Magnifico!

Carol's Bohemian Lasagna

2008-07-11T15:07:22Z

Lasagna - there is so much to love about it. It's cheesy, it's gooey, it's a meal in itself, it's comfort food. It's easy to make to boot. This was something I could make in my dorm kitchen, following the recipe on the back of the Barilla box. What that recipe lacked in finesse it made up for in cheese. Not that we minded - we were college students starved for a homemade meal, and so we always had fun popping this into the ovens in the dorm kitchens, opening a bottle of wine, and making a meal such that we were the envy of most dorm residents.

Now that I'm out of college though, that cheese-laden flavor-lacking thoroughly Americanized version isn't going to cut it anymore. And that Souffer stuff? Forgetaboutit. Why oh why would you buy something like that when lasagna is like the easiest thing to make ever??? Anyway, I'd been looking for a good recipe for a several years until this winter when we had a dinner party at my swim coach's house and my friend Ginger brought a tray of the most fantastic lasagna. It had just the right amount of cheese and wasn't greasy and had some substantial herbs to it, which is really something that most recipes lack. So what did I do? I asked her for the recipe, of course.

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"Oooh, I don't know, I'll have to ask my mom about it!" Apparently the lasagna recipe is akin to a state secret - Ginger's mom worked really hard to develop the recipe (it shows!) and only gave it to her daughters under the condition that they would keep it as proprietary information. Lucky for me though, Carol agreed that it was ok for Ginger to give me the recipe because I had shared my family's pumpkin cookie with her. Totally a great swap, if you ask me. And in case you're wondering, yes, I do have permission to share this recipe on this blog! I've modified it only a little bit, because the core premise of the recipe is so solid. It uses cottage cheese instead of ricotta, which I think is a really great idea because it's really tough to find good ricottas in the States. I absolutely love the sauce that you make for the recipe, and it's fantastic with both either and turkey Italian sausages. I did substitute dried Italian herbs for dried basil because basil's flavor is so volatile in the presence of heat and the dried version retains so little of the fresh's flavor - but I just added in the fresh basil later in the recipe. The overall effect of the recipe is a way-less heavy version of the typical lasagna, but still retains all of the flavor that you want.

Thank you so much, Carol, for sharing this recipe with me! You did an awesome job creating this lasagna and I really appreciate being let in on the secret!

Nikon D50

]]> Carol's Bohemian Lasagna
Adapted from a recipe developed by Carol Schultz, a swim buddy's mom

Serves about 12

This is one of those great recipes that is tastier the next day. Adding to the already existing convenience of lasagna, you can assemble the lasagna up to a day ahead before cooking, or you can assemble and freeze. Adjustments to the cooking time can be found below.

If you're like me, your sauce ends up fairly chunky so putting it in a thin layer below the noodles is difficult. I've found that if you spoon some of the sauce into the pan and push it around the bottom it will coat it pretty well in a later of protective saucy goodness. Remove the chunky bits and use them in another layer where they'll be better appreciated.

Some varieties of fresh mozzarella really have a lot of moisture. If you suspect you're using one of these varieties, ensure that you drain the cheese really well before using it. You may want to consider using a little less of the cheese as well since you can get mozzarella water pooling on the top of your lasagna if it's too moist.

1 pound Italian sausage

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons dried Italian herbs

One 16 ounce can of whole tomatoes (preferably Italian recipe), juice reserved and tomatoes chopped

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 cups cottage cheese (preferably whole-milk)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound of fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and thinly sliced (or use perlini, tiny pearl-sized bits of mozzarella)

1 cup of freshly chopped fresh basil leaves

8 ounces lasagna noodles (I like whole wheat or whole spelt varieties)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Over medium heat, brown and drain the meat. Add garlic, Italian herbs, and the tomatoes and their juices. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, about 35-40 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, fill a stockpot with water and start bringing it to a boil.

Beat eggs in a medium sized bowl. Add pepper, cottage cheese, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan and stir well.

When the sauce is nearly ready, drop the lasagna noodles into boiling water and cook according to the package directions. After cooking and draining, drizzle olive oil over the noodles to help prevent them from sticking together.

To assemble the lasagna, spread a small amount of sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan. Put down a layer of noodles. Spread half the sauce over the noodles and top with half the cottage cheese mixture, half the mozzarella cheese, and half of the fresh basil. Layer on the rest of the noodles, the rest of the cottage cheese mix, mozzarella cheese, basil, and the rest of the meat sauce (note the different order of this layer). Top with the remaining Parmesan.

Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake until cheese is beginning to brown, about 30-40 minutes (bake for 45-55 minutes if assembled then refrigerated or 1:45-2 hours if assembled and frozen), removing the foil at about 25 minutes. After baking, let the pan sit for about 15 minutes before serving. Leftovers can easily be refrigerated or frozen.

