Well, it's time to move on from Clearblogs. The posting is really easy here, but Clearblogs is pretty limiting. So, I'm off to Wordpress. Rest assured, Mel's Diner isn't dead, it's just moved off this dead end street. So, please change your bookmarks to iatethat.wordpress.com or click here
What?Ask many a person and they will tell you it just isn’t possible.Like many of the great masses, I, too, once refused the joy of veal.I climbed my poorly constructed, yet, righteous high-horse and proclaimed, “No veal shall cross my lips!”
One day, oh, so many years ago, I proclaimed my veal-freeness to a post-hippie acquaintance who then said to me, in the triumphant tone a man who is sure that he has cornered a soon-to-be vegetarian, “If you won’t eat veal, then you shouldn’t eat chicken.Have you ever seen how we treat those birds?”
And it struck me – he was right.To not eat an expensive and rarely consumed food because of how it is treated while in it’s short life, but to eat several times a week it’s tasty and cheap cousin, equally poorly treated is hypocritical in biblical proportions.Giving up veal is easy, because we hardly ever eat it – it’s like giving up lemon-grass or star anise.But, we would never consider giving up chicken, even though factory raised chickens have short, terrible and confined lives.Colonel Sanders, what would we do without you?
So, I turned everything upside-down and started to eat veal, guilt free again.And I did so, for many happy years.Now, that I consider myself a more informed and humane eater, I am forced to fight the veal battle again.Much like I need to address where my milk and eggs come from – neither of which make me very comfortable (“Thanks, Singer and Mason!”)
Fortunately, thanks to Serious Eats, the veal issue has become a lot easier.Azuluna Brands, just down the road in Eastern Massachusetts (local!) is raising veal in a traditional and humane manner.The veal live their, admittedly short, lives eating what God intended them to eat from where He had always planned and where they should be living – literally, mother’s milk, living outdoors.
Veal can now not only be back on the menu, but with a clear conscience.
Monday, January 7, 2008 - FAT=GOOD FOR YOU, PART 2,654
Very interesting news out about milk.Two separate studies have linked the consumption of lowfat and nonfat milk to an increase in prostate cancer rates.Both studies initially were done to see if an increase in calcium intake corresponded with increased rates of prostate cancer. Though the studies showed no increased risk because of calcium intake, they did show increased rates of non-aggressive prostate cancer tumors in those who consumed the “good for you” milk.Maybe more interestingly, consumption of whole milk actually REDUCED the rates of prostate cancer.This received no press and was mentioned as an afterthought in paragraph six.
Sunday, January 6, 2008 - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A STUPID RECIPE - JUST STUPID PEOPLE MAKING RECIPES
Just another quick post about Sandra Lee’s Kwanzaa Cake.If you look at the reviews of the cake they are almost universally negative – no surprise there.But what blows my mind is the number of people who MADE the cake.I mean, c’mon, you don’t have to be a rocket surgeon to see that it is, literally, a recipe for disaster.Maybe I’m more of a food snob than I thought, but I cannot believe people would think this could possibly be good.
I’ll just say it – there’s some dumb people out there.
Wow!Over a week this time!Well,I took a little vacation around Christmas and I’m OK with that, I hope you are, too.
Tonight, I’m watching the Iowa Caucus returns and that ole’ political bug that drove me for over six years to blog about politics has bit me again – I love it!Anyway, I thought I would comment on some food things I’ve seen this past week.
My good friend once said something to the effect that she couldn’t understand the vitriol that is directed to Sandra Lee.Well, to understand one only has to view the abomination, the food crime against humanity, the demon ipecac that is her Kwanzaa Cake.An after-party, drunken dorm-room disaster - a store-bought angel food cake, canned frosting, sickening apple-pie filling and CORN NUT(?!?) horror topped with giant candlesticks.
For the love of God!
