Momofuku Ssam Sauce

I've not been big on recipes lately.  Instead, have been experimenting.  Or just cooking simply with good ingredients.

But one way to add interest is new sauces and seasonings.  I wrangled an on-sale pork shoulder into the Dutch over last week for a braise and decided to make it Momofuku Bo Ssam style. Made the two sauces that come with...but did lettuce wraps instead of steamed buns.

And the wonderful surprise?  Plenty of Ssam sauce leftover.  I put it in a squeeze bottle and threw it in the fridge.  So far, it's been great on seared tuna, roasted asparagus and steamed new potatoes.  The possibilities seem endless. Post your ideas/successes in the comments below.

This one is definitely worth the trip to an Asian supermarket.

SSAM SAUCE
Makes one cup.

2 tablespoons fermented bean-and-chili paste (ssamjang) (Pictured.)
1 tablespoon chili paste (kochujang)
½ cup sherry vinegar
½ cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)

Poached Trout with Onions and Fennel Seeds

The holidays are coming.  And it's likely that you're going to add few pounds.  No, you won't go overboard, but cornbread dressing, pumpkin pie, egg nog and tamales are things that no one should deny themselves completely.  So take the next couple weeks to make really smart decisions and get yourself to fighting weight.  Here's a recipe that fits the bill nicely.

I've been eyeing the cleaned whole trout at our local warehouse store for a while now.  But knew the other half wouldn't eat them, so what would I do with five at a time?  Mealsaver to the rescue.  Vacuum packed them all individually and threw them in the freezer.  All I have to do is take one out a day before I am ready to cook it, and voila...I'm set.  Used just that process to get one ready last week for this delicious, healthy dish.

Poached Trout with Onions and Fennel Seeds
From Saveur magazine.
Makes 2-4 servings.


5 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
1 large yellow onion, cut crosswise into ½″-thick slices, separated into rings
1 large red onion, cut crosswise into ½"-thick slices, separated into rings
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced crosswise
1 2-pound whole trout, cleaned
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups white wine
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

Heat oven to 350°. Place thyme, bay leaves, onions, and carrot in a 9" × 13" baking dish. Season inside of trout with salt and pepper, and place over onions; season with salt and pepper and set aside. Bring wine, oil, and fennel seeds to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over high heat; pour over trout and onions. Scatter parsley over top, and bake until trout is just cooked through and vegetables are soft, about 40 minutes.

Back in the Saddle: Garlic Confit

Did you miss me?  Sorry to have been so scarce around here. Still cooking and cocktailing and enjoying the beautiful life.  Just so busy doing it that I haven't had time to come on and blog about it. I'll try to do better in the weeks to come.  And already have preloaded some great Thanksgiving posts that you won't want to miss.

Part of what has taken my time lately is the new (again) health kick I am on.  Eating well (and less) and exercising more.  Down 10 pounds in a month.  Hopefully I will keep with the trend...and I will definitely share some of the recipes and tips I'm learning.

This post shows you a good way to add a kick of flavor to the things you cook every night.  I found myself with a surplus of garlic the other day and decided to try this one.  It's easy and delicious.  Use a spoonful of the flavor boost in pasta after you've drained it, veggies after you've steamed them, or even as a sandwich spread. It makes mashed potatoes garlicky and, of course, is perfect for garlic bread.  Refrigerated, it will keep for up to 4 months.

Garlic Confit
From Food & Wine Magazine.
Makes 3 cups.

6 heads of garlic, cloves peeled (2 cups)

6 thyme sprigs

3 small bay leaves

3 dried red chiles, such as chiles de arbol

2 cups pure olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer over low heat until the garlic is tender but not browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic, herbs and chiles to three 1/2-pint canning jars. Pour the cooking oil on top, seal and refrigerate for up to 4 months.

