Nibbles & Sips

Fun with food and beverages: recipes and opinions about what, how, and why we eat.

AlcoHOLidays | New Year’s Eve | Holiday Sparkler

Sips

jwalker_newyearsdrink

As the end of the year comes rushing at us, completing our annual cycle, I feel the need to simplify. I think the holiday overwhelm always makes me feel this way, so why complicate things any more than they need to be?

You can’t go wrong with simple Champagne or sparkling wines served chilled in a tall flute to best show off their bubbles. Adding a hulled strawberry or other muddled berries to the bottom of the glass is a nice touch or you can add a splash of your favorite liqueur.

The important thing is to open the sparkling wine correctly. In case you didn’t know, those foamy beginnings you see in movies are actually not to correct way–it means the bottle’s been shaken or otherwise mistreated prior to opening. In fact, there should be nothing more than a gentle pop when the cork comes free (and it’s best to have a bar towel held loosely over the cork to prevent it from flinging all over the room or into something–or someone–breakable).

But you don’t come here for simple, so if you absolutely require something a little more show-stopper, how about giving this a try:

Holiday Sparkler

Sugar Cube
Orange Bitters
1 oz Cranberry Juice
1/2 oz Elderflower Liqueur
1 oz [yellow tail] bubbles Rosé

Soak the sugar cube in the bitters and place in the bottom of a champagne flute. Add in the cranberry juice and elderflower liqueur, then top with the sparkling wine. Pour slowly and let the bubbles do the work. A slice of strawberry or a rock candy swizzle stick make sweet garnishes.

Elderflower liqueur–a classic spirit making a comeback in cocktail circles–in still an unknown for many, so offers that little something extra for your guests. And pulling out a box of sugar cubes always tends to spark interest in that it’s-so-retro way.

However you choose to celebrate, remember to stay hydrated with water between cocktails, make use of a designated driver or the ample public transportation systems sure to be out in force Monday night, or party at home and invite inebriated guests to spend the night rather than risk it on the roads.

Cheers!

(recipe and image courtesy of the Deutsch Family of Wine and Spirits)

——————–

Sips & Shots will be going on “holiday” for the month of January, along with the rest of the sites in the Helper Monkey Network, so that some much needed behind the scenes work can be taken care of. We’ll be back in full force come February!

Beans, Lentils & Tofu–Oh My!

Nibbles

image via Amazon.com

On their own or with other heavy-hitters, beans, lentils, and tofu can make quite the filling meal. While they are the perfect comfort-food base for the cooler months, they also work well in Spring and Summer.

Because they are common sources of vegetable protein, you might expect 250 Best Beans, Lentils and Tofu Recipes: Healthy, Wholesome Foods would be all-vegetarian all the time, but there are plenty of recipes throughout the book that combine the headliners with meat, poultry, fish and seafood. I mean, with 250 recipes you’ve got to figure the match-ups will be pretty varied.

Even though Todd’s not the biggest fan of tofu, I figured this would be a prime time to try out some new tofu material on him and see how we fared.

The first try wasn’t as successful as I’d hoped.

Cantonese Noodles

Cantonese Noodles

I don’t think it was the tofu’s fault, though. I’ve made one other dish in semi-recent memory, a buckwheat polenta, and remembered it having an odd taste to it. Granted, I chalked it up to the anchovy sauce and didn’t think about it until we sat down to the Cantonese Noodles (p.219) and it all came back to me. It also doesn’t help that the soba noodles I used were 100% buckwheat and turned the sauce into a gluey, brownish-grey muck. Maybe using a mixed buckwheat/regular wheat noodle would cut down on that.

The small hand-rolls I made to go with them were tasty, though! Jasmine rice, sliced cucumber, and lightly steamed carrot and parsnip curls bundled into a narrow slip of nori.

The next experiment was much more successful.

Curry-Fried Tofu Soup

Curry-Fried Tofu Soup

Tofu is great for absorbing the flavors around it and dredging it in homemade curry powder and pan-frying it would be a hit with our curry-loving palates. The Curry-Fried Tofu Soup with Vegetables and Udon Noodles (p.41) was a complete meal in a bowl and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

Bistro Lentils with Smoked Sausage

Bistro Lentils with Smoked Sausage

Switching gears to the Bistro Lentils with Smoked Sausage (p.190) we made a fabulous, filling supper and were able to use some locally made sausage to sweeten (or would be that be to savor) the pot. We had some parsnips in the crisper so decided to add them along with the called-for carrots and the additional color and flavor were amazing in this dish.

