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!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

A Happy New Year to all my friends and followers!!

Remember the Roman God, Janus, from which our month of January takes its name, was a double-faced god.
One face turned backwards, the other toward the future:  remember and reflect on your past before you move forward into the future!
Fille and I will return shortly to offer you some delicious "wrappy" ideas for the New Year!

A toast to 2011:

Be Safe, Be Happy and Enjoy Life, Great Food and Love to the fullest!

Adventures of A Happy Cooker: THE HAPPY COOKER ET FILLE: CARROTS AND SPICE AND ...

Adventures of A Happy Cooker: THE HAPPY COOKER ET FILLE: CARROTS AND SPICE AND ...: "Adventures of a Happy Cooker has an announcement: a daughter! We share a love of food, cooking and family food adventures, and now we will ..."

THE HAPPY COOKER ET FILLE: CARROTS AND SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE!

Adventures of a Happy Cooker has an announcement: a daughter!  We share a love of food, cooking and family food adventures, and now we will share some of that with you! Approximately once a month we will take an ingredient or topic and give it a "mother-daughter" spin! 

  
       Hello!  Fille here!  As my mother mentioned, I will be joining this blog once a month or so to offer an alternative view point on a chosen ingredient or cooking style.  While my mother is my inspiration when it comes to cooking, we do have some differing methods and view points, and thought it would be fun to produce a "fair and balanced" blog.   So let the fun begin with carrots!

One of the things I dislike the most about carrots is the tendency of cooks to bring out their sweetness with sugar, butter and honey.  I am not a sweet fan - I tend to lean more on the spice and everything nice side of things.   So I created this dish to allow myself to enjoy the wonderful flavor of carrots, but in the manner that I enjoy them - with lots of spice!

Spicy Carrot Soup 

2 tbsp of olive oil 

1 lb of carrots (preferably fresh farm whole carrots but you can do the package of baby carrots as well), peeled and chopped 

1 lb parsnips, peeled and chopped 

4 small  baby Yukon gold potatoes, peeled 

1 medium onion 

1 clove of garlic, minced

salt 

pepper 

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (more to taste) 

Red pepper flakes 

2 32 oz containers of chicken stock or broth

1/2 cup half and half (optional) 

1.  Heat oil in a large dutch oven soup pot over medium heat.  Add carrots, parsnips, potatoes and onion and garlic.  Sautee until onion is tender (maybe 10 minutes or so).  Add in Stir in chicken broth, salt, pepper and cayenne and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often. 

2.  Let simmer for approximately 30 minutes and then remove from heat.  Parsnips and carrots should be extremely tender.  Process mixture  with hand held blender or transfer soup to a blender and blend until smooth.  Stir in half and half if using.  Taste for heat level, and season with additional salt/pepper/cayenne to taste. 

3.  Serve in a warm soup bowl, drizzled with a touch of high quality olive oil, fresh parsley  and a healthy sprinkle of high quality red pepper flakes.  

Enjoy!!   

A few alternatives:   If you like a smokey flavor, you may want to add a teaspoon of cumin as well.  You could also top the soup with sour cream, fresh chives or a little grated fresh parmesan cheese.  Topping with roasted pumpkin seeds is another delicious idea.  I also like to have something crunchy with any soup (I'm a huge texture fan) so I tend to serve with a toasted baguette, sliced and drizzled with olive oil and salt and chapped parsley for freshness.

This sounds so delicious, Fille, and so like you. You were always my "chips, pretzels and pickle" girl, preferring them to sweets! I like your variations too. Wish you were here to make it for me, but I guess I'll have to do it myself!
I do agree that some recipes treat carrots more like a dessert (and sweet potatoes, too) than a vegetable and the results can be cloying. That said, I  think that some sweetness  combined with the "heat" can emphasize the natural sweetness in the carrot. So I offer my recipe for "Dynamite Carrots" which I recently made with my SunCoast Organics Rainbow Carrots for a particularly colorful meal addition.

