A Good Dish

making food simpler

Bring Deviled Eggs To A Potluck, Picnic Or Barbecue And You’ll Always Go Home With An Empty Plate

Deviled eggs on a
Squirrel plate by Chandra DeBuse

Have you ever noticed how much people love deviled eggs? It is one of the few offerings that always gets eaten up at a cocktail party or potluck supper. As you enter with a platter full, people will help themselves to the eggs and you will always have an empty plate to take home. Not only are they inexpensive but also easy to make and guaranteed to please everyone except vegans (try sesame noodles, lentil salad or bbq tempeh for them). You may have your own favorite method but I will share mine in case it is helpful. Free range local and organic eggs may be more expensive but, in the scheme of things, still reasonable and preferable for so many reasons, including your health and the health of the hens! You’ll make your job easier if you use very fresh eggs. Just put the eggs in a saucepan, add water to cover completely, bring water to a boil, turn off heat, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Then run under cold water over the egg – they should peel easily.

Use pasture-raised eggs, if you can

Dry mustard with a splash of vinegar was always my preferred “deviling” method but there are many ingredient options, including hot sauce, salsa, smoked paprika, chipotle chili (either dry or in adobo sauce), Dijon mustard, Sriracha, nutritional yeast, green chilis, bacon, relish or wasabi. My husband has an aversion to mayonnaise so I opt for a combination of Dijon and yogurt but when I want to go all out, I add a little sour cream or avocado. You can use all avocado, hummus, olive oil or a combination that suits you. I still think mayo makes the most delicious eggs but since I am not the only one eating them, I compromise. 

Presentation is important with deviled eggs – you want them to look attractive. An easy solution is to pipe the yolk mixture into the whites using a regular plastic storage bag with the corner snipped off. Another is to use a small ice cream scoop. Then sprinkle with paprika, smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder or top with your choice of roasted red pepper, caviar, chives, bacon crumbles, smoked salmon, blue cheese or fresh dill or cilantro. You can put out small dishes of each and let people top their own – that way they can choose their own happy place. We are still not eating indoors with other people but hope to be gathering with small groups outside this summer. Deviled eggs are one recipe I definitely will be making to share.

Filling the whites is easy when
you pipe in prepared yolk mixture

DEVILED EGGS

1 dozen eggs, hard-boiled and peeled (plus a couple extra in case of rips)

Slice eggs in half the long way and put yolks in a bowl. 

Put empty whites in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to fill.

Use a fork to mash yolks and then add and mash until smooth:

  • 1 TBs Dijon mustard plus 2 tsps dry mustard powder
  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (or mayo, sour cream, hummus, mashed avocado or a combination)
  • 1 tsp cider or white vinegar
  • 1 tsp pickle juice (sweet, dill or jalapeño)
  • 1 tsp olive oil 
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black or white pepper
  • Optional 1/2 tsp smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder or dill or just sprinkle on top

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Put prepared yolk mixture in a plastic storage bag until chilled (store in fridge up to one day). When ready to serve, cut the corner of the bag and pipe into the dry egg white halves. (I often omit 2-4 egg white halves because they have ripped so the others will be very generously filled). Sprinkle with paprika or your choice of spice and serve. 

These can be left out up to two hours.

Floral plate by Chandra DeBuse
Photo courtesy of @teafor33

CHANDRA DEBUSE is a ceramic artist living in Kansas City who makes playful, patterned pottery using a mid-range porcelain. Her work often includes images from nature – flowers, insects and critters (like squirrels) – with quite a bit of whimsy. She sells her work through Kansas City Urban Potters, on her website and in various galleries.

Porcelain plate by Chandra DeBuse
Photo courtesy of the artist
Porcelain teapot by Chandra DeBuse
Photo courtesy of the artist

Spanish Tortilla – Delicious Any Time And You Probably Have The Fixings On Hand!

Spanish Tortilla
Porcelain plate by Jen Allen

Spanish tortilla is such an easy and tasty dish, I don’t know why I don’t think of it more often when planning meals. It can be prepared in advance and the recipe can be varied to include alternative ingredients. Because it is served at room temperature, the tortilla can sit out for a few hours without refrigeration, making it a perfect buffet or party food, (although we still don’t need to consider that for many months).

Traditional potato and egg tortilla

A traditional tortilla Espanola (no there are not corn or flour tortillas involved) is a potato frittata or omelet cooked in a very specific way with quite a lot of olive oil. You simmer the potatoes in oil until very soft. Then you drain the oil, add the egg mixture, cook until set, hold your breath and flip and cook some more. A good (ceramic or other non-scratching surface) non-stick pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet makes the flipping all that much easier because eggs tend to really stick. The traditional with potato is fantastic but variations are easy. Tortilla will last in the fridge for a few days and travels well for a picnic or lunchbox. Every bar we visited in Spain, in the before days of travel, had their own tortilla sitting on or behind the counter at the ready. My brother-in-law, who studied in Spain and remembered his home stay mother’s version fondly, taught himself to make tortillas last year and encouraged me to try. At first, I was appalled at the amount of oil required but much of it remains in the pan. If you get in the habit of making tortillas, you can save the oil to reuse each time and enjoy an intensified flavor. I used Seamus Mullen’s recipe as a starting point and then varied the amounts to suit my taste.

