recipes

Magazine Mash-Up

Nibbles

Okay, everyone, show of hands: how many subscribe to cooking magazines? Bonus round: how many times have you actually used a recipe from said magazines?

Uh huh, exactly what I thought. (Don’t worry, I’m just as guilty as the rest of you.)

It doesn’t seem to matter what I’m interested in, a “collector” streak always seems to run right through it. In my heyday of culinary collection, I probably subscribed to half a dozen food-related magazines (at least!) and, while I did read them, and store them, and flip through them occasionally, I probably only used half a dozen recipes total (mostly from my favorite: Cooking Light).

Since that time I’ve moved house more than once and in one of the pre-move purges I forced myself to toss the years of back issues that took up so much space. Then I went several years without buying or subscribing to a single cooking magazine–I know, however did I manage?–until last Fall, when Food Network announced they were coming out with their own magazine. Then I found Imbibe… here we go again!

So now I’m back to subscribing, but still trying to keep things under control. Also, I’d like to actually _use_ the magazines’ content more than I have in the past. It doesn’t help that I also use a menu service (Saving Dinner’s Menu Mailer) which includes dinner recipes, suggested side dishes and an itemized, categorized shopping list for all of it each week–I seldom actually plan a meal these days. Which is why I was so proud of myself a week or so ago when corn on the cob was the suggested side dish one night. I remembered seeing a mention of “Charm City Corn” in the last Food Network Magazine, dug out the issue that was hiding on the bedside table, and was able to dress up the side dish a little bit.

Instead of relying just on my own memory, I’m trying to come up with ways to making using the information in those pages easier. Here are what I’ve come up with so far:

  • A tear-file of possible favorites, kept in an accordion file or binder, organized by primary ingredient.
  • Recipe cards kept in a file, maybe hand-copying the recipes will make their existence stick in my memory better.
  • Scanning interesting recipes into my computer with a spreadsheet to cross reference ingredients (that might be a lot of work, though).
  • Sticky flags (color-coordinated?) in the magazine itself.
  • Planning a magazine-based dinner once a week in addition to the planned menus I get from Saving Dinner.

Okay, those last two seem the easiest to implement. The others… might be better for long-term storage and make me wish for one of those counter-top recipe gadgets.

Croutons

Nibbles

Good croutons are like little nuggets of gold, carbohydrate contraband hidden amongst leafy greens and good-for-you veggies. How often, though, have you had fresh croutons or, better yet, made them yourself?

Fresh croutons is actually a bit of a misnomer as the best bread for croutons is bread that’s been around a little bit. Just like French Toast, using day-old or slightly stale bread works because it slurps up moisture that much better. Any sturdy bread will do and you can decide to keep the crusts intact or trim them off.

Cube your bread into 1-inch or so pieces and heat a dry skillet on medium to medium-high. Toss the bread around the skillet for a while, letting it brown on the edges if you want, before drizzling with a good olive oil. Continue to stir or toss the bread around, being careful not to let it burn, adding more oil if there are several cubes left untouched. Sprinkle in some kosher salt, pepper and whatever other seasonings you like just before turning the croutons out of the pan (I’m partial to garlic powder and parsley, myself).

Homemade croutons don’t last very long in my house–whatever doesn’t get used on top of a salad or soup usually gets nibbled away in short order–but you can certainly place any leftovers into a plastic bag or storage container. They will keep for quite a while on the counter but I wouldn’t make them in too big a batch because the oil can turn on you and make the croutons taste ‘off’.

Anyone familiar with Classic French cuisine (a la Escoffier) or just French Onion Soup will be familiar with the larger crouton that is popular as a base or topping for many foods. A slice of baguette, done on the bias, is best for this application, and is treated much the same as the cubed croutons with maybe a bit less tossing involved. Whether floated on top of a rich soup and topped with soon-to-be-melted cheese or as a foundation for shredded beef in sauce or even tuna a la king, a fresh crouton of this nature adds a nice texture to an otherwise smooth dish and a hint of richness from the olive oil.

Now, I know most crouton applications are savory but I like to try and come up with alternatives. You can certainly use butter (clarified is best to avoid burning) for your croutons so why not season them with a bit of cinnamon and sugar and top them with berries and a bit of freshly whipped cream as a dessert? Instead of the cinnamon, what about a bit of nutmeg or even a pinch of cardamom to top a rich rice pudding?

What other interesting ways can you think of to use a good, homemade crouton?

Random Appetites: Party Food!

Nibbles

Nothing like being fashionably late, no? (actually, a day off is a bit more than that but I’ll hope you’ll forgive me, I come bearing treats! or, well, at least recipes for them!)

The annual party season is soon to be upon us and the realization that I have not hosted a single, solitary party this year is rather sobering. Of course I plan to rectify the situation just as soon as feasible (looking like November at this point) but, in the mean time, I’ve been thinking about some of my party nibble stand-bys that have come to be known as the various sorts of “crack” served at my parties. I think I’d be lynched if I didn’t serve them!