 

DYNAMITE CARROTS

1 -2 Bunches of Rainbow or other sweet organic carrots

1/2 - 1 stick butter, melted

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon (or more to taste) chili powder

1 small jalapeno, minced

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Scrub the carrots well. I do not peel my carrots, especially the Rainbow because you will peel off the color which also has the phytonutrients. I scrub them well instead.

Cut them into matchsticks, julienne style.

Add a little water to skillet and cover and cook the carrots for a few minutes until just al dente. Drain, if there is any water left.

Meanwhile, melt the butter and add the rest of the ingredients.

Pour over the cooked carrots and cook for a minute or so additional to make sure they are all coated with the flavored butter.

 

Serve and enjoy.

Make sure you use good quality chili powder for this. I use Penzey's and sometimes I add a little of their "Arizona Dreaming" spice to the butter too. It adds a little more depth to the chili flavor.
You could also use maple syrup in place of the honey for a stronger flavored dish.

TALE OF TWO SQUASHES..

DELICATA AND CARNIVAL SQUASHES

"It was the best of times, it was the..." wait a minute, it could never  be the "worst of times" when we have such fresh, beautiful produce to prepare and eat! What was I thinking?!


Delicata Squash, is just that, delicate. It is relatively petite in size, light in color and markings, and the skin is thin (for a squash, that is). The flesh is also a little lighter in color and density. The flavor is delicate, too, but delightful! Probably the best squash for "people who do not like squash". It is best when baked or roasted, I think.

Carnival, on the other hand, is more dense, heavier and sometimes larger. It takes longer to cook and is more dry. It is good for cutting into chunks and sauteeing, but it's beautiful markings and shape call for baking too!


These two are, of course, not the only types of squash, in fact they are probably more similar to each other than different varieties of squash, such as Acorn, Butternut or the "grandaddy" of  squashes, Hubbard. Their skins are hard, flesh dense and orange. The list goes on: the squashes are a large and interesting family! 

A Trio of Squashes, Kabocha, Delicata and Carnival

Hubbard, which I love to use for soup, was once a near disaster for me.  Youth is wonderful! You act on impulse and then actually have the energy to cope with your folly.  

I was planning a lovely buffet for a group at a conference center and wanted a spectacular presentation for the soup course. Hubbard Squash, of course! It can be HUGE!! and what a beautiful way to serve soup! So I blithely ordered a giant from the produce purveyor.

First of all, it took two of us to carry it into the kitchen. Secondly, we knew instantly that there was no way our kitchen knives would carve into this ROCK sitting on the counter. The soup was made and lunch was on in about an hour. Fortunately, it was lunchtime  and the maintenance crew was available. We put in an emergency call and they came, saws, chisels and hammers in hand! 

After they cut, ( and we bowed in gratitude!), we scooped the seeds, forever, but finished in time to present our beautiful, natural soup tureen, the Hubbard Squash.  Great idea, but never again. I think that is why they make ceramics that LOOK like vegetables!

The following is a lovely, light fruity recipe for baked stuffed Delicata.

FRUIT STUFFED DELICATA SQUASH

1/4 Granny Smith or other tart apple variety

1/4 pear

1/2 cup cranberries, halved or chopped

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

3 tablespoons Panko or fresh toasted breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place in baking pan with a little water and cover with foil. Bake for 15- 20 minutes until softened.

Turn the oven to 450 degrees.

Meanwhile make stuffing. Cut the apple, and pear into small pieces and cut or chop the cranberries. Add the nuts, syrup, breadcrumbs and mix in the butter with your fingers.

Stuff the squash halves and bake for about 20 minutes until browned.

 

  A note on the maple syrup. Use Grade B is possible. It is less expensive and has more flavor. 

The second time I made this, I did not have pears or almonds, so I used a little pineapple and walnuts. The cranberries and apples are necessary, otherwise use your imagination or whatever you have in stock! This is so simple and so delicious. I don't think it would be as good with any other squash than Delicata. It is really a "delicate" light recipe.