Tortilla variation with mushrooms, dill and greens

Many cultures make some version of eggs with vegetables, starchy or green. Think of French omelets, Italian frittatas, and Persian kuku (like a green herb frittata). Tortilla is the Spanish version and the way you cook it in oil and flip it is what distinguishes it (frittata goes in the oven briefly to finish). Making one is a great way to use up leftover potatoes and vegetables and doesn’t need cheese like the Italian and some French versions. Perhaps try the traditional recipe first and then experiment with your favorite ingredients. A little smoked paprika enlivens the flavor but plain is delicious. My current obsessions are mushrooms, leeks, leafy greens and fresh herbs so my next tortilla will include some or all of these. One time I added some shredded zucchini just to get rid of it! And don’t be afraid of the oil – most of it is left over and some olive oil is supposed to be good for us!

Bottom of porcelain plate by Jen Allen

SPANISH STYLE TORTILLA

  • 2 cups olive oil
  • 3 large waxy potatoes, sliced thinly (about 3 cups)
  • 1 medium onion, sliced thinly (about 1 cup)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 eggs, beaten

Heat the oil in a medium frying pan. Sloped sides and a non-stick surface are very helpful.

Add onions, potatoes and a sprinkle of salt and cook at a low simmer until the potatoes get quite soft. Drain the potatoes in a strainer, catching the oil in a bowl. Cool oil and reserve to use again. Salt and pepper the potato mixture to taste and then stir into the beaten eggs.

Add 1-2 TBs of oil back to the pan and when heated add the egg mixture to the pan. Stir occasionally until the eggs start to set up and then lower the heat and cook undisturbed until the bottom is cooked through. (Peek under with a spatula to see if browning and set). Remove from heat, cover with a plate (larger than the pan), press on the plate with one hand to keep pan covered and flip. Jiggle the pan to make sure egg is all released onto the plate. If there is any egg left in the pan, use a spatula to remove and place it on the cooked part already on the plate.

Add a little more oil to the pan and slide the egg/potato mixture back into the pan, cooked side visible. Cook until the bottom is also set and then cover and flip once more to make sure the whole thing is set and edges rounded. Remove from heat and slide onto a plate. Let it all sit for a few minutes to finish cooking inside off heat. Slice into wedges and enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Brown stoneware mugs by Jen Allen from her website.
During the pandemic, Jen has also been making beautiful and comfortable masks for sale on her website.

Black Pepper/Rosemary Taralli (Or How I Satisfied My Craving For Crunch With Pantry Ingredients While Staying Home)

Taralli made with 50/50 white and whole wheat flour
Porcelain Tumbler by Bryan Hopkins

Since we are going to the grocery store as infrequently as possible during this pandemic, we are trying to make use of whatever we have at home instead of buying daily or on a whim. Recently, I had a hankering for something flavorful and crunchy that wasn’t chips or carrots, the only two things we still had at home that fit that description. We were out of crackers, nuts and celery, the other things that might have satisfied me, and we had already made soft pretzels with our sourdough discard – tasty but not crunchy. So I flipped through some recipes in the “to make” pile and found a couple I had saved on baking taralli. I tried making them a few ways until I found one I liked. The version I settled on is a combination of Martha Rose Shulman’s and Julia Moskin’s recipes from The New York Times plus some rosemary.

Boiled and baked taralli on left
Just baked on right

Taralli, in case you aren’t familiar, are baked circular Italian snacks, not exactly crackers nor cookies but more like a crunchy, denser breadstick – the perfect accompaniment to a late afternoon drink but also good with soup or salad. Some are plain, others are flavored with fennel seeds but my favorites are spiced with lots of black pepper. I added rosemary, although not traditional, and I think thyme or cumin would also taste good. One style of taralli is shiny and smooth from a brief water bath, like bagels or pretzels, and then baked. Others are just baked and thus more crumbly, almost like shortbread. The dough comes together very quickly and is fun to roll into little coils that you loop, pressing the ends together. And because the recipe makes at least 5 dozen, you can freeze some before baking to serve whenever we are finally able to have friends over for a drink. Here is hoping that it is sooner than it looks like now. Until then, have fun making these with your existing pantry ingredients and treat your home bound self to a tasty, savory, crunchy and satisfying snack.

