A much underused vegetable available local year round in San Diego is the artichoke. Initially, the prehistoric appearance is intimidating but once this column is read, will be as easy to prepare as a side dish of mashed potatoes.
The two most common types of the globe artichoke found in our markets are baby and adult. Baby artichokes can be steamed, sautéed, braised and fried after the outer leaves are removed exposing the bright green inner leaves. Adult artichokes require a little more work because of their size but give a far earthier flavor once steamed plain or stuffed.
Baby artichokes are eaten whole as long as cooked until very tender. The adult artichoke is a little more involved with respect to consumption: each of the outer leaves have a bit of “meat” on the base which is scraped off using your top teeth. A plain artichoke leaf can be dipped in butter or mayonnaise while a stuffed artichoke will distribute whichever flavors you chose for the filling.
Once all the leaves have been plucked and consumed of their “meat”, there remains the artichoke heart which is a bit like the prize at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box. The heart can be eaten whole with your fingers or cut with a fork and knife. Either way is a feeling of accomplishment but before get to the “heart” of the matter, the vegetable requires some preparation.
Cleaning the artichoke:
Once cut, the exposed surfaces of an artichoke will begin to oxidize, turning the flesh brown. Prevent the discoloration by having a bowl of cold, acidulated water close by; that is water that has had some lemon or vinegar mixed into it. Drop the artichokes in the water once they are cleaned or rub the surface with a halved lemon if they begin to brown too quickly.
Cut off the top ¼ of the artichoke using a serrated knife.
Snap back the outer most layers of leaves until you get to the very pale green ones.
Using kitchen shears, cut off any remaining hard, pointed tips from leaves.
Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, shave off the outer layers of the base (and stem if still attached) until the softer flesh beneath is exposed.
For baby artichokes: cut in half length wise and remove any fuzz or purple leaves from the center. They are now ready to cook. For adult artichokes: invert the vegetable top down on your work surface. Gently push down in a circular motion spreading all the leaves away from the center. First pull out the purple leaves using your fingers as best you can then remove the remaining purple leaves and fuzz with a soup spoon or melon-baller.
I believe that the Jerusalem artichoke deserves a notable mention too. Also know as a Sunchoke, it is not an artichoke at all, instead a tuber from the sunflower family. It has a nutty-sweet flavor that is nice in salad and soups as well as numerous other applications. I bring it up here so that you may impress your friends by identifying this erroneous moniker the next time you are in the produce section.
Included here is a soup recipe using both globe and Jerusalem artichokes, giving an overall roundness to the flavor profile. Hurry up and prepare it before spring is here and hot soups are out.
Cream of Artichoke(s) Soup:
You will want to purchase 3 large globe artichokes with the longest stems you can find.
First squeeze the juice of ½ lemon into a large bowl of water and drop the lemon half in. Reserve the other half of the lemon to rub down all cut pieces of the artichoke and stem before dropping them into the acidulated water.
Working one at a time, cut off the stem of an artichoke. Using a vegetable peeler, strip away the outer layer of the stem until the pale core is exposed. Continue cleaning the artichoke as described in the column text. It is important to remove a bit more of the outer leave layers for this recipe so the soup will not be too fibrous. Here, cutting the artichoke into 8 wedges facilitates the removal of the purple leaves and remaining fuzz. Continue the process with the remaining two artichokes.
Peel ½ lbs of Jerusalem artichokes as you would a carrot and cut into ¼ inch pieces.
Using a 4-6 quart heavy pot or dutch oven, heat 2Tb butter and 2Tb olive oil over medium heat until the foam subsides. Add in:
½ c. diced onion
¼ c. diced celery stalks
and the Jerusalem artichoke pieces.
Sauté until tender (about 5 minutes)
Add in 1Tb chopped garlic and continue to sauté until the garlic is just golden (about 3 minutes)
Add in the trimmed artichoke wedges and stems drained from the acidulated water. Stir to coat all ingredients and add in a Tb more of oil if necessary. Continue to sauté until the Jerusalem artichokes are crisp and the globe artichoke pieces begin to slightly brown (an additional 5 minutes).
Add in ¾ c. dry vermouth, increase heat to medium high, release any browned bits from the bottom of the pot and reduce the volume by half (about 5 minutes).