Yesterday, my good friend at work, an ND, excitedly told me of a new book by Michael Pollan – In Defense of Food.Anyone who has read my blog knows of my love for his last book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma.This book picks up on the theme of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, that the food we eat is total garbage and we need to pay attention to what we eat, where it comes from and how processed is it.The theme of this book is basically, “Don’t eat anything your great-grandparents didn’t eat”.Now, that’s too simple, I mean my great-grandfather never ate a Honey Sweet apple or prune.That’s not what Pollan is talking about; those are natural foods, not processed (except for the drying of the prune).What Pollan means is avoid things like, and I’m quoting from the Kellogg's Strawberry Special K Bar ingredients:
"And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid ... And the angel said unto them, "Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord."
"And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men."
"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
Remember the show “Family Matters”?Of course, most people referred to it as “Urkel” after about season 3.Remember how Steve could enter a room and manage, quite innocently, to destroy it?He would look around at the wreckage and say, plaintively, “Did I do that?”
This month’s Cookbook Challenge was Celebration Dishes.Any dish you would make to celebrate anything – holidays, birthdays, graduations, weddings, early release from jail, etc.Whatever you celebrate – give us a recipe.
The first submission comes from Michelle at jemangelaville.She made a BEAUTIFUL Lamb Stew with Olives from Nigella.I really don’t like lamb (“Can’t get it past my nose”), but I need to try this.
The WCC founder came in with fun dish to celebrate her trip to Hawaii.Sara from iliketocook made Tasty Chicken PuPu, little drumettes with ginger and garlic.
I’m up next with one of my two dishes, another Nigella dish.I made her Chocolate Fruit Cake, a dense, honeyed cake full of black fruits – definitely a cake for celebrations.
And lastly (“Did he just say LASTLY?”), my second dish for Weekend Cookbook Challenge – Celebration Dishes.A classic Christmas dish – Christmas Eggnog.
Yep, that’s it – five dishes.So, as I gaze upon the wreckage that was once a vibrant blogging experience known as the Weekend Cookbook Challenge, all I can say is:
Sunday, December 23, 2007 - WEKEND COOKBOOK CHALLENGE #23 AGAIN
Well, it’s Christmas, so to celebrate – I cook! (“Oh, there’s a shocker, Mikey!")And every year I make eggnog.The eggnog we buy in the store is full of gums, high fructose corn syrup, egg-type substitutes and with so many mono-dio-sodi-hypo-phosphate-gulta-moro-BHTA’s that it makes my head hurt.But, not the eggnog served at the Diner and that's my next Weekend Cookbook Challenge entry.
Here, we use a recipe from the December 1998 Bon Appetit.For all you health-conscious readers, this is tailor made for you (as long as you turn away now).
Christmas Eggnog
18 Egg Yolks
1 ½ cups of Sugar
4 cups of Heavy Cream
4 cups of Half and Half
2½ tsp. of Ground Nutmeg (too much, in my book.1½ tsp. is fine)
Beat egg yolks with the sugar in large bowl until well incorporated.
Bring dairy up to a bare simmer.While beating the yolk mixture vigorously, add some (about a 1/3rd) of the hot cream mixture slowly to temper the egg yolks.Add the tempered yolks back into the rest of the cream mixture and whip until well combined.Heat this over medium-low, constantly stirring until the yolk mixture has reached at least 140 degrees and coats the back of a spoon.
Strain to filter out any scrambled eggs (yes, there will be some), add the nutmeg and cool.It will be very thick and very egg-y – just the way eggnog is supposed to be, without any of the funny stuff.
Saturday, December 22, 2007 - WEEKEND COOKBOOK CHALLENGE #23
I wanted to do something a little different for my Celebration Dish for this month’s Weekend Cookbook Challenge.If you read my post about Ms. Lawson, you won’t be too surprised that I choose something from her cookbook “Feast”.
I watched her make this on the Food Network and it was soo good, I was able to tear my eyes off of her and watch the cooking.
6 1/4 (175 grams) dark muscovado (I used brown) sugar
6 1/4 fluid ounces (175 ml) honey
4 1/2 fluid ounces (125 ml) coffee liqueur
2 oranges, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon mixed spice (What is “mixed spice”? I used ½ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp. mace, ¼ tsp. nutmeg)
2 tablespoons good quality cocoa
3 free-range eggs, beaten
5 1/4 ounces (150 grams) plain flour
2 1/2 ounces (75 grams) ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
(OK, I rounded all 1/4 ‘s to the nearest whole.If it was 6 ¼ , it became 6.8 ¾ became 9, etc.)
