarah is sometimes raw but at the moment just a garden variety vegan. She introduced me to the concept last winter when she started practicing raw veganism during the time I was experimenting with the Gwyneth Paltrow GOOP detox diet and craving even more restrictions. However after about a week I went back cheeses and nightshades and all things fried, but Sarah stuck to her guns and by her reports she never feels better than when she eats raw.

But sometimes the girl's gotta breakdown and eat some vegan buffalo wings.

Because it was noon on a Sunday, it felt only appropriate to start the meal with the "house mimosa", an elegant cocktail comprised of a scoop of raw orange ice cream bobbing in a goblet of champagne. I did not know that raw champagne existed, but apparently since it was fermented but never heated, it's okay by the raw vegans.

Next we had the jalapeno poppers, which were stuffed with cashew cream and dusted with a generous helping of nutritional yeast and a dash of cayenne pepper. While they weren't hot or fried like traditional poppers, they were absolutely delicious and satisfying in that junky-sublime kind of way. While I loved them at brunch, I bet I would truly appreciate them while sauced (on raw champagne, natch) at two am.

I ordered the "fried egg" sandwich, the egg being a culinary trompe l'oiel fashioned out of dehydrated zucchini of all things. It was slippery and almost rubbery in the most egglike of ways, and sandwiched between two hearty slices of moist black bread it made a most satisfying sandwich. The salad was a great foil, citrusy and plain, but I found the carrot soup to be muddy-tasting and a bit underwhelming.

See? A fried egg!

Sarah ordered the BLT sandwich which was equally tricky and convincing and entirely delicious. How do they make raw vegan bacon that captures that smoky umami flavor so entirely? I am in awe of the gastronomic stylings of the kitchen at Rockin Raw. I imagine that raw vegan chefs train at a school similar to Hogwarts. How else could they learn such magic?

We finished the meal by splitting a totally mind-blowing jalapeno key-lime pie. It was my favorite part of the meal. Oh my god I will definitely be dreaming of this dessert until I return to Brooklyn for seconds. It was exquisitely creamy, fresh-tasting and vibrant, and it me feeling satiated but not overwhelmed.

And finally, an oldie of Sarah and me, circa 2002 maybe? Okay fine 2001. That was the summer when my favorite meal was a Ben and Jerry's cookie dough ice cream bar washed down with a bubbly sweet pepsi. My how things have changed.

For one, if I were to drink a cola, I would certainly choose coke.

* I find that putting "classically trained" before any statement lends it an air of legitimacy.

Jap Chae

2010-11-05T12:00:00.002-04:00

Okay, it's not exactly beautiful but it is greasy street food delicious. Korean jap chae was first introduced to me as 'cha cha' by a lunch truck on my college campus. Glass noodles, mushrooms, broccoli, tofu, with pickled something on top. It makes such a good lunch for $3.95! But it's even better, and so easy to make at home.

After some internet research I figured out the more accepted spelling of the dish, and a few recipes. Then I had to hunt down the yam starch noodles- their texture is what really sets this dish apart.

Look in the noodle aisle of Asian markets, and check the ingredients, because the name on the front of the bag is probably in Korean. Okay, the recipe. You can basically use whatever you want for the vegetables, like any stir fry. But some of the more traditional ingredients are wood ear mushrooms, bell peppers, onion, scallions, carrot, and spinach. Tofu or meat are also good additions.

Korean Jap Chae

Ingredients:
Sweet potato noodles
1/2 Onion, diced
Wood ear mushrooms or shiitake, chopped
Bell pepper, diced
Spinach or broccoli
Tofu, cubed
(Optional: snap peas, broccoli, beef, baby corn, eggplant)

Sauce:
2 Tbs Soy sauce
2 Tbs Sesame oil
2 Tsp Black pepper
2 Tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
1 Tsp Ginger
2 cloves Garlic, diced

Scallions, chopped
Sesame seeds

Put the noodles in boiling water. They just need to soften up for a few minutes, you can turn the flame off.
Fry the onion and garlic in sesame oil until soft. Add the chopped vegetables and the other sauce ingredients. Stir fry for 5-10 min, cover if necessary and add sauce ingredients to taste, especially if you used a lot of veggies. When noodles are done mix those in as well. They are long and sticky, may need to be chopped up and some sesame oil added get them to mix properly. I think it's easier to mix with chopsticks.
Add a little more black pepper, sesame seeds and scallions as garnish.
EAT!

In anticipation of oyster happy hour...

2010-11-04T20:19:00.001-04:00

Between the hours of 5 and 7 pm one can buy fresh cold briny oysters for a buck at an unexpectedly swanky restaurant near my office. Three dollars gets you a draft or a shooter, which is a somewhat surreal concoction of tomato juice, vodka, horseradish, and an oyster. I always opt for a beer which pairs beautifully with oysters. Around 4 pm, over gmail, Hannah and I decided to meet at the oyster bar after work. Then we had to wait two hours. This is an excerpt from how we passed the time:

Rainy day oysters by Abigail

My happiest hour

Is when I tip back my head

And eat you alive.

existential oyster by Hannah

do you have a soul
you may have been farmed but you
taste like the ocean

happy halloween!

2010-10-31T21:14:00.000-04:00

there's been lots of cooking and dressing up going on around here, but all i want to talk about are pumpkins and nachos. pumpkins being the ones we carved and cooked up the seeds of:

and nachos from taco riendo which we ate on halloween:

(that's urkel digging in)

these nachos get mention because they are probably the best in philly. if you disagree- challenge me! guac + salsa fresca + yellow and white cheddar + sour cream + pickled jalapenos + crispy fresh chips = oh my.