Add in 4 c. of chicken stock (reference “stock”ing up at bobbyrpresents.blogspot.com) and simmer until the artichoke wedges are VERY tender which will take about 30 minutes. If you like a thicker soup, reduce the chicken stock volume to 3½ c.
Remove from the heat and puree the soup either in the pot with an immersion blender or in small batches using a counter blender being extremely cautious with the hot liquid.
Return the pot to medium heat and add in: 3/4 – 1c. heavy cream, depending on the consistency you like, plus salt and pepper to taste.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
A Well Seasoned Veteran
While shopping for a cast-iron skillet, I found myself looking for the thickest bottom with the lowest weight (seriously). I now use this as a joke with respect to boyfriend shopping and luckily have found both, a perfect skillet and a perfect man.
What struck my interest to go after a cast-iron skillet? Maybe I was bored with my sauté pans or maybe I wanted to get back to basic, time-tested cookware. I definitely have enough pans in my kitchen and needed to asses the productivity this item would bestow. So, looking at the many things that I could do with the cast-iron, I was drawn by the overall usefulness and ubiquities this kitchen tool presents.
Aside from its simple yet elegant aesthetic, the cast-iron skillet is a kitchen work horse and a (personal) piece of nostalgia. It can be used to create almost everything in the kitchen that would otherwise require multiple pieces of cookware: Cornbread, soufflés, upside-down cakes, dumplings, seared meats and all things breakfast. The later item is where the nostalgia kicks in; growing up on a farm in Massachusetts, almost all our breakfasts were prepared in a cast-iron skillet. First, the bacon was cooked, rendering the fat that polymerizes with the metal surface, continually “seasoning” the pan. Then the eggs would be fried in the fat, spooning the residual grease over the tops of the eggs as to not have to flip them. It’s a wonder I did not grow up a fat kid.
Seasoning the pan is of much interest and importance to the maintenance and non-stick quality of the surface. Seasoning is nothing more than baking fat into the, otherwise, porous surface of the metal; creating a smooth coating that also prevents rust. This can be done by initially coating the pan with a thin layer of solid fat (I prefer bacon fat or lard but Crisco will work too), bake the pan upside down in a 350° oven with the windows open because it will smoke a little, for one hour.
Although purchased pre-seasoned and seasoned again at home, food materials have still been sticking to the pan mildly. This will subside after more time spent cooking fatty foods, the use of oil and proper cleaning. After use, I use water and a scrub brush to remove the residual food stuffs. After every use and gentle cleaning, rub the pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of coarse salt using a paper towel.
As mentioned before, when choosing a cast-iron skillet, you want to find one that has the thickest bottom but also the lowest weight. Although all are fairly heavy, one that is overly heavy can be cumbersome to a smaller cook when they need to swirl butter or even clean it. As for the bottom, the cast-iron skillet acts as an equilibrating liaison between the heat of the range and the food that you are cooking. The material itself conducts and holds heat, contributing an evenly heated work surface. The thicker the pan, the more heat it will hold, dropping fewer degrees in temperature when food is applied. I found a 12” Lodge Logic skillet at Crate and Barrel for $27.00 weighing in at 7.2 lbs with a bottom thickness of 5.5 millimeters.
With the greater amount of heat that the skillet will hold, it is important to adjust your cooking temperatures accordingly. This usually means using a lower heat for a longer time which will require a bit more patience. But any well seasoned veteran of the kitchen, like the cast-iron skillet, will persevere and withstand the test of time.
Cast-Iron Skillet Frittata with Bacon, Spinach and Parmesan:
Although my youth breakfasts were mostly fried or scrambled eggs, I now like to do something a bit fancier. The finished bubbling-browned frittata here is enough to feed eight people a conservative portion or a moderate breakfast/brunch (or even lunch) for six. I served it for some friends and my lover, with mimosas, when he was down for New Year’s weekend.
Pre heat broiler to low with the rack 6” from the heat source.
Heat a 10-12’ cast-iron skillet over medium-high and add in:
1 lbs bacon cut into ½ inch squares, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until just crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and pour off all but ¼ c. of the fat. Reduce heat to medium-low, wait until the temperature drops, and sauté 3 minced cloves of garlic until barely golden*.
