cooking @ home

Archive for February, 2008

©2008 Harry Kenney

One thing you know about the way I do things, for those who follow me, is that besides pointing out tips I point out the rough spots, the mistakes that I’ve made on a previous version or how to correct mistakes if they’re made. What you don’t see (though I sometimes talk about) are the once in a while big flops.

Yes, I have them too. We all do. (You might find some comfort in that.) Maybe I made a silly mistake that flopped the whole thing. Once in a while the technique I used was the downfall — as when I tried too tough a cut of beef for shish kabobs. Sometimes I misjudge as with a recent braised Swiss chard recipe where by (having not used it before) I totally miscalculated the amount of shrinkage and so the other ingredients in the dish came out in too much proportions.

Then there’s this dish. Over half a year ago I tried something like this. I was going to call it a California salad. It has pineapple and avocado and other ingredients. I also attempted to make some kind of yogurt dressing, though I forget now what was in it besides the yogurt. It was a miserable flop. The dressing and salad didn’t work individually and they worked worse together. I’m still not sure what I did wrong.

Point is, many months later I made a Greek yogurt dressing and it came out nice. And then I made a tropical salsa and it came out excellent. With more time and experience behind my belt, I once again decided to make this salad. But I didn’t take what I did before in to account on purpose. I didn’t try, that is, to go to the same blueprint and make corrections. I just went at it anew with whatever my gut told me to do. You see my gut, my experience had grown more since then, I just let it guide me.

In short, it worked. (If it hadn’t the recipe wouldn’t be up and it you wouldn’t know about it.) So, if you think I cook a lot now judging be the recipes you see on this site. Well sometimes things go wrong behind the scenes and I end up wasting food and my time and taking photos. (Fortunately my flops are few and far between, but they happen.) I don’t feel bad, that is, we all make mistakes. Look at Top Chef, look at other shows … did the winner of the competition ever have a bad dish or were they perfect from day one? They all, even the best of chefs, have a bad day, a bad dish. In fact, if you experiment — and you should — this will always happen; it’s part of the game. So I don’t let it get to me. Again, we often learn from our mistakes.

One thing I do want to mention briefly is that while I’m not sure what happened to that first attempt of a salad similiar to this, my best guess is it was just the wrong mixture and/or proportion of flavors to each other. I like making complex dishes at times. I like the harmony, the interplay of tastes. You know this from other dishes like BBQ sauce. You’ve heard Bobby Flay talk about this. Ming Tsai has made a career out of these balances. The yin and yang. The sweet to offset the sharp; the sharp to liven it up; the hot to give it bite; the oil to clam it down; the tang against … You get the idea.

You might recall one of my very first articles here, Secret to Great Cooking: A Harmony of Contrasts, where I talked about “combining to create a unity of opposites”. That’s what this particular dish — both the salad and the dressing, and more so the two together — really is about. Last time out, my “grasp” of this was off a bit, and that was just enough that it didn’t work. This time my understanding of combining these disparate elements was better and I was successful. Point is, try things. Fail, get up, learn, try it again. Maybe you can figure it out and get it right the next day, maybe eight months has to pass by. Either way, don’t force it, but don’t give up.

One final thing. Not only is this one delicious salad, but the dressing is one of the best I’ve ever made. You will be very surprised how absolutely fantastic it tastes. I’ve made this with both extra-virgin olive oil and at another time with vegetable oil and both work fine, though the olive oil is preferred as it adds an extra fruity dimension to it. Enjoy!

Avocado Salad
©2008 Harry Kenney

2 avocados, peeled and chunked
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 pint (16 oz.) cherry tomatoes, leave whole
1 corn cob (roughly 1-1/2 cups), cooked, kernels seperated
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, chunked
1/2 cup fresh papaya, chunked
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely minced

Simply mix above together well and serve with dressing.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
©2008 Harry Kenney

1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp honey
extra-virgin olive oil (vegetable oil also works)

Place first three ingredients in a blender (can be an old ordinary bar blender, doesn’t have to be a new super powered one). Take off blender top and while mixing, pour in olive oil from top to emulsify. Use approximately 3 parts olive oil to rest of ingredients or until looks right consistency. Taste. Add more if needed until happy with result.

Add by tablespoons over avacado salad (or other salad of your choosing) and mix in well. Serve.

Note: Keep this in refrigerator in a conventional wide-mouthed leftover container; do not bottle. Refrigeration will combine mixture into a thick gelatin-like consistency. To reuse simply mix well with fork for 15 seconds. If needed you could add 1/2 teaspoon of both water and oil.

Today I look at the latest new food and cooking shows of this winter season. Give a nod to some of the best shows that have been on a while, and look forward to the first signs of Spring. Seems Punxsutawney Phil came out of his burrow, saw his shadow made by a creme brulee torch, and predicted two of our top favorite shows will be returning in just a few weeks.

Oh and with this article, I start the first ever reviews complete a star rating system. That said, let’s begin with the latest crop of new programs. Are they feast or famine?

The New Winter Shows

Ultimate Recipe Showdown (The Food Network)

Hmm. This show I’m ambivalent about. First and foremost … I love food competition shows. Iron Chef America is a never miss. The various “Challenge” specials (Ok, I’m personally not as interested in those candy design things. First because I’m sure as heck never going to make one. Second, I hate to watch someone make something for 12 hours and then it falls over and shatter in a million pieces). That said, both the chef ones and the “regular people” food challenges are quite enjoyable. And yes, the Bobby Flay Throwdowns, I enjoy those as much. And so yes, definitely when the home cook gets to compete, I love it. It evens the playing field, that is, you have ICA for the top top and the Ultimate Recipe Showdown balances things.

I also love to see that the average home cook can win $25 grand. Marc Summers isn’t bad and Guy Fieri is charming as always. I do have to say the show is in a variety of ways boring though. This could be cleaned up over time, not sure how, but it could. Mind you I see a lot of effort went into making this as least boring as possible. I recognize that, and yes in many ways this achieves that. In other words, this could have been a total sleeper easily, but it’s not.

Still, and again not sure how, but there is a boredom factor. And where it is is when the cooks come out to the kitchens. They all look as though they are moving in slow motion, avoiding the camera and are semi-comatose. I’ve never seen people stir things so slowly in my life. It’s no race but that said I know these folks wouldn’t be stirring things so slowly in their own kitchens. Again, I know, a good cook or chef is not a television personality. That said, could these people, I dunno, behave more real in the kitchen segment? Maybe even talk or acknowledge they’re on a television set, or even in their own kitchen, but not in a dream world? Again, a little work here is the only part needed. The rest of the show has decent if not great pace. The very necessary kitchen part though the show grinds to a halt. Btw, the recipes are on the website, which is more than I can say about the Iron Chef one’s which never get published.

For it’s giving the home cook a chance, the format, the hosts, the places where it’s done it’s best to cut out the boredom, and for it’s current boredom factor that is there. This show gets 3 stars. As the format is brand new, I can foresee this show might correct the boredom factor, or that I might grow to like this more overtime. So this has the definite possibility of rising to 4 stars down the line.

THE HEAT with Mark McEwan (Fine Living)

While this is not as new as the others, I had mentioned previously that I hadn’t gotten a chance to see this show. So made the concerted effort and have now looked at several episodes. And I hate to say it. This show on the Fine Living network makes Ultimate Recipe Showdown look like an exciting hockey game. What’s the problems? First let me list the positives. The chef is charming and engaging. I like him indeed. (And the women think he’s a hunk.) And the show has slick, professional direction, editing, pacing, all that. Ok, that’s the end of the positives, alas.

There’s two huge problems with this show. One, it can’t hold a candle to Dinner: Impossible. Once you’ve seen Robert Irvine “MacGuyver” a meal for 200 out of sticks and chickenwire, or make 17,000 appetizers in six hours, or cook on a moving train from a kitchen smaller than a Manhatten efficiency apartment … and compare it to this show, it’s Snoresville. so sorry Mark, but having “problems” with being short a few waiters while working in a normal functional facility, well the “so called drama” doesn’t cut it at all. Oh my goodness, there was also the episode that revolved totally around “will the blue-tail tuna he promised the client get there in time” … gasp!? Will the opera house empty out 10 whole minutes early? This minituae while reflecting real life is still one major Yawn City compared to the trials and tribulations Irvine goes through where you hear him intone: “The guests are arriving by boat in 30 minutes and I have no fire to cook anything” or “I’m supposed to make 10,000 pieces of fried chicken but there are no deep fryers anywhere” or “I can get the meal done, but the reception area is a mile away on the other side of the campus”. You just can’t compete with that.

What’s as bad or worse. No recipes! Most of the time only a few of the dishes being served are ever mentioned by name, or briefly shown on camera. The bulk of the dishes aren’t mentioned nor shown at all. Forget what ever went into them. Uh, Hello? This is allegedly a food show, remember that? Apparently not. Sorry, there’s but a single food show on TV that can get away without showing recipes and that’s Ace of Cakes. We want to see the design and we want to see it get to the client in time. In fact, Ace of Cakes has sincerely more drama that “Heat”. When a speciality cake falls apart in the delivery van and the celebration is 45 minutes away and it took a week to make … Now that’s drama, baby. Heat can’t hold a candle to any of the things that go wrong for Duff or Irvine. And even were there no comparison to other shows this still would not change thngs; this is a boring show featuring very little food and zero recipes! That’s just insane. Come on. What’s the sense of watching? None. Oh, and just to see if maybe, maybe, to help give a couple of points here at least, that maybe the recipes might be on the website? A bit of a saving grace? Nope. Nada. Figures!