Brioche Buns

2010-10-30T10:11:00.009-04:00

Somewhere in the world there exists a role of negatives chronicling my 19 year-old self smeared with bread dough and cavorting in a bathtub. I was at that age where shirts just won’t stay on (but I promise, Mom and Dad, the essentials remained obscured) and it was experimentation in the name of art, at least in the name of my friend Ally’s Intro to Photo project.

I think Ally got a B on the project and after complaining about the injustice of it all over vegan riblets in the dining hall, we never mentioned the shoot again. I’d all but forgotten about the pictures until yesterday when I glanced down at my hands, buried in yeasty brioche bun dough, and all the memories flooded back to me.

Lesson learned: Scrubbing dough off your torso is nasty business. Also if these photos resurfaced it could ruin my budding career as a serious master baker; there is solid evidence that I don’t respect the sanctity of dough (or food safety regulations for that matter). Oh well, another skeleton to shove into my already cramped closet.

Luckily I’m more of a cook than a baker anyways. Because time eludes me and measurements seem inconsequential, my baked goods often end up flat, burnt, or tasting unfortunately and mysteriously earthy. When cooking I can adjust the seasonings, add a handful of breadcrumbs or a squeeze of lemon to remedy an imbalance, but with baking all of the elements must be perfect, or else catastrophe will ensue. However despite my bumbling ineptitude, these buns were awesome. It’s so strange to think with a bit of milk, butter, sugar, yeast, flour, egg, and salt (and a lot of time) one can just whip up a batch of superior hamburger buns.

But why? You ask. Why not just buy the spongy seeded buns at the store? Because you don’t just want to hold a burger, you want to support it, help it live up to all of its potential. This bun is crusty on the outside with enough structure to support toppings no matter how slippery, with soft and rich and slightly sour crumb. I bet they’re cheaper than store bought buns, marginally healthier and infinitely tastier. Given the choice, who wouldn’t prefer a burger ensconced in a rich and tangy brioche bun?

Abigail, Harriet, and Sam enjoying the buns with homemade veggie burgers, sweet potato fries, and coleslaw.
Toasted, smeared with butter and apricot jam, and paired with a strong cup of coffee, this funny bun is also part of a complete breakfast. In an airtight container, these buns remain fluffy and fresh for up to three days.

Brioche Buns adapted from the New York Times
3 tablespoons warm milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1. Combine milk, yeast, and sugar with a cup of warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes (until foamy).
2. Beat 1 one in a separate bowl or cup.
3. In yet another separate bowl, combine flours and salt. Add butter and rub with your fingers until the mixture looks kind of sandy. Stir in yeast potion until you have a dough in your bowl, and then dump it onto a clean and well-floured counter.
4. Turn on an episode of This American Life or RadioLab or The Moth and knead the dough for a good ten minutes. Return it to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, store it in a warm place and let it rise for an hour or two, until it has doubled in size.
5. Using a dough scraper or a knife or your hands and some pure intuition, divide the giant ball of dough into eight balls and put on a cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for another hour or two.<>

Vegan Jamaican Patties (Or Veggie Empanadas)

2010-10-28T23:05:00.004-04:00

Today I received the scariest e-mail, ever. It was a receipt informing me that a Chris H. [insert my last name here] ordered a Bloomin' Onion and a veritable shrimp orgy at an Outback Steakhouse Kokomo Indiana. For a split second I panicked; how did someone manage to steal my debit card information? Then I realized even the most inept of thieves would not notify their victim via e-mail. Just to be safe I called the Outback Steakhouse in Kokomo, IN and had a wonderful conversation with the manager Heather about fraud and the Philadelphia Eagles. She diligently checked Chris H.'s ID and credit card and determined it was an accidental crime. No harm, no foul, just a keystroke error. On the bright side now I know exactly what a couple in Indiana had for dinner tonight, and that is a small thrill. I love peeking into pantries, asking people what they ate for lunch, and generally gathering information and evidence on the eating habits of others. It's this strange voyeuristic pleasure, peering into the refrigerators of others.

In contrast to Chris H.'s take-out shrimp overload, I had a delightfully labor intensive and blissfully vegetarian supper. I planned it all day, and when the clock struck 4:57 I tore out of my office building and hopped on my bike, grocery store bound. Four hours later, dinner was on the table. These vegetable hand pie make my heart sing! I also love saying "hand pies" - it makes the dish sound like a charming anachronism.

Also, I got to experiment with a new fat! Who knew coconut oil produced such a light and flaky crust? Now I want to put coconut oil in my pies, and maybe just a little on my bread. Little known fact: I am very enthusiastic about fats. One night, after a few glasses of wine, my friend Janet announced

"I love three things: Fighting, Food, and [Loving]."

"Ooooo I can do this to, let me think!" I wanted to participate but couldn't really summarize myself into three loves. After much debate I settled on Kale, Fats, and....I sincerely can't remember the third thing. Horse trivia? Ginger? tUnE-yArDs? Perhaps my third love will always remain a mystery.

I was dubious of the vegetable combination in the filling, but my instinct proved to be incorrect (it's been doing that a lot lately) as the mundane combination of peas, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage was magically elevated to such great heights with the help of coconut milk and spices and a bit of thyme and lemon. The flavor combination is unexpected but heavenly.

I didn't have a cookie cutter so I improvised by tracing a small saucer with a knife. It worked surprisingly well and yielded the suggested six patties.

These patties also make an excellent after dinner snack.

