Friday, June 25, 2010

Beyond Beef Burgers

I rarely get tired of burgers, in part because I play around with the ingredients. Fresh fish, mashed beans, ground pork—- there’s a lot you can do with the basic idea.

Lately, I’ve been using different cheeses. I like stuffing the cheese inside the burger, but this recipe for a lamb burger caught my eye because I like combination of brie and lamb.

This is an awfully “cheffy” recipe with a lot of steps. I’d actually be tempted to skip the compote and aioli, so take away from it whatever bits appeal to you. Me, I’m going to chop some jalapenos from my garden into my next burger at home.

Grilled Australian Lamb Burger with Brie Cheese, Cranberry Compote & Roasted Jalapeno Aioli

Recipe from Chef Anthony Jacquet of The Whisper Lounge in Los Angeles.

Burger Patty:
2 lbs ground Australian Lamb
2 ea shallots, minced
1 ea jalapeno, minced
1 tsp rosemary, chopped
1 tsp thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Cranberry Compote:
1 bag fresh cranberries
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup pinot noir
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup Riesling wine
1 cup sugar
1 ea zest of orange
5 ea sprigs of thyme
2 tsp pink peppercorns
1 ea chili de arbol
1 ea fresh bay leaf
1 ea vanilla bean, split lengthwise
pinch of salt
Roasted Jalapeno Aioli:
1 ea whole egg
1 ea egg yolk
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 ea jalapeno, roasted, peeled, rough chopped
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
½ cup olive oil
1 cup canola oil
to taste salt and white pepper
Other Ingredients:
4 ea brioche burger buns, cut in half
8 ea 3” x 1/4” slices of brie cheese
2 cups wild arugula

1. Heat the grill.

2. Make patties. Mix ground lamb with shallots, jalapeno, herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix well and weigh into 8 oz balls. Use the top of a 3 lb spice container and form the patty into a round. Be careful not to pack too tightly. They should be about an inch thick. Set aside.

3. To make the compote, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add all ingredients and bring to boil. Let simmer for 30 minutes until cranberries have burst open and mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency. Set aside.

4. To make the aioli, place egg product in food processor. Add garlic, jalapeno, lemon juice and cilantro and start machine. As the blade is twirling, slowly incorporate the olive oil and canola oil, until the emulsification occurs. Season with salt and white pepper. The mixture should be of a mayonnaise consistency. If it is too thick, thin with a little water a teaspoon at a time. Set aside.

5. To prepare burgers, place patties on hot grill. Cook for 2 minutes and then turn a quarter turn and cook for another 2 minutes. Flip burger and cook another 2 minutes. Turn a quarter turn and cook another 2 minutes. Add brie cheese and cover with a stainless-steel mixing bowl for another minute. Pull burgers off of grill and let rest. They should be medium rare.

6. Meanwhile, place buns on grill to toast for a minute. Place aioli on both sides of bun. Add arugula to bottoms of the bun, followed by the burger patties and brie cheese, top with cranberry compote and top with other side of bun. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Photo courtesy of

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Shrimp on the Barbie

The other day at Wine Merchants Gourmet, manager Beth Binder passed around this recipe for The Best Grilled Shrimp, sent in by a customer named Pamela Watson.
I made it the last weekend. I hesitate to call anything the “best,” but this was certainly tasty. Be sure to use large shrimp. I’d recommend 16-20 or 21-25. Also watch them closely and whip them off the grill as soon as the turn opaque on both sides.

Also if you have a grill pan, like I do, you don’t have to go to the trouble of skewering the shrimp.

I’ve tweaked the recipe slightly.

These go great with corn on the cob.

The Best Grilled Shrimp
1 quart water
3 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning divided use
1 1/2 to 2 pounds very large shrimp, preferably 16-20 or 21-25 count
1/2 teaspoon caynne pepper

1. In a bowl, add water. Stir in salt, sugar, garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon Old Bay. Add shrimp and stir. Refrigerate shrimp in the brine for about an hour and no more than 2 hours.
2. Heat a grill over medium heat. Drain shrimp and pat dry. Spray shrimp with cooking spray, or lightly toss with olive oil. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay and the cayenne. Place on skewers. Or simply place on a heated, liightly oiled grill pan. Grill just until the turn opaque, about 3 minutes on each side. (The shrimp also can be broiled for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.)

Thursday, June 03, 2010

A Day for Doughnuts

Friday, June 4, is National Doughnut Day.

As much as this sounds like some marketers’ idea to sell doughnuts, it actually has a history that dates back almost a century and is tied to volunteer efforts during war.

The Chicago Salvation Army established Doughnut Day in 1938 to honor female volunteers who served doughnuts to soldiers.