Sorry, but the so-called THE HEAT (yes the show has the tenacity to put this in big capital letters, just makes you want to heave) definitely needs to be renamed “the tepid” (in all lower-cased letters). For the magnetic host who could really shine in a very different television series, a rating of slightly better than a goose-egg, a single star.

Down Home with the Neely’s (The Food Network)

Well, Lordy! Black people can cook! Hey hey, that’s not news to me, but it is apparently the new-found revelation of the Food Network. That’s right. Just why it has taken the Food Network until late in 2007 (Ingrid Hoffmann’s Simply Delicioso) to finally have a Latin cooking show? And not until 2008 to have a cooking show where the cooks are black? I mean, really! (No, sorry, Al Roker eating diner food does not count. I said cook, not eat.) Ok, let me chill. Past is past. Let’s just call it pasta water under the bridge for now. But I had to get that out. It’s been gnawing inside for way too long.

In any event the hosts and cooks, Pat (the hubbie) and Gina, make for fun watching. Mind you, they have big personalities and are totally wild. This might not appeal to a few folks, though I’d rather see someone’s personality “spice” up a show than watch the other extreme, the boring and the bored. Since Rachel and Paula also have big personalities I’m confident these two are likewise going to be a hit. It really is fun to watch them in a kitchen, and to be candid this is probably the first time I’ve seen a two-host, two cooks in the kitchen show actually succeed. They both are good on their own and together they have great chemistry. And you can tell the affection and fun they have is genuine; it’s just impossible to ever script this.

Do they get a tad too silly? Sometimes. Does it get a tad too sickening sweet? Almost, but a) they draw back from the edge and b) because you know they’re sincere, being themselves it works. Alright, so enough with personality, let’s get down to it: How’s the cooking? He and his brothers own Neely’s which has two locations in Memphis and one in Nashville, and I’ve seen their restaurant many many times over the years as among the best BBQ joints in the nation. In fact you literally cannot do an American barbecue show without mentioning them. So they both can cook and cook well. Two shows I’ve seen now and I definitely want to eat and make the dishes they’ve come up with. (Check further below where I talk about FN Dish to see a video of The Neely’s.) What’s the verdict? It took way too long, FN, but at least you got it right the first time. Neelys make delcious food and you have a fun time watching them do it too.

Last Restaurant Standing (BBC America)

Not sure why, but having heard the premise I didn’t think I would like this new reality competition food show. So much so it delayed my watching it, missing the first episode or two. I can report I was happily mistaken. Sometimes it’s in the editing, the pace, the coverage. Whatever, this show has it. For one, the completing folks here (usually married couples, but there are two twin sisters) have a real restaurant. I thought they were going to jam these people in “faux” restaurants, you know, the way they do the restaurant challenge segment every year on Top Chef. But these are real. And not even next to each other or stuck in one place. They’re 50-100 miles (I guess being Britain I should say kilometers) apart in some cases. As I said it’s real. And I was putting off watching this not expecting that, and delighted it is.

In short a famous French chef now in England, Raymond Blanc, who’s rolling in the dough gives nine sets of folks their chance to open a restaurant. We follow them each week. Besides how they do — do they loose patrons, do they make a profit — they are also given assignments, for instance this week it was “now that they are open, create cocktails and desserts and push them”. You see, this is where the money is made, not off the entrees as much. These are the things that keep restaurants in business and help them make a profit. We watch as the competitors each deal with their own struggling new business, new week problems, each other, and the new challenge. Each week a restaurant is closed down until one remains on which the main chef guy finds is worth his investing in. In short, they win.

Nice idea. Cameras in each restaurant. Case managers to check in. Well executed. It all comes down to, do I care to see what happens next week? And indeed I do. I’m looking forward to it. That’s the mark of any show, but especially the hallmark of a reality competition show. Another score for those folks across the Pond. If I find at the end of the season it stayed high, it could rank from me a rare five stars. As it’s new and I’m not yet addicted (and not sure if I will be or not) for now, a still excellent: 4 stars.

Not reviewed this time out: Everyday Baking on PBS from the folks (Martha Stewart actually) that bring us Everyday Food. Why? I keep missing it. Yeah, I know “Tivo it”. Soon as I get one. Will review this in the future.

The FN Dish

One new show isn’t on television. It’s a weekly webcast. On The FN Dish (love the play on words) food blogger makes good. Adam Roberts, The Amateur Gourmet, and now author, interviews various FN stars and takes us behind the scenes. (Btw, since it’s a webcast and an interview show, I’m skipping the rating system for this one.)

Existing Shows Mini-Reviews

: 5 stars : a sumptuous feast time and time again
: 4 stars : so good you want second helpings
: 3 stars : a decent meal but it needs spice
: 2 stars : brown-bag lunch with stale bread
: 1 star : a TV dinner from the Sixties
: 0 stars : I’d rather have salmonella

Note: This time ’round this isn’t a cross-sampling but a list of the best out there, ergo the high ratings.

Wolfang Puck (Fine Living) When this show first began the opening out-of-kitchen segment involved Puck going to his food sources: an artisan farm for tomatoes, La Bria bakery for fresh bread. Great idea … one that lasted only a few episodes. Since then, every opening segment is about the fellow celebs Wolfgang rubs elbows with; vignettes of him smoozing with fellow Austrian, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger or Whoppie Goldberg or whomever. In short, bring back the food segment, Wolfgang, cause it’s the only thing keeping you “down” to a four-star rating. The rest of the show is priceless and this is a must-see.

Iron Chef America (Food Network) It’s the grand dame, the Super Bowl-and-Spoon, the ultimate cooking sporting event. Overall they get everything right. No one but Alton Brown could ever look at the bizarre things the chefs out out on the counter and immediately know what they are. They even have their own “Simon Cowell” in the form of frequent and minuitae-picking judge Jeffrey Steingarten The fact FN makes this the single show they refuse (why?) to publish the recipes on the website is majorly annoying though.

America’s Test Kitchen (PBS) An excellent over-all job, great tips, I love the kitchen corner comparisons too as no one but they do it (though still getting hopped up over $150 dutch ovens as “bargains” makes me fell that they sometimes forget their audience is home cooks not Michelin-star chefs making Michelin-star money.) This show is great because behind the scenes they test things six ways to Sunday and then film the best. As a side note, the fact some of the recipes on their website they wont show you unless you pay them seems rather miserly.

Dinner: Impossible (Food Network) Super entertaining while it keeps the focus on food, see how it’s prepared, recipes are shown during the show (and found on the website). Chef Robert Irvine is an amazing talent he really does do the impossible. And he has a great sense of humor. There is nothing not to love about this show, and from a sometimes picky critic, that’s a lot to say.

Take Home Chef (TLC) While there are some fans who gripe about the new format — where he goes to viewers who sent in letters or videos — instead of randomly picking up folks from the same cities all the time, I enjoy that he’s now travelling to other places and therefore giving more folks a chance. Other than that it’s the same old show. Which in this case is a good thing. The women love hunky Curtis and more important to me, I love his cooking and style and variety. If only they would get the recipes up on the website more timely as well as lose that hokey listing by person’s name style (again on the website).

Simply Ming (PBS) Love the blending of east meets west defined by two pairing ingredients from each side of the earth .. and he’s entertaining as well, plus excellent guests (parents included). And he fills a major niche. Sure there are and have been other Asian cooking shows with top chefs, but often one is made to feel you can’t do that, it’s too out of your realm. Ming Tsai has a way of doing the opposite. Maybe some of the recipes are a bit strange, but that’s the idea, opening up your mind and your tastebuds. And he does it in a way that makes you feel (correctly) that you can do it too.

Throwdown with Bobby Flay (Food Network) Between the research segment (when there is one), his experimenting in the kitchen and one he’s going up against, you end up wtih two or three top notch variations on a recipe. Spotlighting a certain dish each week. Bobby is always entertaining, and the contest always interesting. Glad Bobby has changed his former style of answering every single challenge (and he was often losing at the time too) by adding blue corn meal and hot peppers. He’s won more contests by tossing that out and even though he still goes back to that frequently it’s not every week. How can you not love an Iron Chef who not only duels his contemporaries on ICA but also shares the limelight with home cooks and small restaurant owners?

Late Winter – Early Spring Preview

One new program and the return of two faves premiere over the next several weeks:

Rescue Chef (Food Network) premieres March 1st.

Expectation: High. Usually if someone can help others, he’s pretty learned. I still enjoy the reruns of Tyler Florence’s Food 911 where he showed great versatility. The host on this new reincarnation of the genre is Danny Boome, advertised as a hockey player, runway model chef. Yuck. Great promoting — Not. These commercials turn me off as they showcase what seems to be a guy who just picked up his spatula for the time.

Fortunately I checked out his resume and — whew — thankfully Boome has the food creds. One last thing, one part of the FN website says his show isn’t on until March 1st, another part of the site says it started two weeks ago. As I’ve said often before, the right hand never knows what the left is doing at this network. If it’s not the commercials and the shows don’t correspond with each other then it’s the website and the shows. FN continues to be the brilliant but nutty professor, 90% brilliant and 10% clueless. At least I can live with the percentages in that order.