Jamaican Vegetable Patties
Adapted from Bryant Terry's recipe on 101cookbooks.com (I really really really need to buy Vegan Soul Kitchen).

The Insides:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Coarse sea salt
2 larges cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1/4 cup yellow potatoes, diced
1/2 cup green peas (I used frozen)
1/2 cup sweet corn (I used frozen)
1/2 cup green cabbage, shredded
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

The Outsides:
1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons turmeric
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup chilled coconut oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water

1. Heat coconut oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add onions, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt, and cook 8-10 minutes, or until caramelized, stirring frequently. Next add the garlic and saute for another minute or so, until the garlic is golden brown.

2. Next add the coconut milk, potatoes and carrots. Reduce heat to low and cover, cooking for another ten minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

3. Finally add the cabbage, peas, corn, lemon juice, and thyme. Cook for three minutes and then season to taste. Set this party aside and let the flavors mingle.

Meanwhile

4. In a bowl mix the dry ingredients for the dough, and then introduce the coconut oil gently with your fingertips, working it into the flour mixture until the dough looks almost sandy.

5. In a separate container combine the vinegar and icewater, and add it into the dough until the dough can clump together but before it gets goopy. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

6. Preheat oven to 350. Roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thickness and cut into circles. I recommend a circle with a 6" diameter to get the perfect crust to filling ratio. Put two heaping spoonfuls of filling in each circle and fold over and pinch to close.

7. Put veggie patties or whatever you want to call them on a cookie sheet and bake for 35 minutes. Be careful eating them fresh out of the oven, that filling is HOT!

Acorn Squash with Quinoa Stuffing

2010-10-25T21:13:00.000-04:00

This dish is kind of the best thing I've made for dinner. Ever. Local organic winter squash, you say? Buttery quinoa? Sweet cranberries, oh my!

I had a craving to do something neat with a winter squash, and went browsing the net. Seems like acorn squash is usually paired with just butter and brown sugar or corn pudding. The pudding sounded too complicated for little ol' me, so I went with something I knew I could pull off. I even cooked the quinoa in my rice cooker- hah! It still took about an hour to prepare (the squash needs a while in the oven) but it's pretty simple and perfect for chilly autumn nights.

Acorn Squash with Quinoa Cranberry Stuffing

feeds 2

1 Acorn squash, halved

1 cup quinoa

1/3 cup cranberries

1/3 cashews

1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, diced

butter, salt, pepper

Butter the halved squash flesh generously and place on a baking sheet in the oven at 400. It takes about 45 min, should be soft enough to pierce through with a fork.

Cook the quinoa either on the stove or in a rice cooker. Sauté the onion and pepper and when they are almost done (5 min) throw in the cranberries and cashews for another minute. Mix this with the cooked quinoa and some butter. When the squash is done, let cool a few minutes, then stuff with a couple spoonfuls of the quinoa mixture. Attack with spoon.

Cooking Off the Books

2010-10-24T22:08:00.002-04:00

After painting our entire kitchen an elegant pale gray, Sam informed me that she would make dinner. Peanut noodles! I was thrilled and very very hungry so after waiting the polite amount of time in my room I moseyed into the kitchen to see what was going on. There I found, her pouring pineapple juice (the tin-can kind that is most often found on airplanes and in girly cocktails) into the pan!

"What... exactly did you put in that peanut sauce?" I nervously inquired.

She shrugged and gave one of those laughs that at best suggests a lie and at worst implies homicidal mania. I snapped a photo of the assembled ingredients for further analysis.

I may never know the answer, but the noodles were so damn good. Sweet and spicy with just a hint of tanginess, I couldn't get enough and I found myself using my vegetables as a vehicle for sauce.

There is something so satisfying about cooking off-book. Of course I have my favorite recipes that must be "just so" and I also spend wayyy too much time searching the internet and pouring through cookbooks in search of new recipes, but at times it's great to just put the instructions down and riff for a bit.

There are some dishes that beg for improvisation, that are elastic enough to suit changing palettes and pantries. These are dishes whose value is not derived from precise alchemy but rather from their flexibility and adaptability. Some other examples include beans and greens (on which I will post later), bibimbap, minestrone soup, omelets. You get the picture: a dish that use up the extras in the fridge, whose whole is definitely greater than the sum of its motley parts. Part of the appeal of these dishes is that they are somehow ephemeral; I will never again eat peanut noodles like those I had tonight, and that's what makes them special.

So I can't post a recipe because there isn't one. I know for certain that our noodles contained the following: Sam's magic peanut sauce (peanut butter, sriracha, sesame oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, fish sauce, ginger, pineapple juice...), ramen noodles, green beans, broccoli, yellow bell pepper, carrots, an egg.

Here are some other peanut noodle recipes for inspiration. Go out and make the dish your own.

Ginger Beef Peanut Noodle Salad from Simply Recipes
Cold Peanut Sesame Noodles from The Kitchn
Lazy Day Peanut Noodle Salad Recipe from 101 Cookbooks
Chinese Cold Noodles Recipe from Use Real Butter
Raw Peanut Noodles from Choosing Raw

Oh and here is tonight's version of peanut noodles, with a side of roasted butternut squash.

Dare to Dream: part 2

2010-10-24T17:54:00.001-04:00

Someday when I am rich as can be I will commission Meryl Streep to film a full-length Julia bio-pic. Just Julia.

Imagine Ms. Streep as Julia Child during her spy years.

Family Dinner

2010-10-23T13:36:00.001-04:00

Having dinner with the whole family (well, all 3 of us) every night was something very important in my tender adolescence and growing appreciation of food. It's something I miss since most of us have left the nest but aren't old enough to have new families, and therefore I get excited about having people over for 'family dinner'. Especially when Abby does most of the cooking.