Housemade Sweet-and-Sour Mix

If you follow this silly little blog, you know I believe in using quality ingredients in my cooking.  I believe the same thing about cocktails.  Not only good-quality spirits (which, by the way, doesn't always mean the most expensive) but fresh juices and herbs and mixes.  Here's a perfect example. 

Don't use that nasty neon green stuff that you can buy at stores that they call sweet and sour mix.  It's nastily sweet and reminds me of antifreeze.  Instead, mix up a batch of this and keep it in the fridge.  Your next margarita will thank me.

Housemade Sweet-and-Sour Mix
Makes 2 cups.

1/2 cup simple syrup
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients together and store in a jar or bottle in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Easy Olive Tapenade

I love it when I discover quick and easy and delicious things.  I have always liked olive tapenade, but never thought to make it myself.  But with a surplus of kalamata olives (bought in bulk at a local Middle Eastern market) after a couple of Greek salads, I decided to put them to use.  Of course, I had pimiento-stuffed olives also (hello, martini), so was well on my way. 
It was a delicious snack on toasted baguette slices.  Would also be a great sandwich spread or combined with a dollop of goat cheese on a cracker.

Try it yourself.  A quick zip in a mini-food processor and you're set....

Easy Olive Tapenade
Makes about one cup.

2/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed olives
1 tablespoon garlic
2 tablespoons fresh parsley (optional, but a nice touch if you have it on hand)
About one tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Place the olives, garlic and parsley in a mini food processor and pulse until chunky.  Drizzle in olive oil with motor running until tapenade is the desired consistency.

Holiday Gifts: Garlic Confit

Here's a lovely homemade gift for the foodie in your life.  The garlic is delicious spread on bread or slipped under chicken skin before roasting.  The flavored oil can be drizzled over steamed vegetables or used as the base for a flavoful vinaigrette.  Make sure you let the recipient know all this when you label it.  Pair it with a loaf of good bread and/or a bottle of rich Pinot Gris.

Oh...and make enough to keep in your own pantry as well.  It can be refrigerated up to 4 months.

Garlic Confit
Makes about 3 cups.

2 cups peeled garlic cloves (about 6 heads)
6 thyme sprigs
3 bay leaves
3 dried red chiles
2 cups olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer over very low heat until the garlic is tender about 30 minutes.  Watch carefully and do NOT let the garlic brown.

Let cool and transfer to three 1/2 pint canning jars, distributing garlic, spices and oil equally.  Seal and refrigerate for up to 4 months.

Pomegranates

Pomegranates (and pomegranate juice) are everywhere these days.  You can find them at most grocery stores, and I love that.  They are, in my mind, a perfect ingredient for Christmas-time--red jewels that add a touch of class to lots of dishes and cocktails. And ruby red juice to boot.



Thanks to Food Network Magazine, here are some interesting ways for you to put them to use:

• Mix up pomegranate cosmos...just replace the cranberry with pomegranate juice.
• While you're at it, replace your morning OJ with pomegranate juice.
• Pretty red and green Christmas crostini:  Spread toasted baguette slices with goat cheese and sprinkle pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios on top.
• How about pom soda? Muddle a few seeds, add ice, pomegranate juice and top with club soda.
• Kick up your vinaigrette.  Whisk 1 tablespoon pomegranate juice, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, and 1/4 cup olive oil together.  Season with salt and pepper.
• Top your salmon with 1/2 cup slivered toasted almonds and 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds.
• Simmer equal parts apple cider and pomegranate juice to warm the cockles of your heart.
• If you want another cocktail, pour 2 ounces each of bourbon and pomegranate juice over ice.  Add club soda and garnish with an orange slice.
• And of course, a classic.  Simply pour a glass of your favorite bubbly and toss in a couple of pomegranate seeds.  The little rubies will dance in the bubbles.  Quite the festive sipper!

