This summer I've been eating a lot of variations on the classic three-bean salad. I make a one-bean (green beans), two-bean (green beans and cannellini beans), three-bean (green, cannellini, garbanzo), four bean (green, cannellini, garbanzo, and kidneys). Basically, a bean salad can have whatever bean you want in just about any variation you prefer.
I like to cook my own beans because it's cheaper and tastes better, but if you used canned beans, just rinse them of all the goopy stuff you find in a can. When I cook my own beans I soak them overnight, and then in the morning I cook them while I'm getting ready, and them let them soak in the cooking water until I get home that evening when I finish off the cooking.
To make a bean salad really tasty, you just need to add a few extras. Here are some suggestions-- you can add any variation of these ingredients:
chopped tomatoes
garlic
olives
red onion, finely chopped
shaved parmesan
chopped salami
sauteed fennel bulb
I like to have a slightly sweet dressing on my beans:
equal measure of olive oil and vinegar (rice or apple cider)
a dollop of dijon mustard
a measure of brown sugar or honey
salt
pepper
Let the beans marinate as long as possible before you eat, but if you can't wait to eat I don't blame you. If you want to pump up this salad even more, serve it on quinoa or israeli couscous.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
poached egg
A good poached egg is truly and unappreciated food item that is mangled in many restaurants. I just have one question. Why is it so fucking hard to make sure my poached egg doesn't have a hard yolk? So disappointing.
There are "egg poachers" out there in the world, but all they really are is egg steamers, which is different from a poached egg. You don't need no stinkin' egg poacher anyway, all you need is:
a pan
water
egg
spatula
Fill the pan with about 1 inch of water. The pan needs to have a tight lid, I forgot to mention that. Put the lid on and bring the water to a hard boil. Crack your egg into the water, and cover. Now, you have to stand there, do not walk away. This is why restaurants always fuck up poached eggs, they walk away. Not only do you have to get that egg off pretty quick, the water will boil over in your pan. When it does that, lift the lid. When the boiling calms down, put it back on. Repeat. About 3 times. At some point you will look at your egg and realize that it's white all over. Now is the time to rescue your little egg from the pan.
Now this is where it gets tricky and why most people would prefer a fried egg. Very gently ease your spatula under the egg. Wedge it under there, making sure the yolk is supported. Pull it out of the pan, letting the water drain off for a few seconds. Gently ease it off the spatula onto your english muffin, into your soup, or on top of your sauteed spinach. Hmmmmm, sauteed spinach and poached egg...
No matter how careful you are, it's possible you will still break the yolk. At this point, it's an emergency extraction so you can save as much yolk as possible. It's very sad when this happens, but you just have to move on and eat what you get. I usually serve this one to Andrew, because I'm very selfish about yolk, and he does not notice as much.
You will notice that there seems to be a lot of egg white left behind. It's true, there is a lot of egg white left behind. I suppose if you like egg whites and order "egg beaters" in a restaurant then you will be sad that you are missing a significant portion o the egg whites. But trust me, you're missing nothin'.
There are "egg poachers" out there in the world, but all they really are is egg steamers, which is different from a poached egg. You don't need no stinkin' egg poacher anyway, all you need is:
a pan
water
egg
spatula
Fill the pan with about 1 inch of water. The pan needs to have a tight lid, I forgot to mention that. Put the lid on and bring the water to a hard boil. Crack your egg into the water, and cover. Now, you have to stand there, do not walk away. This is why restaurants always fuck up poached eggs, they walk away. Not only do you have to get that egg off pretty quick, the water will boil over in your pan. When it does that, lift the lid. When the boiling calms down, put it back on. Repeat. About 3 times. At some point you will look at your egg and realize that it's white all over. Now is the time to rescue your little egg from the pan.
Now this is where it gets tricky and why most people would prefer a fried egg. Very gently ease your spatula under the egg. Wedge it under there, making sure the yolk is supported. Pull it out of the pan, letting the water drain off for a few seconds. Gently ease it off the spatula onto your english muffin, into your soup, or on top of your sauteed spinach. Hmmmmm, sauteed spinach and poached egg...
