Caldo Verde Minus the Caldo

Vegetarian caldo verde is one one of my favorite dishes, and is surprisingly a hit among my hard core meat eating family. Along with the warmer weather, however, comes a desire for lighter dishes that don't require a long time at the stove. Think of this as caldo verde lite. It's every bit as satisfying and healthy but comes together quickly with few ingredients. And yes, I used real sausage this time. (It was on sale so it doesn't count.)

Ingredients

A few big handfuls kale, washed and chopped with the stems removed
Half a white or yellow onion, diced
2 links of mexican chorizo or hot italian sausage (or the veg version)
1/2 cup of frozen corn
1/2 can of white, black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup white wine or chicken stock
Drizzle olive oil

If you're using sausage (real or veg) that comes in a casing, remove from the casing and crumble into a large skillet heated over medium heat. Add just a touch of olive oil along with the diced onion and the beans. Stir and watch carefully. Most chorizo is highly seasoned but if yours is bland add some salt and pepper now.

When the sausage and onions start to brown add the rest of the ingredients except for the corn and turn the heat up to medium high.

Stir and wait for the liquid to evaporate. When the liquid has completely evaporated turn the heat back down to medium and add the corn. Keep cooking for another few minutes until the corn is heated through. Serve plain or over rice or polenta.

To really knock your socks off, heat up the leftovers the next morning and serve over toast with a poached egg.

New Mexican Chile

Mexican food is just about my favorite cuisine if you can't tell from the picture above. I adore its rich history and connection to culture, and its complex, bold flavors. I think Rick Bayless makes some of the most beautiful and inspired food around. But I can also readily admit that the only Mexican food I've eaten bears little resemblance to the real thing. Without my favorite food and travel shows, and Anthony Bourdain to describe it, I could easily go through life thinking that Mexican cuisine equals greasy tacos and mountains of cheese covered enchiladas. Even when I try to cook "Mexican" all I'm really doing is adding some red stuff to my rice, and putting some food in a tortilla. If I'm feeling really fancy I might mix up some trusty guacamole and call it a day.

Ok so New Mexican cuisine isn't exactly the same thing. (If anything it's a little bit more interesting with the influence of the Native Americans.) But when my dad came back from a recent trip to New Mexico with a stash of dried New Mexican chiles, I jumped at the chance to try something truly authentic. And they're just so pretty. Naturally pretty food almost always tastes good in my experience.

If you ever have the opportunity to get your hands on some (I'm sure you can get them at specialty stores or online) they are fun to experiment with. If you need a crash course in how to use them, here's a good link. I would add a few things though. Before soaking them in water, toast them in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes watching carefully. They should smell toasted and become slightly darker but shouldn't turn black at all. You can turn them occasionally too. Let cool. Break them apart and set the seeds aside. Store the seeds in a jar and use just like regular hot pepper flakes. Then soak the peppers in hot water for at least an hour. Spoon the peppers out of the water and put in the food processor. As you process them, add a little bit of the liquid as needed along with any number of other ingredients. Here's a sample recipe that I used to make a sort of all purpose hot sauce. It can be adjusted to taste:

8-10 rehydrated chiles
A few tablespoons olive oil
A few tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Half of a large can of plain crushed, diced, or whole tomatoes
A few (or more) cloves roasted garlic
Salt
Honey (optional)
Chile soaking liquid if you prefer a thinner sauce

Process everything except for the last few ingredients and taste. The last three ingredients are used to adjust to your liking. If you're an amateur and can't handle the heat, that's what the honey is for.

Store in a clean glass jar in the fridge. Add to anything that needs some zip. We used it in a paella. I highly recommend mixing it into some mayo, or greek yogurt if you're a health nut, and dipping some french fries in it. I cut some sweet potatoes into wedges, roasted them, and used them as vehicles to scoop up the wonderfully spicy mayo. I'm pretty sure when the potatoes were gone I just used my finger. I can also attest to its deliciousness as a sandwich spread and as a dressing for coleslaw. Add a spoonful to some eggs. Or to make that aforementioned "Mexican" rice, just add it into some plain white rice to make your next taco night a little more interesting. If you're going this last route, I also recommend adding some chopped fresh cilantro and maybe some beans to make a really substantial side dish. You get the picture.

Book Review: Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook

Occasionally I go through periods where I just can't motivate myself to go to the gym. I just don't see the point. When this happens and I get stuck in a rut, I like to pick up a glossy fitness magazine and fawn over beautiful people and read their magic workout tips. I don't realistically aspire to look like them, nor are most of their exercise tips accessible to me. But the point is that I understand again why I workout. A little bit of glamour and excitement makes my workouts more enjoyable.