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Line the sides and bottom of an 8 by 3 1/2-inch deep, round loose-bottomed cake tin with a layer of reusable silicon baking parchment. When lining the tin with the parchment, cut the material into strips that are twice as high as the tin itself (it is easier to use two shorter strips of parchment, than one long strip); the height of the strips protects the cake from catching on the outside of the cake tin.
Place the fruit, butter, sugar, honey, coffee liqueur, orange zest and juice, mixed spice and cocoa into a large wide saucepan. Heat the mixture until it reaches a gentle boil, stirring the mixture as the butter melts. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, the mixture will have cooled a little. Add the eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and baking soda, and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients have combined.
Carefully pour the fruitcake mixture into the lined cake tin. Transfer the cake tin to the oven and bake for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, or until the top of the cake is firm but will has a shiny and sticky look. At this point, if you insert a sharp knife into the middle of the cake, the cake should still be a little uncooked in the middle.
Place the cake on a cooling rack. Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin. Nigella fills the sunken center with chocolate covered coffee beans. I didn't have any of those, so I used chopped dates and covered the cake in a snow of powdered sugar.
Oh, baby – this was good! It wasn’t nearly as sweet as I thought it would be, but it was sensuous.I might love Nigella even more, now!
This doesn’t really count for the Weekend Cookbook Challenge – Celebration Dishes, mainly because there was no cookbook involved.But, it was a celebration – it was my birthday!
So, what would a wannabe-chef, who doesn’t wannebe working those hours or in that heat do for his birthday?Cook his own birthday dinner, that’s what.
Fillets on a Mushroom Pillow with Béarnaise Sauce
2 Portobello Mushroom caps
1 Clove of Garlic, crushed
2 Sticks of Butter, divided (“Yeah, baby!”)
1-2 Tbls. chopped, Fresh Tarragon
1 Shallot, diced
½ cup of White Wine
2 Grass-Fed Beef Fillets
5 Egg Yolks
Salt and Pepper
Pull the stems out of the mushroom caps and using a spoon, scrape the gills out of the inside of the caps.Melt a stick of butter in a pan large enough to hold the mushroom caps side by side and add the crushed garlic and caps.Keep warm, but do not simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Sauté the shallot in a bit of butter until softened and add tarragon; cook for a minute.Add wine and reduce until the wine is nearly evaporated.Cool.
Salt and pepper the fillets and sauté them in a little butter (of course) over medium-high heat until rare or medium-rare (NO HIGHER – EVER!).Let rest for a few minutes.
While the fillets are resting put the egg yolks and the tarragon mixture in a blender along with a pinch of salt.Melt a stick of butter and while as hot as possible, add to the whirring blender of egg yolk mixture in a thin stream.Just as you think all is lost, the mixture will come together into a beautiful béarnaise sauce.
Put a butter-loved mushroom cap on a plate, top with a fillet and smother with Béarnaise sauce.
As much as I don’t really like the Food Network anymore, there is one show I look forward to.
Nigella Lawson.
Nigella does it for me.For years I’ve heard the phrase “food porn”, but always ignored it.What is food porn anyway?Well, food porn has a name and that name is Nigella.
Every time I watch her, I feel almost dirty.The way she talks about her food; the erotic and voluptuous adjectives are positively sexual. Speaking of voluptuous, Nigella herself is all that and then some, with full hips and very, uh…. well represented, lets say.And in a real way, not the plastic-y Sandra Lee way.The fact that Nigella bears a striking resemblance to She Who Must Be Obeyed is a plus, too.
Anyway, she just gives an aura that food is fun to cook and something that, if it didn’t involve a lot of heat, mess and hot food splishing and sploshing, would be great to do in the nude.Nigella loves cooking and I love Nigella loving cooking.
Two months ago, the Birthday committee at work (Laura, Camie, Megan, Mary, Joe and me) threw an Oktoberfest for everyone to celebrate the October birthdays.For November, the higher-ups had a catered Thanksgiving meal.