She brought leftovers of the red pepper soup, did a redux of the vegan mac and cheese (pure heaven) and to make it well rounded, at least color-wise, we added brussel sprouts to the mix.

Brussel Sprouts
1 lb brussel sprouts, halved
salt, pepper, butter

Blanche brussel sprouts for a minute or two. Drain, then sautee with butter, salt and pepper, until soft and a little browned.

After dinner we partook in serious pumpkin carving, it was Sam's first time after all.

and we separated the guts from the seeds to make roasted pumpkin seeds!

happy spooking!

Breakfast Nightmare, continued

2010-10-22T09:39:00.000-04:00

Came to the unpleasant realization that my Trader Joe's Organic Oats & Flax Instant Oatmeal resembles the “single-celled protein and amino acid colloid” that sustains the crew on whatever that ship was called The Matrix. Out of courtesy to my readers I will not post a picture. I sulked for about 30 seconds and then dug in.

Does anyone have any portable, efficient and magically delicious breakfast solutions?

Food Out Loud #2 "Cornbread and Butter Beans" performed by Carolina Chocolate Drops

2010-10-22T00:22:00.004-04:00

Cornbread and butter beans and you across the table,
Eating beans and making love as long as I am able,
Hoeing corn and cotton too, and when the day is over,
Ride the mule, and cut the fool, and love again all over.

We should just live in cake light

2010-10-20T23:06:00.000-04:00

I made my very first two-layer cake and it was an absolute disaster. Luckily I learned that most mistakes can be hidden under a very thick layer of lemon cream cheese icing.

Kale & Sweet Potato 3 Ways!

2010-10-20T15:24:00.000-04:00

I set out to buy some things for the weeks dinners but without much inspiration in mind. Some days I am really indecisive and can't commit to anything, I think it's harder to shop when I'm not hungry. Anyway, I ended up with two versatile and cheap veggies, but not much else. Rather than return to the store (I'm trying to cut down on shopping and therefore wasting, you see), I decided to try to reuse and remix them a little, and i was able to squeeze out three different dishes without tiring of either veggie.

Scrambled Eggs and Kale with Sweet Potato Hash

2 eggs
Kale, chopped
Sweet potato, coarsely grated
Butter
Milk (I use almond breeze)

Grate sweet potato on largest holes. Butter pan, add hash. Dash of salt. Stir around, make sure cooks evenly. Whip eggs in a bowl with cut up kale, a dash of milk, salt and pepper. In a new pan (or if you're lazy like me, scoot the almost done hash to one side and use the other half of your pan) pour in the egg mixture and scramble. I like Smitten Kitchens tips on how to perfectly scramble eggs.

Kale and Sweet Potato Sautee
this one is the easiest.

1-2 sweet potatoes, chopped into chunks
1 bunch kale, chopped into bit sized peices
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbs rosemary
butter, salt

Throw chopped sweet potato in a sautee pan with butter, garlic, salt, and rosemary, when it's almost done (about 5 min) add kale and cover for another 1-2 minutes. When kale is wilted and potatos are soft through, eat!

Sweet Potato, Kale, and Cheese Quesadilla

Kale
Sweet potatoes, chopped
Tortilla
Cheese (however fancy you want, I have cheap shredded stuff, but you can do better than that, Mr. Gruyere lover)
Olive oil
Rosemary

Pre heat the oven (or toaster oven) to 350. Put potato on a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and rosemary (or whatever spice, I have a lot of rosemary lately). Bake for 20 min, or until soft. When done, put potato in tortilla with fresh kale and cheese. Fry it in a frying pan with a little vegetable oil or butter for about 2 minutes on each side- enough to crisp the tortilla and melt the cheese. I had a little extra filling so ate that as a side dish.

Summer Squash Slump

2010-10-19T22:19:00.003-04:00

So I'd initially envisioned this as a vegetable crumble, but that name was so evocative of that time we went to $1 taco night at Barbarella and the vegetarian tacos were made with "veggie crumble" (read: lumpy soy protein), limp iceberg lettuce, and a stale hard shell that I knew I had to change the name immediately. That was not a night that I want to remember, much less pay homage to with this awesome dish.

Look at the bottom left corner; this slump is so scrumptious I couldn't resist taking a bite even before I snapped a photo.

So let's call this a Summer Squash Slump. Traditionally a slump is a dessert comprised of baked or stewed fruit topped with a biscuit dough however since the term has fallen out of fashion I feel perfectly comfortable reclaiming it for my own purposes. The topping is more similar to a pie crust than a biscuit dough, and I even mixed it using the time-test tool of my fingertips, as I would with a pie but I tweaked my usual piecrust recipe by adding fresh thyme.

I used summer squash, but I'm already imagining potential slumps: a winter squash and kale slump, a ratatouille slump, a white bean and sausage slump. Alright, I know that these things are technically called gratins or casseroles, but isn't it more fun to pretend they're subversive desserts?

Sam and I fell into the other kind of summer squash slump in mid-August, bored to tears by too many zucchini and yellow squash sautes, and swore off the stuff. However I quietly bought some zucchini and squash, thinking I'd make a ratatouille or something to pack for lunch* but today at work was struck with inspiration. When I got home I simply chopped up the vegetables, made the crust, put it in the oven and in one hour I had dinner!