Believe it or not I get in food ruts as well. I go through the every day grind of making three meals a day with limited time and budget and pretty soon I'm eating plain slices of bread for lunch. Each trip to the fridge brings dread as I think about the uninspired shelf of bland vegetables that awaits me. All I need is to be reminded of why I eat. Not just to sustain me but because it can be glamorous and exciting.

Who better than my hero Anthony Bourdain to provide this reminder along with some much needed humor? Enter the Les Halles Cookbook, a highly entertaining read that will impress any Bourdain fan and many others. I keep returning to him in my time of need, mostly because I just need to be assured that food is about pleasure, and that there is joy in the (quest for the) perfect meal. I know they say that emotional eating is bad, but when done right I think combining emotions and food is something that we all should aspire to.

I also appreciate his brazen honesty. Many of his recipes require more time, money and equipment than the average home cook has access to. But he's not writing some Sandra Lee guide to home cooking on a budget, nor do his recipes have any redeeming healthful qualities. This is hearty, classic, french fare. Like the glossy fitness magazines, sometimes it's just the inspiration that counts. The thought of the perfectly cooked pot-au-feu or cassoulet is enough to get me back in the kitchen with renewed vigor.

As a practical guide, this is also a wonderful introduction to some terminology that every respectable foodie should know. If you don't already have a solid basic french cookbook, or if you just really appreciate Bourdain's cynical and humorous writing as much as I do, put this one on your wishlist.

Virginia is for eaters!

Virginia might be well known for it's wineries, and perhaps a few specialty items like peanuts or ham, but like most small towns (I use that term loosely) Charlottesville is probably not well known as a foodie mecca. I'm here to make the case that large metropolises are not the only places with great food cultures. As an aspiring food scholar, I could not have picked a better setting. Here are the reasons why:

1. Southerners know a thing or two about comfort food.

I live a block from a humble roadside stand with some truly legendary fried chicken. Philly might have scrapple but we've got pimento cheese. Oh and how did I not know about collard greens? I've also fulfilled my lifelong  dream of  tasting the glorious monstrosity that is the Kentucky Hot Brown, see below. (Ok, that last one is native to Kentucky, but I don't see them serving it up north.)  I'm not saying I'm a regular Paula Deen or anything. But when the mood strikes, an open faced ham, turkey and bacon sandwich soaked in cheese gravy really hits the spot...

2. It's locavore's paradise.

Local Polyface Farm  attracted national attention in the movie Food, Inc. but it seems like local food isn't just a trend but a part of everyday life around here. One local upscale restaurant features produce from a different local family's farm each week. There are community gardens almost everywhere. They grow apples here like it's nobody's business. The tofu made by the local co-op Twin Oaks is the best I've ever had. All the tofu and apples I've been eating cancel out the fried chicken right?

3. They don't lack in variety.

Besides the aforementioned fried chicken joint, I also happen to live on the same block as an awesome dive bar (that serves up some great BBQ), a fancy pizza place, a thai restaurant, and a mexican restaurant. Don't worry, we have our fair share of fancy french places, sushi bars, and trendy fusion places too.

Ok, there is one thing that this place lacks. C'Ville could use a few good food trucks. Yeah there's a local donut truck that drives around sometimes. But in a college town like this, a few strategically placed lunch trucks would make a killing. There's nothing like a breakfast sandwich hot off the griddle. I'm pretty sure that was one of my basic food groups when I lived in Philly. I've tried mightily to recreate it. It can't be done.

So there you have it folks. All of you big city snobs should consider that small town life isn't as bad as you might think. You can have your locally raised organic sausage and eat it too.

In Case You Were Wondering...

Avocado and grapefruit do not taste good together, I don't care what Ina Garten says.

So here's the story. (Because there's always a story...) Inspired by a recent shipment of those heavenly grapefruits I told you about a while back, I decided to get creative. There's only so many grapefruits a girl can eat for breakfast you know.

So there I was at the local market with grapefruit and avocado on the brain when I spotted some jicama. Don't ask me what I was thinking. It had been a long week.

What is jicama you ask? If you've never watched Food Network before it's basically like eating a raw potato with a hint of apple. Yum.

Surprisingly the jicama wasn't the problem here. It was my first time eating it, and I have to say I kind of like it. Which is good since I now have half a jicama sitting in my fridge. The jicama and the grapefruit are a welcome combo. Together they make a salad that is fresh, not too sweet, with a bit of crunch. Perfect after the winter doldrums of potatoes and greens.