Now for the Carnival. This recipe would work with Acorn squash as well (and probably many others !). The "stuffing" is based on a sauce I used to make for pasta at the White Rainbow, Sausage, Basil and Cream. Of course back then, it was homemade Italian sausage from Trupiano's. Now I use "Greenwise" Hot Chicken Sausage from Publix. How time changes all! 

The basil is still fresh from my "garden", now a container on the lanai. Does anyone remember my herb garden outside the White Rainbow kitchen?  Mine! The real one!! I have an old newspaper clipping of it and me picking Basil for a Pesto Lasagne, Night Rainbow "special".

Carnival Squash..doesn't it look happy!?

ITALIAN SAUSAGE, BASIL, CREAM STUFFED SQUASH

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.

Place it in a baking dish with a little water. Cover and bake for 30-40 minutes until softened. This is a denser squash and takes more time to bake. The recipe takes a long time, but the "active" cooking time is minimal.

4 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, chopped (approx. 1/2 cup)

2 cups cream (yes, heavy cream)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)

twist of black pepper

20-25 leaves of fresh basil, chopped 

1/4 -1/2 cup breadcrumbs to bind stuffing

1 pound (4) Italian sausages (hot or mild), casing removed

Melt the butter in a skillet. 

Saute the onion until softened. 

Add the sausage, crumble and cook until done.

Add the cream, nutmeg, pepper and parmesan and continue to cook until slightly thickened.

 Add enough breadcrumbs to "bind" the stuffing, but do not make it too dry.

Chop and add the basil.

Stuff the squash and bake for 20-30 minutes.

Cut, serve and enjoy!

This should stuff 4 squash and serve 4

 

NOVEMBER: FLORIDA AND NEW ENGLAND

Florida

November is a pivotal month. Summer is truly over , baseball is past and the Holiday fervor starts its slow crescendo. First Pumpkins, Squashes and Mums, then the makings of Holiday traditional foods appear on the grocery shelves and in the fresh markets. The pace is no longer leisurely, yet there is a sense of warmth (in  Florida, the lovely sunshine enhances that feeling), nostalgia and retreat. I feel it here in the shorter days and waning afternoon sun, the conversations which inevitably turn to family stories, and the quest for familiar foods to prepare.

This is really Florida, too, but looks like New England!

The following is an excerpt from my column, Cornucopia, which I wrote in the 1970's! It is the "November" I remember and echos the sentiments described above in a different environment.

"November in New England signifies many things. It is the end to any recall of summer that comes with the deceiving warmth of Indian Summer days. The brilliance of October is but a pale trace of color on a frosty cheek.

  It is a time of transition into winter, cheerful, despite nature's ominously  stark scene. Life turns indoors as thoughts of winter and the upcoming Holidays mount. 

  Amidst the atmosphere, the preparation of tradtitonal foods is almost a necessary ritual. As with rites of all kinds, the formula is prescribed: pumpkin pies, cranberry sauces, fruit and nut cakes. These are as much a part of November as the bare trees outlined against the sky. No changes should occur to them unless the household sanctions them. The following recipes, using pumpkin and cranberries, are solid enough not to offend the staunchest November Yankee, but interesting enough perhaps to tempt him and provide the cook some secret delight in a little bit of license."

The recipes I've included in this post are simple and homespun, yet delightful in their own way. Warm your hands on a mug of coffee or tea and enjoy them!

AUNT MATTIES' CRANBERRY CAKE

My aunt Mattie was a wonderful home cook. Everything she made was fresh, simple and delicious. Fresh food was all she knew, so there are no tricks or contrivances here to distract.

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup fresh, halved cranberries

Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and beat until well blended.  Add the vanilla and almond extracats.

In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salta together.

Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk to the creamed mixture.

Fold in the cranberries and pour into a well greased 9 inch cake pan. Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar. 

Bake for 50 minutes. 

You could dust with confectioners' sugar or an orange glaze, but it is good as is. 

Simple ingredients for Cranberry Cake

Ready for coffee??