Chicken tikka masala with basmati rice pilaf

2008-05-19T22:07:46Z

If you've yet to foray into the world of Indian cuisine, chicken tikka masala is a good guide for first-timers. There are many aspects of it that are familiar and comfortable to a Western palate (like chicken and rice) but with a decidedly Eastern bent. And by Eastern bent, I mean wonderfully aromatic and fragrant rice, and a richly spiced, yet not spicy, warm sauce for the chicken. It's a small wonder that this is the most popular Indian dish in the world, even if it's not, well, strictly authentic Indian.

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Another fantastic thing about chicken tikka masala is that it requires no special equipment. It would be nice to have a tandoor, but a broiler make an acceptable stand-in. Now if only I could find a good tandoor substitute when making naan... But that's another story of a less successful foray. For now, stick with the chicken tikka masala and really start using some spices in your cooking!

Nikon D50

]]> Chicken tikka masala with basmati rice pilaf
From the September 2007 issue of Cook's Illustrated

Serves 4-6

For the pilaf:

2 tablespoons canola oil, vegetable oil, or corn oil

2 three-inch cinnamon sticks, halved

4 green cardamom pods

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion

4 whole cloves

2 cups basmati rice

2 teaspoons table salt

3 cups water

For chicken tikka:

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon table salt

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat

1 cup plain low-fat or whole-milk yogurt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

For masala sauce:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)

2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 fresh serrano chile, ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (for less heat, omit this. For more heat, keep ribs and seeds)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon garam masala (or 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper)

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2/3 cup heavy cream (or half and half or whole milk for a lighter version)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

For the rice:

Heat oil in medium saucepan over high heat until almost smoking. Add whole spices and cook, stirring until they pop. Add onions and cook, stirring until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in rice and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add 1 1/2 cups water and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover tightly, and simmer until all water has been absorbed, about 17 minutes. Let stand, covered, at least 10 minutes, fluff with fork, and serve.

For the chicken:

Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with another inverted plate, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

For the sauce:

While the chicken is refrigerating, heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasonings, and serve over rice.

Strawberry-balsamic vinegar sorbet

2008-05-19T07:50:34Z

The scene: a beautiful summer's evening. A gathering of friends has come together to feast on grilled halibut, lemon linguine, and flash-cooked veggies. Everything was quite delicious and fresh, and all tummies were singing with joy. But the dessert was yet to be served!

Nikon D50

Yours truly decided to serve another dish in the vein of fresh summer fare. I pulled out vanilla ice cream, strawberries, and a good balsamic vinegar and proceeded to combine them. I could tell this had thrown my guests for a loop and no one was particularly looking forward to trying this syrupy brown stuff drizzled all over their perfectly good berries and ice cream. But the moment that combination touched their lips, I could tell that I had a table full of converts.

Should you have a similar reaction to the thought of strawberries and balsamic vinegar, I ask that you recite this eleventh commandment to yourself:

Thou shalt not doubt the culinary creations of your hostess, for lo, she will not lead you astray on the path to yumminess.

Nikon D50

This sorbet is in the same spirit of the combination I served last summer. This recipe really doesn't get any easier. Sorbets are usually based on a simple syrup but even that didn't make it onto this three-ingredient list. That's how simple it is! It's really delicious too - strawberries are always good, and when you add a good balsamic to the mix you get something really special. When you add the fact that it's a frozen dessert, well, that just makes it the perfect summer dessert, doesn't it?

Nikon D50

]]> Strawberry-balsamic vinegar sorbet
Adapted from The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook

Serves 4-6

Your choice of balsamic vinegar is of the utmost importance in this recipe. I'm not suggesting that you to go out and spend sixty bucks an ounce for the genuine stuff that's aged twelve years in progressively smaller barrels and is only produced in two provinces of Italy, but if you buy the cheapest stuff you find on the shelves you will get a bitter, harsh, and acidic result. I highly recommend Lucini balsamic vinegar because it is mellow and complex raw and still very pleasant when reduced to a glaze.

If good fresh strawberries are unavailable, use frozen!

If your sorbet is freezing too hard, try adding a tablespoon or two of brandy to the mixture before putting it in your ice cream maker. The alcohol will lower the freezing temperature and will help prevent ice crystals that are too large, thereby improving the texture of the finished product.

4 cups strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved

3/4 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

In a blender, thoroughly combine the strawberries. Blend into a smooth puree. If you really dislike the texture of strawberry seeds, place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour in the puree, pressing against the strainer with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much flavor as possible.

Put the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat until reduced by half, about ten minutes. Combine the balsamic reduction, strawberry puree, and honey in a bowl and refrigerate until cool.

Place the mixture in an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. Freeze until ready to use, and serve garnished with sliced fresh strawberries.

