Adventures of A Happy Cooker: HERE COMES PETER COTTONTAIL, OOPS!!

Adventures of A Happy Cooker: HERE COMES PETER COTTONTAIL, OOPS!!: "It's Spring, (almost summer, here in Florida) and my last post was in January. I've missed not being able to think about stories, let alon..."

HERE COMES PETER COTTONTAIL, OOPS!!

It's Spring, (almost summer, here in  Florida) and my last post was in January. I've missed not being able to think about stories, let alone write them! Of course, I've been cooking and eating, but not many photos..a shame as last week's Beet and Blood Orange salad was as vibrant in taste as it was to the eye, and the Polenta with English peas and Cremini mushrooms was true comfort food for the soul!  Alas, I will start the new season reconnecting with a short story and a random recipe.  

The signs of spring are everywhere, colorful baskets, blooms of exotic shapes and hues, multi-colored eggs and candies  and cute bunnies inviting  us all to enjoy the season. mmm..bunnies, I used to see a them in the yard when we lived in Osprey and even a few showed up outside our villa in the Meadows, but lately, not a one.
I guess word travels fast in the animal kingdom. It's a sad story, but true.


One spring, when I owned the White Rainbow, I had a bright idea for my Cafe Menu. It's still chilly in New England in April, especially along the shore, so a stew or braised dish with fruity Beaujolais and a vibrant mustard seemed appealing. Yes, I would offer Braised Rabbit Beaujolais Moutarde. It would be in keeping with the restaurant's continental style and certainly different from the offerings of other restaurants in the area. Such an exciting choice would surely bring in my customers.


No one ordered the "special" and I was dismayed. How could I have misread my clientele so badly... normally they eagerly anticipated my weekly specials and loved trying them.


My daughters solved the puzzle. They informed me with long faces and tears in their eyes I had put THE EASTER BUNNY on my menu on Easter Week!!  Cruel, insensitive brute, that's me! To think, Peter Rabbit  was the first book I'd memorized as a child and NOW I was in league with Mr. McGregor..oh no!


I've reformed and become more aware of such conflicts, and we now have some chuckles about the incident, but I'm sure I'm still on the list of dangerous criminals in the bunny world and they avoid me whenever possible! No bunny recipes today.


Eggs are also symbols of spring and Easter and the ones left uncolored and unboiled are probably crowding your refrigerator just now. So how about Egg Foo Yong?  You can use spring onions and any meats you have. My favorites are pork and/or shrimp, and with lots of mung bean sprouts!


When I used my wok, those pancakes would just puff up when they hit the oil and I could make several at a time. Now, I use a skillet with sloping sides, like a crepe pan, and I can prepare only one at a time, but I keep them warm and sauce them just before they are served! Yum!

This recipe is hit or miss; it is for 2-4 people. Add what you like and increase the quantities accordingly. Celery and chopped carrots are also nice additions. The sauce is best prepared before you start the omelette.

SHRIMP EGG FOO YONG
1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
1 clove garlic
2-3 scallions 
5-6 cremini or white mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped shrimp
6 eggs
oil, peanut or canola or frying

Stir fry the garlic and mushrooms in a little oil until softened. Add shrimp and then bean sprouts and cook about 1 minute. Add a splash of soy and sherry wine and let it evaporate into the mixture. Set aside.


Whisk the eggs gently until just mixed. Stir the shrimp and  veggies and raw scallions, thinly sliced, into the egg. At this point you can add a little soy, sherry and possibly a dash of sesame oil if desired.


Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet or wok, to a high temperature but not hot enough to burn the eggs. Ladle the mixture into the pan and spread out so that it is even. Let cook for a few minutes until set, lifting to allow uncooked egg to flow underneath (as in making an omelette). When slightly browned on bottom, invert onto a plate and flip back into the pan to cook the other side, briefly. If using a wok, you can simply fold the puff and let cook a little more. Slide out of pan and pat dry if oily. Keep warm and continue until you have used all the egg mixture.

Serve warm with sauce.

That other thing on the plate is an egg roll!

Sauce recipes vary. some use chicken broth, cornstarch, soy and sherry. I like to cheat a little and use pork gravy as a base, then add the other ingredients to make it more Asian.

SAUCE
1 packet Pioneer Pork gravy prepared or a jar or can of your favorite
Add 1 tablespoon soy, 1 teaspoon sherry and 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce. If it is too thin, you can thicken with a little cornstarch. Some like the addition of sesame oil or hot oil. Add your favorite and make it your own!

Here's a photo of a pretty spring salad. Wild Greens with Arugula, Strawberries, Bleu Cheese, Walnuts, Raspberry Glaze, Walnut Oil and Pear White Balsamic Vinegar. Not with the Egg Foo Yong, but maybe with some..umm...chicken??? 

Happy Spring, Easter and Passover!! 

A SUNNY SOUP ON A WINTRY DAY

Yesterday at this time, I was vowing to never cook again other than out of pure necessity, so bad were the stresses, interruptions and thwarting circumstances... but, I did manage to get a passable Brazilian Shrimp Curry on the table, and then came the delivery from Suncoast Organics and some intriguing Sunchokes beckoned...

Sunny Soup Ingredients

Butternut squash, and  an apple from last week;  some fresh ginger and a little coconut milk remaining from the curry, a chilly turn in the weather, and my taste buds were screaming: SOUP!!!

Sunchokes or Jerusalem Artichokes, as they are sometimes called, are a North American tuber which were introduced to Europe, mainly France and England in the 17th century. It is a sunflower tuber (girasole) thus the name "Jerusalem" and it resembles a cardoon, a relative of the artichoke.  Whatever the name, it is a humble root vegetable, only a little less ugly than celeriac, another of  my favorite veggies!

The gnarly knobs make peeling the veg difficult..I just cut off some of the smaller knobs, waste :( , I know but not much, and my time is so limited! You could probably cut them up after scrubbing the skin and use them in salad or as a garnish.

SUNNY SOUP
1 small onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
several inner celery ribs with leaves, chopped
3 cups cut butternut squash
1 apple, coarsely chopped
2 cups sunchokes, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon, chopped fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
oh, yes, 1/2 cup white wine if desired
3/4 cup coconut milk (optional)
Garnishes as described below

In a medium soup pot, melt the butter and heat the oil together. Add onion, shallot, celery, sunchokes and squash. Saute briefly until coated and then cover pot and "sweat" the veggies over low heat for 5-8 minutes. Uncover, add the apples and spices and pan roast them for another 5 minutes to develop flavors. Do not brown, you want fresh flavor, not caramelization.

Sunny  Colors!

Add a splash of white wine ( I don't know why, I always did this at the White Rainbow to my soups and they were always good, so I just do it out of habit..if you don't want wine, omit this) Let it evaporate and then add broth.

Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until veggies are really 

soft. Puree soup with a stick or regular blender. You can use the food processsor and make it "chunky" if you wish. A Portuguese woman showed me how to make "Caldo Verde" whisking the very soft potatoes in the soup and using a potato masher to "puree" it. Fancy gadgets sometime complicate things!

You can add coconut milk at this point if you wish.

Sunflower seeds toasted with chili would make a nice garnish
Swirl the coconut milk and garnish with poblano or other hot peppers and cilantro.

Having no nuts in the house, I sauteed shitakes with shallots in brown butter and garnished with fresh parsley.

 

Fresh, vibrant and different!! Enjoy!