For the December birthdays (like mine), tomorrow we’re doing soups.Considering all the snow and freezing yuck we got today, a warm bowl of soup will be just what the doctor ordered.Hence, I spent a lot of today making three different soups and a batch of eggnog.Yesterday, I roasted a chicken and after it had cooled, I took all the meat off of it and put the bones, along with the bones of a chicken I had in the freezer in a pot with carrots, celery, onions, a sachet of thyme, bay, parsley and peppercorns and water and made stock Ruhlman-style all night in the oven.Today, after de-fatting the stock, I made a chicken and rice soup for our gluten-intolerant friends (yes, we have two).I also made a cream of tomato soup for our vegetarians (I know we have at least one) and a cheddar-broccoli for fun.
The other members of the crew are making beef stew, chili and corn chowder.I suspect the chili will be the first to go, followed by the beef stew.After that, it’s a total crap shoot, but I guess the chicken and rice will be the last to go, even though it probably took the longest to make.
So, it’s been a long time since I posted - again.This time, it’s because I had an emergency root canal performed.Nothing takes the will to eat and write about food like a huge pain in the tooth.
Oh, yeah – I forgot one more thing I made yesterday. In the middle of all this, I made eggnog. It comes from a recipe I got out of a 1998 Bon Appetit. I was thinking of using this for one of my Celebration dishes for this month’s Weekend Cookbook Challenge, but I’m not sure if it counts; I mean, it didn’t really come out of a cookbook.. Oh, Sara, knower of all things WCC, arbiter of recipe origination – yea or nea?
Update: The judgement has been handed down from the panel. The clearly just and fair answer is, "Yea!".
Sunday, December 9, 2007 - WHAT DO YOU MAKE WHEN YOU'RE A HOME COOK?
Well, I was a cooking machine today!Not a lot of fancy food, but a lot of good, old fashion New England cooking.I started the day off by making a pot of steel cut oatmeal with apples for breakfast.After the kids had their breakfast, I got to work on the real cooking.I started making a beef stock from the farm’s worth off beef bones I got this summer (I’m working through Freezer #3, the bone freezer) using Michael Ruhlman’s oven method.Once I got that in the oven, I started a batch of Papa’s Beans.Got those gently cooking on the stove and started a braised beef for lunches this week.OK, that’s cooking on the stove top.I’ve got a 16qt stockpot on the oven, a pot of beans on the stovetop and another pot of beef, wine and stock next to it.
At this point, I empty the dishwasher of last night’s dishes and promptly start to fill it up again.I’ve got spoons, tongs, dishes, plates, glasses, etc.I’ve got more dishes than I thought I touched today – but, whatever; in the dishwasher they go.And why not, I start it up.
After a bit of rest, I start the chicken for dinner.This has to fit in the upper oven which is only a third of the height of the lower oven.So, I cut the backbone out and lay it flat.I folded the wing tips under the body and rubbed it down with softened butter mixed with fresh sage and salt.Popped it in the oven on a sheet pan and now I have four things going.By now, Papa’s Beans have come off the stovetop and are in the lower oven next to the stock.Just before I take the chicken out, I throw some green beans on for five dishes at once – just like a real line cook, in a not-even-close kind of a way.
The chicken comes out and I let it rest.After a bit, we sit down to a meal of roast chicken, baked beans and green beans.After dinner (quite a good dinner, if I do say so myself) and then I start cleaning.Empty the dishwasher (again) and fill it up (again).And what else do I do?I start it up (again).
I hear the dishwasher going silent.I guess it’s time to empty it (again).
Oh, the answer to the question? A lot of dirty dishes.
Sunday, December 9, 2007 - THE PRESENT TO END ALL PRESENTS
Ok, my birthday is next week and I believe I have found my present.It’s a little thing I like to call the Bacon Of The Month Club!C’mon, is that not a genius idea or what?So, if you’re looking for that last minute Christmas present for that someone special, I cannot think of a better one.
It’s the Christmas season and in our house every year, that means, among many things, making Glögg or Swedish Christmas wine.I started making this about 20 years ago using a recipe from an old Mr. Boston’s Bartender’s Guide.That recipe was a bit, forceful, let’s say.So, over the years, I played and modified the recipe, getting it just right.