You'd think the creamy mild avocado might lend something here. I'm still trying to pinpoint what that is, but it wasn't good. But I'll include some pics and the recipe anyways because it's just so darn pretty and healthy! I tried really hard to like it, and maybe the avocado I used was a little bland and overripe. (Also, I think people should share more of their failed experiments so that we could all learn from them and have a good laugh while we're at it. I'd love to see a blog devoted to that. In fact I already have more than a few good entries in mind.)

Ingredients

1 large grapefruit, peeled and segmented, with its juice
Half a jicama, peeled and diced (save the rest for slaw)
1 avocado, diced
Coarsely ground sea salt to taste
Splash of lime juice

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.Oooh and aah for a bit. Taste. Order some pizza instead.

On Food and Cooking

Hardcore foodies will recognize the title as the book by Harold McGee (I recently acquired a practically free copy that was to be discarded by a public library), but it is a pretty accurate description of what the past couple of weeks have been like for me.

Let's take this morning for instance. I woke up, starving as usual, and excitedly ran out to get the paper. It is Wednesday after all, the day that the Washington Post publishes its food section. Next I made my usual hearty breakfast - eggs, hashbrowns etc and ate while reading about the latest local food news and watched the Cooking Channel.

As I cleaned up, the phone rang and it was a family friend who had invited us over for dinner. As we discussed the menu, it transpired that she would very much like us to bring dessert. My brain had to quickly switch gears from the roasted vegetable cous cous I had been planning to bring. Maybe the panna cotta that I had been wanting to try? On second there are kids in attendance and a cheesecake might be more kid-friendly. Of course I'll make a blueberry coulis to go on top.

Next on the agenda was watering the garden on our deck, a modest selection of flowers, herbs, and tomatoes. My mind wandered to my recurring day dream of converting my grandparents' estate in Newport into a bed and breakfast. I have already planned the vegetable garden and chicken run for fresh veggies and eggs, and today I add a wood burning cob oven made of recycled material where I'll turn out fresh bread and pizza.

So here I am currently, putting off going to the grocery store because writing is much more fun. Maybe I'll make something easier and more fool proof than a cheesecake. A cobbler perhaps? I'll have to do a little research before I go to the store.

The memory of last night's dinner is still lingering in my head. I grilled some beautiful spice rubbed heritage pork chops from a local farm that tasted more like a juicy steak than the porkchops I'm used to, alongside some local zucchini and corn. Oh and local potatoes roasted with some rosemary and thyme.



 Maybe I'll have the leftovers for lunch? Now my thoughts are turning to lunch and I'm hungry again. These days the phrase "I'll go get lunch" often means going around the side of our house to pick some gorgeous tomatoes lovingly grown by my young neighbors, and supplementing with fresh basil picked off our deck.

Suddenly I am reminded of the crab cookout that we will be having on Saturday. I can't forget to call the crab company today.

What a life. I move seamlessly from one meal to the next. I know that it won't last, but I am enjoying every minute of it.

Guess the Plant (Day 9)

Notice the different shapes of the leaves.

Guess the Plant (Day 8)

Guess the Plant (Day 7)

Per the instructions that came with the seeds, I replanted when they were 3 inches high.

Guess the Plant (Day 6)

Guess the Plant (Day 5)

Guess the Plant (Day 4)

Guess the Plant (Day 3)

Guess the Plant (Day 2)

Guess the Plant (Day 1)

I am very excited. While some people have children or even pets, I have seedlings. Something about taking some tiny seeds, putting them in dirt, and watching them grow seemingly overnight is nothing short of miraculous to me, and I have taken to documenting their progress each morning.

I leave it up to you to guess what variety of plant it is. Yes, I know the answer and no, there are no prizes. Unless you count my undying love and appreciation for reading my blog. I will admit that this first photo was taken 2 days after planting, but every photo hereafter is taken in 24 hour increments. If you click on the link "Guess the Plant" on the right hand side you will be able to see them in order.

Without further ado, here she is.

Beer Week (and vegan eats!) at Rembrandt's

It was Philly Beer Week that brought me to one of my favorite restaurants in the Art Museum district. I don't often make it to that neighborhood but when I do and I'm hungry I head over to Rembrandt's. And I always order the Tuscan fries.