Bowl of baked and boiled taralli
(They will be shinier with all white flour)

BLACK PEPPER TARALLI 

Makes 5-6 dozen.

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour (or use all white, if you prefer with a little less liquid)
  • 1 TBs fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp dry active yeast
  • 1/3 cup lukewarm water
  • 1/2 cup white wine at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 TBs coarsely ground black pepper (less if you don’t like spicy)
  • 1-2 TBs chopped rosemary (or thyme or cumin seeds)

Measure out dry ingredients (except yeast), whisk to combine and set aside.

Combine the wine and water with the yeast and stir until dissolved.

Add olive oil to yeast mixture and stir to combine.

Add wet to dry ingredients and stir well for a few minutes until completely blended.

Knead 7-10 minutes until smooth, cover and set aside for an hour or so.

Alternately, mix at low speed in a mixer with a paddle attachment until combined. 

Then switch to the dough hook and beat on medium low until smooth and spongy, 5-7 minutes. Cover and let rest for an hour or more.

Now the fun part, especially for potters. Preheat the oven to 350F for the boil and bake method and 375F for the simple bake. If using the boiling method, set a stockpot of water on to boil. Tear or cut the dough in half and then each half into 3 pieces. Pinch off small walnut sized pieces of dough and roll between your hands to make 4-5” coils. Pinch the ends of each coil together to make a circle. (A drop of water helps it stick better). Lay the rings on a parchment covered cookie or rimmed baking sheet. Each of the 6 lumps of dough should make 10-12 rings, depending on size.

For boil and bake, drop 5-6 rings into actively boiling water. They should resurface in 30-60 seconds. When they pop up, gently scoop each ring out with a spider or slotted spoon and lay out on a dishtowel. When they have all been boiled, place the rings back on the parchment and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes until just golden. Flip the rings, turn the oven down to 250F and bake for another 15-20 minutes to dry out. Cool the rings on a wire rack. They will crisp as they cool.

For the straight bake, put the rings into a 375F oven for 25 minutes or until golden and cool on a wire rack. Taralli will last in an airtight container for several days, if you can keep your hands off them for that long! 

The rings may be frozen before boiling or baking by putting the full cookie sheet in the freezer until the taralli are frozen and then transferring them to a plastic bag, much like freezing berries. You don’t have to defrost them before baking.

 

Bryan Hopkins makes wonderful porcelain ceramics in Buffalo, NY, where he teaches, and is a member of Objective Clay. His work is textural and sculptural and functional, not an easily achieved combination. He also has a very good pretzel recipe on his website.

Tulips in the Westside Community Garden

An Easy Cocktail Party or Super Bowl Snack – Baked Manouri Cheese with Herbs

Piece of baked Manouri cheese with herbs
Porcelain plate by Liz Quackenbush

We are well into the short days and long nights of winter. No, don’t pull the sheets over your head and hibernate. Now is the best time to invite people over – for drinks or soup or just to watch a movie – to share these wintry evenings. Plus, with the Super Bowl coming up, you’ll need hors d’oeuvres or snacks on hand. Besides a freezer full of little triangles of spanakopita and samosas, cheeses make an easy and well-liked party platter. This week, I offer you a different spin on the traditional baked Brie or Camembert (an old standby for a winter cocktail party snack) – baked Manouri cheese with herbs.

Manouri is a soft cheese made from the drained whey left over when making feta in Greece, Macedonia and Thessaly. Primarily from sheep or goat milk, it has some cream added, which makes it softer, creamier and less salty than feta with just a mild tang. You can crumble it in salad or spread it on a cracker. But my favorite way to serve Manouri is topped with olive oil and herbs and baked, since it gets a cheesecake-like consistency when heated.

Plain Manouri cheese

I was introduced to Manouri at Mani Marketplace, our local grocery run by two Greek brothers (I’ve written about them before). One of the owners recommended I try it and I loved it just simply spread on seeded crackers. When I went back to get more, the young man who stocks the cheese shelves told me how to bake it with oil and herbs. And the cashier suggested making it with honey and nuts, which could be delicious, too. I had never heard of Manouri cheese before, but apparently it is fairly popular. Find it in New York at Murray’s Cheese, Zabar’s and the Bedford Cheese Shop, as well as at Mani. You can even buy it online.

Slice of Manouri cheese rolled in dry herbs before baking

This is one of the simplest hors d’oeuvres I know and a little different (and less rich) from the more commonly baked Brie. I used a blend of oregano, paprika and thyme but za’atar, Herbes de Provence, chopped rosemary, dill or even a chutney could be delicious. You could bake olives and roasted peppers alongside the cheese and serve them together. Remove the Manouri from your baking sheet with a spatula and plate it on a handmade ceramic dish. Then you have not only a tasty but beautiful snack to serve your guests.