The practice began in France during World War I. Salvation Army volunteers providing “mothering” and amenities to U.S. soldiers settled upon doughnuts as a practical way to offer them fresh baked goods.

This year, Krispy Kreme—established in Winston-Salem in 1937, a year before National Doughnut Day—is giving away one free doughnut of any variety to each customer in honor of the day at participating locations.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Cherry Picking Time

Local sweet cherries are coming in from up around the Va./N.C. border.

The Dixie Classic farmers market had plenty for sale Saturday.

If you want to pick your own, try the Levering Orchard, which is up around Ararat. Info at www.leveringorchard.com.

Friday, May 21, 2010

More Dallying with Dill

In my story 5/19 on dill, I mentioned that it’s nice in potato salad.

Well, here’s a recipe to prove it.

This just won a contest sponsored by the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association. Other winning recipes are available on http://www.WinWithWisconsinPotatoes.com.
Potato Salad — Summer Style
Recipe by Diana Chaginian of Watertown, Massachusetts, the winner of Win With Wisconsin Potatoes recipe contest.
4 medium Wisconsin potatoes
(cleaned, unpeeled)
10 to 12 asparagus spears (discard tough ends;  chop spears into 2-inch pieces)
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts (coarsely chopped)
1 cup cherry tomatoes (whole)
1/4 cup fresh scallions (chopped)
1/4 cup fresh dill (minced)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, or more if desired
1 teaspoon black pepper, or more if desired
For salad dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain and chop. Add potatoes, scallions, artichoke hearts, dill, salt, and black pepper into large mixing bowl.
2. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat; add asparagus and tomatoes. Saute for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Once tomato skin bursts, take asparagus and tomatoes off the heat and add to mixing bowl.
3. For the salad dressing: Blend all the dressing ingredients together for 1 to 2 minutes until well combined.
4. Pour dressing over salad and carefully mix everything with a spoon.

(Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association)

Monday, May 17, 2010

What You Can and Can’t Buy on SNAP Food Assistance

As an addendum to my May 16 article on SNAP, the program formerly known as food stamps, the federal government has strict rules on what you can and can’t buy with the benefits put on the debit cards they issue.

Those cards have an advantage over the old stamps because they create an electronic record of what the recipient buys.

Basically, the list is designed to prevent people from buying anything that is not essential food at a supermarket, and it also aims to prevent purchases of anything resembling takeout.

Here’s the basic list of dos and don’ts:
Some of the items households can purchase:
l Breads and cereals.
l Fruit and vegetables.
l Meat, fish and poultry.
l Dairy products.

Some of the items households cannot purchase:
l Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco.
l Non-food items such as pet food, soap, paper products and household supplies.
l Food to be eaten in the store.
l Hot foods.
l Vitamins and medicine.
SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Interestingly, just last week I read about a proposal to add sodas to the list of banned foods. The idea here is that the government should be more proactive in steering people away from caloric junk food especially when tax dollars are involved.

The article, from Reuters news service, includes a couple of eye-opening statistics:
One in eight Americans are on SNAP.
The program costs $58 billion a year nationwide.
That cost is a whopping 40 percent of the USDA’s budget, and more money than is spent on all the USDA’s crop subsidy and land-stweardship programs.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Time-Saving Salad

After reading my column on main-dish salads, Tommy Joseph wrote to say that he loves these, too, and will prep all the ingredients for six days’ worth of salads, then just combine one serving’s worth of ingredients each day he wants to eat a salad.

Joseph likes pasta and chicken. He also likes cabbage and radicchio, two ingredients I didn’t mention in my column but that I also have used with success.

Here is Joseph’s method, word for word. He correctly notes that the cabbage should be sliced very thin.

“First I broil the boneless chicken breats rubbed with a bit of olive oil, maybe 7 or 8 minutes per side.  I make a pound of pasta as mentioned above.  These two items are placed in containers and go in the fridge.  I eat the same thing for 6 straight days, so this is perfect for me.  I have other dishes with which I do the same thing.

“Now, in a large oblong plastic container I put half a head of cabbage cleaned and cut in half the long way, two quarters.  I do the same with a head of radichio.  If not available I’ll use red bell pepper slivered.  So in this container I have 2 quarters of a head of radichio and cabbage.  I also clean a bunch of scallions and cut the green parts from the white and throw away the middle.  I put a small rubber band around the green parts, the whites also.  I might also throw a cleaned and deseeded red bell pepper in the container.

