Cheddar Corn Chowder

October 8th, 2009

The Barefoot Blogger challenge for this week was chosen by Jill of My Next Life. I love a good chowder and Ina Garten knows how to make a chowder that sticks to the ribs. Fresh corn this time of year is starchier than the succulent small kerneled variety of early summer so it is perfect for chowder. The potatoes add heft and earthiness to the dish and the bacon and cheese just make it darn good. There is turmeric in the recipe and I was curious as to why she chose that spice until I added it to the pot. The turmeric enhances the golden hue of the dish. Some might think that the chowder is a bit bland but sometimes it is good to let the natural flavors take star billing.

The only change I made to the recipe was to leave out the olive oil, because I figured that the bacon fat and butter were more than adequate in the fat department. I also halved the recipe because it makes enough to feed a food blog convention.

CHEDDAR CORN CHOWDER

8 ounces bacon, chopped
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large)
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
12 cups chicken stock
6 cups medium diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds) I peeled mine
10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
2 cups half and half
1/2 pound sharp white Cheddar cheese, grated

In a large stockpot on medium high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and tumeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cobs and blanch the kernels for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn, you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and Cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

A Classic Quiche Lorraine and the Demise of Gourmet

October 5th, 2009

Rainy days and Mondays rarely get me down. I love cool gentle rain and staying inside with the lamps lit and nothing much to do on a lazy Monday. Afterall, I have the rest of the week to do important things like organize and prepare for a “Meet and Greet” that we are hosting for some local politicians running for office, clean my house for said meeting, and gather some pumpkins and mums for the yard.
We went out to eat last night for my Birthday – it is humbling to know that I now qualify for Medicare. Where oh, where have the years gone? But back to the point of this post. After splurging last night and enjoying a quiet day today, I felt like making a humble dish for supper and to me that means quiche. I have cooked many quiches in the past, some complicated and some unusual, but I decided to go back to a classic and the best classic that I know of is Julia Child’s quiche Lorraine. Some quiche Lorraines add sauteed leeks or Swiss cheese, but Julia’s contains only heavy cream, eggs, and bacon flavored with salt, pepper and nutmeg. An optional step is to blanch the bacon in simmering water to remove its smoky, salty taste. I happen to like the smoky taste of the bacon so I have never done this. It is up to you.
JULIA CHILD’S QUICHE LORRAINE
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
1 8 inch partially cooked pastry shell placed on a baking sheet
3 to 4 ounces lean bacon (6 to 8 slices, medium thickness)
3 eggs or 2 eggs and 2 yolks
1 1/2 to 2 cups whipping cream or half cream and half milk
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1 to 2 Tbls butter cut into pea-sized dots (I skipped this)
Cut bacon into pieces about an inch long and 1/4 inch wide. Simmer for 5 minutes in water. Rinse in cold water. Dry on paper towels. Brown lightly in a skillet. Press bacon pieces into bottom of pastry shell.
Beat the eggs, cream or cream and milk, and seasonings in a mixing bowl until blended. Check seasonings. Pour into pastry shell and distribute the butter pieces on top.
Set in upper third of preheated oven and bake fro 25 to 30 minutes, or until quiche has puffed and browned. Slide quiche onto a hot platter and serve.

On another subject that does get me down, I have just heard that Conde Nast has decided to stop publishing Gourmet magazine. In our tight economy, sales are down and for some reason it makes sense to them that this magazine is expendable. Gourmet has been published since the 1940’s. It is an institution in the food world and for some of us a tradition that is as important as Mom and apple pie. This rash action on their part is unbelieveable. Sometimes there are more important things in life than the bottom line. The economy will turn around someday and then where will we be? Left with populist magazines like Paula Deen’s and Rachel Ray’s I’m afraid. I have nothing against either of them, but there is a place in the publishing world for well written food articles and insightful prose.

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

October 3rd, 2009


This is the treat that awaited me on my return from New York. The weather has turned cool in the NC Mountains and I was suprised when I got off the plane in Asheville at the difference just a few days can make. We live about a half an hour from Ashville. My plane got in at 6:00 P.M. so I was curious as to what dinner plans David had made. He figured that since he had to pick me up, he needed to fix something that required very little attention. It took him a while to find my crock pot, but I think he came up with an excellent solution to the problem and coming home to the smell of dinner cooking is a comforting feeling. Add to that a flickering fire and good music and it felt good to be home again.

CROCK POT CHICKEN CACCIATORE (adapted from Cooks.com)

2 Chicken Breasts and 4 chicken thighs skinned
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 large red or green bell peppers, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. each basil and oregano
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
Fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 8 oz. stewed tomatoes with chiles
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups burgundy wine
Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling before serving

Place onions and peppers on bottom of crock pot. Add chicken. Stir together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low 7 – 9 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serve with pasta or rice, with a salad on the side.

Friends in New York

September 30th, 2009


I have just returned from a delectable culinary trip to New York City with my wonderfully spontaneous friends. Pictured above from left are, Barbara, Me, Amy (Jackie’s daughter), Jackie, and Karen. We are enjoying dinner at Craft, one of award winning chef Tom Colicchio’s many restaurants. The concept behind Craft is one of simplicity in ingredient pairings to highlight the basic goodness of the dish. My hanger steak with whipped potatoes was delicious.