How I stimulated the economy

2008-05-17T05:15:54Z

I just so happened to be wandering the aisles of New Sagaya today, lamenting my recent travels and the Martian death flu that resulted in me not cooking in a full two weeks, steadily depleting my frozen stores of homemade soups, breads, and lasagnas, and dreaming of making yet another Margherita pizza, and before I knew it I was in front of the seafood case.

*cue soft-focus light and an angelic choir singing*

It was a beautiful sight that greeted me.

Fresh (fresh!) red salmon! Not frozen, but fresh! And not any red salmon, but Copper River red salmon!

It had been so long since I had seen fresh red salmon, I must have started salivating right there. I quickly ordered a small fillet, kinda glad that someone had neglected to scrawl the price on the glass with a grease pencil.

And let's just say that it's a damn good thing I got paid that economic stimulus free money today. Yessiree, at $25 a pound, I'd better have had some serious cash on hand for that kind of extravagance. But I'm an Alaskan who believes that you've gotta get the seasonal seafood when the getting's good so I was more than happy to shell out.

But here's the real salmon snob coming out in me here: I don't understand the premium placed on Copper River salmon. I know that it's shipped all over the country to be served in fancy-pants restaurants and so the whole law of supply and demand dictates that that particular fish is going to be spendy. Despite that, I honestly think that regular ol' any-river-in-Alaska produces tastier - and more economically priced - sockeyes. But I'm only human and it was the first fresh salmon to be in a seafood case since September and I had a free six hundred bucks in my pocket! Right then, in that moment, I could afford to pay a premium for the first reds of the season.

It was in my oven less than half an hour after being dearly bought and it was in my tummy shortly thereafter. And it was yummy. Salmon season, how I love thee so!

Nikon D50

Same recipe as last year, just with a new photo and a good story »

Orzo with cherry tomatoes, capers, and lemon

2008-05-15T04:40:23Z

I love orzo. It's such a hybrid - it looks like it wants to be rice, but it's got the taste and texture of pasta, and because of its small shape it's perfect in side dishes and salads. This dish that I'm about to share with you is my favorite orzo dish. There's really nothing not to love about it - it has lots of highly flavored elements that manage to not compete with each other, a couple of highly nutritious veggies, and a wonderfully textured sauce that tastes rich and creamy without actually being either of those things.

Nikon D50

This recipe also has the bonus factor of minimal stove use, which is key in the summer. You use a stove but it's much more about mixing things together at the end than it is about simmering for hours. I love taking this dish to dinner parties because people tend to expect a typical pasta salad dish - made with mayonnaise and flat-tasting - until they actually try it and realize how much complex and fresh tasting it is than what they were expecting. So give it a try and let it change your ideas of a pasta salad.

Nikon D50

]]> Orzo with cherry tomatoes, capers, and lemon
Adapted from The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook

Serves 4

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 clove garlic, minced

4 cups fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped

1 cup uncooked orzo

2 cups chicken stock

3/4 cup pitted black olives, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons capers, drained and finely chopped

1 tablespoon pine nuts, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon zest

Fresh ground pepper to taste

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook until the tomatoes are almost tender, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach to the pan and cook until well-wilted. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine the orzo and chicken stock over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the pasta is al dente, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, until almost all of the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes.

Add the olives, thyme, capers, pine nuts, cheese lemon zest, and pepper to the orzo and toss gently to mix. Serve immediately.

How to handle artisan bread dough

2008-05-11T21:45:12Z

Artisan French dough is an interesting animal. On one hand you have four - count 'em, four - ingredients. Not so hard, right? The thing is, it's not the number of ingredients, it's their proportion to each other. It's a very hydrated dough compared to the multitude of sandwich loaves I've posted here previously, yet many of the requirements are the same.

The tricky requirement here is the kneading. Yes, this dough is a wet, sticky monster. And yes, you have to develop the gluten yourself. You don't get to rely on a ridiculously long autolyze to do the hard work for you like you do in my much-loved no-knead bread (but it's worth it - the pre-ferment makes for a far superior flavor). So how does one get the gluten to develop?

Some of you may quickly point out that KitchenAid stand mixers are proof that a god loves us and wants us to eat good bread. But I'll point out even more quickly that the French have been making this bread before mixers were a twinkle in a baker's eye, so there has to be some way to do it. And being the do-it-yourself-er that I am, I'm going to teach you how.

Like I said, you obviously can't knead in the conventional fashion. Pushing, folding, and rotating translates into smearing, smearing, and smearing in the language of French dough. So instead of using force provided by your body, use the force provided by gravity to stretch, relax, and align those gluten strands and turn that yucky, sticky mess of flour and water into a ball of stretchy, supple, super-soft dough. Here's an illustrated guide for how to do it:

Lay the heels of your hands on the dough, both thumbs pointing to the left (or the right, if you like. Just be consistent). Be sure your hands are positioned so that your thumbs are close to the edge of the dough and there is plenty of dough visible on the other side of your hand. Get your fingers underneath the dough.