The next recipe makes 2 loaves. It is not the usual pumpkin bread as it is not really sweet. The sour cream and whole wheat flour make it more wholesome and maple syrup as the main sweetener make it slightly more subtle too.

New Englanders know that the best maple syrup for cooking is Grade B. (the same way that Floridians know that the best fruit is often the ugliest..we send the pretty stuff to the tourists) Grade B is darker and more opaque, perhaps not as translucent as its light amber Grade A cousin reserved for the tourists, too.

These loaves are great toasted with butter or cut into triangles and used as a base to hold a fruity or curried chicken or turkey salad.

MAPLE PUMPKIN BREAD

(2 LOAVES)

3 cups white flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/4 cups maple syrup

(1 cup chopped nuts or raisins-optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream the butter and sugar until smooth and add the eggs one at a time.

Stir in the pumpkin puree, sour cream and maple syrup.

In another bowl, sift the dry ingredients together.

Gradually mix them into the pumpkin mixture.

Fold in nuts or raisins if using.

Divide the mixture between 2 well greased loaf pans. 

Bake for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes or until done.

Serve warm or room temperature.

Freeze one loaf for later, or give as a nice holiday gift.

 

KURI SQUASH RAVIOLI WITH SAGE, PECANS AND BROWN BUTTER SAUCE...and variations

Not all my catering/cooking stories have funny or happy endings, but they all contribute to the growth of a cook and a person.

My first gig as chef at a conference center known as the prototype of environmentally correct living was, quite naturally, a group of vegetarians seeking to overcome personal problems and allow themselves to grow. I was told repeatedly by the staff of the wonderful macrobiotic and health food chefs previously engaged by this group, and was excited to let them try my style for a change.
 I was not a vegetarian, but grew up loving vegetables and had many vegetarian meals in my repertoire.  These were the days when everything was made from scratch or it was considered "unworthy".


As the date drew near and the stories of past chefs more numerous, I started to mistrust myself and began reading all sorts of healthy cookbooks, magazines and articles and found some new recipes which sounded impressive for this group. Somehow I was equating the labor involved with the success of the meal.


The day of their arrival and first meal finally came. I started early for their 6 P.M. dinner. I soaked and boiled legumes, I washed, peeled (in some cases), diced, chopped, minced, kneaded, stewed and baked all morning and afternoon. The result was a Vegetable and Legume Stew in a homemade vegetable broth and Focaccia with Mushrooms and Fresh Artichokes and Cheese, some had Gorgonzola, some Fontina and some  had freshly roasted Red Peppers. There were several varieties of fresh fruit crisps with Frozen Yogurt for dessert. The group numbered around 50-60 and I was preparing alone.


The aromas were enticing; I decorated the buffet lavishly, arranged the food in varying heights for an optimal display and waited...


They ate, and ate and ate. The organizers of the group smiled and politely said, "Thank You" and that was it.
 Later after clean-up, the manager of the conference center took me aside and said that although they loved everything, it was not spectacular enough..they considered the meal "soup and pizza"!


I was devastated as well as exhausted!  Soup and Pizza!!! I had worked all day!! It was a vegetarian feast!!  I learned that even in that atmosphere and situation, short cuts had to be taken and culinary tricks had to be played..fewer veggies in the stew, a salad with a choice of dressings and condiments, pre-made bread dough, one variety of fruit crisp and some cookies or brownies added. I learned to limit the time consuming chores and optimize those items which were not: for example, berry crisp rather than apple crisp (no peeling or chopping).


I also learned to "cook from the heart" even when it seemed the situation demanded something else from me. Thereafter, whenever I had a difficult menu to solve, I would close my eyes and center myself, and think, "what would you like, Jeanne"?  Even if the ingredients were not of my choosing, the style would be!


Now, I love squash ravioli, but cannot stand the "sweet" varieties I encounter everywhere. They taste more like pumpkin or squash pie (which I love) but, I crave a savory sensation.
Since I've moved to Florida and have a postage stamp sized kitchen, no butcher block or marble surfaces, no special drawers filled with flour and sugar, nothing much to make a cook smile, I have limited my cooking repertoire. No more homemade pasta (yet anyway)! Yes, I did say that...I know I taught many of you HOW to make pasta and you all probably still do...but I, at least for now, do NOT!