Baked Manouri Cheese with herbs
Porcelain plate by Liz Quackenbush

 

BAKED MANOURI CHEESE

This is almost too simple to be a recipe!

  • Slice of Manouri cheese (mine was a little more than an inch tall)
  • Flavorful olive oil
  • Dried herbs (I used oregano and thyme)

Roll your slice of Manouri in dry herbs so the whole edge is coated.

Place the herbed slice on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil (about 1 TB).

Sprinkle the top with more herbs.

Bake at 350F degrees for 6-8 minutes.

Remove to serving plate with a flat spatula.

Serve with crackers, crudités or apple/pear slices.

A Quick Festive Cocktail Snack: Laurie Colwin’s/Rosalea Murphy’s Rosemary Walnut Recipe And A Smoky Pecan Version

Spiced and herbed pecans
Slip-cast Porcelain dish by Hiroe Hanazono

Although it feels like it started at Halloween this year, we are now officially in the holiday season. That means you may be hosting more guests than usual. We tend to have more friends over for dinner and more parties during the cold weather. Not only are more people around during the cooler months but our apartment is too hot in summer to even consider hosting a soirée. I like to put out a cheese board, crudités and dips and serve a warm appetizer or two if not an entire buffet when having a party. But when friends drop by or we invite people spontaneously, nuts alongside cheese and olives are my fallback. This recipe is 15 minutes start to finish. Just melt the butter in oil, add the seasoning, toss with the nuts and bake.

Nuts are nutritional powerhouses that show up on many “what to eat daily” lists. A handful, that is, not a bowl, because although nutrient rich, nuts are also calorie dense so you can’t eat them like carrot sticks or popcorn. Sorry. Fortunately they are so tasty, a handful is quite satisfying. And if you think they are delicious all by themselves, the recipe I am going to share with you makes them absolutely scrumptious and perfect for a holiday table or with cocktails.

Bagged pecans are widely available and often very reasonable

This recipe originated in The Pink Adobe Cookbook by Rosalea Murphy but was made popular when Laurie Colwin published it in her Gourmet Magazine column. It is quite simple – just walnuts, butter, rosemary, cayenne and salt but easily adapted to suit individual tastes. I prefer pecans or cashews (although I think walnuts are actually more nutritious) and using chipotle chili powder over cayenne for its smoky flavor. Because they are a bit “hot”, you actually won’t go through a whole bowl yourself. I tried using olive oil in place of the butter, and you can, but it just wasn’t as delicious. My solution was to use a tablespoon of each. If you like spicier nuts, you could easily add more cayenne or add black pepper. If you hate rosemary, use thyme alone or skip the herbs and use curry powder. And if you like sweet, add a spoonful of sugar, honey or maple syrup to the melted butter and spices. Try these with your own spin and tell us which you prefer. (A word of warning – don’t just turn off the oven and leave the nuts in it – they will continue to darken or, worse, burn).

A few nuts may be the perfect accompaniment to a cocktail or beer, providing a little nutritional snack to balance out the alcohol you are downing. They are a great party food since they can sit out for hours without refrigeration and the rosemary in this recipe makes the nuts taste holiday special. Unlike many spiced nut recipes, including my all-time favorite with curry and chutney, these have no added sugar. Below is the original recipe and the one I adapted and prefer. I like to serve them with a spoon or in a bottle so people don’t dip their hands in and touch the nuts others will put in their mouths. At the Old Church Pottery Sale (which is coming up this weekend-as it does every year after Thanksgiving in Demarest, NJ), the caterers put out  nuts in small individual glasses to avoid such hand dipping. However you serve them, these nuts are delicious and stay fresh in a covered container for a week or two. And if you need a homemade holiday or host gift, a bag or mason jar full of spiced nuts could be perfect.

Spiced nuts make a great holiday gift
Rosemary Walnuts
Slip-cast Porcelain Dish by Hiroe Hanazono

PINK ADOBE/LAURIE COLWIN ROSEMARY WALNUTS

  • 2 cups shelled raw walnuts
  • 2 1/2 TBs butter
  • 2 tsps crumbled dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Melt the butter and add the seasoning.

Mix in the nuts.

Spread on a parchment paper covered pan and bake 11-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned.

Cool and serve or store in a covered container.

MY SMOKY PECAN VERSION

  • 2 cups shelled raw pecans
  • 1 TB butter plus 1 TB olive or avocado oil
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp crumbled dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder or 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal because it is less salty than Morton’s)

Preheat toaster oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt butter in a saucepan and add the seasoning.

Add in the nuts and stir to coat well.

Pour onto a parchment paper lined toaster oven pan.

Bake for 11 minutes, turning once.

Cool and serve or store in a glass jar for up to 2 weeks.

Spiced and herbed pecans
Porcelain dish by Hiroe Hanazono