I give full credit for the discovery of Tuscan fries to Fred. As he tells it, he's been going for years, always orders Tuscan fries, and never shares. And each time as he watches his fellow diners reaching for a bite he tells them that next time they should order their own. Because they are no longer on the menu, if you ask nicely for some Tuscan fries it is a secret code that you are a regular and should be treated as such. I think it's the balsamic drizzle that makes them so addictive. Or maybe the roasted vegetables.

All of their food is consistently good. 

And while I may not always partake, I always appreciate bars that make an effort for the few vegetarian bar goers. Because the food is always so good here, I decided to go out on a limb and order one of their specials, tofu skewers with coconut rice and a red pepper sauce. Kudos to Rembrandt's for having an elegant, original and delicious vegan offering on their menu.

My one gripe is that although the beer selection is good, it's rather pricey. Still, I mostly go just for the food so it doesn't really matter.

Rembrandt's Restaurant and Bar
 741 N. 23rd Street
 (Corner 23rd & Aspen Sts. in the Art Museum Area)
 215-763-2228

3 Ingredient Fix

I guess I understand the concept behind that show "5 Ingredient Fix" on the Food Network. I just think it's misguided. Every time I watch it I think, man a 6th ingredient might make it taste a lot better.

And most times I find that I cook with minimal ingredients anyways, mostly out of necessity. Last summer while taking part in the One Local Summer Challenge, I realized that eating locally also forces you to cook minimally. You are dependent on what is available, but you are also able to center meals around a few ingredients because they taste so darn good. Eating this way is good for your wallet too. Every time I go to the farmer's market I come in under budget, no coupons or sales necessary. Try that at your local supermarket, especially if you buy organic.

Even with the availability of local produce, some nights it just seems harder than others to come up with a dinner plan without resorting to the convenience of takeout or a local restaurant. It has to be fast, cheap, healthy and satisfying. Then try throwing vegetarian, local and organic into the mix. Every time I pull off a dinner that meets all of the above requirements I amaze even myself. I can't imagine how those of you with crazy stressful jobs let alone families deal with it. I won't pretend to offer advice on that one. (Although I do have to say that I would imagine this meal is kid friendly.)

Ingredients

Fingerling or yukon gold potatoes (These are always available at my market but use what you have)
Fresh broccoli
Cheese (Any kind that melts)
Olive oil

Clean and slice the potatoes into thin rounds. Layer into the bottom of a shallow baking dish.

Break off a few broccoli florets. Cut them into fairly small chunks and layer on top of the potatoes.

Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season liberally wth salt and pepper. Add a few splashes of water which will ensure more even cooking. You can add a few red pepper flakes here if you like heat. Or consider using a pepperjack cheese.

Pop in a 350 degree oven uncovered, and check after about 30 minutes. Perfect time to see what's on tv and grab a cold beer.

You might have to give it a little stir if the pieces on top get too browned, but keep in mind that a little bit of brown on the broccoli is a good thing. If you've never had it roasted before it's glorious. Beats the heck out of mushy steamed broccoli any day. (As a side note, I've recently discovered that broccoli cooked on a grill plan is delicious as well.)

Grate, or thinly slice if you're as lazy as I am, your cheese. When your potatoes are tender, which like I said should take a half hour or so, remove and layer some cheese on top. Pop back in. If you're as impatient as I am, crank your oven, or toaster oven in my case, up a few degrees. You might be seeing a pattern in my cooking style here.

When the cheese is sufficiently melted, grab a fork.

I won't tell anyone if you don't even bother with a plate.

Butternut Squash Risotto

I know what you are thinking. Ok that's not entirely true. But you might be thinking "Butternut Squash? In June? From someone who advocates eating seasonally?"

You'll have to forgive my slight transgression when you hear why. It's been a struggle for me to wrap my head around the fact that I will be gone in a few days. My small studio apartment is my sanctuary and my kitchen is usually stocked with all manner of ingredients. Lately, I've had to keep reminding myself not to keep buying food. I can't buy a can of this or a jar of that knowing that I'll discover it in my pantry a few months later and use it to create something really special. I can't keep stocking up on cans of beans just because they are on sale.

Emptying out my freezer has been an amusing process. In it you'll find an odd assortment of leftover bits and pieces. Everything from tofu to a ham hock. They should make an episode of "Chopped" with what's in there. So anyways, one of my finds was a container of leftover ravioli filling that I made months ago.

So out of the freezer it came, as I racked my brain and my cupboards looking for a suitable partner. None of my regular starches seemed like a good match especially on a warm night, until I spied a forgotten box of risotto. And the stars aligned in the form of an open bottle of white wine. Open bottles of wine don't last very long around my house so it was a sign.