When I  got the Kuri Squash from SunCoast Organics, I just knew I had to make Squash Ravioli, my way! The reddish squash was so beautiful and I knew from baking it earlier in the week, it was not stringy but dense and bursting with flavor.

Kuri Squash and Salem Pumpkins!!

Now for the lesson learned. I remember reading that one could use wonton wrappers for ravioli and actually did try it many years ago. It was successful, but once I got into making the stuff, I forgot about it...it came back and so my solution to having my own ravioli without making the pasta! (ok, so maybe it's not as good, but it sure tasted great!!)

KURI (or other) SQUASH RAVIOLI

First Roast the squash: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the squash (about 1 1/2 -2 #) into manageable pieces. Spray with cooking spray or brush with butter and place it flesh side down on a greased baking sheet or foil. Roast until softened about 20 (for Kuri)-30 (other squash)minutes.

Squash to be Roasted

 

Roasted Squash

Allow it to cool a little and then scoop out the flesh. With Kuri, you can just peel the skin off (even eat it, it is so soft!). Mash.

 FILLING:

1 cup squash puree

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons ricotta

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup grated parmesan

pinch of salt and pepper

This makes enough filling for 1 package of wonton wrappers (48)

Making ravioli

Take one wrapper and place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center. Moisten the edges with water and fold into a triangle. Repeat until done. You can freeze these if you make more than you need.

BROWN BUTTER SAUCE WITH SAGE AND NUTS

1/2 Cup plus 2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons chopped nuts

10-15 leaves fresh sage

In the meantime, melt 2 tablespoons butter and toast 3 tablespoons chopped nuts. I used pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, etc. are ok too.

Heat 1/2 cup butter until it browns, NOT burns, just toasty brown. Add 10-15 sliced sage leaves and crisp them. Then add the toasted nuts. 

Brown Butter

Add sage

Add the toasted nuts

Keep sauce warm and cook ravioli.

Bring several quarts of water to a light boil. You do not want to boil the ravioli vigorously or they may break. Boil them a few at a time for 6 minutes or  until they float to the top. Remove and keep warm until finished. (just cover with foil in the colander). 

Risen to the top!

Cooked and ready to sauce!

Serve them with the butter sauce and freshly grated parmesan.

Oh MY!! Worth the wait!

Variation:

Use Chives in place of sage (garlic chives are best!), walnuts, and crumble gorgonzola on top.

I also LOVE a very garlicky Roasted Tomato Sauce on Squash Ravioli.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

2 # sauce tomatoes, Roma, Early Girl, etc.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8 cloves garlic, crushed 

4 tablespoons butter or more oil

fresh herbs, basil, oregano, thyme (optional)

Salt and pepper

Slice the tomatoes and place on a baking sheet
Preheat the oven to 400

Drizzle oil over the tomatoes and spread the crushed garlic. Add herbs if using and salt and pepper. Roast until soft and juicy about 30-40 minutes. You could also slice the garlic in place of crushing it and roast it with the tomatoes.

One of the pasta sauces I used to make for the group mentioned above was these roasted garlic tomatoes with butternut squash added to them! They loved that AND all the "additions" I made to the menu each time! Try it sometime.

 

CATAPLANA! A DELICIOUS ANCIENT TRADITION

 Cataplana: Vessel and Ingredients for recipe

I've been waiting for some nice littleneck clams to show up at the market so I could make Cataplana. At last I found some from Cherrystone Creek, VA and there were some fresh Florida Pink Shrimp available too. So Cataplana is on the menu!


