rocking the casbah

Deborah
Eggplant has never made me tremble with joy when it comes to flavor. I generally think of it as a vehicle for garlic and olive oil. Eggplant Parmesan is the rare treat when I am not watching calories and want a blast of rich gooey pleasure. It was not until I encountered a recipe for Moroccan Eggplant Salad that I understood the satisfaction of a delicious eggplant dish. The inspiration comes from a wonderful cookbook called Taste of Morocco by Richard Carrier.

Carrier's book is a lovingly crafted tribute to Moroccan cooking traditions and techniques. If you ever come across a copy of this out-of-print book from 1987, grab it. The stunning photos and simple recipes will make you fall in love with Moroccan cuisine. (Here is an excerpt from the book)

Carriers book has many great recipes for cooked vegetable salads, which were a revelation for me when I first started to cook them.

Eggplants may not have the most interesting flavor, but they sure look pretty in pictures. The pleasing curvy shape is a favorite among still life painters.

To start the dish peel and slice the eggplant, leaving some of the skin on. Many recipes instruct you to salt the slices and let drain for a half hour, rinse, then pat dry before frying. There is debate about the value of this step (to rid the fruit of bitter flavor). I don't know. I do it if I have time.

While the eggplant is frying make a paste of four garlic cloves, 2 Tbs. paprika, 1/2 teas. cayenne, 1 teas. cumin and some lemon peel. It can be coarsley chopped or ground into a paste with a mortar and pestle.

Use enough olive oil to cover the bottom of your pan for frying. Let the slices become golden on both sides and then set aside, cooking the eggplant in batches.

When all the slices are fried, roughly chop the cooked slices and return the eggplant to the pan. Add more oil if you need to, but wait to see if you really need it. Eggplants can absorb a lot of oil when cooking and then release it when almost done. Add the garlic spice paste to the pan and continue to cook for about 15 minutes stirring and breaking down the chunks of eggplant with a wooden spatula. Let the eggplant mixture cook until it gets a nice deep golden brown. Taste for seasoning.

Finish the salad with lots of chopped parsley and the juice from 1/2 a lemon.

Let the salad come to room temp before serving. The eggplant will be creamy with a deep rich flavor from the spices. This can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge. Serve this salad outdoors as part of a picnic and it will feel like a trip to the oasis!

Amanda

Wow! That looks wonderful. I would love to try that on a slice of terrific, crusty bread. And I love that the dish is so simple. Now, this is a dish that I would pay attention to the spicy flavors when choosing a wine to go with it. The cayenne pepper will give heat - so be sure not to pick a wine too high in alcohol content. The high alcohol content in wines will exacerbate the heat of the pepper. A wine with a touch of sweetness, however, will be a great contrast to the heat and will complement it well. A German Riesling would make a tantalizing match to this beautiful dish. Seek out a "Kabinett" which tend to be off-dry, and light with crisp acidity.

For those of you unfamiliar with the German system of classifying wines, it can be extremely daunting. People tend to veer over to the German wine section, take a look, and coyly turn away. Don't let the enigma of the label deter you from experimenting - the wines are worth it. And once you understand their system better, you will be able to decipher any label.

Why people tend to avoid German wines. They are confused about what they're buying!

In a nutshell, Pradikatswein is the top level of the classification system. Most of the wines in this category are of high-quality. Within this level, wines can range from dry to very sweet, depending on the grapes level of ripeness, with Kabinett being the first designation. The sugar content of the grape juice helps determine into which designation the wine will fall. Spatlese is the next level up, and is typically fruitier and sweeter than the Kabinett. From there, the wines increase in sweetness into the categories Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein, (yummy); and Trockenbeerenauslese, with each rung on the ladder being sweeter, with higher sugar content, then the last. For Deb's recipe, I would stick with either a Kabinett or a Spatlese. (Also, German wines are typically lower in alcohol content).

Today, many German producers are making their labels much simpler and user-friendly.

For wonderful Rieslings, look for the wines of Joh Jos Prum. The wines are simply marvelous. Weingut St. Urbans-Hof is another of my favorite German producers. Spectacular wines at affordable prices. The Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett is a terrific representation of the wines from the Mosel Saar Ruwer region (and would be exquisite next to Deb's dish). This particular wine can be found in the $15 price range.

