Thai Celery Salad with Peanuts

Thai Celery Salad with Peanuts

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

 

INGREDIENTS

1. • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
   • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
   • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
   • 6 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a diagonal
   • 3 thinly sliced scallions
   • 1 thinly sliced red chile, such as Fresno
   • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems
   • 1/4 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts

PREPARATION

1. 1. Whisk together 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, and 2 teaspoons fish sauce. Toss with 6 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a diagonal, 3 thinly sliced scallions, 1 thinly sliced red chile, such as Fresno, 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems, and 1/4 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts.

Mussels with Tomatoes, Jalapeño and Tequila

Friday, June 21, 2019

Mussels with Tomatoes, Jalapeño and Tequila

BON APPÉTIT JULY 2000 MONET'S TABLE, SARNIA, ONTARIo

"While in Sarnia, Ontario, on business, I stayed at the Village Inn and had dinner at its restaurant, Monet's Table," says Melanie Cooke of Calgary, Alberta. "I thought I was being adventurous when I ordered the mussel appetizer my first night there. Obviously I'd lost my sense of adventure when I went back the second night and ordered it again."

YIELD

Makes 4 appetizer servings

INGREDIENTS

1. • 8 tablespoons butter
   • 5 garlic cloves, minced
   • 3/4 cup diced tomatoes
   • 1/2 cup sliced green onions
   • 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
   • 6 1/4-inch-thick slices jalapeño chili with seeds
   • 1/4 cup tequila
   • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
   • 1 1/4 pounds mussels (about 40), scrubbed, debearded

PREPARATION

1. 1. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Mix in tomatoes, then next 5 ingredients. Add mussels. Cover and steam until mussels open, about 7 minutes (discard any mussels that do not open). Using slotted spoon, transfer mussels to large bowl. Simmer sauce uncovered until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over mussels and serve.

Porchetta-Style Roast Pork

Porchetta-Style Roast Pork

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

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PHOTO BY PATRICIA HEAL

Porchetta, or roast suckling pig seasoned with garlic and herbs, is a traditional Italian dish. Here, the flavors of porchetta are used on a roasted pork shoulder. You'll need to start this dish one day ahead, as the pork has to marinate overnight.

INGREDIENTS

1. • 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
   • 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
   • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
   • 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
   • 1 (5 1/2- to 6-pound) boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), excess fat trimmed with thin layer left intact
   • 6 large garlic cloves, minced
   • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
   • 1 cup dry white wine
   • 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
2. 
   

3. PREPARATION

   1. 1. Stir fennel seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until slightly darker in color and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer seeds to spice mill and cool. Add kosher salt, peppercorns, and dried crushed red pepper. Grind to medium-fine consistency (not powder).
      2. Place pork in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Rub garlic all over pork, then coat with spice mixture. Loosely cover pork with waxed paper. Refrigerate overnight.
      3. Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush large rimmed baking sheet with oil. Place roast, fat side up and coating intact, in center of sheet. Drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons oil. Roast pork 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Roast pork until very tender and thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 190°F, about 3 hours 15 minutes longer. Transfer pork to cutting board; reserve baking sheet. Let pork rest 15 to 30 minutes.
      4. Meanwhile, pour all pan juices into 2-cup measuring cup. Spoon off fat that rises to top. Place reserved baking sheet across 2 burners. Pour wine and broth onto baking sheet and bring to boil over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Boil until wine mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Add degreased pan juices and whisk to blend. Pour pan sauce into small bowl (sauce will be thin).
      5. Thinly slice roast. Serve with sauce.
   Test-Kitchen Tip

   The leftover roast pork would make great pulled-pork sandwiches. Shred the meat and pile it on soft rolls with your favorite barbecue sauce and creamy coleslaw. You could also use the shredded meat as a delicious filling for burritos or enchiladas.
4. 
   
5. Tips:
6. 
   
7. This was absolutely delicious! I hesitantly followed the advice of a reviewer below and let the internal temp rise to 195, though I was very nervous the roast would come out of the oven dry, especially at 450 degrees. I am so glad I did! The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, and so juicy and flavorful. The spices formed a crispy, delicious crust over the outside, and the fennel seed was nowhere near as overwhelming as I feared it would be. Perfect! I did not make the sauce last time, and the roast was outstanding on it's own. I am in the process of making this recipe for a second time now, and this time I do plan on making the sauce. I will update my review accordingly.
8. 
   
