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Same dinner, different meal: Taming the Flavor-Seeking Beast

May 22, 2016

While our son was away at college this year, Brooks and I ate mostly vegetables, beans, whole grains, fruit and some fish and seafood with an occasional grass-fed burger or free-range turkey or chicken, piece of cheese or yogurt and lots and lots of salad. It suited us just fine and we were feeling pretty virtuous. When Alex came home and snapped out of his exam-induced, lack of sleep stupor and finished his seemingly endless loads of laundry, he looked up one day and asked “Couldn’t we eat something fun for a change?” My heart sank but I put on a smile and replied “sure!”

Lobster roll from Luke's was a temporary solution — Lobster roll from Luke’s was a temporary solution

I actually enjoy cooking for my family, especially when they enjoy what I make. I thought I was making appealing meals but they were not satisfying my flavor-craving son. We don’t want to eat the salty, fatty, white flour way he wishes, but could I find a compromise? Our boy had thrown down the gauntlet and I wanted to rise to the challenge. I needed time to think so when it was time for lunch, we walked down Amsterdam Avenue and got a lobster roll at Luke’s – delicious every time but a temporary fix that didn’t solve the problem.

I knew seasoning and spice factored into his ideas of flavor so I began there. I bought some fresh black pepper linguini with the zip already in the pasta and added some veggies Alex likes – peas and arugula – with some garlic in olive oil. Pretty simple and a hit – Hoorah! Next I pulled out the chicken and apple sausage, an old standby for him, and coupled it with seasoned rice and broccoli, 2 sides he eats without complaining. When I heard “boring”, I curbed my instinctual reaction to tell him where he could go and tried to think how these ingredients could be better combined. As I was thinking fried rice, Alex asked why I didn’t make a stir-fry. There it was – we had come to the same idea at the same time and I knew how to go forward. I wouldn’t have to completely change our diet, just rearrange the parts and add a little zing. I could stir fry some onion and celery with plenty of ginger and garlic, toss in the broccoli, rice, sausage and some sesame soy combo to satisfy his taste. Yes, he would have been happier with white rice but he would have to settle for brown as that was where I drew the line of compromise. (If you are not eating grains, add more veggies and cut down the amount of sauce). When I tried it again the next day with leftover chicken and more ginger and garlic, we all liked it even better. (I did notice he was picking out the celery!)

garlic

Even though I was insulted by his comments at first, Alex helped me realize I was not being as adventurous with food as I imagined. I still like pretty simple cooking but now I am making an effort to add a little zest and more seasoning to shake up my routine. The real bonus to his involvement is that our son is discovering what goes into food prep and stands on the edge of cooking for himself.

Stir Fried Rice with Whatever You Like

2 TBs neutral oil, like canola or avocado

1 medium onion, sliced and chopped

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

3″ piece of ginger, peeled and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 cups cooked and cut up protein (sausages, ham, chicken, shrimp or tofu)

1-2 cups lightly steamed broccoli (or whatever green veg you like or have leftover)

3 cups cooked rice (I used brown but use any kind you like)

Sauce:

2 TBs soy sauce

2 TBs water

1 TB rice vinegar

1 TB toasted sesame oil

Big pinch cayenne

Heat oil in a large sauté pan, add onion and cook 2 minutes. Add celery and cook another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and ginger and cook another 30 seconds. Add cut up sausage (or whatever protein you are using), rice and broccoli and stir until combined well. Add sauce and cook one more minute, stirring to mix completely. Taste and add more sauce ingredients as you choose. This would be good sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. Serves 2-4 people or one hungry 20 year old.

Stir Fried Leftovers Plate by Anthony Phillips — Stir Fried Leftovers
Plate by Anthony Phillips

A few other solutions I think will suffice: Sriracha-glazed lamb chops on garlic mashed potatoes with sautéed greens, brown rice nori rolls (lots of wasabi) with watercress salad, leftover chicken doused in green sauce and made into tacos, and rice and beans with salsa and guacamole wrapped into a burrito. It may not be Eleven Madison or Amada but it sure beats what he will get back at school!

Beyond Utility: The Pleasures of Handmade Pottery

May 18, 2016

Pourers by Polly Ann Martin, Janice Tchalenko, Jeff Oestreich and James Makins

Taking time to make a meal is a choice. Plenty of options exist, like prepared foods, take-0ut and delivery, yet I choose to cook when I am able. Cooking and sharing meals is a way to express care and connect with others. Buying handmade pottery is also a choice, and one I do whenever possible. Using pots made by hand reminds me to slow down and appreciate what I am eating or drinking and makes a meal feel more celebratory. Those pieces feed a hunger for the handmade, for intimacy and for beauty.