The Return of Our Favorite Cooking Reality Shows

Top Chef (Bravo) Season 4 starts March 12th.

Here they come, with the four judges we know so well — Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Ted Allen — and 16 brand new contestants. The only reality show that has the unique talent of stretching itself out into six months. And now Bravo can do it’s usual, drop all it’s other shows and moprh into the 24-hour Top Chef Network again. If this falls into the pattern of previous years, expect the judges to tell the contestants each week that they’re not trying hard enough to think outside of the box and then belittle them for doing it and send them packing. (The greatest repeated stupidity of this other-wise fine show.)

So let’s see if the judges remains inconsistant again this season. If they get me fed up enough I really might drop watching and reviewing it; they really do get me that annoyed at times. I still find the fact that they filmed this last fall and yet won’t announce the winner live until something like August. Must be the only reality show where the final contestants have to wait something like eight months to know if they’ve won. Strange. And yet it works, for us the television audience.

Hell’s Kitchen (Fox) Season 4 starts April 1st.

Ironic date? One thing that is no joke, really, is every single time I watch a Gordon Ramsay show with my nonagenarian mother, the censors beep him and he curses so much and in such long strings that my Mom invariably asks if the phone is ringing! LMAO! That is 100% true.

Yes, it’s the return of one of the most famous chefs in the entire world. And I’m still not sure how much of it is for his cooking and not his notoriously foul mouth. The fact is, despite the flaws, we like Gordon. Not certain why, and yet I’m among those who like him. Maybe it’s because as annoying as he is, he speaks his mind in an age of politically correct people who all seem brain-washed into keeping their mouths shut. Maybe he’s the external avatar of the green demon inside us all yearning to be free.

All of that aside, this show has the best editing and pacing of any reality show out there. And we get interested in the people, from the short order chefs and home cooking divas who think they can be gourmet chefs, to the back-biting, back-stabbing, and in the midst of all this we get to see food dishes too. All I know is it’s a winning formula and for me, when it’s on, it’s the most addictive of all shows. I can never wait until next week. So get ready for the “big boys” and the herd of “donkeys”, the shining stars and the morons. I always like to figure out who will be the “Tom” or “Aaron” of this season. And will there be any sabotaging “Saras” in the bunch. We’ll know in roughly five more weeks.

I’m already awaiting my first course of “you burnt the bloody risotto” followed by an entree of undercooked “you could kill somebody” chicken.

©2008 Harry Kenney

How I came up with this dish has an odd little road to it. A couple months ago I had friends coming over for a get together and I had my cooking itineary planned, complete with an Italian dessert. No, not one of my own. I do do other people’s recipes at times too. Sometimes I make so many changes that they end up turning into something different and my own, but this was one of those times I was going to pretty much go along with the recipe I had. (At least that had been the initial plan.)

Listen up, this will teach you the value of reading something first, and all the way through and thoroughly. I was going to make this chocolate ricotta dessert (forget what, maybe was a cake, I seem to think it was going to be one of those custard things in ramekins. I had read the recipe throught and even did the two hour prep (again this was a while back, Iwrote down the recipe, but I didn’t write down this story, so bear with my fuzzy memory.)

The important thing was, I never apparently read to the bottom of the recipe. (There’s a lesson in there for both me and you!) It said now chill for six hours in the fridge. I could scream. I knew the cooking was to take an hour, the prep two hours, but now if I went ahead the stupid dessert wouldn’t be ready for six hours? Damn I was annoyed at myself. And a tad frantic. The plan was dinner was to be served in an hour and a half, and dessert needed to be ready in two. No time to run the market or the bakery. So I rushed up to my computer and started searching for “chocolate” and “ricotta” everywhere, and looking for something that would be servable in two hours. In short I found an Emeril recipe for Italian Easter Pie that met my criteria and looked delicious and set on that.

When I printed it out and took it downstairs though, I did what I hadn’t expected at the time doing … changing things around. I didn’t like this. I liked that. He had a flour pie from scratch. This I could have done as I had two premade pie crusts in the refrigerator. I didn’t like that it was a normal crust. I also didn’t like that it was two, one on bottom, then a second one making it a covered pie. I knew I also had in the cupboard a premade shortbread and another chocolate crust. Hey, nothing like chocolate in the filling and as the crust I thought.

It was after Thanksgiving and I had sweetened dried cranberries lefover. I knew from past experience this would not only go very well with the other ingredients but would give it a totally new dimension. Long story short, by the time I was done, the look and the taste were so very different from the original that this very much became my own version. As said, that was two or three months ago. I didn’t take photos of what I was doing as it wasn’t originally going to be my recipe but someone elses. I did write down my new recipe afterwards, but no photos. Ah well, it was a great pie, and I knew I would do it again and take the pics at that time. Which I just did.

Ok, so this came from a mistake I made misreading the initial recipe. And then changing around Emeril’s. Thing is, when doing my research for this recipe here, the background, it seems another mistake was made by Emeril. I wanted to see what was the deal with this Easter Pie concept. So I looked around the web and the first thing I came across was how this was supposed to be a savory, not a sweet pie, in Italy. Huh? Seems after the old conservative Catholic fasting of meat during Lent, the idea was to make a cheese and meat pie. Ok, that made sense. But still could the big E get this wrong or what? There must be sweet variations too.

More digging around and nope, couldn’t find any. So I went to see if the three most famous Italian chefs in America had versions of this and were they sweet or savory; all three, Mario Batali, Giada De Laurentiis amd Lidia Bastianich, had only savory versions of Easter Pies. Yep, other than Emeril’s there wasn’t a single sweet one to be found anywhere. Hmm. So, no idea where he got the idea from, but, that said, it doesn’t matter. I’m not calling this any kind of holiday pie, I’m just calling this what it is, which is delicious!

Whatever the case then, a big tip of the hat to Chef Lagasse for the inspiration and for “version 1.0″ of this dish. And to you folks, I think you will love this “version 2.0″ emmensly. For now, I’m leaving it with the store bought crust in the recipe but I’ll make a version 2.1 at some point and tell you how to make the pie crust from scratch at some point, til then enjoy. I am 100% once you’ve made this pie, you will make it over and over again as one of your favorites.

Harry’s Chocolate Ricotta Cheese Pie
©2008 Harry Kenney

1 premade 9-inch chocolate pie crust

1-1/2 lbs ricotta cheese, drained well
3/4 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup shaved almonds
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

eggwash (one egg and two tbsps water)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly brush eggwash over premade pie shell and place in oven for five minutes. Remove and let cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (note I used my handheld for this, but you can use your big stand mixer if you wish), beat the ricotta cheese with the sugar until combined; this should take 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, approximately another 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix in for anoterh 2 minutes. Pour into pie shell.

Place pie on baking sheet (optional). Bake until golden brown, roughly 50 minutes. Let cool on counter for 10 minutes, then place in refrigerator (suggest atop a diviot) and allow to get firm for at minumum 60 minutes, and preferrably 90-120 minutes. Serve. Makes 6-8 slices.

©2008 Harry Kenney

Funny how there are some dishes I’ve created and made for a long time, yet, seven months into this cooking site, realize there are still one’s I haven’t included here. This is one of them (til now). I stumbled into this one of those times when I had salsa left over from a party. You see, I do enjoy tortilla chips and salsa as a nice alternate to the usual potato chip and dip. Thing is, in the days after the party I just don’t feel like eating salsa and chips solo. So I need to come up with something to do with that jar. Several years ago after one party I also found I had forgotten to serve the second half of the shrimp I’d bought. (There was still plenty of food and no one at the party knew or missed it though.) … In short. Boom. Came this recipe.

I know the name seems a tad corny coming from me. No, I swear I’m not turning “Rachel” on you. I promise never to call things in between soup and stew “stoop”. And no, I don’t think any male, no matter how brimming with nor how deficient of testosterone should ever have the word “Yum-o!” come from his lips either. So that’s not happening. So the choice was, call this was I call it around the house as my shorthand “Sorta Jambalaya” or name it something more long-winded like “Chicken and Shrimp in Spicy Tomato Spanich Rice”. The latter is accurate but doesn’t roll off the tounge as well. The first is reluctantly a tad cutsy, but it does convey the concept quickly.

Ok, now you’re asking, where am I going. I’m gourmet one minute, regular the next and now straight out of home ec class. Nope, they’re all me. Have you forgotten my Steak Quesadilla or my Pizza Burger Mac recipes? Shame on you! Remember this is “cooking at home”. And I’ve said it before, you can cook gourmet or home ec and/or anything in between at home. You can use all expensive and fresh ingredients and some exotic ones, or you can take a few boxes of off the shelf stuff and make a meal too. Obviously you (and I) don’t always want to make a many ingredient meal. And there’s always something about doing it fast. Provided (big if here) the taste goes with it. And here it does.

What? You want to try me on one more item? You say I’m big on trying to do things authentic and this isn’t very authentic a recipe, that is in the traditional sense of being true to a region and it’s history. That’s correct it is not. And it is also correct that I am big into history and traditional things. But again, I’m not limited to them nor bound by them. Look at my tropical fruit salsa I made just the other day; it’s somewhat fusion even though there is a true Mexican dish that’s equivalent. But, here’s the thing — I always point that out to you. How about my Pancetta-Wrapped Margarita Shrimp? The bacon is from Italy, the liquor from Mexico. Definie fusion. Notice I never once called it an Italian nor a Mexican dish because it isn’t either one.