Summer Squash Slump

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

The Insides
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
6 sprigs of thyme
2 zucchinis, chopped in a half inch dice
2 yellow squash, chopped in a half inch dice
1.5 cups canned tomatoes (this is a very loose measurement, I just used what I had left over from a recipe I made last week)
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

The Crust
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons cold butter, but into little cubes
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon icewater

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a bowl combine flour, butter, salt, and thyme. Using your fingers crumble and flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with a few pea-sized butter lumps.

3. Drizzle dough with the cold water and then incorporate it with a fork, making sure not to overwork the dough. Set aside.

4. Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or ovenproof pan over medium heat until it shimmers. Add onions three springs of thyme and a pinch of salt and allow the onions of soften and brown, stirring occasionally and cooking for 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

5. Remove the thyme springs from the pan and turn off the heat.

6. Add the zucchini, squash, and tomatoes to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Add the leaves from the remaining five thyme springs.

7. Stir in crumbled feta.

8. Evenly distribute the crust over the dish. It's supposed to be crumbly and not stick together. Don't worry, it will be delicious.

9. Bake for 1 hour. In the last 10 minutes I put my slump on the top rack to make the crust extra crunchy and golden.

In other news Trader Joe's has artichokes for 69 cents a piece! I only know how to steam them. What else can I do?

Kale season has officially begun, which is to say from now until April I will be eating it daily.

*My lunch today: Thai-style chicken legs and mango slaw. No pictures. Just bliss. Thanks again, Smitten Kitchen.

Babies of Fishtown?

2010-10-18T15:00:00.001-04:00

I've never thought of fish sauce and babies as a winning combination.

Maybe I'll never be the Don Draper of Thailand.

Working Lunch: Roasted Acorn Squash with Sriracha-Lime Vinaigrette and Red Kale Salad

2010-10-18T00:00:00.012-04:00

Last week I was so lazy and I ate out for every single lunch. There was the good (bi bim bap at Giwa) the bad (I'm looking at you, Thai Kitchen and your sub-par shrimp dumplings) and there was the ugly (eggplant parmesan hoagie from Shanks). This is detrimental to my wallet, my morale and my productivity. It's a proven scientific fact that it's virtually impossible to PDF a legal document after a lunch of gelato.

So my resolution for the week: Brown bagging it. Every day. Except I don't use a brown bag, I eat in style. So what if some jerk Rittenhouse Square angrily accuses me of stealing my "daughter's" lunch box?

I'm used to eating raw kale salads that leave my hands goopy from vigorously massaging them with avocado. It's an unpleasant sensation. Inspired by 101 Cookbooks I embarked on this avocado-free endeavor, but at the last minute, out of habit, I massaged. No regrets.

Red Kale Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients
1/2 bunch of red kale
1 clove garlic
pinch of salt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
juice of 1 lemon
pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
handful toasted walnuts

1. Cut a few inches off the stems of the kale and chiffonade the leaves into 1/2 inch strips.
2. Smash up the garlic. I used a mortar and pestle but that may have been unnecessary.
3. Add salt, cheese, lemon juice, pepper, pepper flakes and olive oil. Whisk.
4. Thoroughly toss dressing with kale. If you're feeling brave, massage to wilt the leaves. Garnish with extra cheese and walnuts.

I absolutely adore winter squash, but think it's prudent to learn as many different recipes as possible so my passion doesn't burn out by mid-November. This one is definitely going into my regular rotation. Sweet, salty, sour, and spicy, it's part of a perfectly balanced lunch!

Roasted Acorn Squash with Sriracha-Lime Vinaigrette
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 acorn squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Wash the acorn squash and slice into 3/4 inch thick wedges.
3. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste, and spread on a baking sheet. Roast for 25-35 minutes.
Meanwhile
4. Combine garlic, sriracha, parsley, and remaining olive oil. Salt to taste.
Before serving drizzle squash with vinaigrette.

And now presenting...

My lunch!

Dare to Dream: part 1

2010-10-17T19:19:00.007-04:00

I want to open a Twin Peaks-themed pie shop. Our specials would be bearclaws and cherry pie, with a cup of joe, natch. I just need to think of a name.

Soup Soup a Doup*

2010-10-15T00:41:00.007-04:00

Last weekend my beloved roommate Sam was horribly under the weather. I made her chicken noodle soup and she got better immediately (okay not really but IT HELPED) and was left with half a gallon of premium quality, grade A chicken stock languishing in my fridge. Of course it will keep for months but I was itching to use it so I set out to find the perfect soup recipe.

Meanwhile one of my dearest friends, Danny, is staying with me! We go way back. Back to when I was blonde and he was scruffy.

Meanwhile I got a CUISINART TODAY. And a kitchen scale, a rolling pin, tongs, and measuring cups. Thanks Aunt Andie!

So the universe aligned and I made the most exquisite red pepper soup on the planet inspired by Deb's recipe on SmittenKitten which was in turn adapted from a New York Times recipe.

Not only was the recipe extremely simple, but the results were complex and nuanced. The soup was sweet and light and fresh, but also spicy and rich. It was the perfect late summer early autumn soup and I am thrilled I could share it with fantastic people.

Lately I've been particularly concerned with color and food, planning meals based around hues and moods. I guess Sam is too because she even matched our main course!

Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
10 large red bell peppers, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and black pepper
Parmesan cheese for garnish

1. In a thick-bottomed pot, heat olive oil and cook onions until softened and slightly browned. Add garlic and saute for a minute or two. Add wine and cook until reduced to about a tablespoon of liquid.

2. Add red peppers, chicken stock, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Puree. Adjust seasoning. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese

* You're welcome Sam.