I love to sip my morning coffee from a hand-crafted mug that feels just right in my hand, put flowers on the table in a graceful vase or serve a salad in a generous wheel-thrown bowl. There is something personal about using handmade dinnerware that makes food look important and feel special. After all, it was made by hand by a person! Sure, there are loads of beautiful objects that are industrially produced. Some of the bowls I use every day come from Ikea and our oval, factory made, diner-style plates are from the Bowery Restaurant Supply. It is the handmade pieces we use, however, which make a meal, or even a cup of tea, seem significant.

At least in Manhattan, handcrafted pots are rarely available to buy retail anymore except at seasonal craft fairs or studio holiday sales. We used to have lots of small shops and galleries where you could buy handmade pieces but they are mostly gone, probably due to rising rent. When you can find them, in upscale shops or museum stores, the pots are usually at the highest price points of the artisanry market. Fortunately, we have been able to find places selling ceramics when we travel, having had luck in cities from Chattanooga to Copenhagen.( I will compile a list of outlets and post it soon – please share any sources you know). Some of our favorite travel keepsakes are handmade pots. For example, my husband bought a lovely hand painted porcelain tumbler in Montana last summer (I think it was $60). Every time he uses it, and that is daily for almost a year, he enjoys its beauty while it reminds him of what a good time he had on that trip.

Part of the problem may be cost. Have we become so used to discounted prices for cheap, imported manufactured goods that we balk at buying a handmade cup for $40 (but spend $4 or more on a cup of coffee regularly)? Are we happy to go out for a pricey brunch but are offended at the cost of an artist-made cereal bowl? Or purchase expensive, factory-made sets of china but think it outlandish to spend the same money on handmade dinner plates? Studio rents in places like New York skyrocketed years ago so artists have had to move further afield while trying to make a living selling their work. The balance to the high cost of a unique piece is the satisfaction and repeated pleasure in its use.

Pots just out of a wood firing at Gustin Pottery in Westport, MA

The good news is that there are still lots of working potters out there and many have websites through which to buy their work. Prices vary widely as do colors, techniques and styles so there are lots of pots from which to choose. In A Good Dish, I will routinely highlight the work of interesting potters and how to get in touch with them to buy their work, a resource for you not only when you need a simple recipe for dinner but when you want to buy handmade pottery to use or to give as a gift.

cups by Josh DeWeese, Liz Rudey, Lynn Croton and Gay Smith

Because I have been a potter for decades, I have lots of pots – both my own and those of other potters that I have collected over the years – and I use them often and will use them here, whenever possible, to plate the recipes I post. In this way, you can glimpse the wonderful wares of potters from all over the country and from other countries. When a pot in a photo is uncredited, the piece is probably historic, mine, unsigned or commercial.

If you are only using IKEA plates or mass produced dishes, as beautiful and practical as they might be, I encourage you to incorporate some handmade pieces into your daily routines – a coffee mug or teacup is an easy place to start. You might be surprised at how much more you will enjoy what you are eating or drinking.

Surprisingly Tasty Fruit In Any Season

May 15, 2016

apricots, cherries, pineapple and lemons

Spring is lovely for many reasons – fresh breezes, blooming flowers, fresh green vegetables. But it isn’t a season of much locally fresh fruit, at least not here in the northeast. Apples and pears have been in cold storage so long they really aren’t crisp anymore and it is even nearing the end of citrus season. Sure we can get kiwi from Italy and pineapple from Costa Rica but until local strawberries come into their own, our fruit is being shipped in from far away. I’m not sure if rhubarb counts – I think it is a vegetable and requires large amounts of sugar to taste good.