Matter of fact, the aforementioned steak quesadilla recipe I have here. It’s 100% American. And it’s 50% Mexican. Ok, what do I mean by that? In the US that is a quesadilla. And in many parts of Mexico that is also a quesadilla. But in the southern parts of Mexico they actually make quesadillas the same way Italians make calzones, they fold over the tortilla with the filling inside, crimp it and overlap the dough on the one side to close it, and then deep fry it. So my way is not wrong, but there is another way too.

Finally about tradition. What gets my goat, annoys me to no end is when a recipe passes something off as traditional and it isn’t. When you read my artilces and these “forwards” to each recipe, I say to you, this is how it’s done, or this is one way how it’s done in such-and-such land. Or I will say, they would put this in to be authentic, but I’m leaving it out. I tell you, this recipe or that recipe is or is not traditional. As I’ve said before I’m neither traditionalist nor fusionist, I am what I am at the moment. Most importantly I tell you what that dish is. And here I tell you this is not real jambalaya, it’s “sorta”. And now you know another reason why I called this dish by that name.

Wait? Aren’t I going to give you a history lesson on jambalaya? Naw. I’ll wait until I do the traditional recipe for that. It will be more germane then. Meanwhile, enjoy this simple, and compartively quick dish which will remind you a lot of jambalaya. Oh, there is one Rachel Ray thing about this dish besides the nomenclature — You can make this in 30 minutes or less!

Sorta Jambalaya
©2008 Harry Kenney

1 box Spanish Rice (I like Goya’s) that makes 2.5 cups rice at final
15.5 oz jar spicy tomato salsa with jalapenos (pick your heat level, I used to do “mild”, now I do “medium”)
1 pound of chicken (I use boneless chicken breast)
1/2 pound 31-40 count shrimp, uncooked, devaned, shell totally off, ends included

You can start with precooked chicken, which I already had on hand. Alternately you can also use a rotisserie chicken from the market. Or you can easily cook the chicken right now.

Begin rice preparation as on box, boiling water in a large stock pot or dutch oven.

If cooking chicken with the meal, cut into chunks, toss into largest frying pan you have (12-13″ preferred) with cooking oil on medium-high heat. Brown slightly on all sides, don’t overcook. Take out of pan.

Into same pan, add more oil and cook shrimp, roughly two minutes or less per side. Reserve and let cool. Cut each shrimp into thirds. Add back to pan with chicken, warm up and stir. Add in jar of salsa to frying pan on medium heat, let cook together about 5-10 minutes with lid on. At this point rice should be done.

Add rice to frying pan (if frying pan is too small, then, instead add contents of pan to stock pot or dutch oven, whichever works best). Mix together on low heat for about three or four minutes with lid on. Serve. Makes roughly 8 servings.

©2008 Harry Kenney

Simple recipe? Yes. Simple ingredients? Yes. Great taste? Hey! That goes without saying. What does need talking about is, simple as these are, what is a sauce? A glaze? A mop? What exactly is Jack Daniel’s? And while we’re at it, where exactly on the steer does a strip steak come from?

According to About.com “Mops are sauces you might (better) know as sop, bastes or mops.” I would have to add “glazes” to that list. (For instance the Asian glaze I use on salmon is like this; whereas the glaze I put on meatloaf stays there the first time, that is, one application and leave it.) First, let’s take a left turn. A marinade is a sauce made of either all wet ingredients or wet ingredients and some dry (spices and herbs), but it’s still basically a wet sauce. And into this marinade, your proteins, your meat, poultry or seafood is placed prior to cooking to add flavor. So all these other things — glazes, mops, bastes — are what you put on immediately before and/or during your cooking — as with this recipe.

Moving on, what the heck is Jack Daniel’s anyways? Why it’s Tennessee whiskey. Which is not to say it’s actually whiskey. Ok, it is, but it’s more like bourbon. To confuse you more it’s a “sour mash”. Here’s the deal. taken from Wikipedia: “Whisky or whiskey refers to a broad category of alcoholic beverages that are distilled from fermented grain mash and aged in wooden casks (generally oak). Different grains are used for different varieties, including: barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and maize (corn).”

Got that? Ok, let’s then look at American whiskeys and Jack Daniel’s in particular. “American whiskeys include both straights and blends. To be called ’straight’ the whiskey must be one of the “named types” listed in the federal regulations”. The most common of which are: “Bourbon, which must be at least 51% corn (maize); Rye, which must be at least 51% rye; Corn, which is made from a mash made up of at least 80% corn (maize).” All straight American whiskeys are defined by law to meet certain criteria (which we’ll skip over here). But not Jack Daniel’s which “is identical to bourbon in almost every important respect. The most recognizable difference is that Tennessee whiskey is filtered through sugar maple charcoal, giving it a unique flavour and aroma.”

Ok, that covers sauces and “Jack”. (Btw, if anyone ever says to you “You don’t know jack”, now you can say you do!) So what is strip steak? It is cut from the short loin (sometimes also called a strip loin), It’s a muscle that does little work, and so it’s extremely tender. Unlike the nearby filet mignon, the strip loin is a sizable muscle, which allows it to be cut into the larger portions to the delight of steak eaters. (See the public domain image here.)

One funny thing about this steak, it has more aliases than most criminals! It is known simply as the strip steak, natch. It’s also known as (big breath): top loin steak, New York steak, New York strip steak, Kansas City steak, Kansas City strip steak, hotel steak, ambassador steak, club sirloin steak, strip sirlon steak, shell steak and even the Delmonico. Yep, a whole lot of names for one single cut. Furthermore, in the UK and British Commonwealth countries this is known as “porterhouse”. But no, this is not the same as American’s are used to, Amercian porterhouse is a different cut, which to avoid any more confusion, I’m not going to get into. What matters about the strip steak is it’s expensive and it’s tender and delicious.

Note: This is a smoke alert dish! As you see in the photo, this baby will smoke. How do they do it in the restaurants? Obviously they have those big hooded exhaust fans directly over their grills and stoves. Whereas cooking at home, some of us do, many of us do not. If you can do this on an outdoor grill, all the better, in fact, that would be best. For me, as it was 16 degrees here in Philly when I did this the other day, I pretty much had no choice. Hey, you know the saying where there’s smoke there’s fire? Well here, where there’s smoke, there’s taste! … And a bit of a clean up. So, you’ve been forewarned.

Grilled Strip Steak with Jack Daniel’s Glaze
©2008 Harry Kenney

Two one-pound strip steaks

1/2 cup Jack Daniel’s
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp worchestershire
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger

Combine (whisk) ingredients well. Place into small saucepan on medium-high heat. Reduce volume of liquid down to 1/4. Either get your outdoor grill ready or preheat your indoor grill. Let sauce cool enough that you can pour onto a plate and coat both sides of each steak portion in the sauce then onto the grill. Cook as you normally would. Each time you turn your steak, baste on with brush (or tablespoon if no brush) more of the glaze. Do not add sauce after you take it off, only before and during. Cook to your taste (preferabbly medium or medium-rare). Serve.

Sauce is enough for repeated bastings of both sides of two one pound steaks. Warning if done indoors this will create a good deal of smoke. Therefore outdoors is preferred, but you can certainly do this indoors. Your choice.

©2008 Harry Kenney

Several different types of fish have gotten somewhat popular in the last few years and can now easily be found at your local fish monger or at the fresh seafood section of your local supermarket. Among these is one with the very cool sounding name of mahi-mahi. So what is mahi mahi? (The name by the way can be two words or a single hyphenated one from what I’ve found.)

Obviously the name conjures up the tropical Pacific, specifically Hawaii. And indeed the name is Hawaiian, meaning “strong-strong” as this fish can really put up a fight when on the end of a fishing line. Despite the name however, this fish can be found and caught in many places besides the deep South Pacific, also in the Caribbean, the west coast of South America and Southeast Asia; and it is in these areas the commercial fisherman go for. That said, in less abundance more recreational fisherman have caught them in the Arabian Sea and even in the Atlantic from New Jersey down to Florida.

So where did this fish come from so all of a sudden? It didn’t actually. You recall the dolphin fish of the 90s? This is the same puppy, er, uh, fish. I always thought calling a fish a dolphin (which we know is a mammal) was very stupid and needlessly confusing. Evidently so did everyone else. Especially when this fish when alive or freshly caught is a spectacular bright green and yellow. The color fades, so you won’t see green on the skin of the fish you’ve purchased at the store, more silver and black, though if you look closely at the one photo here, you will see the specks of yellow. You’ll notice on the fleshy side the pink with little specks of red. That’s a good indicator you have mahi-mahi.

Why is it so popular? Taste it and you’ll find out. It is one very delicious fish. Very firm, large flakes, a nice subtle sweet taste. Because of this I suspect it could take a nice marinade or glaze. That said though, my favorite way to cook fish is the most simple way, grilled and with few spices or flavorings. So, this is a very super simple recipe. In keeping with it’s most famous of origins I paired it with a nice tropical fruit salsa and laid it on a bed of yellow rice with a side of grilled fresh asparagus. Ah, the simple things in life.

Let me be a tad erudite and a tad hokey then and wish you the Hawaiian form of “bon appetit” — it actaully means literally (in plural form) “Let’s eat!” — E ‘ai ka-kou!