Cataplana, a recipe, a vessel, a cult object, an ancient tradition in Southern Portugal, the Algarve. The word itself is not Portuguese and of uncertain origin, but generally attributed to the Arabs.  Portuguese cuisine, and especially that of the Algarve is influenced by the Romans and the Arabs, and this, of course includes the cultural influences of the contributing nations. The Arabs were adept in alchemy (the distillation of al-chohol) and metallurgy. The Cataplana cooking vessel is a double hinged clamshell shaped vessel of hammered copper. It has been described as a "double wok", and can be used as a wok when open and a steamer, pressure cooker when closed.  It keeps seafood moist and the flavor and aroma intense. The vapors reach the top half and cycle back to the base! When the Cataplana is opened at serving time, the sight and scent delight!

The Cataplana is uniquely Algarve and traditionally used to cook seafood, more specifically Ameijoas na Cataplana, Clams in a Cataplana. That said, last month in Vilamoura in the Algarve there was a festival of Cataplana cooking using the vessel for cooking, steaming, baking and much more. Chef Bertilio Gomes said of "The Cataplana Experience", "top chefs give new life to this old traditional pan" and referred to it as a "cult object"!

I have a Cataplana!! (purchased in Albufeira) And I love it and the clam recipe. I've shared it in my cooking class, "Threads of Gold" and with my family and friends for years.

Having had the dish in Portugal, I am always trying to recreate it as it was...nearly impossible due to the phenomenon the French call "terroir", things grown and natural to a certain area or environment. Portuguese clams and seafood are an example: tiny Mediterranean clams the size of a fingernail, sweet and succulent; olive oil, Portuguese olive oil, while not the finest in the world is the FRUITIEST and has a distinctive flavor which cannot be imitated; wine, Vinho Verde, while not Algarve it is the Portuguese wine to drink and cook with seafood, low alcohol, dry and almost fizzy; then there is the bread, Portuguese Corn Bread, dense, crusty and perfect for sopping up the garlicky, olive oil, seafood juices!


On Boston's North Shore, I was lucky to have a market, inappropriately called The New England Market. It was anything BUT New England! There I could find all of the above (except the clams were frozen, but our Mahogany clams were an ok substitute). This market was located in an ethnic neighborhood, next to a Greek Church which belonged more on a Greek isle than a Massachusetts side street. The aromas in the market were pungent, open cases of bacala, cheeses, sausages, olives, huge loaves of peasant breads and unusual pastries. Spanish, Portuguese and Greek olive oils were available as well as  some humble wines of those countries. English was rarely heard inside the store. OH, how fortunate I was..oh, how I miss it!

My Cataplana here, although delicious, could not compare. I think the olive oil was the key missing ingredient. You cannot duplicate Portuguese olive oil, but maybe Greek is a close substitute. I will try to find some and attempt the dish again.

Some cataplana ingredients and the vessel

The only things organic from SunCoast in this recipe are the garlic, the onion and the wonderfully fragrant cilantro, but their bright flavors helped compensate for the lack of Portuguese oil.

AMEIJOAS NA CATAPLANA

3 Tablespoons Portuguese or very fruity extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound Portuguese Chourico (or other garlic sausage or linguica), sliced

2 pounds Mahogany or Little Neck clams, fresh and local

1/2 pound fresh, local shrimp (optional)

1 cup dry white wine (vinho verde)

chopped cilantro or parsley

1 teaspoon Piri Piri saucae or hot sauce to taste

Rinse and clean the clams.

Heat oil in cataplana or dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened. Stir in sausage, the shrimp if using.  Add wine and let evaporate for a few minutes. Add clams and close cover. Cook over high heat for 5 - 8 minutes or until clams open. Add Piri Piri and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.  Serve from the cataplana (in the restaurant each diner has his own cataplana!) with plenty of crusty bread for sopping up the juices.

Good to the last clam or slice of sausage. The pink color of the broth is due to the paprika in the sausage.

VARIATIONS:

Use 1/2 pound cubed or sliced pork loin marinated overnight in garlic, white wine, olive oil, paprika and bay leaf  in place of sausage. Drain pork and pat dry before sauteing. Marinade be added and cooked with the clams.

Some recipes use some chopped or diced tomatoes.