We had a magical first night in the city. It was a warm night and we finished the evening at an outdoor venue (Can’t remember it’s name) where we ate three chocolate desserts. The beignets with chocolate dipping sauce were unbelievable.

At Central Park the next day we enjoyed a sunny Saturday.

Friends in the famous fountain from Friends.

Before seeing The Jersey Boys on Broadway we went to Ayza’s Wine and Chocolate Bar for a light meal and drinks. Barbara loved her chocolate martini. Ayza is one of the best wine and chocolate bars in New York City. They serve Jacque Torres Chocolates and have an extensive wine list.

Ayza is all about the appetizers. Served with crusty bread, it is easy to feel satisfied. I had Angry chicken lollipops with spicy, sesame, hoisin sauce and crispy rice noodles.
The play was absolutely enchanting. We went to Sardi’s afterwards and the highlight of being there was seeing Jude Law leaving the theater across the street after his performance in Hamlet. Yes, I said JUDE LAW! I had commented earlier in the day that I would love to run into a movie star while in New York. The girls asked me which one – I said Jude Law. Dreams can come true.
Sunday night we went to Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill.

It was the most expensive meal of our trip, but the food and flavors were impeccable and the wait staff and atmosphere at Mesa Grill make it well worth the splurge.


I had New Mexican spice rubbed pork tenderloin with bourbon ancho chile sauce served with sweet potato tamale with crushed pecan butter.

We passed the International Culinary Center one day while shopping. The students serve meals there.

While strolling through Soho we found Babbo, Mario Batali’s famous Italian restaurant. I have eaten there on a previous trip. It is wonderful and expensive.


On Monday night we met with Brooke,the daughter of a dear friend of ours, who lives in New York. She took us to Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, Mario’s less expensive pizza and pasta trattoria. My Spaghetti Carbonara was wonderful. But the star of the evening , recommended by Brooke, was the Olive Oil Gelato. My picture is terrible, but this dessert is amazing. For a better picture and the recipe go to A Beautiful Mosaic, a food blog that I just found. This is not an overly sweet dessert. It is creamy and refreshing with the unexpected addition of fleur de sel.


There are so many experiences I have not included here. We had Ethiopian food one day for lunch just for the experience, not a good experience in our opinion. We went to the Today Show and met Ann Curry who talked to everyone on line for over twenty minutes. She is the most gracious and genuine person I have ever encountered. New York is a varied and friendly city and the girls and I had the best of times. Thank you to all of my blogging buddies who offered suggestions. Dave from My Year on the Grill suggested going to Sardi’s after the play and it turned out to be a pivotal experience. He also had suggested visiting Pomaire, a Chilean restaurant with a pri fixe $29.00 menu and The Greenwich Village Food and Culture Walking Tour. Dave knows his New York and I wish we had had more than four days to take it all in.
Thank you Kristen for taking care of Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen while I was gone. I left it in your good hands and can hardly wait to try your recipes.

Summer’s Last Hoorah

September 27th, 2009
Okay, so I know Summer is officially over, but I just can’t seem to relinquish my dependency on freshness of the season. Last weekend, I experienced a rare morning when I actually got watch my preferred channel on TV for a brief bit (instead of Noggin, Disney, or PBS – the channels my daughter prefers)! What did I turn to? The Food Network, of course! After 1 episode each of Giada and Ina, I had 2 meals checked off my weekly menu. The Barefoot Contessa’s Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin paired with Greek Panzanella were perfect finds to say farewell to Summer.

My husband, Michael, loves bread, and all things carbohydrate. While I, too, am a carbaholic, it’s not often that I work bread into a meal. Call me unAmerican, but it’s just not something I think about! The toasted french bread pieces in the Greek Panzanella made Michael an instant fan! I substituted Mozzarella for the Feta cheese, and omitted the olives. If anyone has a trusted brand of creamy, non-pungent Feta, please let me know. We didn’t miss it, though, with the Mozzarella in it’s place.

The oregano in the marinade for the pork ties in wonderfully with the vinaigrette for the panzanella, making the 2 a very suitable pair. Plan a little bit ahead b/c you need 3+ hours to marinate the pork, and about 30 minutes for the flavors in the panzanella to marry. It’s not a difficult dish by any means, but plan a little bit ahead for the marinade in particular.

Penny introduced me to pork tenderloin when Michael and I were dating. It’s such a wonderful & versatile cut of meat, and so much more interesting than that “other white meat” alternative (aka, chicken)!

If you still have a hankering for the freshness of Summer, give these recipes a whirl.

Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients

  • 1 lemon, zest grated
  • 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
  • Good olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade but leave the herbs that cling to the meat. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork tenderloins on all sides until golden brown. Place the saute pan in the oven and roast the tenderloins for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve in 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. The thickest part of the tenderloin will be quite pink (it’s just fine!) and the thinnest part will be well done. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm, or at room temperature with the juices that collect in the platter.


Greek Panzanella
Ingredients

  • Good olive oil
  • 1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
  • 1 red bell pepper, large diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, large diced
  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced in half rounds
  • 1/2 pound feta cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

For the vinaigrette:

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup good olive oil

Directions Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed. Place the cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl. For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

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