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Lime
©2008 Harry Kenney

2 fillets mahi-mahi, about one pound
juice of half a lime
salt
pepper
vegetable oil

Get your outside grill or inside cast-iron grill hot and ready.

Score the skin side with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern to make crispy. Liberally apply and rub both sides with cooking oil. Season both sides, though predominantly the flesh side, with salt, pepper and lime juice.

Place on hot grill skin side down first for about three minutes. Turn, grill fleshy side for two to three minutes. One more turn and one more minute of grilling the skin side again.

Done. Serve with or without skin. Note this works great with the skin, but there are two long thick membranes about a quarter inch thick and roughly as long as the fish that will need removing.

Makes two to three servings.

©2008 Harry Kenney

Cooks are generally pretty imaginative. That said, when something gets popular, everyone jumps on the bandwagon. In the last few years we’ve seen the big bulsamic vinegar craze, and then there was the Parmesano Reggiano fad, and of course romaine has long replaced the boring iceberg lettuce as the salad staple. The first one is still going, though I see some chefs lately such as Bobby Flay starting to use sherry vinegar instead; and as for grated cheese, it seems of late Pecorino Romano is the food world’s “new black”.

What brings this up? Especially in terms of this particular dish? Well while there’s not too much wrong with everyone jumping on a bandwagon (well, there is to some degree), the thing is few people seem to know when to jump off that wagon, not even when it’s been run into the ground. And that brings me to the mango. Like most people I enjoy it, and yes, I’m sure I will use mango in future recipes just as I have in the past. But, please folks, there is a world beyond. In short, the wide-spread massive over-use of the mango to the exclusion of everything else stops here.

Now I am in no way insisting on an embargo of any kind. I just have to say, hey, there are other fruits in this world. There’s other delicious tropical fruits. You actually can make a salsa — believe it or not — without having to use mango in it every single time! (Ok, are you getting the idea that I’ve been “mango-ed out”? I’m even getting sick of using the word.) Amazingly, the, um … “M” craze has been going on for way far longer than the Parmesan Reggiano or bulsamic crazes. Unlike them there seems to be no stopping it. Again, except for right here, right now.

I say venture forth and discover the other delicious delicacies out there: guava, passion fruit, kiwi, papaya …. Even something more exotic like the pomegranate, or more commonplace such as the lately-unappreciated pineapple. And so, I present to you a dish I’m actually tempted to label “NOT Another Mango Salsa”. This is pretty much a “nouveau” salsa (not that traditional). Though having said that it is somewhat reminiscent of pico de gallo, and I’m referring to the Mexican version not the Spanish version. Note this salsa is also refreshingly devoid of tomato too. No mango and no tomato in a salsa? Stop me, I’m a madman! LOL!

I made this with the fish I had a few nights ago (that recipe will be up shortly), and what I had left over a couple days later I had along side my steak (another recipe you’ll see very soon) and it went great with both. Note, neither of these dishes were Mexican, so to say salsa must accompany only a Mexican or Southwestern dish is, well, like saying you have to use mango all time. It’s a rut that needs to be overcome.

So, you want something nice and a bit different as a side? It’s cool respite from the rest of warm and hot food on the plate. It’s fresh, it’s tangy, and it’s got a little touch of heat counterbalanced with that touch of sweetness. You’ll definitely enjoy this tropical fruit salsa with a variety of different dishes. Which ones? Well, I gave you a few pointers already, but — as with trying out different tropical fruit flavors — I leave whatever other dishes this goes with up to your own exploration. Enjoy the ride. That’s the fun part of eating and cooking.

Chunky Tropical Fruit Salsa
©2008 Harry Kenney

1/4 cup fresh papaya, chunked (or use canned)
1/4 cup fresh pineapple, chunked (or use canned)
1/2 large jalapeño, devaned, deseeded, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chooped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine (cannot use dried!)
2 tbsps grated fresh ginger (or ginger powder)
2 tbsps fresh lime juice
olive oil

Mix everything together. Put enough olive oil in have a nice coat, but this is not a dressing, not a vinaigrette, so err on the conservative side. Put in refrigerator at least half hour before serving so all the ingredients blend together well. Stir mix before poritioning out on plates. This side dish can be served cold, chilled or even (see note at end) at room temperature. Makes four portions.

Note: for health issues, don’t let at room temperature for an extended amount of time. This doesn’t just pertain to this dish. The assumption that food in an acidic (lime juice in this case) solution means it’s impervious to bacteria is not correct. Short period of time, again, as with any food, is fine. This isn’t to scare you, just educate. Use your head and you’ll be fine.

©2008 Harry Kenney

In the more than seven months since I put up my cooking blog, I’ve had a lot of time to think about exactly what are my personal “cooking philosophies”, my way of cooking, and more than that, my way of thinking in terms of all things food in general: buying food, cookware purchases, coming up with recipes and of course the actual techniques of cooking.

So in that time I’ve come up with my list, my do’s and don’ts for the home cook. I think all of the advice is practical. Having said that though, it doesn’t mean these are things that are necessarily obvious. That is, I think you’ll get some good tips here, maybe some helpful advice and even some brand new concepts that hadn’t occurred to you before; that’s definitely it’s intention.

And with that out of the way, my top ten list, starting with …

#10. If you won’t eat it or drink it, do not ever cook with it

Another close corollary to this is “Never use ingredients containing salt that should never have salt in them.”

Spices: use garlic powder and onion powder; never ever garlic salt or onion salt. Similarly never use cooking wine which not only contains salt but is also made from the dregs of wine and is totally undrinkable. If you can’t drink it, never cook with it. That means never ever use so-called “cooking wine”. In fact, if you have cooking wine and/or onion salt or garlic salt in your cubbard, put them in the trash right now. Your body will thank you, your taste buds will thank you. Try to avoid using “the spice packet that came with my tacos” kind of thing. Learn to make your own using your own spices so you know what you are using. Never use bullion cubes — unless you either want to kill people or are into drinking sea water; those horrid things should be outlawed as they’re nothing but massive doses of sodium. Use broth also known as stock. They now come in great plastic containers now, not just in cans. Or make your own.

#9. Use your head when purchasing cooking equipment

This is a giant pet peeve of mine: Never ever buy or cook in an electric wok. If I have to explain this one, you’re hopeless. Just go to your local diner from now on and turn your kitchen into a game room or something.

Another one, unless you are actually making melon balls or chocolate truffles or something that requires different sizes of “roundness”, then you don’t need a melon baller. The best way I’ve found to get seeds out of a cucumber is with a tablespoon. (You don’t need a melon baller for that!) My point is where you can save money, do it. Don’t buy every single utility or gadget that comes down the pike.

If you use it, or are definitely going to, very often, buy it then. Are you a health freak who every day with make a protein drink? Then buy a juicer, you will get the use out of it If you’re not, you will use it twice and in a couple years it will be in your yard sale. If you plan on making ravioli once or twice a month fresh you need a ravioli cutter. If you’re going to do it once a year, you can probably find a substitute. If you’re going to deep fry french fries or chicken or something once in a blue moon, use a stock pot and a candy/deep-fry thermometer. If you’re going to do it twice a month, invest in that small electric fryer and avoid the hassle. You get the idea.

#8. Avoid buying and using “imitation” anything

Especially never bacon bits. No one knows what’s inside them. If you’re that lazy, you don’t deserve bacon. Besides as with item ten, this probably has salt in it. That’s about the only thing you can guarantee is an recognizable ingredient inside this otherwise mysterious chemical product. Only possible — and I said possible — except to this rule might be flavoring extracts. Even then, taste both, the real and the imitation (no not at the store, buy one, next time buy the other) and see if you can live with the difference or not.

#7. Never pay more than $40 for a frying pan or a knife

… unless you’re a caterer or a professional chef, or you actually want to spend all your money on cooking and treat it as your luxury thing. For everyday cooks, you shouldn’t have to and better not pretend you’re a restaurant clearing several grand a week. You’re not (unless of course you are, but then why would you be here reading this?)

I saw on America’s Test Kitchen the other day when they were comparing saute pans. Last year’s winner cost $190. This year they found one for $70-something and they were happy to be recommending one that costs $110 less. Well I wasn’t. It’s a pan. Hello?! Let me talk with little words: Home cooks. Not master chefs. A pan. Get it? I can conceive of one possible exception, if they ever come out with a pan that cooks the meal, plates it, serves it, then washes itself, it might be worth going up to $60.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying use cheap, crappy things to cook in. But on the other hand don’t “buy into” the marketing that you need super expensive equipment either. Also, major tip: be a very patient shopper. I’ve waited and waited for those closeout specials and about a decade ago I ended up with a 10-piece brand-name anodized aluminum set of cookware that sold for years at $400 for just $99. Forgetting the four lids, and just including the pots and pans, that came to under $17 per item for professional-grade cookware.

#6. Just because the television cook did it or said it, doesn’t make it true

I actually wrote an article on this many months ago about this. It pointed out two big things. One, TV cooks will use metal on non-stick pans. Why? They have 200 more sitting on shelves behind the scenes the channel or network has purchased in bulk (or gotten for free for showing the name in the credits!). They are a television show with a big budget. If you do what they do, you too will be tossing out frying pans left and right. Problem is you don’t have their budget. Another biggie was when they put hot products, sometimes even hard things like nuts into a blender. They are not using the 10 or 20 year bar blender you have with the easily breakable plastic container and the low-power blades, they are using the new blenders that are practically food processors with new technology glass and plastic containers that don’t shatter. Listening to or watching them you could end up with serious injury.