While cooking the bacon, rinse, remove stems and rough chop one large bunch of adult spinach.
In a separate bowl combine:
12 eggs
1 ½ c. half and half
¾ c. powdered parmesan cheese (picked through for lumps)
Small pinch of salt (the bacon will salt the dish greatly)
Tsp ground pepper
*Add in the spinach once the garlic is sautéed, turning over in the oil and cooking until barely wilted. Add in the egg mixture and the cooked bacon pieces, stir with the wooden spoon to combine and cook over medium heat until ¾ of the outer circumference is set (about 20 min.). Sprinkle the top of the frittata with ¼ - ½ c. thinly SHAVED parmesan cheese. Transfer the skillet to the broiler and allow to broil until the top is set and golden brown (about 7 min.). Allow to cool slightly before cutting it into slices like a pie. I served mine with some roasted fingerling potatoes, chopped parsley and sriracha hot chili sauce.
What struck my interest to go after a cast-iron skillet? Maybe I was bored with my sauté pans or maybe I wanted to get back to basic, time-tested cookware. I definitely have enough pans in my kitchen and needed to asses the productivity this item would bestow. So, looking at the many things that I could do with the cast-iron, I was drawn by the overall usefulness and ubiquities this kitchen tool presents.
Aside from its simple yet elegant aesthetic, the cast-iron skillet is a kitchen work horse and a (personal) piece of nostalgia. It can be used to create almost everything in the kitchen that would otherwise require multiple pieces of cookware: Cornbread, soufflés, upside-down cakes, dumplings, seared meats and all things breakfast. The later item is where the nostalgia kicks in; growing up on a farm in Massachusetts, almost all our breakfasts were prepared in a cast-iron skillet. First, the bacon was cooked, rendering the fat that polymerizes with the metal surface, continually “seasoning” the pan. Then the eggs would be fried in the fat, spooning the residual grease over the tops of the eggs as to not have to flip them. It’s a wonder I did not grow up a fat kid.
Seasoning the pan is of much interest and importance to the maintenance and non-stick quality of the surface. Seasoning is nothing more than baking fat into the, otherwise, porous surface of the metal; creating a smooth coating that also prevents rust. This can be done by initially coating the pan with a thin layer of solid fat (I prefer bacon fat or lard but Crisco will work too), bake the pan upside down in a 350° oven with the windows open because it will smoke a little, for one hour.
Although purchased pre-seasoned and seasoned again at home, food materials have still been sticking to the pan mildly. This will subside after more time spent cooking fatty foods, the use of oil and proper cleaning. After use, I use water and a scrub brush to remove the residual food stuffs. After every use and gentle cleaning, rub the pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of coarse salt using a paper towel.
As mentioned before, when choosing a cast-iron skillet, you want to find one that has the thickest bottom but also the lowest weight. Although all are fairly heavy, one that is overly heavy can be cumbersome to a smaller cook when they need to swirl butter or even clean it. As for the bottom, the cast-iron skillet acts as an equilibrating liaison between the heat of the range and the food that you are cooking. The material itself conducts and holds heat, contributing an evenly heated work surface. The thicker the pan, the more heat it will hold, dropping fewer degrees in temperature when food is applied. I found a 12” Lodge Logic skillet at Crate and Barrel for $27.00 weighing in at 7.2 lbs with a bottom thickness of 5.5 millimeters.
With the greater amount of heat that the skillet will hold, it is important to adjust your cooking temperatures accordingly. This usually means using a lower heat for a longer time which will require a bit more patience. But any well seasoned veteran of the kitchen, like the cast-iron skillet, will persevere and withstand the test of time.
Cast-Iron Skillet Frittata with Bacon, Spinach and Parmesan:
Although my youth breakfasts were mostly fried or scrambled eggs, I now like to do something a bit fancier. The finished bubbling-browned frittata here is enough to feed eight people a conservative portion or a moderate breakfast/brunch (or even lunch) for six. I served it for some friends and my lover, with mimosas, when he was down for New Year’s weekend.
Pre heat broiler to low with the rack 6” from the heat source.