No matter how careful you are, it's possible you will still break the yolk. At this point, it's an emergency extraction so you can save as much yolk as possible. It's very sad when this happens, but you just have to move on and eat what you get. I usually serve this one to Andrew, because I'm very selfish about yolk, and he does not notice as much.
You will notice that there seems to be a lot of egg white left behind. It's true, there is a lot of egg white left behind. I suppose if you like egg whites and order "egg beaters" in a restaurant then you will be sad that you are missing a significant portion o the egg whites. But trust me, you're missing nothin'.
a soup for all seasons
You know when you have a busy day ahead and the very idea of busting out an edible dinner in 10 hours seems totally out of the question? Back away from the take-out menu! This is my simple, easy, basic soup. You can add all kinds of stuff to it, or you can take it as it is. It's great for every season, because soup is always good.
Here are the basics:
Onion
Garlic
Carrot
Celery
Tomatoes (canned or fresh. no fresh tomatoes in february!)
French Lentils (the small black-green ones)
Chicken stock or water
Bay Leaf
Basil
Oregano
Parsley
Salt Pepper
Depending on the season and supplies on hand, you can add:
Fresh corn (Leaving out the lentils and potatoes. Why? Too much starch)
Avocado as a garnish. So good.
Greens (Kale, Chard, etc. Add when you have about 10-15 more cooking time)
Spinach (save till almost the end or it will overcook)
Green beans
Broccoli or better yet, broccolini
Artichokes (canned or fresh)
Mushrooms (saute in the beginning with onion, etc.)
Parsnips
Poached egg
Potatoes
Canellini beans (fresh, canned, or dried. If dry, soak all day)
I'm sure I'm leaving stuff out, but that's my basic list of options.
I favor French Lentils because they stay firm and do not fall apart. I like that. However, you can also use any other lentil type or even a split pea. These have the advantage of being quick-cooking. If you are going to use French Lentils or dry cannellini beans, rinse them well, pop them into a pot in the morning and cover with water and a teaspoon of salt so they will cook up quickly that evening.
Okay, evening is here, time to whip this soup out. First, chop up that onion and get it sauteing with some olive oil and salt. If you are feeling indulgent, add butter too, or cut the olive oil and just do butter. I'm just saying, butter is good, but fatty. While the onion sautes over medium heat, chop up the celery and add to the onion. If you are doing a potato, chop it up into 1-inch cubes and add that too. Cut the carrots in half and chop into half moons, add to pot. Oh, throw in that bay leaf too. Garlic goes in last.
When everything starts getting soft and smelling good, you will start adding your other ingredients. If you soaked your lentils or beans, pour the water and the beans into the pot. Add chicken stock or water so everything is floating in a nice broth. Cover, bring to a boil, and then turn down to med-low heat. Cook for about 30 minutes or until beans are done.
Whatever you decide to add, make sure you add it at the right time. You don't want to overcook anything. Part of the charm of this soup is the good-tasting vegetables. Generally, 5 minutes is enough time, with the exception of heartier vegetables.
Now I know you want to know about the poached egg. I learned this from Olga's Restaurant on Orcas Island. In fact, I came up with this recipe from a soup I had there. The poached egg is so fucking good. It adds some protein, and if you are an egg hound like me, then you will be really happy. I had this soup for breakfast, which is probably why they threw the egg on. But I think it's perfectly appropriate for dinner too.
The finishing touch with this soup is crusty bread. But regular old sliced bread is great too. Or skip the bread, you don't need it!
Here are the basics:
Onion
Garlic
Carrot
Celery
Tomatoes (canned or fresh. no fresh tomatoes in february!)
French Lentils (the small black-green ones)
Chicken stock or water
Bay Leaf
Basil
Oregano
Parsley
Salt Pepper
Depending on the season and supplies on hand, you can add:
Fresh corn (Leaving out the lentils and potatoes. Why? Too much starch)
Avocado as a garnish. So good.
Greens (Kale, Chard, etc. Add when you have about 10-15 more cooking time)
Spinach (save till almost the end or it will overcook)
Green beans
Broccoli or better yet, broccolini
Artichokes (canned or fresh)
Mushrooms (saute in the beginning with onion, etc.)