“In a small plastic bag I keep a bunch of rinsed cilantro.  In another I keep an avocado.  Each day when I’m ready to sling this together I cut two or three ultra thin slices of cabbage from the quarters, the long way, so they’re slivered.  Then I cut the slivers in half.  I do the same with the radichio.  I put about 4 green parts of scallion in there cut into one inch chunks, then slice in maybe two parts of the white.  Garlic can also be used.  I might also put a half of a roma tomato in there that has been peeled and cut into large chunks.  Then I slice in some chicken, maybe 2 ounces, maybe 3.  Then I squeeze the juice of half a lemon (or lime) into the mix and top it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.  I mix it up and let it sit in the fridge while I go to work.  I found that if the pasta is thin or fragile that mixing it ahead of time is not good, so I do that when I get home, toss a handful of pasta into the mix and toss it up a bit.  Then I pour the whole shebang onto a plate and it’s eating time.  I might also use feta cheese intead of chicken (as you also suggest in your article), if I’m too lazy to to cook the chicken.  I am pround of this one.”

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Savoring Soft-Shells

If you read my story on the seafood dinner at Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen, you’ll know I tasted some great soft-shell crabs last week.

Chef Jay Pierce of Lucky 32 fried his soft-shells, but I actually prefer them sauteed—and it happens to be less work and less mess.

Soft-shells are just coming into season in North Carolina. I just got a newsletter from Sea Products, a fishmonger on West End Boulevard, saying it has fresh ones.

Here’s my recipe for Sauteed Soft-Shells. Though I like them with Hollandaise, as the recipe calls for, they are really quite good without just a squeeze of lemon juice instead.

Sauteed Soft-Shell Crabs With Hollandaise
For the Hollandaise:
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 pound butter, clarified (See Note), or more to taste
Salt to taste
Cayenne pepper
For the crabs:
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
8 soft-shell crabs, dressed
All-purpose flour
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Old Bay seasoning, optional

1. Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a medium heatproof mixing bowl. If not used to making Hollandaise, add a teaspoon or so of water to the yolk mixture to help prevent the eggs from scrambling.
2. Place bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Whisk eggs constantly until they begin to thicken, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully, and remove from heat if eggs begin to scramble.
3. Off the heat, begin adding clarified butter to yolk mixture a drop at a time. As the sauce begins to form, gradually increase the flow of butter. Continue whisking in butter until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Add salt if needed, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
4. Heat a large skillet with the oil and butter over medium heat. Thoroughly dry the crabs with paper towels.
5. Season the flour with salt, cayenne and Old Bay, if desired. Dust both sides of crabs with seasoned flour, shake off excess, and place 4 crabs in the pan in a single layer without crowding them. Cook about 3 minutes, until golden on the bottom. Flip them and cook 2 minutes more. Repeat with 4 remaining crabs, adding more oil and butter if needed, then serve with the Hollandaise.
Note: To clarify butter, bring it to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Remove from the heat for a few minutes. Then strain through a sieve, or skim off the solids from the surface and slowly pour the clear butter oil into a separate container, being careful not to get any of the solids on the bottom of the pan.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Better with Buttermilk

Check out this bread recipe from Damon Lee Fowler to see how buttermilk makes wonderfully tender and tasty baked goods. And below it is Virginia Willis’ reduced-fat version of the Italian classic custard panna cotta and Jean Anderson’s pineapple buttermilk sherbet.

Mama’s Buttermilk Bread
From Damon Lee Fowler’s New Southern Baking.
“This is my mother’s all-purpose yeast dough that she uses for practically all her bread—loaves, rolls, and whole wheat bread,” Fowler wrote. “It’s standard fare for Thanksgiving and Christmas at home, and Mama frequently makes it to give away to a shut-in, ailing, or grieving neighbor. Buttermilk makes a tender, sweet-tasting bread that keeps well, and even after it has begun to go a little stale, still makes terrific toast. Mama bakes her bread both in small loaf pans and cut into biscuit-like rolls, but it is her small, neat loaves that say home and love best for me. If you want larger loaves, divide the dough into thirds and bake in 9-inch loaf pans.”