Heat a 10-12’ cast-iron skillet over medium-high and add in:
1 lbs bacon cut into ½ inch squares, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until just crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and pour off all but ¼ c. of the fat. Reduce heat to medium-low, wait until the temperature drops, and sauté 3 minced cloves of garlic until barely golden*.
While cooking the bacon, rinse, remove stems and rough chop one large bunch of adult spinach.
In a separate bowl combine:
12 eggs
1 ½ c. half and half
¾ c. powdered parmesan cheese (picked through for lumps)
Small pinch of salt (the bacon will salt the dish greatly)
Tsp ground pepper
*Add in the spinach once the garlic is sautéed, turning over in the oil and cooking until barely wilted. Add in the egg mixture and the cooked bacon pieces, stir with the wooden spoon to combine and cook over medium heat until ¾ of the outer circumference is set (about 20 min.). Sprinkle the top of the frittata with ¼ - ½ c. thinly SHAVED parmesan cheese. Transfer the skillet to the broiler and allow to broil until the top is set and golden brown (about 7 min.). Allow to cool slightly before cutting it into slices like a pie. I served mine with some roasted fingerling potatoes, chopped parsley and sriracha hot chili sauce.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Diet Rehab
The time period just after the turn of the year always cracks me up. Every food magazine boasting healthy recipes for 20XX, new exercise regimes at every turn, a spike in new or renewed gym memberships and an increased attendance at AA meetings. Of all these things, the tag line “Eat Better in 2011” on the cover of Bon Appetit reached out to me the most.
Eating better is not necessarily a complete change of your diet but can be an alteration of the diet one already eats; slowly incorporating subtle changes that are practical, plausible and tasty may be the key to fulfilling the goal. Instead of a 12 step program, to eat better one could, focus on ingredient quality, portions, and the environment in which the meals are eaten.
When was it that we forgot that the periphery of the supermarket is the best place to shop? If shoppers focus their basket contents to this region, it supplies fresher meat, breads, dairy and vegetables than the processed foods occupying the bulk of the center. And as a side note, processed foods boasting “low fat” will usually be higher in sugar than their regular counterpart.
There is a general theory called the French Paradox which presents the conundrum that, although French culture eats rich food high in fat, they have lower incidence of obesity and heart disease than Americans. The consensus is that the French eat less food more frequently and the food consumed is of better quality, less sugar and fewer processed ingredients. The easiest way to apply this to a diet is to include more vegetables and less meat and starch.
The inclusion of more vegetables to the plate immediately reduces the caloric intake and increases the nutritional content of the meal. Underused vegetables, easy to prepare and very good for the liver, are dark greens such as kale and chard. They can be braised in some stock or sautéed in oil with salt to substantiate the meal. An easy recipe is presented here in the side box.
Whether as a supplement or an addition to your diet, drinking juiced fruits and vegetables will increase the amounts of nutrients to your uptake naturally, foregoing supplements that may or may not be able to be absorbed by your body. And not all juicing requires a specialized fruit juicer. Many recipes that have a liquid base such as orange or pineapple juice can be easily made using a counter top or hand held immersion blender.
At the Farmer’s Market a guy sells juiced dark greens with whole apple and apple juice called GreenFix Organic Smoothie. The greens are Kale, Dandelion, Collard, Chard, Spinach, Romaine Lettuce, and Parsley. Also included are banana and Flax seed. I buy one 32 oz. bottle each Friday at the Mission Hills Farmers’ Market that lasts me the four days of its shelf life.
Eating on the go is probably one of the most deleterious habits to a healthy diet. When your mind is multitasking during food consumption, it is not free to asses your body’s doneness. When on the go, the only goal is to consume what you have in hand to fill you up; meaning, you will eat everything in front of you because that is the only goal. No enjoyment, no time spent for you. If you must eat on the go, use a homemade smoothie or the GreenFix from the farmers’ market to supply the necessary nutrition.
I suggest reading In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan as an easy to understand manifesto of how to eat better. It has greatly helped me understand and improve my eating habits as well as supply many wonderful references for further reading. I hope this column sees you well and all your resolutions are successful.
Braised Greens
One bunch of dark greens at the super market will be enough for three people. The only caveat to the greens is that they initially take up a lot of space in the pan until they are heated through and reduce in volume.