And a few tips:

• You can store whole pomegranates in plastic bags for up to three months in the refrigerator.
• No-mess seeding: Quarter and submerge in water.  As you loosed the seeds, they will sink and the pithy parts will float to the top.
• Check out Martha Stewart's method also.  Quarter the pomegranate, hold over a bowl and whack the skin with a wooden spoon.  The seeds will fall into the bowl.
• You can always take the easy way out and buy pre-seeded pomegranates.  They make a yummy quick snack.
• Make your pomegranate juice last even longer and make pomegranate molasses.  (I'm going to test it out and post a recipe sometime soon.)

Pear-Chile Salsa

When I found it in a Central Market Hatch chile cookbook, I set this recipe aside to try a month or so ago when I was gifted with a bag of end-of-season New Mexico chiles, figuring it was a good way to use them raw rather than roasted.  You have no excuse to save it until next year's Hatch chile season though.  As I mentioned yesterday, pears are in high season, so it's a perfect time to mix up a batch.

Not sure exactly how I'll use it, but it strikes me as an excellent candidate for roast pork, taco garnish, or cracker and cream cheese topper.

Pear-Chile Salsa
Makes about 5 pints.

1/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon garlic pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 cups chopped chiles (chop by hand for a chunky salsa or in the processor as I did for a saucy salsa)
1 medium red onion, minced
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
8 cups pears, coarsely chopped (again...I cheated and used the Cuisinart)

Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Ladle hot salsa into clean canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Process in a hot water canner for 15 minutes.

A Field Trip to the Asian Market

I love going to the grocery store. Especially when they're "exotic." Whenever I travel internationally, the grocery is one of my favorite stops. Spain for saffron and paella rice. London for curry ingredients and tea biscuits. And even "international" stops here in the U.S. like New York's or San Francisco's Chinatowns for spices and sauces. (And, of course it's important to eat the local specialties when you travel also...seafood on the shore. Steak in the Midwest. And so on.)


We, of course, have wonderful "exotic" markets here in the Dallas area. Central Market for gourmet ingredients, beautiful seafood and fresh-baked breads. And Whole Foods for all of the above and more with an even more organic slant.


But we do well with international groceries as well. There is a new Indian market in our neighborhood which I am looking forward to perusing. And I wouldn't dream of buying avocados, peppers, tortillas and other Mexican ingredients anyplace but the Fiesta down the street.


The latest on my list is the Asian World Market in Plano. With a stack of recipes like this and this and my grocery list in hand, I headed north. It was incredible...


The produce was fully stocked with a seemingly never-ending variety of bok choys. More mushrooms than at any other grocery I have seen. And Chinese long beans which I used in a delicious recipe.


And I guess it's time for me to learn to like tofu. They have scores of brands and varieties. As well as miso, the other soy-based ingredient so important in Asian cooking.


The meat and seafood section included more basic things like ground pork and shrimp, but also exotic ingredients like jellyfish. There are aisles and aisles of sauces needed for Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Korean, Japanese and Chinese cuisine. And things quite "foreign" to many of us like dried shrimp.


There are many more culinary adventures to be had after future visits. Maybe I'll run into some of you there!

Countdown to Thanksgiving: The Secret Ingredient...Grating Whole Nutmeg

There is an ingredient ubiquitous to the Thanksgiving table. Nutmeg. It's in pumpkin pies and cakes and cookies. And it's often included in gratins, scalloped potatoes or other dishes that include cream (or even Parmesan cheese).


But there's simply no reason to buy an expensive jar of ground nutmeg to sit in your cabinet and gradually lose its flavor on a daily basis (and ground, it didn't have much flavor to begin with). Do yourself a favor and grate your own. You can buy whole nutmegs in the spice section of your grocery store. Or check out the bulk section of someplace like Whole Foods or Central Market...you can buy just a couple of whole nutmegs. It will serve you for months for less than a dollar.


Now...how to grate? Buy a microplane grater like this. You can grate off just enough nutmeg for your recipe and keep the rest fresh in its whole form. (Whole nutmeg keeps indefinitely in a cool dark place.)