For smoothies or baking, frozen fruit can be a good solution, available year round and fine for blending or muffins. But for a more substantial breakfast serving or for dessert, I recommend cooking dried fruit – easier and more delicious than you might guess if you haven’t tried it. Basically all you do is add water or juice and spices, boil, simmer and soak for a few hours or overnight. The name “stewed fruit” may conjure up elderly, apron-clad grannies trying to regulate their systems but these homemade apricots, cherries and pineapple are not your grandmother’s jar of sugary prunes. Don’t let your misconceptions about “stewed” fruit get in your way. Let’s call it simmered fruit, since stewed implies long cooking under a lid and this isn’t, and change its image.

driedfruit

Organic, or at least non-sulfate, dried fruit is pretty easy to find in stores and re-hydrates into a tasty, old-fashioned kind of dessert. Choose from unsweetened plums (a/k/a prunes), peaches, pears, apricots, apples, raisins, pineapple, cherries or berries. I use lots of sliced lemons (I tried lime but it was too tart – if you use it, add some honey or maple syrup) or oranges plus cinnamon and ginger but you could use cardamom, nutmeg, a piece of vanilla bean, allspice, even some lemongrass. A little citrus zest or tiny shake of cayenne before serving helps add zing. Simmered fruit becomes thicker and more flavorful when it sits for a day so it is best made ahead. As a bonus, it keeps well for several days in the refrigerator so you can use it more than once.

Simmered apricots and lemons with whipped cream and almonds

Simmered fruit, by itself, is a satisfying dessert but you can gussy it up by adding whipped cream, liquor (a splash of brandy, creme de cassis or ruby port might be good) and nuts or serve it over ice cream or yogurt or even lady fingers or pound cake. I’ve read that some people like it on hot cereal, waffles and pancakes – could be good. I’ve been out of new breakfast ideas lately so I tried some simmered apricots and prunes with lemons, oranges and cinnamon on plain yogurt and topped it with walnuts, almonds and chia seeds. It was more delicious than I expected! Plate your simmered fruit in a pretty compote dish or ice cream bowl with a cookie alongside it and no one will complain you didn’t bake.

SIMMERED FRUIT

In a small saucepan, place 2-3 cups (or big handfuls) of dried fruit of your choosing. For an example, let us say 1 cup each of prunes, apricots and cherries. Add 1-2 pieces of cinnamon sticks, 1 thinly sliced lemon, a few thin slices of a navel orange, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger powder, 1/4 tsp cardamom powder, a shake of cayenne and water to cover it all by an inch. If you want it to be very sweet, substitute orange or apple juice for some of the water. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook for half an hour. Let sit in the pot until cool and the liquid has thickened and then put in a glass jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve the fruit by itself topped with a little lemon or orange zest and a cookie or two or as a kind of sundae on top of ice cream with nuts and whipped cream or with plain yogurt and nuts and seeds for breakfast. Or reheat and serve over a piece of sponge or pound cake or lady fingers. I like it solo when I want a sweet that isn’t sugary. The serving size will depend on how you use it but about 1/2-3/4 cup is about right – a little goes a long way. It is tasty any time of year.

apricots, prunes, oranges, lemons, walnuts and chia seeds with yogurt

A Big Walk Has Its Rewards

May 11, 2016

New York is a great walking city and a great place to eat. When my husband and I found ourselves in Inwood (around 215th Street) for a wine tasting a few weeks ago, we decided to walk home down Broadway to the 90’s. An interesting thing about a big walk on unfamiliar blocks is that you really get a feel for the different neighborhoods as they flow one into the next and you see the city with different eyes than the ones usually focused on errands or a routine destination. The other perk of a long city walk is that you pass all kinds of little diners, bodegas and restaurants with many kinds of foods we don’t find any more in our now-gentrified hood.

As we headed south toward Washington Heights, I remembered a little Central American place where some years ago we had eaten tamales so delicious they had stayed in my memory. I hoped it would still be there and it was: La Cabaña Salvadoreña – 187th and Broadway. At 3:00 in the afternoon we didn’t want to eat a meal but we couldn’t resist getting a sweet corn tamale. So we got two tamales de elote to go and happily ate them in hand as we continued our walk. The masa (cornmeal) was hot and fresh and just sweet enough to be a treat, if a bit greasy. Delicious and satisfying.

La Cabaña is a friendly, neighborhood place with a homey, family-run feeling. There are lots of items on the menu I would order another time – papusas (made with rice flour), maduros (sweet plantains, here served with sour cream), rice and beans, soups, salads and fresh squeezed juices – but I wouldn’t leave without having a sweet corn tamale or two or three. I’d bet their coffee is terrific, too.

You may or may not live in New York but wherever one lives, there is a walk to be taken, a little restaurant or cafe or pub for us to stumble upon, a meal to discover. It is fun to get out of our usual comfort zones and explore other neighborhoods. When we took our walk last month, I was afraid creeping gentrification would have run out all of the little places I remembered. Now I’m happy just to know that some “mom and pop” joints like La Cabaña Salvadoreña still exist, requiring us to patronize them before development bulldozes them away.