Another fabulous collection of recipes for the when you get stuck for something different to do on your average Tuesday night, or just for a bit of inspiration in general.

——————–

I was provided a copy of 250 Best Beans, Lentils & Tofu for purpose of review. The opinions express are entirely my own.

Nibble on This: When I MET Food

Nibbles

image via amazon.com

They say you can’t judge a book by it’s cover–which is why, perhaps, the presence of money on one side of the scale and a burger on the other, in front of the author, didn’t really register when I first picked up When I Met Food: Living the American Restaurant Dream by Kathy Sidell. And without knowing much about Ms. Sidell beforehand, a title like How I MET Food made me think this would be your average food memoir. And I just eat up (if you’ll pardon the phrase), a good food memoir.

So imagine my consternation as the early chapters flew through her early years with more mention of her family’s status in Boston society than food experiences. They were there, of course, but they weren’t expounded upon like you might expect. Or at least how I expected. From this life of privilege Sidell went not into food, first, but into film, producing commercials and movies, all while starting a family. As a reader I wanted to know more about these milestones in her pre-restaurant life but she flew through them with far more tell than show than tell–something even beginning writers are cautioned against and surprising from an English major.

It wasn’t until midway through the book or just passed that the title and the thrust of the book finally gelled for me: Sidell has made her mark on the Boston food scene with her series of restaurants all starting from the Metropolitan Club–shortened to MET–and it’s various expansions. When you realize that the book isn’t so much about food as about running restaurants from a business-centric point of view, things start to make much more sense.

Though if I hear the term “concept” any more I might just scream.

You see, as a former chef, it’s tough to look at the business side of restaurants without food being the primary focus. Even with my current experience being in business, and fully understanding a profit & loss statement, food is the reason for the restaurant–not the means to achieve the “concept” Sidell goes on about For instance, I sympathize much more with her staff than her when she talks about the “Aboslutely!” style of handling any and all requests–oh the fresh hell that much be every night!

That said, the writing and storytelling improve greatly once the author dispenses with the sweep of her background and can concentrate on the ideas, marketing, and a business decisions that went into each of her five establishments. And because this is truly the part that Sidell enjoys the pace slows and we get to experience more of the ups and downs of the restaurant business. Though few first-time owners are able to finance their tony first location without investors or, when the bank calls in the loan on the expansion, have the ability to pay off the note due to a recent inheritance.

It’s also interesting to note the slight disconnect when the author mentions the constant struggle with her weight and the guilt many women face with food, then pages later glorifies in the “generous” portion sizes at her flagship steakhouse. Restaurant portions are regularly double a healthy portion size, the idea of generous makes me think that even with her chopped salads and tartare duo, she’s not doing her patrons any favors in the waistline department.

If you’re more interested in food than front-of-the-house business, you’ll be happy to know that recipes from the authors restaurants and family pepper the prose. It’s best to read this book on a full stomach or you’ll be raiding the fridge before too long.

Bottom line: When I MET Food may struggle with it’s own concept in the beginning, but irons out the kinks and hits its stride leading us through the ins and outs of upper-tier American restaurants in a way many of us may never have the opportunity to experience. It’s a peek into a life the average restauranteur only dreams of, but paints a pretty picture of what many might aspire to.

It’s good to have dreams, even better to have the ability to achieve them.

——————–

I received a copy of How I MET Food for purpose of review. All opinions are strictly my own.

——————–

Nibbles ‘n Bites, along with all of the sites in the Helper Monkey Network, will be taking a break for the month of January to take care of some behind the scenes work. Happy New Year and Best Dishes to you all!

AlcoHOLidays | Winter Solstice | Yuletide Cheer

Sips

Yuletide Cheer cocktail for the Winter SolsticeProviding the world hasn’t ended–or isn’t in the process thereof–I thought I’d stray from the culturally expected norm of Christmas and delve a little into the natural change of seasons that happens this time of year at the Winter Solstice.

The shortest day of the year, this time marks the official beginning of winter even as the days begin to lengthen towards spring once again. These lengthening days support the idea among ancient cultures (and their modern-day adherents) that the sun god is reborn at the solstice and continues to grow until mid-year when they days start to shorten, again. Of course, it’s not a reach to see why Christian leaders back in the day thought this time would also be appropriate to celebrate the birth of another son.