2 pounds (about 7 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
½ cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or oil
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1. Reserve 1 cup of flour to use during the kneading. Whisk or sift together the remaining (6 cups) flour, sugar, soda, and salt.
2. Heat the milk, water, and butter or oil until just warm (110 degrees) and stir until the butter is melted. Let it cool slightly and dissolve the yeast in it. Proof for 10 minutes, then make well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid. Work it together into a soft, cohesive dough. Lightly sprinkle a work surface with some of the reserved flour and turn the dough out onto it. Knead about 8 minutes, adding the reserved flour as needed, until the dough is elastic and smooth.
2. Clean the mixing bowl and return the dough to it, cover with double-folded damp towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a draft free spot until doubled, about 4 hours, or lightly oil the bowl before putting the dough in, cover with plastic wrap, let it rise in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 8 hours, keeping it refrigerated until you are ready for the final shaping and rising.
3. Lightly grease four small (7½-by-2¼-inch) loaf pans with butter or olive oil. Punch the dough down and lightly knead for about 1 minute. Divide it into quarters, shape each one into an oblong loaf, and put them into the greased pans. Cover with a double-folded damp towel and let rise in a warm spot until the loaves are doubled and clearing the tops of the pans, about 1 to 1½ hours.
4. Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Uncover the bread and bake for 20 minutes in the center of the oven, then increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. and continue baking until the loaves are well-browned and hollow-sounding when tapped, about 15 minutes longer. Turn the bread out of the pans and cool it on wire racks.
Makes 4 small (7-inch) loaves, 3 9-inch loaves, or about 3 dozen rolls.
Variation — Buttermilk Rolls or Yeast Biscuits: This dough can be cut or shaped into rolls using any shape you like. Mama cuts them into simple yeast biscuits: Roll the dough out about ¼-inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter and place the biscuits on a greased baking sheet, spacing them a little apart for separate rolls or put them into a round pan, slightly touching one another. Cover with a damp linen towel and let rise until doubled, then bake at 450 degrees. until browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. For pocket-book rolls, press them firmly down the center with a knife, fold over, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet, not touching, cover, let rise, and then bake as above. For cloverleaf rolls, flour your hands, pinch off 1-inch lumps of dough, and roll them into tight smooth balls. Lightly butter 12-well standard muffin tins and put three balls per well. Cover, let rise, and bake as above.
Variation — Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Bread: Substitute from 1 to 3 cups of whole-wheat flour for an equal amount of regular flour. Most whole-wheat flour tends to be a little on the thirsty side: you may need a little more liquid for the dough, so have about a quarter of a cup of room temperature water close at hand as you mix the dough, so that you can add a little at a time as the dough needs it.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta With Blackberry Coulis
Recipe adapted from Virginia Willis. Note that this is best made a day ahead because it requires at least 6 hours of chilling time.
2 tablespoons water
1 1/4-ounce envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
8 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use
2 cups whole-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 pint blackberries, divided use
1 tablespoon Chambord, optional (or water)
Pinch of salt
Mint sprigs for garnish

1. Put 2 tablespoons of water into small bowl; sprinkle in unflavored gelatin. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes.
2. Combine heavy cream and 7 tablespoons of the sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot but not boiling. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved and mixture is smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl and place over a bowl of ice water. Stir constantly to cool, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not allow the gelatin to congeal.
3. Stir the buttermilk and vanilla extract into the cooled cream mixture. Pour mixture into a 4-cup measuring cup or other container with a spout for easy pouring. Divide mixture among six ¾-cup custard cups or ramekins. Refrigerate until panna cotta is set, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
4. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, puree half the blackberries, remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and Chambord (or water) with a pinch of salt until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds; set aside until ready to serve.
5. Run a thin, sharp knife around sides of each panna cotta to loosen. One at a time, place bottom of each custard cup in 1 inch of hot water for 30 to 45 seconds; immediately invert custard cup onto a serving plate. Using both hands, firmly grasp custard cup and plate together, shaking gently and allowing panna cotta to settle onto plate. Spoon reserved coulis around the panna cotta; garnish with remaining blackberries and mint. Serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings.
Quick Pineapple Sherbet
Recipe from Jean Anderson.
2 cups buttermilk, fat-free, if you like
2/3 cup sugar
1 can (8.5 ounces) crushed pineapple, with its juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
Pinch salt

Combine all ingredients, pour into a refrigerator ice cube tray (one with removal divider), and freeze until firm.  Let soften slightly before serving.
Makes 4 servings.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Peruvian Potato Salad

All this warm weather has me thinking about potato salad, slaw and all the usual summer fixin’s.

If you’re looking for something different, try this potato salad from Nirmala’s Edible Diary (Chronicle, 2009), a cookbook by Nirmala Narine.

With coconot milk and cheese, this is a far cry from any July Fourth potato salad.

I’m tempted to add some minced chiles to the mix here.

Note: Aji amarillo is a yellow chili powder found in some Latin markets. Paprika, or even commercial chili powder, will work.

Peruvian Potato Salad
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon aji amarillo powder or sweet paprika
14-ounce canned unsweetened coconut milk
6 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Ground black pepper
4 large hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped or sliced

1. In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and cook until the potatoes are just tender but still firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately drain and set aside to cool or refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick saucepan over low, heat the olive oil. Saute the garlic, shallot and aji amarillo powder for 2 minutes or until the mixture is soft.
3. Whisk in the coconut milk and cheese. Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture is reduced to about 3/4 cup. Add the cilantro and whisk for another minute. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Pour in the cheese mixture. Mix well to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with eggs before serving. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 6 servings.

(Photo from The Associated Press)