More so, the other day I’m watching a very famous chef who forgot his feeder tube was in the food processor and poured six eggs into it. You could tell if you paid attention because it filled up and didn’t go in to the container. A microsecond later, he said the dough was now ready. In short, it’s television. They edited it out. It was embarrassing and if you didn’t have eagle eyes you missed it. If you end up following exactly what he did you’d end up with the same problem. TV mistakes are edited out constantly; alas that doesn’t happen in real life. So be careful. Very careful.

#5. Only do it if it’s worth the effort

If it’s worth the time to make something normal into something extraordinary, do it. If it takes a lot of time, and the level of taste remains the same or doesn’t go up that significantly, do the quick way. If you feel the several minutes you get using Bisquick over making it from scratch is worth the taste difference (that is if they seem essentially the same to you) take the quick way. I know a microwave baked potato taking 8-10 minutes is better than 40-55 minutes in the oven (though I sometimes miss the crunchy skin). If you’re not eating the skin, why take 8-12 times longer using the oven? And the reverse is true too. To me, you have to make waffles by scratch because of the folding in the egg whites to get that “heavenly cloud” texture, so it’s worth it to me. The time is longer but the difference in taste is great.

Only exception to this is the number-three rule of experimentation. There’s a lot of things you should do at least once in order to expand your cooking techniques and skill. For instance, personally I found all the effort to deep fry french fries (using the traditional method not with an electric fryer) was not worth the effort. The set up, cook time and clean up was insane when an oven roast would have made almost as good french fries with a lot less effort and time. I did gain experience from it though, so while I wouldn’t do it again I’m glad I did it once.

#4. When buying food, do the math first

You think you do this already, don’t you? Well you probably do not take it far enough as you should. Pay attention. We’re all subject to initial “sticker shock” at the supermarket. Wow that’s too much money. That’s out of my budget, I’m never buying that, you’re thinking to yourself. Whoa! Next time that comes to mind, stop, think hard, and do the math first. You’ll find a brand new world opening to you.

Ok, 31-40 fresh shrimp is $7 bucks a pound (in this instance). Too much. Extravagant. Pass it by … No! What are you going to do with it? Cook it and serve it fresh like a cocktail? You could. For a party it might be worth it. Chances are you are going to mix it with rice and other vegetables or you are going to put it in a pasta with other vegetables. In short, you’re going to do something we all are familiar with, you’re going to “stretch it”. When you’re done you will then end up getting between six to eight servings out of it all. Spaghetti’s a buck. Sauce is maybe $3 and you’re only using half a jar, so a buck fifty. You already bought the produce. Ok, so in the end, at (let’s go with the lower six servings), you’re going to make a meal to feed six at under two bucks a head. Expensive? Hell no! In other words, buy the shrimp. It’s not as expensive you first thought it would be.

Here’s one that happened to me recently when I was buying mushrooms for my mushroom soup recipe. I wanted shitake. Holy moly it was $10 a pound. Yowsah. But then I stopped. I walk closer to the bin where they are all loose, unwrapped, unpackaged. I pick a handful up. Wow these were very very light compared to the button mushroom cousins. So I grabbed a plastic bag and started tossing in big handfuls. I filled up the bag, put it on the scale. 4 ounces. LOL. All of that and it was $2.50. See what I mean? One more quick example. Veal. Super lean cut. Very little or no fat. You’ll often get away with serving 3 or 4 ounces of veal as a serving when compared to 8 oz of steak or fat. That is, the waste factor is a lot less, you get more out of a similar weight. Suddenly more expensive veal is seen as being easily on par with beef or pork.

So the lesson is you just can’t go by the price alone, you have to think about it, and almost always you will find that yes, you can buy that. And still remain within or very close to your budget. All with expanding the quality and variety of food you eat.

#3. Experiment! Experiment! Experiment!

Try new vegetables, new proteins like various fish. Get a new hunk of cheese every time you go to market and see if you like it. Try new techniques, maybe deep-frying or slow cooking tougher but cheaper cuts of meat. Always eat meat, try a fresh not frozen fish. That’s right you, the one who’s intimidated by standing the fresh seafood area in the market. Next time, buy a different fish and try it Does the fish intimidate you? Don’t know how to cook it? You’re on the web. If you don’t find the answer here (and hey, I haven’t cooked every fish possible, yet) you’ll find many places that will tell you what to do with it. You can even do your homework prior to going to the store and look up the information ahead of time.

Keep passing by that odd shaped melon? Take it home, look up a recipe. Ditto with that strange green bunch of stuff next to the lettuce. Buy a different kind of rice besides “white” when you’re in the rice aisle. Try a Classico or other spaghetti sauce that is not Ragu (yuck) or Prego. Maybe a vodka sauce for your pasta next time, or a four-cheese red sauce blend. Just get out of your rut!

#2 Remember, recipes are merely guidelines

Yes, exactly like the Pirates of the Caribbean and the pirate’s code. Recipes are not written in stone. (Ok, baking recipes are much more written in stone because baking is more science than art. Other cooking is comparatively pure art.)

In fact you’ll often see with my recipes that I list spices and herbs and say “to taste”. Why? Because everyone’s taste buds are a at least a tad different. More so, there are many variables in cooking, because we’re dealing with nature, that can’t be standardized. Your frying pan my be made out of a different alloy, your stove burners might go higher, your conception of “medium heat” might be someone else’s “low heat”. Your oven works differently. Your chicken breasts from your market might be 20% more or less than the one the recipe’s cook used. And there are literally thousands of other variables.

And the number one rule …

#1. If you like it, do it!

In the end, does it work for you? (And those you’re cooking for?) If you like your red wine chilled, do it. On the contrary if you like it at 80 degrees, well, whatever floats your boat. Do you think despite what the recipe said that it needs to be sweeter? Do it. Think the recipe is too hot? Use less or maybe none. (Yes this also goes back to the item about “guidelines”.) Point it, it’s not necessarily wrong just because someone says it is. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard cooks bark on that a tomato should never be served cold. So one day, I tried a tomato cold from the fridge and a room temperature one. I didn’t like the room temperature one. Now, maybe it’s my taste buds. Maybe it’s solely because I have gotten used to having it cold. Bottom line though is the same I like them cold.

Now, there is a slight “back track” here. And that refers to the item about experimenting. Try it. Like I did with the tomato test. Why? They might be right. You might like your tomato at room temperature. It’s like the Dr. Seuss story of “Green Eggs and Ham”. If you’ve never tried green eggs don’t say you hate the taste. Try it. Then make your mind up. Now once your mind is made up, once you’ve tried that odd looking squash, that fruit at room temperature, etc … then tell “them” to stick it with their annoying advice. Go into that restaurant, order the red wine and tell them to put it in an ice bucket for 15 minutes prior to serving it. And don’t relent; the customer is always right. But … at least give things a try first. At least once. Then you’ll know.

©2008 Harry Kenney

What can I say about mushrooms? Ok, first off, they’re obviously delicious! Eating-wise they can add another dimension to a steak. Or to chicken as well. They give that extra “something” when added to soups, a rice mixture or pasta. They can serve as a tasty vessel for stuffing.

In many ways they are “meaty” for both the vegetarian and the carnivore in us alike. I recall the oft-quoted here Frugal Gourmet, Jeff Smith, saying something to the effect of mushrooms being a sign of a generous God that from horse manure could such amazing things as mushrooms spring. Or something to that effect. He said it partly in jest and partly serious. Anyway, we get the idea of what he meant.

In other regards, by now you probably already know it’s a fungus or fungi. That there are edible and poisonious varieties; fortunately the poisonous ones don’t make it to the market. The term toadstools has often referred to them somewhate interchanably, especially in and since the European middle ages. However today that term seems old fashion and when it’s used — more often in fairy tales than in reality — they refer to the poisonous kind of mushroom. They can be used in medicines and lately cosmetics as well as some varieties used by shamans and others for psydelic trips. These also don’t make it to the grocers.

By the way, if you’re absolutely wild about mushrooms (edible and not) then head over to MykoWeb for what’s perhaps the greatest resource of knowledge pertaining to “mushrooms, funghi and mycology” on the Web. Just the Funghi of California section alone contains over 500 species and ia approaching 3,500 photographs.

While once considered to be without nutritional value, in modern times we know better. They are excellent sources of selenium and ergothioneine, two antioxidants, as well as copper and potassium/ Additionally, they are one of the few natural sources of vitamin D. Mushrooms are also good sources of three essential B-vitamins: riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid. Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free and very low in sodium.

Flavor, hmm. Overall I think mushrooms are delicous, but describing the differences in types difficult to convey, but I’ll try. Crimini taste just like white button mushrooms taste like, well, I’d have to say they are what we normally think of with a mushroom, sort of the baseline. Portobellos taste meatier somehow, and shitake a bit more spicy and a bit more aromatic. Together though, wow, what a supeb and sublime combination.

As with other recipes, substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock and you have a 100% vegetarian version of this incredible soup. And again, if I had found vegetable stock at the store (or had the presense of mind to have made some myself homemade) I would have easily gone that way. Oh, and timewise this is fairly fast for a soup. I’ve seen a few recipes where something like this is given to take up to two hours; really, I have no idea what they’re thinking in doing that. After prep work, this takes about 40 minutes from start to finish.