Bacon-Wrapped Artichoke Hearts (aka Bacon Crack)

Quartered artichoke hearts
Bacon

Seriously, folks, this is as easy as it gets! Wrap each quartered artichoke heart with a half-slice of bacon and set it seam side-down on a baking sheet. I suggest one covered in foil for easy clean-up and definitely one with a lip to catch the bacon grease. You can also skewer the bundles on toothpicks or several on a kebab skewer (usually 5 or 6 will fit per skewer and remember to soak them first!) but I’ve found, when making these in quantity, that it’s actually more trouble than it’s worth. Either bake them at 350 degrees F until bacon in crispy and transfer to a foil pan for storage/reheating just before serving or broil just before your guests arrive.

I’ve served those at just about every party I’ve thrown since the late 90s after a coworker introduced me to them. They’re based on rumaki which is marinated chicken livers wrapper in bacon and broiled. I once tried the marinade on the artichoke hearts and it just didn’t translate well. Even people who don’t like artichokes tend to like this, it’s the bacon fat! You can substitute turkey bacon for a slightly healthier version, just don’t reheat them in the microwave or you’ll have artichokes wrapped in bacon-flavored Pringles-wannabe! I can usually get a small party’s worth out of 4 cans of quartered chokes and 3 pounds of bacon but the actual quantities vary.

Spicy Black Bean Dip (aka Black Bean Crack)

1 can black beans, partially drained
1/2 c prepared salsa
1/2 c prepared guacamole
1-2 tsp cumin (or to taste)
1-2 tsp garlic powder (or to taste)

Combine it all and puree til smooth. Honestly I don’t really measure this anymore and I usually make a double batch because it’s VERY popular. This is one of the reasons I own an immersion blender, frankly, and I couldn’t imagine having to do it in a regular one: messy! If you puree the beans a bit before adding the other ingredients they’ll mix together better. Give it a bit of stir once pureed and taste so you can adjust seasonings a bit. Makes about 2 cups.

This one originally came from The 5 in 10 Appetizer Cookbook and I think I started making it around the same time as the artichoke hearts. I’ve tweaked it a bit, adjusted it to my preference, but the main difference is the use of prepared guacamole that gets blended in: the original calls for fresh avocado to be diced and sprinkled on top. While it might look pretty (at first: avocado will brown when exposed to air, icky!) it means that only a few people will get the taste benefit of the avocado. Most prepared guac’s are spiced, as well, so this helps the flavor of the dish overall. Seriously, make a lot, if there’s any left over it’ll store for a couple weeks in the fridge. And it if doesn’t taste salty enough, try a bit of lemon juice before reaching for the kosher*; citrus will “brighten” a flavor without adding extra sodium. (Palmie has been known to raid this with the leftover chips for breakfast the morning after!)

Smothered Spuds (aka Potato Crack)

Baking potatoes
Olive oil spray
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Shredded Cheese (mozzarella and cheddar, preferably, though co-jack works)
Crumbled bacon
Sliced green onions
Jalapeños (optional)
Sour cream

Wash and pat dry your baking potatoes and then bake on 350 degrees F for about an hour. Let them cool for a little bit. No, really, they will fall apart if you continue without letting them cool. Ask me how I know! Slice the potatoes into rounds about half an inch thick and lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray the slices with Olive oil (this is the best way for making them in quantity, you could also brush them with oil but the spray is quicker) and sprinkle liberally with the seasoned salt. Turn over the slices. Sprinkle the unseasoned tops with the shredded cheese, crumbled bacon and green onions. The peppers are really a personal preference, I prefer to leave them out, but if your crowd likes spicy, go for it. Put the covered spuds back into the oven (at 350, the universal temperature for almost everything) until the cheese melts and the potatoes heat through (maybe 15 minutes).

Quantity will vary based on the size of your potatoes but I can usually fill two sheet pans with 10# potatoes, 4 c cheese, 8 oz green onions (thank heavens for pre-sliced veggies in the produce section!) and a packaged of pre-cooked bacon (so much simpler this way, just take the kitchen shears to it and snip it into little pieces). Serve with sour cream topped with more green onions.

Something like a hybrid of twice-baked potatoes and nachos, these are totally yummy and very hearty fare for a booze-heavy cocktail party. A newer addition to my nibble roster, they are based on the “Stacked Spuds” of the now-defunct Roadhouse Grill chain of steakhouses (a moment of silence, if you would). It took a little bit to figure out the best way to coat the outside of the potatoes with the seasoning. You CAN dip the bottoms and sides into the a bowl of the seasoned salt and them sizzle them in a skillet with olive oil before putting them into the oven with their toppings but when you’re cooking en masse that’s just not practical.

*Kosher salt is best for cooking, hands down. Don’t believe me? Buy a box (should cost you under $2 for a pound) and give it a whirl. Something about the greater surface area of the larger crystals imparts so much more flavor. Save the iodized for popcorn.