If you are looking to enjoy a red with this dish, my first choice would be a fruity, new-world Pinot Noir. (New world meaning American, Australian, e.g. as opposed to old world like French). Again, avoid wines with lots of alcohol like Australian reds or big Cabernet Sauvignons.

still pretty

 Deborah
The Gulf coast of Florida, the Sarasota region in particular, was as stunning as ever this weekend. Jaw dropping sunsets, plenty of wild birds and hot, hot days in abundance. It was a melancholy relief to witness the continued good health of this gorgeous area. How long it will last is anyone's guess. A local landscaper and long time resident of Long Boat Key shared with us his belief that this particular stretch of coast will be sparred from the oil spill due to natural water currents. He was much less optimistic about the Florida Keys and even the Atlantic coast. Tragic.

The scorching hot days kept me close to water all weekend. Even a trip to the farmers market was an abridged version of my usual slow progress through every stand. Heartbreakingly, the fishmonger who usually has a long line in front of his booth stood alone and slightly dazed. I asked him how he was doing and his terse response was that he was very anxious about the future of his business. My companions and I bought some of his local snapper and whole shrimp from the Keys. Everything was incredibly fresh and delicious!

The extreme heat of the day limited the range of produce. Forget about lettuce. The best buy were these beautiful hanging baskets for $15!!

Our flight home was delayed and coming home dusty and tired the last thing I wanted to do was cook a meal, but we were hungry. A simple saute of spinach with some of the stir-fried black beans I bought at the Korean supermarket last week made a quick and delicious meal.

Black beans from the Korean supermarket in the package.

Black beans out of the package- a little salty, a little chewy.

A simple saute of greens in a hot pan with a splash of oil will become a delicious meal if you add some fermented black beans from an Asian market. Finish the dish with a little sesame oil.

Amanda
Welcome back, Deb! Beautiful pictures! Time will tell what the ramifications of the oil spill are. But my heart goes out to the residents and workers of the affected areas whose livelihoods are now in jeopardy, and whose beautiful shores will now be challenged and possibly changed forever. It certainly is tragic.


I really like the idea of this quick, simple and healthy saute. My only problem is I don't think I have had fermented black beans before, so I'm a little unsure as to the flavor profile. Are they very different from "unfermented" black beans? Funny - I was looking at a recipe this week that called for the same ingredient and I was wondering where I might find them. Now I know!

I'm thinking Pinot Noir might be a good match for this saute. Pinot Noir from cooler climates is quite earthy and rustic. A Pinot Noir from Burgundy will not have the same jammy fruit flavors as a Pinot Noir from California. For this particular dish, I would look to a Pinot Noir which has those lovely earthy characteristics. A to Z Wineworks is a winery out in Oregon that produces some wonderful wines. Their basic Oregon Pinot Noir is elegant, with soft, dusty tannins and spice.  


A to Z also makes a lovely Pinot Gris that would also work well with this dish if you are in the mood for white. It, too, has great spice and minerality. This white has great acidity, as well as ripe fruit flavors of nectarines, and lychee. A to Z's basic wines typically run between $15 and $20.

old becomes new

Deborah
The best part about Thanksgiving?  Leftovers! Really good leftovers and LOTS of them! I have two soup recipes to share that are perfect for the day (or two) after Thanksgiving. The first soup I actually call Leftover soup. It is adapted from a recipe I found in Saveur magazine several years ago where you take ALL your leftovers and dump them in a pot with water and simmer for an hour. If you are eating turkey, add leftover turkey too. It may be hard to believe, but this soup really tastes good and I am not kidding when I say ALL the leftovers, including stuffing! I described this soup to my sister this morning and she said, um, yuck. Well, fine, don't try it. It is good and you will never know.

These are some of the things I put in my Leftover soup this year from L to R: butternut squash braised in apple cider, swiss chard gratin, leeks baked in mustard cream.

Adding some fresh ingredients like chopped parsley will help bring the soup to life.