Hearty Three-Mushroom Soup
©2008 Harry Kenney

4 oz shitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, rough chopped
6 oz baby portabellos (or mature portabellos) mushrooms, cleaned, rough chopped
6 oz crimini (or white button) mushrooms, cleaned, rough chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 leek, well-cleaned, chunks
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2/3 cup dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio, if you’re wondering)
4 cups chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth for vegetarian version)
1 pint heavy cream
chives (topping, optional)

Add butter and oil to stock pot on medium heat. Add onions, celery and garlic and sweat for about 8-10 minutes. Add all the mushrooms and more oil, cook down, stir often. Again, not trying to brown or cook completely, but partially, about 10 minutes, adding more oil if needed. Then add wine, stir and add chicken stock. Cook for 20 minutes.

Now either transfer stock in sections to food processor and return to pot or use emersion blender to puree. Mushrooms will still be there in a very fine mince. Add cream to pureed mixture and cook for 10 minutes. Top with chives. Suggest serving with crostini, fresh bread or maybe polenta rounds. Makes about six servings.

©2008 Harry Kenney

Crostini. A sort of cousin to bruschetta, they mean in Italian “little toasts”. Funny though, the pronunciation sounds much to the English speaking person’s ear as “crust teeny” which would describe them equally well. Now I know I said I was getting away from the Italian food a bit, and I am, but, fact of the matter Italian food is such an integral part of the American food tapestry, I will always end up doing an Italian recipe now and then.

That said, the rest of this is certainly not in any way Italian. I topped it with Muenster cheese, an American cheese with an orange rind, and light texture and taste that is a great melting cheese. And to that I added a sliver of red apple. Supposedly one doesn’t don’t add herbs or spices on it. Hah, silly rabbit! I add a touch of garlic powder — not so much as to make it in any way a garlic bread however. And some dried oregano and basil. Where as for bruschetta I use the thicker wider Italian bread, for this I use the long and skinnier one. A French baguette would have worked just as well. Besides an obviously wonderful appetizer, I find, as I do with many appetizers, they also make great little “sides” accompanying a salad or soup.

  

Crostini with Melted Cheese and Apple
©2008 Harry Kenney

Half loaf of thin-wdith Italian bread or French baguette
olive oil
garlic powder
dried basil
dried oregano
5 oz. muenster cheese (or bree or another soft, mild cheese)
1 apple

Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice the bread very thin. On a parchment lined baking sheet place the 12 or more slices. Drizzle olive oil on one side of the bread than the other. Sprinkle the spices and herbs and place in oven for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Then take out and add a sliver of cheese and one small bit of apple. Two more minutes in the oven and done. Let cool slightly for a few mintues and serve.

©2008 Harry Kenney

You should know how this goes by now if you’re a long-time reader. If you’ve just stumbled upon this site then welcome! And here’s the dirty low-down: This is where you the surfer asked questions without actually asking me. You — or, I should say, “they” — placed search terms in the various engines and found themselves at my site. And through my server logs I found what they were searching for.

While most found the answers they were looking for, some did not, and it is to those I do my best to answer their “spoken yet unspoken” question. Besides being, I hope, somewhat helpful, there’s also a bit of “comedy”, namely in the weird searches people will do as well. So first the helpful hints stuff and then — for dessert, so to speak — at bottom are the weird and funny searches (and a snappy rejoinder or two). Enjoy.

“can I do a twice baked potato the night before the party?” – Good question and the answer is a good party planner tip. Be sure and check out my recipe on Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes, btw. I would bake the potatoes the day before. Do the scooping out and mixing of ingredients and then put them in the refrigerator covered in plastic or gently piled into a large container. Then the day of the party, they’re ready and all you all have to do is the second bake. And they’ll taste very fresh. In short, yes, with twice baked potatoes you can do the initial bake the night before and the second bake the day of. I would not bake them three times, that is I would not do both bakes the night before and then a heat up the day of the party, it will not taste as fresh and would probably taste a tad soggy.

“true Italian hoagie ingredients” – Quick tangant first. Wikipedia seems to be going down the drain more and more. Just for fun (though lately disgust) I check them out when doing research. Now, I’m from Philly. I know what’s in a real Italian hoagie. I have no reason to “research” it. But, as with the Philadelphia Cheesesteak, I sometimes get curious as to what “crapola” people come up with. Anyway the ingredients list at Wikipedia includes proscuitto. Are you kidding me? At $5 per 4 ounces, hoagies would run for 12 bucks instead of $5 or 6 with that ingredient added alone. Never seen an Italian hoagie with that on, and in Philly, unless it’s some kind of upscale-gourmet version I never will.

Ok, enough of the “bologna” — pun intended. You came to the right place, here, for your answer. A true Philadelphia Italian hoagie (and there is no other authentic kind that a Philadelphia kind) is made with cooked capicola, genoa salami, cooked salami, ham and provolone. Some folks omit the ham, most have it on it. The good ones also include mortadella. Hoagies in general either come with mayonnaise or oil (with a touch of vinegar) and sometimes both, but with an Italian hoagie you get it with the oil, never with mayo. Sweet and hot peppers are optional, but most folks will pick one or the other or both. Natch the other ingredients of a hoagie are assumed: a fresh, firm Italian roll, little shreded lettuce, little raw onion and slices of tomato, maybe pickles, all seasoned with salt, pepper and dried oregano.

“can you use wine that has been chilled room temperature and back to being chilled again?” – I’m always getting questions about red wine every since my article on Chilled Red Wine? The Proof Is in the Lager. Ok, ever hear of “musky beer”? My nephew Billy knows this one. When you get a case of beer that’s unrefrigerated, but it in the icebox, take it out (for whatever reason), let it get warm, put it back in and later open it, you get musky beer. The cold, warm, cold has changed it’s composition enough that it gives it a funny taste. Now, if that’s beer, imagine what it will do to something as comparatively complex tasting as wine.

In short, try it. This goes back to my axiom of do what works for you, but generally my advice is, if it’s gotten to room temperature, drink it. If you have to put it back, again try it. Maybe it will not taste good, maybe you won’t taste the difference. Maybe if you put it in something else as an ingredient … in terms of drinks, maybe add it to a sangria, or maybe put it in your beef stew. I would not automatically throw it out, no, never. So try it, and it might be fine, second, if it seems a tad off, try mixing it with something else, using it as an ingredient, and if all else fails and it really tastes off to you, toss it.

Obviously the best thing to do in the future is to place it back in the refrigerator before it gets to room temperature or to add more ice to your ice bucket. I know, doesn’t help for now, but keep it mind for the next time.

“what makes a great cooking show?” – If I knew that, I’d either be the Next Food Network Star or better yet running the joint. Seriously, since you asked, a cook or chef that can connect with the audience, who has an interesting take on making things their own, who has a variety of experience, who has enough knowledge to give tips and talk about the food.

I do have one thing to say about food travel combo shows — most of which I can’t stand, and a few with I love. You had better do a minimum of five recipes per half hour, or you are not a food show travelling, you’re on a vacation and having a tax write-off and you’re annoying me. I don’t need to know everything about a culture or see the waves for ten minutes on a food travel show; you see, that’s what a pure travel show will give me. If you’re doing food, I want to see food and lots of it, not yacking, being introduced to your “new cultural friend Juan” to give you a tour of the mountains or the museums. I want to see and get the recipes for the food already! If you can’t do that, go on your trip or your vacation and leave the production crew at home.

“ground beef stew too dry” – That’s a pretty easy one actually. First, go with the fatty mixture. Whether it’s stew or hamburgers, I always go with the 80% ground beef to 20% fat. I know, the leaner you go the more expensive it is, so consumers think that’s better. What it is is leaner. Better depends upon what you’re trying to achieve. If you’re trying to get more fat out of your diet, I say forget ground beef altogether, going for a 90-10 mix is only depriving yourself of flavor and making your eating more bland. And it’s not cutting out much fat in your diet at the same time.

I recall the episode of Chef’s Story where they were featuring Cat Cora when she talks about one of her culinary school instructors who used to say the following to his class all the time, almost as a mantra: “Fat is taste. Fat is taste. Fat is taste” In the case of the ground beef stew it’s also the moisture. So first is the blend. Second, don’t over do it in the frying pan. Some folks totally skip a frying pan for ground beef stew and purely stew the beef. That would definitely give you moistness and tenderness. But in my opinion you’re loosing some flavor. Brown your meat in the frying pan with garlic and sauteed onions but brown it lightly. Remember this is not a slab of steak, this is not cubed beef. The surface area on each “crumble” of individual meat is the size of a pea or smaller. If you brown that hard and long and dark, of course there’s not going to be much moisture left inside of each clump of meat. So, right mixture, plenty of fat, a light browning not heavy, and you’re hamburger stew will be moist every time.

“adjusting cooking time stuffed chicken breasts” – gotten this a few times. I hate going by time. How do I know how big the breasts are? If you are really referring to half-breasts? Are the boneless? Are they boned? How thick the bones if they are? How deep and long did you cut the pocket? Is the stuffing actually denser or lighter than the chicken meat? etc etc … This is why time is not the answer and nothing I can answer. So go with the universal constant. Internal temperature. And how do we get that? With an internal probe or thermometer. In which case what you have to be careful with is you are not going to put the rod into the center the way you normally do. If you do this you will be taking the temp of the stuffing, but the chicken around it could still be too raw. Simply don’t insert the probe or rod too deeply, and instead check just outside of the stuffing area. Another way is to do what I just said plus two other places: check also in the stuffing, and at an end point away from the stuffing. By getting these range of temperatures you should be able to figure out if the area of chicken that has the greatest thickness without stuffing is done and if the area around the stuffing is done.