Parsnips
Poached egg
Potatoes
Canellini beans (fresh, canned, or dried. If dry, soak all day)
I'm sure I'm leaving stuff out, but that's my basic list of options.
I favor French Lentils because they stay firm and do not fall apart. I like that. However, you can also use any other lentil type or even a split pea. These have the advantage of being quick-cooking. If you are going to use French Lentils or dry cannellini beans, rinse them well, pop them into a pot in the morning and cover with water and a teaspoon of salt so they will cook up quickly that evening.
Okay, evening is here, time to whip this soup out. First, chop up that onion and get it sauteing with some olive oil and salt. If you are feeling indulgent, add butter too, or cut the olive oil and just do butter. I'm just saying, butter is good, but fatty. While the onion sautes over medium heat, chop up the celery and add to the onion. If you are doing a potato, chop it up into 1-inch cubes and add that too. Cut the carrots in half and chop into half moons, add to pot. Oh, throw in that bay leaf too. Garlic goes in last.
When everything starts getting soft and smelling good, you will start adding your other ingredients. If you soaked your lentils or beans, pour the water and the beans into the pot. Add chicken stock or water so everything is floating in a nice broth. Cover, bring to a boil, and then turn down to med-low heat. Cook for about 30 minutes or until beans are done.
Whatever you decide to add, make sure you add it at the right time. You don't want to overcook anything. Part of the charm of this soup is the good-tasting vegetables. Generally, 5 minutes is enough time, with the exception of heartier vegetables.
Now I know you want to know about the poached egg. I learned this from Olga's Restaurant on Orcas Island. In fact, I came up with this recipe from a soup I had there. The poached egg is so fucking good. It adds some protein, and if you are an egg hound like me, then you will be really happy. I had this soup for breakfast, which is probably why they threw the egg on. But I think it's perfectly appropriate for dinner too.
The finishing touch with this soup is crusty bread. But regular old sliced bread is great too. Or skip the bread, you don't need it!
pine nuts
There are certain things that I think of as "food of the gods". These are simple items that are easy to make and totally delicious. Toasted pine nuts fall into this category.
What is so good about toasted pine nuts? Pine nuts are super fatty, (good fats, of course) and when you toast them, they have this amazing flavor akin to bacon bits. Obviously there is nothing that is as good as bacon bits, but this can be a great substitute for you vegetarian types. The rest of us will eat real bacon bits.
Toasting pines nuts is touchy affair, because pine nuts are delicate and burn fast. A toaster oven is the ideal place to toast them, or on the stove top in a pan. Just keep your eyeball on them!
A simple way to use toasted pine nuts is to sprinkle them on salad, sauteed vegetables, or grind them up with basil and parmesan for pesto.
I invented this recipe for pine nuts, it's a paste that can be used on fish, in pasta with vegetables, on vegetables without pasta, spread on bread with butter-- oh yeah-- or whatever else that sounds good.
You need:
some toasted pines nuts, let's say a half cup.
some lemon zest, like a tablespoon or more if you think it needs it.
3 cloves garlic
fresh basil and/or parsley, about 1/4 cup
salt, the chunky kind if possible, only because I love the texture
Chop everything up super fine, and paste it on!
What is so good about toasted pine nuts? Pine nuts are super fatty, (good fats, of course) and when you toast them, they have this amazing flavor akin to bacon bits. Obviously there is nothing that is as good as bacon bits, but this can be a great substitute for you vegetarian types. The rest of us will eat real bacon bits.
Toasting pines nuts is touchy affair, because pine nuts are delicate and burn fast. A toaster oven is the ideal place to toast them, or on the stove top in a pan. Just keep your eyeball on them!
A simple way to use toasted pine nuts is to sprinkle them on salad, sauteed vegetables, or grind them up with basil and parmesan for pesto.
I invented this recipe for pine nuts, it's a paste that can be used on fish, in pasta with vegetables, on vegetables without pasta, spread on bread with butter-- oh yeah-- or whatever else that sounds good.
You need:
some toasted pines nuts, let's say a half cup.
some lemon zest, like a tablespoon or more if you think it needs it.