9. I'm making this today... For those asking/wondering about the 190 degree recommendation, that is not a typo. 190 degrees is the magic temp at which the collagen in the meat begins to break up and melt into a god-like, oily, saucy, moist liquid that gives properly cooked pulled pork its awesomeness. It's fine if you cook it to 145 or so and enjoy it that way - it just ends up being different, more like a cut of meat that stays together. Between 150 and 190 or so is a strange period where the pork actually dries out... But if you let it go to the magic 190, even 195 or so, that's when the magic happens and it goes from dry to incredible. It can take some time - it's like the temp may go on pause for a while - but then when it begins to rise and you reach that 19 and you begin to wonder if it will ever increase again - but once you hit the 190 mark, you will have the best pork you can imagine. Keep this in mind for ALL pork shoulder recipes, really, depending on what you're going for.

   U2VOX FROM PORTLAND, OR 

Dinner Tonight: Cast-Iron Mac and Cheese - epicurious / Debbie Koening

Dinner Tonight: Cast-Iron Mac and Cheese - epicurious / Debbie Koening

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Mac and cheese can be a time-consuming proposition. My version is on the table in just about 30 minutes total.

The spark for this recipe came from my friend Taryn, who casually combines ingredients without using a particular formula. She goes by feel, adding handfuls of cheese and spoonfuls of flour until the mixture feels right. Then she stirs in the cooked macaroni, pours everything into a casserole dish, and runs it under the broiler for a few minutes. The blast of heat creates an instant crust—no need for breadcrumbs.

I've modified Taryn's technique to make things even easier. I prepare the cheese sauce in a large cast-iron skillet, which can safely go under the broiler. It saves on cleanup since there's no casserole dish, and the pan itself makes the dish more nutritious. That's right, cooking in cast iron will actually impart iron to food. Women and toddlers need plenty of that mineral, so it makes this quickie method downright indispensable, as far as I'm concerned.

Since this recipe moves so quickly, make sure you've got everything measured and lined up on the counter before you start.

INGREDIENTS

1. • One 12- to 14.5-ounce box whole-wheat or whole-grain pasta (I like rotini or radiatore, but elbows are nice too)
   • 1 tablespoon butter
   • 1 1/2 cups milk (I use 1 percent)
   • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
   • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt
   • 2 to 2 1/2 cups (8 to 10 ounces) grated cheese(s) of your choice, divided (the more you use, the cheesier the dish)
   • 4 to 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2. 
   

3. PREPARATION

   1. 1. 1. Preheat broiler. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (covered to speed things up). Heat a large cast-iron skillet (8 to 10 inches across, and 2 inches or more deep) over low heat.
      2. 2. When the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Set a timer, since you'll be distracted by the next steps.
      3. Use a thick potholder with that skillet! Cast iron gets very, very hot. After burning my hand one too many times, I learned to pull a small dishtowel through the hole in the skillet's handle. It serves as a good visual reminder—just be sure it's kept well away from the flame. One of my mom-testers offered another bit of advice: Always use two (potholdered) hands when picking up a cast-iron pan. Otherwise, you might casually try to grab it with your free, bare, hand. Ow.
      4. 3. While the pasta cooks, make the cheese sauce: Put the butter into the now very-hot skillet. It should melt, foam, and begin to brown almost immediately. Pour in the milk, then add the mustard, paprika, and salt, and whisk together.
      5. 4. Set aside 1/2 cup of the grated cheese for topping the final dish. Begin to add the rest of the cheese to the skillet, one handful at a time, whisking between each addition. When it has all melted, sift the flour over the skillet, one tablespoon at a time, whisking after each spoonful. Stop adding the flour when the sauce is almost as thick as housepaint.
      6. Easiest way to sift small amounts of flour: Use a regular old strainer.
      7. 5. Continue to cook the sauce, whisking constantly, until pasta is cooked. Drain the pasta well and add to the skillet, then remove from the heat.
      8. 6. Stir pasta and cheese sauce together until fully combined, then sprinkle the top with the reserved grated cheese. Broil until top is browned and bubbly, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before serving.
   2. VARIATIONS
      1. • Go southwestern by adding a strained 10-ounce can of diced tomatoes and green chiles (such as Ro-Tel) or a generous cup of your favorite salsa, drained. Use Cheddar and Jack cheeses in the sauce.
         • Smoke it up by frying 2 diced strips of bacon in the skillet before adding the milk. Skip the butter completely.
         • Add 8 ounces frozen vegetables (your choice) to the pasta pot about 5 minutes before pasta is done. Since the water will take a little time to come back up to a boil, increase the cooking time by a minute or two.
         • Don't laugh, but a couple of diced hot dogs, cooked in the butter then removed until you stir it back in with the cooked pasta, makes for a surprisingly delicious twist. Use organic, kosher, or even tofu pups.
         • Make it secretly healthy by stirring a 10-ounce package of frozen butternut squash puree, defrosted, into the cheese sauce just before adding the pasta.
      2. 
         