The Yule Log (yule coming from the Norse word for wheel and the idea that the seasons turn in a circle throughout the year) pops up in holiday decorations, still, and lends inspiration for the delicious Buche de Noel dessert; both of which carry on the traditions of the early fire and feasting festival.

For today’s cocktail I wanted something that was both sweet and a little smoky. This is what I came up with:

Yuletide Cheer

2 oz Apple Juice
3/4 oz Tuaca
1/2 oz Ruby Port
cinnamon stick for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail glass over ice and shake until nice and frosty. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cinnamon swizzle stick.

A simple drink for a busy season, the port lends the desired smoky quality without being as strong as, say, a scotch would and pairs nicely with the citrus and caramel of the Tuaca. Apple juice makes for a nice base for these two spirits and, with it comprising slightly more than half the drink, keeps the drink from being so high-octane that you’ll regret it in the morning.

The best of holiday wishes to you all.

Cheers!

More Soups Than You Can Shake a Ladle At

Nibbles
300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds

image via amazon.com

Though why you’d want to shake a ladle at anything, much less soup, escapes me.

Soup is one of those feel-good dishes that can be a meal on its own, a side to a salad or sandwich, or the first course of a larger meal. Soups can be hot, cold, or room temperature. While often savory, they can also be sweet; or sometimes both! Soups are also easily portable with a good insulated container and a tight lid, which makes them great for packing lunches or dining al fresco. Soups are also a healing food. A way to show someone you care.

There’s little that can replace a favorite relative’s recipe for Chicken Noodle or Creamy Tomato, but sometimes we need a new idea or 20, don’t you agree?

In 300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds, you’re bound to find some inspiration to easily fill any gaps in your menu.

Potato Tarragon Soup from 300 Sensation Soups

This is comfort food at its best.

Potato soup is one of the standbys for many cooks–it’s warm, filling, and has a great texture when pureed. We tried their twist on the original, a Potato Tarragon Soup (p.72), and were happily surprised by the addition of the bright-tasting herb. As filling as it can be on its own, we opted to serve this soup (which, even with the tarragon, can be a little on the sedate side) with roast beef sandwiches.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup from 300 Sensational Soups

A glass of pinot grigio went quite nicely with this soup.

The next recipe we tried was the Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (p.204) that starts you off by making the chicken broth before proceeding to the soup. Since wild rice takes just as long to cook as the stock, I opted to prepare the wild rice in plain water so that I could shorten the overall cooking time.

Spicy Sweet Potato Chowder from 300 Sensational Soups

Those flecks in the center are bacon–delicious!

Chowder is another one of those common soups, Snyder & Deeds propose a Spicy Sweet Potato Chowder (p.264) that sounded too intriguing to pass up. With bacon and chiles it reminded me of some of the other Spanish-influenced sweet potato dishes we’ve tried and was quite happy with the overall results. One thing I did that wasn’t in the recipe was to puree the soup–they intend the sweet potatoes to stay in cubes in the broth, I thought pureeing was the better option. It’s simply a texture preference.

Stracciatella from 300 Sensational Soups

Rich chicken stock makes this dish what it is.

When I don’t feel well, take-out egg drop soup is my feel-good food. Color me shocked when I came across what is, in essence, Italian egg drop soup: Stracciatella (p.316). Since it’s mostly stock, you want to make sure you’ve got good stock and the best way to ensure that is to make your own. I had the luxury of time, that day (it was a Saturday spent at home), so made the stock and then made the soup. I even made a little extra to use the following week. The leftover meat (unlike the Creamy Chicken soup, above, the meat was not used in this soup, only the broth) I shredded and combined with the leftover stock veggies and a little mayo to make a chicken salad to serve over spinach with the simple soup. Nothing goes to waste!

And don’t skip the croutons on this one, they really do make a difference.

Steak and Potato Soup from 300 Sensational Soups

Even without the cream this was a wonderful soup.

Another great fact about soups is that most can be made in a slow-cooker without much difference in the outcome. For the Steak and Potato Soup we put all the solid ingredients in the crock the night before, added the liquid elements that morning, and came home to dinner ready. When you have a soup that finishes with any sort of dairy (cream, milk, sour cream, yogurt, etc.) that you’ve converted for slow-cooking, you should hold off adding that until just before serving (which we forgot to add at all on this one, oops!), but otherwise no real changes need to be made.

As the temperature continues to drop I see many more soup-er suppers in our future.

——————–

I received a copy of 300 Sensational Soups for purpose of review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.