3 cloves garlic
fresh basil and/or parsley, about 1/4 cup
salt, the chunky kind if possible, only because I love the texture
Chop everything up super fine, and paste it on!
omelet
The omelet is one of the world's perfect foods. The best thing about it is that once you know what you are doing with the omelet, you can be a Master Omelet Maker. Let's be clear: most people do not know what to fuck they are doing when it comes to making and omelet. But you are about to.
Back to the perfection of the omelet: It's fast, it's easy, it's nutritious and tasty. You can also throw just about anything into it and it will taste good. Know why? Because an omelet contains melty cheese, and melty cheese is good with everything. Name one thing that is not good with melty cheese. ... ... ... Can't do it, can you? Now, this is the meal you make when you forgot to plan any kind of dinner. Or lunch or breakfast. The omelet is one of those rare things you can eat for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner.
For an omelet you need:
a non-stick omelet pan, or a wide and shallow pan
a rubber spatula
butter
eggs
salt
milk
cheese
whatever you are going to throw in there. You can throw pasta into an omelet and it will taste good. If you are using vegetables, give them a saute or a steam first.
Now the key to a good omelet is lots of butter. Coat the pan with it, I want to see some froth on that pan when the butter melts. You want your temperature to be medium-- not too hot, not too cool, but if you must err on any side, too cool is better than too hot. If you cook an omelet too quickly it will not be right. Crack your eggs into a bowl and stir them just enough to break up the yolks and integrate the salt (big pinch) and the milk (a splash). Also, have your cheese ready if it needs to be grated or sliced. I hope you know enough to know you can put any kind of cheese into an omelet.
When the pan has some nice heat on it, pour your eggs in. Let's talk pan-to-egg ratio a minute: you don't want to load up the pan with to many eggs. If you pour too much in there, it will take forever to cook. You want no more than a half inch of eggs in the pan. When you pour in the eggs, just let them sit. Don't fuck with them, these are delicate chicken fetuses we are dealing with. What you are waiting for is for the edges to set a bit. When they do, whip out your rubber spatula, gently lift up the edge of the omelet, as much of it as you can, and tilt the pan so the runny stuff flows off the top of the omelet and onto the pan where you just lifted the omelet. Shimmy your way all around the pan with this method. Keep doing this until no more runny stuff is left. When this happens, turn the heat down a notch and clap a lid on the pan. This will finish the cooking of the egg, and any runny stuff you couldn't tuck underneath the cooked egg.
Go get your filling supplies, take the lid off the pan, and cover half of the omelet with it. Which half you ask? The left half if you are right-handed, and the right half of you are left-handed. The reason for this will become clear in a moment. Clap the lid back on, and turn the heat off so your cheese can get melty, and any cooking that still needs to get done can finish up.
Assemble your plates. Now, if this is one person-one omelet, then shimmy (I love that word) the omelet onto your plate, filling side first. When the first half of the omelet hits the plate, lift the pan so that the unfilled side can flip over and land on the filling, making the perfectly folded omelet. If this is a two-or-more omelet, then cut it in the pan, and manually fold it over and lift each individual piece. Now, why do you cut the omelet while it is still open? Because it is easier to cut the filling without a layer of egg coming between you and your knife, therefore making you look even more masterful as you present this perfectly cooked and perfectly presented omelet. Viola!
Back to the perfection of the omelet: It's fast, it's easy, it's nutritious and tasty. You can also throw just about anything into it and it will taste good. Know why? Because an omelet contains melty cheese, and melty cheese is good with everything. Name one thing that is not good with melty cheese. ... ... ... Can't do it, can you? Now, this is the meal you make when you forgot to plan any kind of dinner. Or lunch or breakfast. The omelet is one of those rare things you can eat for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner.
For an omelet you need:
a non-stick omelet pan, or a wide and shallow pan
a rubber spatula
butter
eggs
salt
milk
cheese
whatever you are going to throw in there. You can throw pasta into an omelet and it will taste good. If you are using vegetables, give them a saute or a steam first.
Now the key to a good omelet is lots of butter. Coat the pan with it, I want to see some froth on that pan when the butter melts. You want your temperature to be medium-- not too hot, not too cool, but if you must err on any side, too cool is better than too hot. If you cook an omelet too quickly it will not be right. Crack your eggs into a bowl and stir them just enough to break up the yolks and integrate the salt (big pinch) and the milk (a splash). Also, have your cheese ready if it needs to be grated or sliced. I hope you know enough to know you can put any kind of cheese into an omelet.