Ingredients

About a cup and a half of cooked butternut squash (assuming you are feeding 2 people with leftovers)

Handful blue cheese, to taste

Handful dried cranberries, to taste

Arborio rice (see package for measurements and servings sizes)

Healthy splash of white wine

1 small or medium onion, diced

A few cloves of minced garlic

Butter and olive oil

Optional vegetable stock

Optional fresh lemon

In a large sauce pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and season liberally with salt and pepper. Satuee until the onion starts to get some color, but don't let it get too brown.

At this point you can prepare a sauce pan with some stock and heat over medium low heat. A full disclaimer that I used water and it turned out just fine. I used pretty strongly flavored ingredients in this one, but when I'm making something plainer I do use stock. Regardless, heat some liquid in a saucepan next to your risotto. It should simmer but not boil.

Add the garlic and uncooked rice and stir so that the rice starts to absorb some of the butter and oil. Stir constantly while it toasts slightly. After a few minutes and when you see the rice starting to get a little toasty, add the white wine. You want a good amount (I added about 2 cups) because this will add a lot of flavor. You could add some lemon juice right now also.

Stir the risotto until it absorbs all of the liquid. The usual risotto technique is to watch constantly, add a little warm liquid at a time, and wait until it absorbs all of it before adding some more. I turn the heat down to low, add about a cup of liquid at a time, stir well, put the lid on, and watch some tv. During the commercial break I'll check it again. I've never had any complaints about my risotto. There are so many commercials nowadays that you end up checking it pretty often this way.

When it had a good deal of liquid added to it but wasn't quite done, I dumped in my sqaush, blue cheese and cranberry mix and stirred well to incorporate. You might want to reseason at this point with salt and pepper.

Watch the magic happen... and enjoy.

PS: When I went back and read the ravioli recipe I had made a note about saving the filling to make risotto. The idea must have been tucked away in the back of my mind for a while. I wonder what else is lurking back there?

You might not be so proud...

Or maybe some of you will be???

I recently posted about a Phillies game where I showed tremendous restraint. I somehow managed to avoid the temptations of hot dogs and cheesesteaks that are abundant at Citizen's Bank Park.

PETA ranks Citizen's Bank Park as the best ball park for vegetarian eats. Given that I only go once or twice a year, I tend to use games as an excuse to splurge. I feel like it's my right as an American to enjoy a hot dog at a ball game. And while I've heard great things about veggie dogs and veggie cheesesteaks there, they're not exactly handing them out at every concession stand.

It was sheer luck that I ended up getting that black bean burger at the last game because we ended up sitting right by the one stand that sells them. I choked it down (it was about as bad as you'd expect it to be) hoping to gain some good karma for a little while.

Any good karma that I earned was promptly spent at Friday night's game against the Padres. Maybe I'm just getting sad about leaving Philly, but I haven't wanted to waste my last few weeks here on terrible veggie burgers. My time is precious.

What better way to enjoy all that is Philly than with a sandwich worthy of an episode of Diners, Drive ins and Dives. I present to you the Schmitter.

Cheesesteak, fried onions, fried bologna, tomato, and special sauce.

And yes, it was worth it.

Ode to a Cucumber

You know what I think is just as cool
As an afternoon spent by the pool?
I’ll give you a hint, it’s long and green.
And at the farmer’s market it can be seen.

But only when the weather is nice and hot.
During the winter months, you’ll find it not.
So all winter long I wait and wait.
With nothing but potatoes to fill my plate.
I eagerly await the arrival of spring.
And of all the green things that it will bring.
Asparagus and strawberries are a hopeful sign.
Of a bountiful summer that soon will be mine.
At last the day is finally here!
When I first bite into a cold crunchy spear.
I sprinkle with salt, or just eat it plain.
Until a ripe summer tomato I can obtain.

Then panzanella always does the trick.
A dish I can prepare really quick.
And into tzatziki for a delicious dip.
Or maybe I'll make a summer sip?
It makes a great cocktail or so I’m told.
Gazpacho too, served nice and cold.
When August comes they’re everywhere.
From friends’ backyards to my CSA share.
At times it seems it’s more than I need.
Then I think about all the hungry mouths to feed.
But if I can’t use it, it’s not the end.
I’ve always wanted to try pickling our vegetable friend.
And a cold slice placed over the eyes
Is said to really revitalize.
So the next time you’re trying to beat the heat.
I know just what you need for a refreshing treat.