And once you've started you shouldn't stop. You'll learn that a little freshly grated nutmeg adds much to your cooking. I add a bit to most cream sauces...especially alfredo. It also goes into scalloped potatoes and creamed spinach. I've even heard of it used as a salt substitute for sauteed green beans or roasted cauliflower.


And of course it's great in baked goods like zucchini or pumpkin bread...or grated over your cappuccino.


Check it out...and post your favorite uses of nutmeg in the Comments section below.

Salt Blends

I've shared with you my pantry philosophy on salt before. Recently, I experimented a little more. Inspired by an e-mail newsletter from Gourmet magazine's Ruth Reichl, I created some delicious salt blends that you might want to try and keep around your kitchen. They are simple--good-quality kosher salt combined with herbs, spices, and sometimes citrus zest. They make great "finishing" salts to add a little zing to seafood, chicken, salads or steamed veggies. Hopefully, they will provide inspiration for you to create you own special house blends. A small mortar and pestle are great tools for these. Just grind all ingredients together to release the oils in the herbs and citrus zest.

Rosemary-Orange Salt
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon orange zest

Salt de Provence
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon orange zest

Southwestern Salt
3 tablespoons salt
3/4 teaspoons ground chile
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Would love to hear from you about any interesting concoctions you come up with...

In the Pantry: Salt

All salts are created equal, right? Not really. As I have experimented in the kitchen and at the dinner table, I've learned a lot. And upgraded my pantry stocks. Here's a little info about the various salts I keep on hand.

Good Ol' Iodized Salt
Even though I don't use it very much, I still keep a paper can of Morton's in my cabinets. This is the salt most of us grew up with. The iodine was added starting in the 1920's as a preventative for certain thyroid conditions. Interestingly enough, some countries actually require iodine to be added to salt.) Although I don't even put it on the dining room table, it's still the best for baking. Its small uniform crystals make it easy to measure and better-dissolving in recipes. (Although I have to admit I sometimes skip salt as an ingredient in cookie, cake and pie recipes. My mother always left it out of those things when we were growing up, so I am very sensitive to any kind of saltiness in things like pound cake and chocolate chip cookies.)

Kosher Salt
This is the workhorse in my salt stable. I keep it in a lidded dish on the kitchen counter and always have it on the dinner table as well. It contains no additives, and its coarser grain makes it easy to pick up with your fingers. Whether putting water on to boil for pasta or tossing a salad, I can just reach over, grab a pinch or two of salt and throw it in. I think it has a brighter, less salty (if that makes sense) flavor than iodized salt, meaning that when you use it it wakes up the flavors already in a recipe rather than adding an additional salty layer of taste. It's what I use exclusively in cooking in all non-baking jobs.

Sea Salt
I've only discovered this one in the last year or so. There are expensive ones out there (fleur de sel, for example, at almost $20 a pound. Kosher salt, by comparison costs less than a buck a pound.) but you can also buy less-expensive versions of sea salt at your grocery store. Sea salt is distilled from seawater, and some, harvested along international shorelines have trace minerals that give it as much of a terroir (flavor associated with a particular place) as wine. The minerals can also give it a characteristic color; you may have seen Michael Chiarello on the Food Network using grey salt. I have a small bag of a pinkish salt from Australia in my pantry.

Sea salt is a finishing salt for me since I think it's appeal is its texture. It's not grainy, but flaky. So when you sprinkle a little on a fresh tomato slice or steamed vegetables, it doesn't dissolve into the food, but keeps its shape and provides a salty crunch as you bite into it.

On the Horizon
There are two new trends I have noticed in the salt world. One is chunk salts. These potato-sized rocks are mined and, just as sea salts do, come in a variety if colors. It's grated as needed onto foods and used as a finishing salt. Same benefits apply: its larger flakes "sit up" on the food and provide some crunch. I'm on the lookout for a chunk or two to have for fancier occasions.