When the pan has some nice heat on it, pour your eggs in. Let's talk pan-to-egg ratio a minute: you don't want to load up the pan with to many eggs. If you pour too much in there, it will take forever to cook. You want no more than a half inch of eggs in the pan. When you pour in the eggs, just let them sit. Don't fuck with them, these are delicate chicken fetuses we are dealing with. What you are waiting for is for the edges to set a bit. When they do, whip out your rubber spatula, gently lift up the edge of the omelet, as much of it as you can, and tilt the pan so the runny stuff flows off the top of the omelet and onto the pan where you just lifted the omelet. Shimmy your way all around the pan with this method. Keep doing this until no more runny stuff is left. When this happens, turn the heat down a notch and clap a lid on the pan. This will finish the cooking of the egg, and any runny stuff you couldn't tuck underneath the cooked egg.
Go get your filling supplies, take the lid off the pan, and cover half of the omelet with it. Which half you ask? The left half if you are right-handed, and the right half of you are left-handed. The reason for this will become clear in a moment. Clap the lid back on, and turn the heat off so your cheese can get melty, and any cooking that still needs to get done can finish up.
Assemble your plates. Now, if this is one person-one omelet, then shimmy (I love that word) the omelet onto your plate, filling side first. When the first half of the omelet hits the plate, lift the pan so that the unfilled side can flip over and land on the filling, making the perfectly folded omelet. If this is a two-or-more omelet, then cut it in the pan, and manually fold it over and lift each individual piece. Now, why do you cut the omelet while it is still open? Because it is easier to cut the filling without a layer of egg coming between you and your knife, therefore making you look even more masterful as you present this perfectly cooked and perfectly presented omelet. Viola!
let's roast a chicken
There is nothing easier than roasting a chicken, and the best thing about it is that you have a chicken carcass to pick off, to boil down into stock, and to enjoy for a day, maybe two, after the roasting goes down in your oven.
The key to an excellent roast chicken is to keep it basic and easy. No olive oil baths, no spice rubs, no stuffing it with fresh Meyer lemons or whatever. Okay, I lied. I actually really like to brine the chicken for at least 3 hours before roasting. The salt brine locks in all the juiciness and gives the bird amazing flavor. You will never go back. So if you have the time, here is the brine recipe:
1 quart water
1/2 cup kosher salt OR 1/4 table salt
1/2 sugar
Put it all into a stock pot, pop the bird in, and the refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. Generally, you want to use a quart of water for every pound of bird, and the recipe above is proportional, so you have to increase the salt and sugar for every quart. Now, I have to say that I hate using up that much sugar on a chicken, so I usually cut it off at 1/2 cup or so. Maybe I would get a much better bird if I used more sugar, but it's so damn good anyway that I'm not concerned about it.
Now, if you choose to skip the brine, that's okay. Either way, you want to rinse Mrs. Chicken off. When you are done, you want to dry her off. Yes, take a towel and dry her down. Why? Because dry skin makes crispy skin, and that's what we want. One time, I went a little crazy and put the bird in front of a high speed fan for 20 minutes, and that was one crispy bird. I think I ate the whole skin in one fell swoop and then told Andrew that the bird came... skinless. Yeah yeah, skinless, that's the ticket!
Put her in or on your roasting pan, breast side up, and rain salt down on that bird. Even if you brined it, get salt all over Birdy. I like to put some fresh thyme on there too. Pop Birdy into a 450 degree oven and let 'er cook for 50-60 minutes. Don't baste her, don't butter her, just leave her alone. If you have a meat thermometer you can pull her out at 165 degrees. If not, yank her at 50 minutes, 60 minutes if she's extra-big (and she shouldn't be since I hope you are eating an organic, free-range, no hormone chicken.) Let her sit for 10 minutes before you tear her apart and eat her like the animal you are.