Quick Pickling

2010-10-14T10:34:00.001-04:00

Now and then i get a strong craving for something salty and crunchy- what better than a fresh pickle?! I can't believe i haven't tried this before now- it's super easy and they taste amazing, without that metal tang store pickles can have.

Tools:

Jar with a tight lid

Ingredients:

Cucumbers, about 1.5 to a mason jar

Radishes, carrots, okra, etc (optional)

White vinegar

Water

2 tsp salt per jar

1-4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tbs black pepper

Fresh dill

Cut the cucumbers, I like mine as spears. Stick them in the clean jar with whatever other sliced vegetables you like. Pickled radishes are tops. Add whole cloves of garlic (I like 2-3 per jar), the salt and pepper, and several sprigs of dill. I'm spoiled and have a jar of it growing on my windowsill. When everything is in the jar, add the vinegar and water, about half and half. Now screw on the top and wait at least 48 hours! The waiting is the hardest part. Your pickles should last up to 3 months.

Original idea and recipe from Mystic Domestica.

Pseudo Southern Comfort

2010-10-12T22:18:00.007-04:00

Today was one of those terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad days, where I just woke up crabby and a million tiny things went awry. One of the precious mugs designed by my dad shattered unceremoniously! Every time I picked up the phone at work I got a waft of someone else’s nauseating perfume. I battled cars and pedestrians for my rightful space in the bike lane all the way home.

Came home and found myself in my underwear drinking a PBR and listening to the new Belle & Sebastian when I realized this isn’t how my day should end. I needed food, at least. Unfortunately I’d eaten the last of the pizza for breakfast, accompanied by coffee in a beer stein so leftovers were out of the question.

Oh my God. This is my life in a single frame: Crumpled money. Favorite beer stein. Bike. Records. Books. Cat.
My refrigerator is full of vegetables but was craving something more comforting than a beet or a big cold salad, so I turned to an old standby. As a kid my Mom forbid the consumption of dairy so I am well acquainted with all the substitutes. Tonight for some reason I was really craving the familiarity of nutritional yeast-based faux cheese. Did not have enough pasta and threw in some macaroni sized pieces of zucchini.

Pseudo-Mac and Cheese (via my Mom)

Serves two

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tiny pinch turmuric

cayenne pepper

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 cup cooked macaroni

1 zucchini, cut into macaroni sized chunks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt butter or margarine in a small oven-proof skillet.

3. Whisk in flour and let it darken to a golden brown.

4. Add 1 cup water, soy sauce, garlic, turmeric, and cayenne pepper to taste. Continue whisking.

5. Add nutritional yeast and more water if necessary. You want the mixture to be a thick but saucy consistency.

6. Add macaroni and zucchini. Toss to coat with the sauce.

7. Sprinkle cayenne pepper on top. Bake for 15 minutes.

8. Broil for a few minutes so the top gets crunchy and delicious.

Served it with some collard greens and a salad. Oh yeah. And a beer. Today was still rotten.

Swooning towards Bethlehem

2010-10-11T18:47:00.005-04:00

I opened my tin lunch box and came face to face with my lunch: a Tupperware container filled with miso-braised kale. It seemed like a great idea last night; a healthy, tasty, filling lunch, but sitting in Rittenhouse park in this late summer sunshine, I craved something truly extraordinary.

So I got gelato at Capogiro. Two flavors. Tahini and Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla.

My first bite of the vanilla and I was weak in the knees, wanted to drop onto the sidewalk on 20^th street and thank whichever God made Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla gelato possible. Tried the Tahini and nearly swooned out into traffic. Who knew the humble sesame could achieve such great heights? Later, while prowling on the Capogiro website, I learned that the name of the company does, in fact, mean “to swoon”. Or a more direct translation describes how a man feels when he glimpses a beautiful woman.
I was trippin' down the road on a cloud of culinary reverie, when all of a sudden a dude in an unicorn t-shirt leapt out from behind a faux-marble pillar and addressed me.

“WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DINOSAUR!”

I was so startled that I dropped my spoon and it fell with a sad ker-thunk onto the grimy sidewalk. My heart sank.
“I don’t have one” I replied, sweet as gelato despite my rising ire. I knew what this boy wanted. He wanted me to Save the Children. He had that “just drank the Kool-aid” glitter in his eye. He launched into his spiel and I sighed. I like children. Yes, I do have enough resources to support a child (he looked pointedly at my little blue cup of now-melting gelato as he repeated “Only 80 cents a day! You can spare that!”). I tried to do one of those basketball fake-outs but he was too quick for me! He kept referring to himself as “awesome”, saying that I, too, could be “awesome” if only I could be selfless and get into non-profit work and Save the Children. I glared and noticed that he waxed his eyebrows.

Finally I tore myself away, promising to research Save the Children. You know, the organization doesn’t seem half bad and I can certainly spare the money. I’m thinking about it. You win this time, Mr. Enthusiastic Non-Profit Worker.

I drank the rest of the gelato, the tahini-vanilla sludge that pooled at the bottom of the soggy cup. It was good.

Why Peels Carrots?

2010-10-09T21:36:00.007-04:00

First let me note that the vegetable peeler is an INVALUABLE kitchen took. If you don’t have one, go out and purchase one IMMEDIATELY. My affection for the tool stems from my time in South Africa I didn’t even have a grater so I grated my vegetables with my peeler. I even made potato latkes, but it took hours.
Although the carrot may appear hearty, it is sensitive to exposure to elements such as sunlight and high temperatures which causes the vegetable to generate alcohol and a bitter-tasting defensive chemical.
Peeling not only removes these chemical but also gets rid of the phenolic compounds trigger browning and discoloration. Anyway, the true flavor of the carrot lies closer to the core so getting rid of a bit of the outer layer is not a loss.
On the other hand, the white fuzz on the outside of pre-packaged “baby” is due to dehydration of their outer cell layers. Fear not, fuzz is weird but harmless.