The other is smoked salt. As people branch out from brisket and ribs and now smoke fish, vegetables and other more delicate ingredients, someone threw a tray of kosher salt in and let it pick up the hardwood flavors and smells. Next time I fire up my smoker I'm going to do the same. Word on the street is that it's delicious on salmon and other fish. (Or how about rimming the glass of a delicious Bloody Mary?)

Check them out. A beautiful life deserves beautiful ingredients and having just the right salt on hand can be the thing to take a meal from ho-hum to outstanding.

Salad Dressings

As we all look for healthier eating options, many of us have turned to salads. Main-course salads for lunch or dinner. Or even just a side salad to add some veggies and crunch to our evening meals. They can grow tiresome rather quickly though. Bland iceberg lettuce and the same old cherry tomatoes and cucumber slices. Slathered with some bottled dressing that's not too healthy. Or, even worse, some exotic gourmet concoction that costs too much and goes bad too quickly on the refrigerator shelf.

If you keep a few pantry ingredients on hand though, and learn the basics of vinaigrettes, you can create an interesting salad that you can pair with whatever kind of meal you're preparing. All you need is some spices, several varieties of vinegars, and some oil, and you'll be ready to go. All these recipes make enough for a well-dressed salad for two or four and leftovers for the next salad. They keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Let's start with the basics. A simple vinaigrette that includes the tang of Dijon mustard.

Dijon Vinaigrette
All quantities can be approximated and altered to your personal taste. There's no reason to turn easy salad dressing into a complicated science experiment!

2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I find that white wine or sherry vinegar is a great neutral vinegar that won't overwhelm the other ingredients in the dressing.)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons herbs, as desired (Use whatever you like. Dried thyme, oregano, or tarragon. An herb blend like herbs de Provence. Even some finely minced rosemary. Think about herbs you're using in your main course and integrate them here.)
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Pinch salt
3/4 cup olive oil

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, vinegar, mustard, herbs, pepper and salt. Slowly whisk in olive oil to emulsify. (You can always take the easy route and dump all into a jar, put the lid on and shake away.) For a creamy version, whisk about four tablespoons of mayonnaise into finished dressing.

A twist on the basic vinaigrette uses the stronger flavors of Balsamic vinegar. This one's a favorite at our house.


Balsamic Vinaigrette
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
(No need to spend the family farm on this particular ingredient. There are some gourmet vinegars on the market that can twenty dollars and more. They should be used only for finishing, a tiny drizzle to cap a recipe right before serving. Our pantry standard is available in most grocery stores for about six bucks. Just make sure it says "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena." That way you know you're getting a quality product and not some cheap artificially sweetened stuff.)

Liberal pinch of garlic pepper blend.
(You can use minced garlic and black pepper, but I keep McCormick's garlic pepper at the front of my spice cupboard and use it all the time.)

Pinch of kosher salt.

3/4 cup olive oil

Mix first three ingredients in bowl or jar. Add olive oil and whisk or shake.

A couple of weeks ago, I was helping my brother fix dinner for our family and his soon-to-be bride and in-laws. He panicked when he realized he had forgotten to buy salad dressing. No worries. He had several ingredients on hand for an Asian marinade for the grilled salmon. I came up with this recipe. (You might already have most of these ingredients on hand for your Asian-inspired dinners.)

Asian Vinaigrette
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce (With this in dressing, be careful before you add any additional salt.)
1 teaspoon minced or dried ginger
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2/3 cup olive oil

Whisk or shake all ingredients together.

Get creative with this one and add salad ingredients that are typical of Asian cooking. Red bell pepper, green onions, celery and/or sliced water chestnuts. Maybe even use Chinese cabbage instead of lettuce greens. Add a sliced chicken breast and some almonds for crunch and you have a meal!

Based on my recent successful Asian improvisation, my brother called the other night for more advice. He and his wife were fixing a yummy meal of sweet potato cakes and black bean soup. They wanted to add a salad to the mix, but couldn't figure out how to make it work. Here was my suggestion.