If you need a temperature reminder, we’re talking 165°F as the minimum level to eat chicken safely. Try not to exceed 175°F. At 180°F and over you have a very dried bird.

Strange But True Searches

“open face stomboli recipes” – An open-faced stromboli? Um, we have a special name for that. You may never have heard of it before. Write this down. It’s called a “pizza”.

“how to make beef brisket burnt ends?” – Burn them.

“microwave, turnip, aluminum foil” – Sheesh! I really do hope that search doesn’t mean what I think it does, otherwise the answer is “aluminum foil, microwave, big boom”.

“candy oven parts” – I’ll let you make up your own response to this. Really. Feel free to put them in the comments below.

“man vs wild recipe” – The only “recipe” I know Bear Grylls has is: Catch it while it’s moving. Rip it’s head off. Chow down. … Yuck!

“drunk on orange extract” – Seriously, whoever you are, your frat party privileges are now permanently revoked!

©2008 Harry Kenney

What we have here essentially is a Spanish Oxtail Stew featuring Root Vegetables. Not only is it a dish eaten in the south of Spain, but this is a dish that transcends not only geography, but also social classes and time itself. With a few variations this dish could have been eaten in close to this form not only a few hundred years ago, but also two thousand years ago, and even nine millennia ago. Talk about getting in touch with the earth and roots huh? So how did I decide to do this exact dish?

Having done so many Italian and Italian-American recipes lately I’ve felt a great need for change. And a desire to let my taste buds, if not my actual personage, travel to some different distant lands. It was an episode of Dinner: Impossible that got me interested in trying out oxtails. I find it in some ways humorous and in many ways delightful when poor people’s food or “peasant food” becomes trendy cuisine.

To quote About.com: “Cooks around the world have long made use of oxtails with variations on a theme. Today, upscale chefs are rediscovering oxtails to the nostalgic delight of older patrons and the wonder of the younger crowd who consider it an exotic meat.” Indeed, my mother who at 92 still recalls that her father enjoyed oxtails; apparently it was a part of his father and his father’s father’s English roots.

At first then I thought, ah, I’ll make an English version of this dish, partly due to Robert Irvine having brought it to my attention via his television program as well as because of my grandfather. And then I started looking around. And all I can say is “wow”. I mean think about it: oxtail, oxen, animal husbandry, early cultivation … In short, if you want to find a protein, a meat, a dish that goes back to the beginning of man’s civilized history, oxtails have been eaten since before recorded history.

So when researching I found there’s pretty much no ancient culture that doesn’t have an oxtail recipe. There are Chinese recipes, Indian recipes, Greek and Basque recipes. When later countries came into being, they continued eating oxtails, so there are recipes from the UK to South Africa to Burma and beyond. And if we go just a few centuries old, there are many Caribbean recipes too. In short oxtails are a global dish.

So while I initially wanted to make an English dish, I thought I would keep my mind open and see what most appealed to me with so many variations from so many countries available. When I found this one, I knew I just had to do it. Rabo de Toro, literally “Tail of the Bull”, a dish from Spain specifically the Andalusian region, and more specifically having come from the bull fights in Cordoba.

Speaking of history lessons, just as the dish coq au vin is rarely ever made with roosters any more and is today almost always made with chickens so is the case here. Rabo de Toro — unless you happen to be an actual matador — is almost always made today with oxtails. And, just to confuse you even more, oxtails, which did historically come from the ox, pretty much today come from the tails of beef cattle of both genders.

What makes this dish so especially Spanish? And what gives it that twist I was searching for? The answer to both are the ingredients of red bell pepper, paprika and chocolate. Yes chocolate. And what makes this classic recipe in any way mine? Two things. Oddly all the recipes I saw containing root vegetables seemed to neglect one particular one which I can’t imagine would have been originally left out, and so one contribution is my addition of the white turnip along with the traditional carrots and parsnips.

Also the recipes call for a deep, full-bodied red wine. Now as much as my bottle of Portuguese Porto Reserve would have been a fit pairing with this neighboring country dish I found that too expensive a proposition, so I ended up with a combination of both Merlot and American (yes, Taylor’s) Port; the Merlot provided a nice dry backbone while the Port gave it some deeper body and a touch of sweetness which was needed. And at less than half the price of using the Porto Reserve.

I will say one thing if you haven’t figured it out yet: This is a long and I mean long cooking dish. Some might think that great as for the most part you pretty much leave it do it’s thing. Part of my impatience though comes out with four full hours of just the beef cooking, not to mention the prep work or the 45 minutes after for the vegetable cooking was just a long time. But to my delight it was worth it. Delicious.

Btw, as slow cooking and crock pots have made a resurgence in popular recently, yes, this probably would be an excellent choice for cooking in that manner. However, just as I didn’t toss the bulk of the vegetables in until last so they would have body and not get soggy, I would probably suggest doing the same and not adding them to the slow cooker until the last hour.

For those of you particularly squeamish just think of this as beef stew with some interestingly different tastes thrown in — because really that’s what it basically is. And for those of you yearning for something out of the ordinary: here’s a taste of Spain, a dish with an interesting story and history behind it from ancient man to modern bull fights, and a stew containing chocolate — all rolled into one. What more could you want? ¡Olé!

Rabo de Toro – Spanish Oxtail Stew
©2008 Harry Kenney

2 lbs oxtails
1 medium-large yellow onion, diced
1-1/2 medium-sized parsnips, peeled, large dice
1 medium-sized white turnip, peeled, large dice
2 medium carrots, unpeeled (if fresh), large dice
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
15 oz of canned diced tomatoes (use fresh only at peak season)
2 tbsps minced garlic (or same amount from fresh cloves)
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp thyme
2 tsps oregano
1/2 tsp cumen (optional)
1-2 medium bay leaves
1 oz unsweetened (bakers) chocolate, sliced down into slivers
* 3 cups beef stock / broth
* 3 cups dry red wine (I used Merlot)
* 1-1/2 cups American (Taylor’s) Port wine
* 8 cups water
salt
pepper

3 baking potatoes to make mashed potatoes

* liquid ingredients marked with asterisk (and to lesser degree the spices not marked with asterisks) the amounts listed all depend on how much evaporation, time cooking, seasoning to your taste, etc. Constantly adding more and more as needed over the long cook. The amounts listed are approximations of the total amounts used over the entire course of the cooking. When starting out, start out with less and add more over time as needed and/or desired, as mentioned in the instructions here.

In a large stewing pot or dutch oven — I used a four quart pot — with heat medium-high begin by browning your oxtails on all sides using plenty of olive oil. I found using long tong work well. This takes about 15 minutes roughly.

Remove the oxtails onto a plate. Into the pot add more oil, most of the onions, most of the celery. Start to sweat. Several minutes in add the minced garlic. Continue to sweat, not to brown. When softened enough, put the oxtails back in adding also 1 cup of dry wine and 1/2 cup of port and one cup of beef stock. Turn heat to high. Scrape bottom to get bits up. Add salt and pepper and oregano. Add as much water as needed to just cover the top of the oxtails. Cover, when it comes to a boil, put flame back down to simmer.

This concept of checking on the stew, giving it a stir, adding more water or wine or stock as required. Bringing it to high heat when you’ve done so, then lowering back to a simmer if basically what you will do for the next four hours. How much of which and what I leave to you. Too much and it’s too rich, too much water and you’ll get watery stew. I would add no more than two cups of water at a time, a cup preferably. Wine the next time, some more stock the next. The amounts listed at the top of the recipe give you an idea of how much should be used during the entire course of the cooking.

After the three hour mark, start testing the softness of the beef. The best way I’ve found is to lift part of it out with a large serving spoon, and test with the end of a steak knife or fork gently. At roughly the four hour mark or the point you most feel the beef is tender, that it is just holding on to the bone barely, take it out, place on a plate and let it cool for about 15 minutes. During this time I leave the lid off the stew and let it continue on simmer, this will reduce the liquid somewhat.

Take the meat completely off the bone. Shread with your fingers or fork and place back into stew. At this point, add all the root vegetables, including the small remainder of onion and celery left over from the start. Add the remaining half of your oregano plus all of your spices including the chocolate. Add more broth, wines and water as needed. Cover, bring to full boil, reduce back to simmer.

You should find the carrots are done first, then the turnips and finally the parsnips in that order, and it should take roughly 45 more minutes of stewing.

Meanwhile, take three baking potatoes, punch three deep rows of holes in them with a fork, two on one side, one on the other and place in microwave for roughly 12 minutes. When done, let cool enough to touch, scoop out, use butter, milk, salt, pepper and make a medium to thick consistency mashed potatoes.

When stew is done, place some mash on the side of your deep bowl and fill the rest with the stew. Because of the richness of the stew including the deep notes of the dark wines used, go the other way and use a sweet blush or white wine as accompaniment. I suggest a White Zinfandel or a Riesling. I know, it’s not exactly Spanish, but it tastes good. Want to keep it Spanish and still sweet? The no-brainer would be go with Sangria; matter of fact that would probably be best.