Early morning buyer's remorse

2010-10-09T01:06:00.001-04:00

I woke up this morning with a fierce craving for breakfast tacos. The refrigerator was bare and I was too sleepy to make anything more complicated than a cup of water. Before work I stopped at Starbucks for a coffee, waited in the snaking line with all the other bleary-eyed desk jockeys, and was struck with terrible inspiration. In the fingerprint-smudged glass case lay a creation titled “Huevos Rancheros Wrap”.

So possessed was I, so desperate for a hot tortilla, that I took the plunge and ordered the wrap. Waited 3.3 minutes, made small talk with a motley crew of my coworkers, then was handed a small white paper bag.

“Caution” the sticker warned “Very Hot.” It continued “Great Coffee Deserves Great Food.”

I took a sip of my coffee. It was over-roasted and flat. I steeled myself for the worst. But I was starving. The 34 floor ride up in the elevator was interminable. Finally arrived, sorted the mail, and sat down to enjoy my breakfast.

Took a bite. Tasted: Cardboard, cilantro, black beans, Styrofoam, salt, something vaguely tomato-y. I peered inside the wrap: there were huevos, I think, a rubbery lemon-yellow pillow. Surrounding the eggs were a few black beans, far too many pieces of cilantro, and some red sauce. I applaud Starbucks for their bold use of the controversial cilantro. Then again maybe they don’t expect anyone to actually eat this abomination, especially when placed next to the more glamorous breakfast sandwich options. The wrap itself was whole wheat.

I was hungry. I ate it all. In the place usually reserved for emotions like anger and regret, the wrap sits in the pit of my stomach as I dream of quitting my job and opening Center City’s first breakfast taco truck.

Rainy Day Dinner

2010-10-08T09:00:00.002-04:00

It’s been a dull and dreary week, punctuated by cold rains and brief flashes of gorgeous autumn sunlight. Mornings when I look out the office window I can barely see the surrounding buildings through the thick fog. It’s hard to remain upbeat and energized in this gloom, but I have to push through. Gray skies are gonna clear up this weekend, I just know it.

The perfect rainy day food is, of course, grilled cheese and tomato soup. Back in college there were a few dining halls that served what can charitably be characterized as “bar food”. However, lunches on rainy days were the best at those places because they’d serve the saltiest, fattiest, most fried concoctions, and their rendition of grilled cheese was pretty damn excellent. In retrospect I know you can’t really ruin grilled cheese, but at the time it felt so magical.

When it rains I always crave grilled cheese.

But I need energy. I can’t fall victim to the elements, become lethargic and enervated just cause of a little bit of rain. So I made this broccoli pesto with quinoa, which is salty, fatty, and packed with vitamins, amino acids, and protein. It also photographs horribly so I you will just have to trust me that it is a transcendent dish. Lush quinoa and broccoli drizzled with hot pepper oil and garnished with avocado. YUM. And it’s vegan! But it’s also delicious with goat cheese or feta.

Quinoa with Broccoli Pesto (Inspired by this amazing recipe at 101cookbooks.com)

Ingredients:
½ cup quinoa,rinsed
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
¼ cup walnuts, toasted

Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper
¼ cup Olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Pepper oil (recipe below)

In a saucepan or pot, 1 cup of salted water to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the water is absorbed and the little white curly queues have popped out. Set aside.
Meanwhile blanch the broccoli so that it is cooked but still very crisp. 2-3 minutes at the most, and then bathe in ice water to impede further cooking.
Place about a third of the broccoli in a blender along with the toasted walnuts, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Pulse to chop up the broccoli.
slowly add the olive oil until the mixture reaches the consistency of pesto
toss the quinoa with the pesto and serve topped with the rest of the broccoli, a drizzling of red pepper oil, and a few slices of avocado.

Red Pepper Oil

¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

In a pan heat a quarter of a cup of olive oil over medium/high heat until it shimmers but is not smoking. Add red pepper flakes and sautee for a moment before removing it from heat. Let sit for anywhere between an hour and a day. Drizzle over roasted kabocha squash, in soup, and of course, over your quinoa with broccoli pesto!

ode to farm fresh vegetables

2010-10-07T11:12:00.000-04:00

i guess i won't know until i have a kid to hang out with, but why do kids act like they hate vegetables? veggies are so darn pretty! especially organic ones that are bright but not symmetrical. this was the bounty of the weekend trip to headhouse farmers market. crisp fresh carrots, corn, zucchini, squash, radishes, cherry tomatoes, and swiss chard with bright fuchsia stems! i made tacos and bibimbop out of most of this pile, but the story of those will need their own posts.

breakfast

2010-10-03T17:39:00.000-04:00

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not sure i buy it, but it is the first meal of the day, and often times, my favorite meal of the day! Most mornings I'm in such a hurry that I just grab a banana and run, but lately I've been trying to give myself enough time to sit down and enjoy a nice bowl of cereal (kashi go lean crunch), banana slices, and yogurt (maple brown cow). Simple and yummy way to start the day!

Food Out Loud #1 - "Ebony (Bread Helps)" by Emilyn Brodsky

2010-10-03T12:39:00.003-04:00

bread helps when you drink too much
bread helps with anxiety
bread helps with meat and cheese
bread helps when men leave
bread helps like women's words
bread helps though it sounds absurd

Czech out Emilyn Brodsky! She's not only a baked goods enthusiast but also a fantastic performer and musician.