Southwestern-Style Vinaigrette
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons ground cumin (That's the secret ingredient in this one.)
Garlic Pepper
Salt
3/4 cup olive oil

Mix or shake together.

Again, get creative with the salad you're dressing with this. Slices of jicama. Avocado. Even corn kernels or black beans. Whatever says Mexico, Cuba or South America to you.

So don't just settle for iceberg and Ranch dressing. Put your creativity to work and make a knock-them-dead salad that integrates perfectly with the rest of your meal.

In the Pantry: Breadcrumbs

When chefs or caterers or food folks get the standard Q and A treatment in the newspaper or magazines, they're always asked what they always keep on hand in their pantry or refrigerator. Now, nobody has ever bothered to ask me the same question, but I am going to give you the answer nonetheless. Over the course of this blog, I will periodically let you know about a staple ingredient that I can always go to because I always have it in stock. They're simple things to purchase (or make) and great to have when you think you don't have anything to eat. I'll also give you a couple of ideas of how you might use these pantry basics in your own kitchen.

The first is breadcrumbs. I always have a canister of store-bought breadcrumbs in the cabinet. They keep well and are a fairly neutral flavor palette that you can use to add texture and crunch to a variety of dishes. You've already seen them on the blog as ingredients in vegetable and meat dishes. I also use breadcrumbs a lot with fish. I'll sear tilapia or another flaky fish in a little olive oil in a saute pan for about two minutes on each side. In the meantime, I mix a cup of breadcrumbs with a little olive oil to bind together. I also add herbs (dried or fresh--whatever's on hand) and sometimes a little grated Parmesan. Once I remove the fish from the heat (I just leave it in the ovenproof skillet), I sprinkle a generous portion of the breadcrumb mixture on each fillet and put the whole thing in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Until the fish is cooked through and the breadcrumbs are toasty brown. Yum.

Of course, you can make your own breadcrumbs too. Take leftover baguette, rolls or even white bread and give a whir in your food processor. (It's best to use slightly stale dry bread for this.) Dump into a Ziploc bag and put in your freezer for use whenever you need them.

Last night, I used breadcrumbs to crust some great lamb rib chops. Here's the recipe. Adapted from Andrea Immer.

Mustard-Crusted Lamb Chops
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
3 T olive oil, plus more for browning chops
3 T chopped fresh rosemary
Ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2 or 3 (2 each was plenty for us, and lamb chops ain't cheap) baby lamb chops per person (If they are not already, ask the person at your meat counter to "French" them--remove the fat and meat from the tips of the rib bones.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, mustard, olive oil, rosemary, a pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper. Mix together until combined and moistened.

Heat a skillet on medium high and add several tablespoons olive oil. Salt and pepper the lamb chops on all sides and sear in olive oil until brown, 2-3 minutes per side.

Remove the chops to a baking dish (or replace in skillet if it's ovenproof) and spoon a tablespoonful of the breadcrumb mixture on each chop. Press in gently to adhere. Place into oven and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes for medium-rare. Run under the broiler for two minutes at end to brown bread crumbslittle more .

Wine Pairing:
I am lucky enough to be a member of Andrea Immer's A-List Wine Club. Once a month, she ships 3 or 4 bottles of wine from all over the world. Included are extensive tasting notes and recipes to pair with the wines. To go with the lamb chop recipe, she sent a bottle of French red. Chateau Puy Arnaud Maureze Cotes de Castillon Bordeaux, 2001. It was great. Brambly blackberry, fig, chocolate and smoke. All perfect for the meaty earthy toastiness of the lamb. It's a steal at $19 or less, but might be difficult to find. A good inexpensive substitute is Rosemount Shiraz. Widely available, it too stands up to the lamb with plenty of red fruit, spice and a little bit of oak. Try it with boldly-flavored pork or even a grilled steak. It's a good value wine to have on your house list.