Most Glögg’s have orange peel in them, but I didn’t like it as much, so that’s probably the biggest difference between mine the more traditional Glöggs.
Mike’s Glögg
1.5 liter red wine (a Burgundy)
1.5 liter Port wine
35 cardamom seeds (whole)
25 whole cloves
2 oz. cinnamon stick
½ pounds of slivered almonds
9 oz. raisins
1 ¾ cups of sugar
750 ml. Brandy
Place in a large stockpot the red & port wine, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon sticks.Boil for 15 minutes.Add almonds and raisins and boil an additional 15 minutes.Remove from heat and add sugar; stir until it is fully incorporated, about a minute.Add Brandy and stir to combine.Pour through strainer and put back into empty bottles, you should have an empty 750 ml. bottle left over.Serve warmed and don’t drive.
BTW, I found a tried and true Glögg recipe by Craig Goldwyn that is startlingly like mine.I guess great flavor combinations are out there, just waiting to be found by adventurous people willing to just keep trying.
Sunday, December 2, 2007 - SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE DIP
She Who Must Be Obeyed and I went to a friend's house last night for a small get-together.I was bringing sushi, smoked salmon and a spinach and artichoke dip.This is dip is so stinkin' easy and so good, it's hardly fair.I'm not sure where I got this recipe and I believe I messed around with it a bit, so I can't give props to whoever deserves it.
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
2 cups of Light Cream
8 oz Monterey Jack
8 oz Cream Cheese
6 oz Parmesan
12 oz Baby Spinach, chopped
2 cans (14oz) of Artichoke Hearts, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons of Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon of Garlic powder
1 teaspoon of Onion Powder
salt & pepper
Bring the light cream up to a simmer and add the chesses in, stirring constantly until they are completely melted.Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until the spinach is wilted.
This makes a lot – a lot more than you think.It’s certainly enough for at least a dozen guests, maybe more.So, fortunately, you will have leftovers to enjoy.
Unbeknownst to any of my webby friends (OK, I have only 1), I made a corned beef Thanksgiving week.I had a grass-fed beef brisket (come to find out, it was two small ones) and decided to make corned beef.
A few months ago, my friend Sara at iliketoccok (we do need to talk about capitalization, Sara) made an Irish Spiced Beef for her boss.She hated the final product, but I was fascinated.Reading Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman, I found his corned beef recipe was VERY similar to Sara’s most hated spiced beef.He had as much salt as Sara’s, but in a brine and was prepared in 1/3rd of the time.So, I did what any good cook would do – I combined them and went for it!Here’s my recipe:
Corned Beef
Brine:
1 gallon water
2 cups (1 pound) Morton's kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 ounce (5 teaspoons) Saltpeter
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp whole peppercorns, crushed
1/2 tsp Mustards seed, ground
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground mace
3 dried bay leaves
Combine everything in a pot and bring to a boil to dissolve the salt and sugar.Once combined, remove from heat and cool down to room temperature.Refrigerate the cooled mixture until well chilled.Add a 4-5 pound beef brisket (or two smaller ones) to chilled mixture, weigh it down with a plate and refrigerate 5-7 days.
Remove from brine, rinse under cold water and add to boiling water and simmer for 3 hours.
Slice and serve.
OK, too much clove.Reduce to ¼ teaspoon and I believe you will have the best corned beef of your life!!Seriously.
The unholy saltiness Sara experienced is gone with a gallon of water and ½ the soak time.This is worth the work and time – it will be great.
Well, I’ve been on my New England Thanksgiving tour.We went to my Mother’s in Law for Thanksgiving.It went as well, OK, better, than I thought it would.I had no chance to “Kick it up a notch!”, but that’s OK by me.It was as old New England as you could ask for and I had no reason to change it, or desire to.After that, it was off to my parents in Western Massachusetts and to a different, yet great dinner.
Meanwhile, Michael Ruhlman is posting about turkey stock and rocking my world!I make my own stock as often as I can and I always having trouble with it.I always get it boiling and boiling makes it cloudy!So, what does Ruhlman do?He uses his head while mine is stuck in stock pot!He says, instead of trying to keep it just under a boil on the stove top, stick it in the oven!!