The key to an excellent roast chicken is to keep it basic and easy. No olive oil baths, no spice rubs, no stuffing it with fresh Meyer lemons or whatever. Okay, I lied. I actually really like to brine the chicken for at least 3 hours before roasting. The salt brine locks in all the juiciness and gives the bird amazing flavor. You will never go back. So if you have the time, here is the brine recipe:
1 quart water
1/2 cup kosher salt OR 1/4 table salt
1/2 sugar
Put it all into a stock pot, pop the bird in, and the refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 8 hours. Generally, you want to use a quart of water for every pound of bird, and the recipe above is proportional, so you have to increase the salt and sugar for every quart. Now, I have to say that I hate using up that much sugar on a chicken, so I usually cut it off at 1/2 cup or so. Maybe I would get a much better bird if I used more sugar, but it's so damn good anyway that I'm not concerned about it.
Now, if you choose to skip the brine, that's okay. Either way, you want to rinse Mrs. Chicken off. When you are done, you want to dry her off. Yes, take a towel and dry her down. Why? Because dry skin makes crispy skin, and that's what we want. One time, I went a little crazy and put the bird in front of a high speed fan for 20 minutes, and that was one crispy bird. I think I ate the whole skin in one fell swoop and then told Andrew that the bird came... skinless. Yeah yeah, skinless, that's the ticket!
Put her in or on your roasting pan, breast side up, and rain salt down on that bird. Even if you brined it, get salt all over Birdy. I like to put some fresh thyme on there too. Pop Birdy into a 450 degree oven and let 'er cook for 50-60 minutes. Don't baste her, don't butter her, just leave her alone. If you have a meat thermometer you can pull her out at 165 degrees. If not, yank her at 50 minutes, 60 minutes if she's extra-big (and she shouldn't be since I hope you are eating an organic, free-range, no hormone chicken.) Let her sit for 10 minutes before you tear her apart and eat her like the animal you are.
farmer's market salad
This is an amazing salad, and it can be served as a main with a side of pasta or israeli couscous. Or, by itself. The first time I had this was at Rustic Canyon Restaurant in Santa Monica. My sister and I wrote down the ingredients in the restaurant and went to the Farmer's Market the next day and bought the ingredients. I call this salad Farmer's Market Salad because you can make this salad at any time of year, you just use seasonal vegetables.
I always start with a base of cauliflower, carrots, and fennel, three things that are almost always available. Then you add something green like asparagus, or green beans, or peas, or broccoli. It depends on the time of year. No asparagus in December!
Chop all of the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. I like to cut the carrots on a severe diagonal, nice and thin. The fennel you will saute in olive oil with garlic until it is soft. The rest you will par boil.
Start by getting a pot of water boiling. Have at the ready a bowl full of ice to stop the cooking when you pull the vegetables from the water. You want to vegetables to be tender, not soft, with just a bit of crispness. I like to boil everything separately to make sure nothing gets overcooked or undercooked (re-using the same water) but you can do it all at once, putting the heartier vegetables in first, following up with more delicate vegetables. You don't want to boil anything longer than 3 minutes. Pop them straight into the ice water.
Next, toss the vegetables and fennel together, along with a basic olive oil and vinegar dressing, or any salad dressing. Cheese is a great thing to add, like parmesan or feta. Chopped olives are also delicious, and so are toasted nuts, especially pine nuts.
I always start with a base of cauliflower, carrots, and fennel, three things that are almost always available. Then you add something green like asparagus, or green beans, or peas, or broccoli. It depends on the time of year. No asparagus in December!
Chop all of the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. I like to cut the carrots on a severe diagonal, nice and thin. The fennel you will saute in olive oil with garlic until it is soft. The rest you will par boil.
Start by getting a pot of water boiling. Have at the ready a bowl full of ice to stop the cooking when you pull the vegetables from the water. You want to vegetables to be tender, not soft, with just a bit of crispness. I like to boil everything separately to make sure nothing gets overcooked or undercooked (re-using the same water) but you can do it all at once, putting the heartier vegetables in first, following up with more delicate vegetables. You don't want to boil anything longer than 3 minutes. Pop them straight into the ice water.
Next, toss the vegetables and fennel together, along with a basic olive oil and vinegar dressing, or any salad dressing. Cheese is a great thing to add, like parmesan or feta. Chopped olives are also delicious, and so are toasted nuts, especially pine nuts.
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