Run a knife down the sides of the greens’ stalks, separating the stalks from the leafy product.
Half the stalk lengthwise and run your knife down the stalk chopping ¼ inch thick pieces.
Roughly chop the greens and set aside.
In a large sauté pan heat 3Tb oil over a medium high heat until shimmering. Add the stalk pieces and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add in 2 minced cloves of garlic and sauté until slightly golden, about 2 minutes.
Add in ¼ c. of chicken or vegetable stock, turn heat to high and add the leafy greens. The greens will probably overflow over the sides of the pan but. Throw a lid over the greens and let sit undisturbed 3 minutes. Remove the lid, give a good turn with thongs and reduce the heat to medium low. Continue to braise until the leaves are wilted. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
Eating better is not necessarily a complete change of your diet but can be an alteration of the diet one already eats; slowly incorporating subtle changes that are practical, plausible and tasty may be the key to fulfilling the goal. Instead of a 12 step program, to eat better one could, focus on ingredient quality, portions, and the environment in which the meals are eaten.
When was it that we forgot that the periphery of the supermarket is the best place to shop? If shoppers focus their basket contents to this region, it supplies fresher meat, breads, dairy and vegetables than the processed foods occupying the bulk of the center. And as a side note, processed foods boasting “low fat” will usually be higher in sugar than their regular counterpart.
There is a general theory called the French Paradox which presents the conundrum that, although French culture eats rich food high in fat, they have lower incidence of obesity and heart disease than Americans. The consensus is that the French eat less food more frequently and the food consumed is of better quality, less sugar and fewer processed ingredients. The easiest way to apply this to a diet is to include more vegetables and less meat and starch.
The inclusion of more vegetables to the plate immediately reduces the caloric intake and increases the nutritional content of the meal. Underused vegetables, easy to prepare and very good for the liver, are dark greens such as kale and chard. They can be braised in some stock or sautéed in oil with salt to substantiate the meal. An easy recipe is presented here in the side box.
Whether as a supplement or an addition to your diet, drinking juiced fruits and vegetables will increase the amounts of nutrients to your uptake naturally, foregoing supplements that may or may not be able to be absorbed by your body. And not all juicing requires a specialized fruit juicer. Many recipes that have a liquid base such as orange or pineapple juice can be easily made using a counter top or hand held immersion blender.
At the Farmer’s Market a guy sells juiced dark greens with whole apple and apple juice called GreenFix Organic Smoothie. The greens are Kale, Dandelion, Collard, Chard, Spinach, Romaine Lettuce, and Parsley. Also included are banana and Flax seed. I buy one 32 oz. bottle each Friday at the Mission Hills Farmers’ Market that lasts me the four days of its shelf life.
Eating on the go is probably one of the most deleterious habits to a healthy diet. When your mind is multitasking during food consumption, it is not free to asses your body’s doneness. When on the go, the only goal is to consume what you have in hand to fill you up; meaning, you will eat everything in front of you because that is the only goal. No enjoyment, no time spent for you. If you must eat on the go, use a homemade smoothie or the GreenFix from the farmers’ market to supply the necessary nutrition.
I suggest reading In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan as an easy to understand manifesto of how to eat better. It has greatly helped me understand and improve my eating habits as well as supply many wonderful references for further reading. I hope this column sees you well and all your resolutions are successful.
Braised Greens
One bunch of dark greens at the super market will be enough for three people. The only caveat to the greens is that they initially take up a lot of space in the pan until they are heated through and reduce in volume.
Run a knife down the sides of the greens’ stalks, separating the stalks from the leafy product.
Half the stalk lengthwise and run your knife down the stalk chopping ¼ inch thick pieces.
Roughly chop the greens and set aside.
In a large sauté pan heat 3Tb oil over a medium high heat until shimmering. Add the stalk pieces and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add in 2 minced cloves of garlic and sauté until slightly golden, about 2 minutes.
Add in ¼ c. of chicken or vegetable stock, turn heat to high and add the leafy greens. The greens will probably overflow over the sides of the pan but. Throw a lid over the greens and let sit undisturbed 3 minutes. Remove the lid, give a good turn with thongs and reduce the heat to medium low. Continue to braise until the leaves are wilted. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
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