Sweet (potato) Heart

2010-10-02T07:45:00.008-04:00

Sweet potato heart. Alright so I caved and bought 5 sweet potatoes. It's officially fall in my refrigerator and I will celebrate accordingly. I've always loved sweet potato fries, drenched in ketchup or even with Local Burger's maple mayonnaise, and of course in pie, but I want to experiment with more savory preparations.

And I will put miso in just about anything.

Miso Sweet Potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes.
3/4 stick of unsalted softened butter
1 tablespoon miso paste
2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place rack in the upper third. Stab potatoes a few times with a fork and place on a foil-lined baking sheet and put in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the potatoes are soft.

Meanwhile

2. Combine butter, miso, and scallions.

3. When potatoes are done, remove from the oven and slit their skins. Serve with a generous dollop of the butter and keep the extra on hand. It should last about a week in the refrigerator and I can't imagine it will go to waste.

Speaking of sweet, meet the newest addition to my house, Harriet the Spy.

We are fostering her through PAWS, a Philadelphia-based animal welfare society. Because they are unable to offer un-spayed or neutered animals up for adoption, their shelters are overrun with kittens who are too little to fix. Foster parents can take the kittens home and care for them until they are large enough for adoption. In foster homes these kittens can acclimate to living outside of the cages in the shelter, although Harriet still seems to prefer hanging out in confined spaces like under our couch. I'll probably only keep Harriet for a few weeks, until she reaches the required weight of three pounds after which I will get a new kitten to foster and Harriet will find a loving permanent home.

One Bad Apple

2010-09-30T21:37:00.006-04:00

Ever since my Mom was a little girl, she couldn’t sleep. She stayed up reading or worrying that witches would invade her bedroom with long sharp fingernails, and even if she was lucky enough to drift off to sleep, she’d invariably awaken before dawn. Some mornings, resigned to her sleeplessness, she’d wait until the first rays of morning stretched across the sky and into her bedroom window, then she’d pad out, barefoot and in pajamas, to a nearby apple tree to snack. One morning, breathless from all the sneaking, she eagerly bit into a juicy apple only to taste something funny, something bitter. She looked at the exposed white flesh and saw HALF A WORM.

My Mom used to tell me this story when I was little and I’d shriek with horror and delight! I imagined the worm wriggling around, shocked and looking for his other half. I could think of nothing quite as disgusting as actually eating a worm, and I every time she told me the story I made her promise that she’d spit the apple out onto the grass.

Yesterday I was at the farmers market perusing the apples when I came across something I’d never seen before. These apples were a dull red, and pockmarked by various…well…holes. The farmer must have sensed my bewilderment and said
“Here. Try some.” and she cut off a piece of a funny little apple and handed it to me. It was delicious, tart and sweet and fragrant and spicy with the perfect consistency, halfway crunchy but smooth. I swooned. This apple tasted of cold crisp air autumn night air and leaves.
“They’re unsprayed. This is what happens when you DON’T put anything on your apples.”
It was then I realized that holes were from worms. And you know what? I bought three.

Goat Cheese and Roasted Mushrooms over Jalapeno Grits

2010-09-30T17:39:00.024-04:00

Sometimes cooking a new recipe brings unexpected surprises, discoveries, and challenges.

For example, I did not expect to get a bad-ass face rash from making a simple mushroom and polenta dish. However the stinging and tingling that permeated my fingertips and cheeks was due to my own negligence rather than a fault of the food and several milk baths later I am repaired. Someday I will write a post about how to safely handle jalapenos.
But oh, the food. The leaves are starting to turn in the mid-Atlantic and the nights are growing cool. Now is the time that I start to crave stews and root vegetables, ginger bread and apple butter. But the farmers markets are still full of summer produce and it would be imprudent to ignore the bounty while it still exists. I know that come February I'll be hankering for a fragrant peach or a pale sweet ear of corn and all I'll have are root vegetables are far as the eye can see. So I must be disciplined, I must accept that anticipation makes the realization so much better. I must I must I must.

Our dinner represented this ambiguity that comes with the changing of the seasons: we had a rich and complex entree accompanied by Martha Stewart's fresh and summery zucchini and corn saute. The plate may appear incongruous but it was wildly delicious.

Goat Cheese and Roasted Mushrooms over Jalapeno Grits

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Mushrooms
3 cups of mushrooms, assorted in kind, sliced. We used cremini, oyster, and shiitake.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 spring of thyme
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper

Grits
2 cups of milk
1 jalapeno, halved and seeded
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 cup of yellow corn grits
2 tablespoons of butter
2 ounces of goat cheese

Special Tools:
None

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine the mushrooms, extra virgin olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, stirring once. When finished, discard the thyme and garlic and keep the mushrooms warm.

Meanwhile
2. In a saucepan over medium heat combine the milk, 2 cups water, the jalapeno, garlic, bay leaf and salt. Once at a simmer remove from heat and strain to separate the solids.

3. Return the milk to the pan and increase the heat. When the milk reaches a boil add the grits and return the heat to medium, stirring constantly to dispel any errant lumps. The grits should cook for about 10 minutes but this varies based on the type of grit so be sure to taste and remove from heat when they are soft and creamy.

4. Stir in the butter. Rule: butter warrants its own step.

5. Arrange on the plates, crumbling goat cheese on top. Serve immediately.

Even the mushroom-averse Alex approved!