Standing Rib Roast - Parade/Epicurious -

Standing Rib Roast - Parade/Epicurious -

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

First Published in 12/25/2018

Start with a very high oven temperature to seal in the meat juices. (This is equivalent to browning meat before roasting.) When the meat comes out of the oven, let it rest before carving, or the juices will run out.

YIELD 

Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1. • 1 standing rib roast of beef, about 6 1/2 pounds
   • 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, thinly slivered
   • Coarse salt and pepper
   • N/A pepper

PREPARATION

1. 1. 1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
   2. 2. Make small slits in the meat with the tip of a small knife; insert the garlic slivers. Rub the meat with salt and pepper. Roast on a rack in a shallow pan for 25 minutes.
   3. 3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and roast for 16 minutes per pound (about 1 3/4 hours), or until a meat thermometer reaches an internal temperature of 135°F to 140°F for a medium-rare center. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
   4. Au Jus:
   5. Used drippings in the pan, added some minced shallots and a splash of red wine and added some beef stock to taste. Finished the sauce with a pat of unsalted butter but cream would be excellent, too. Served w/ creamed horseradish, but also could have made sour cream horseradish sauce from this site.
   6. Reader Comments:
• I was told the best way to re-heat leftover standing rib roast! You place it in a pot with some high simmering liquid( drippings and beef broth) for about 25 minutes. Perfect, not dry at all!
• 
  
2. Do NOT cook to 135 or 140 unless you like it well done .....take it out at 118 for rare, 121 for medium rare or 125 for medium.

Jelly Bowl Xmas Cookies

Jelly Bowl Xmas Cookies

Sunday, December 23, 2018

YIELD  - Makes about 3 pounds dough

Basic Butter Dough

INGREDIENTS

1. • 4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, softened
   • 1 1/3 cups sugar
   • 3/4 teaspoon salt
   • 3 large egg yolks
   • 2 teaspoons vanilla
   • 4 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

PREPARATION

1. In large bowl of a standing electric mixer beat together butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in yolks, 1 at a time, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Beat in flour gradually, beating dough until just combined well.

Jelly Bowl Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1. • 1/2 prepared Basic Butter Cookie Dough at room temperature
   • 3/4 cup strawberry, apricot, or raspberry jam, strained fine

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. • Form level teaspoons of dough into balls and arrange about 1 inch apart on baking sheets. 
   • With your thumb make an indentation in center of each ball of dough and fill with about 1/4 teaspoon jam.
   • Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until edges are pale golden, about 12 minutes. 
   • Cool cookies on baking sheets 2 minutes and transfer to racks to cool completely.
   • Cookies may be stored between layers of wax paper in airtight containers up to 6 weeks frozen.
2. Reader Tips: 
   
3. 
   
• The only change I do is to make the indentation with the cylindrical handle of a wooden spoon instead of my thumb; it leaves a perfect round well.
• For less mess, use a 1/8 tsp. to place the jelly into the indentation. 
• If you have a melon baller, dip it in a bit of water to make the "bowl" part of the cookies, that way each cookie has a standard sized circle and it keeps your hands from getting dirty. These cookies are very pretty and were a favorite of many.
• I suggest placing a generous scoop of jam on the cookies or it will bake down and you won't be able to taste it! I tried using raspberry, apricot and mint jams. The raspberry went the fastest.
• I think that these cookies are delicious and I recommend baking them for 12 minutes and no longer. Its not necessary to strain the jam because it tastes just as good without the straining. I think they taste great, look professional, and they are simple to make, you can't go wrong with these!