This is what the soup looks like while it is cooking. See, not so strange. Hey, my kids ate it and LOVED it.  THAT is the true test!

The other soup has two inspirations, the first being a cup of leftover pumpkin puree that didn't make it into a pie. The other piece is some fiery chili peppers that my sister (yes the same skeptical one) brought home from her recent trip to Vietnam.

My sister brought me some spices from a market in Vietnam, packed in these sweet little baskets. I can't wait to try them all. The chili peppers are insanely good, really fiery and fresh with an indescribable fragrance.

The ensuing soup is a cream of pumpkin with ginger/garlic/chili paste. It is sweetened with leftover applesauce and in this case heavy cream (leftover from the creamed onions) where I might otherwise use coconut milk. This soup's distinctive flavor is a blend of creamy sweet and spicy and it is delicious. It is perfect in small portions as an appetizer because it is so rich.

Making a paste with a mortar and pestle is really fun. You get to POUND your food. Very satisfying.

So look around your kitchen and don't be afraid to put those Thanksgiving day leftovers to good use. These soups will bring yesterday's mashed potatoes to today's new heights.

Leftover Soup
1 onion chopped
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup of stuffing
1 cup of mashed potatoes
1 cup of baked squash
1 cup of gravy (optional for vegetarians)
1 cup of cooked turkey meat (optional for vegetarians)
1 cup of any cooked vegetable
6 cups of water or stock
1/2 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste


Saute chopped onion in olive oil in a large soup pot. When onion is softened and golden add all the remaining ingredients and simmer for one hour. Taste to adjust seasoning. Serve over cooked macaroni or noodles if you like!

Pumpkin Ginger Soup
1 inch of peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves
2 dried chili peppers
1 Tbs canola oil
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup applesauce
4 cups water
1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
With a mortar and pestle pound ginger, chili and garlic into a paste (or use a blender, adding a Tbs of water to make the paste). Heat oil in soup pot and saute ginger paste for five minutes till it starts to turn golden. Add the rest of the ingredients except the cream and simmer for 15 minutes till the flavors are blended. Taste to see if the flavors are balanced. Add salt or a teaspoon of sugar to get the right blend. Put the soup in a food processor or food mill to puree. Put pureed soup back into the pot and add the heavy cream or coconut milk and bring soup up to a simmer. Serve hot!

Amanda
Well, the first one does sound "different", but I could definitely see why it would be delicious. On Thanksgiving, I like to make a "mish-mosh" of all the different flavors on my plate, letting every dish blend into the other. I scoop up a little of everything in each bite. So, why wouldn't this soup taste good? That's exactly what it is. And, it makes my job of wine pairing very easy! I would enjoy the same wines I would have with my Thanksgiving feast! Deb - there was no cranberry sauce in your soup. What are your thoughts on adding it? Just curious! So, getting back to the wines - I would choose a buttery, rich Chardonnay and/or a fruit forward, soft and elegant Pinot Noir.


The pumpkin ginger soup sounds outrageous! I definitely will give that a try. To pair a wine with anything, again, you must look to the seasonings, spices, herbs, and sauces. Pair the wine with those elements. The ginger, chile and coconut milk ingredients are reminscent of Thai cuisine. Certain wines have an afinity with Asian flavors. Look to a Gewurtztraminer, with wonderful flavors and aromas of lychee fruit and spice. I think this combination would be absolutely fabulous! Hugel makes outstanding Gewurtztraminer as does Schaetzel. As I often mention, always ask your local wine shop for recommendations.  But my advice would be to look to Alsace, France for a spectacular example of this incredibly aromatic, wonderful varietal.

no one can resist

Deborah
Alright children, listen up. I'm going to get tough with you now. If you don't eat this next dish, well, honey, you just don't know what's good. Yes, it's Brussels sprouts. Yeah they are smelly when you boil them. But we are going to saute them! In butter! and lemon zest! What do you mean "what is zest?"
It's the skin of a citrus fruit grated up small. You love it! You loved it in that apple crumble I made. And those cranberry muffins. Come on, try the Brussels sprouts. please. please. They are good. really.

Amanda, YOU talk to them. please.

Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Zest and Pecans
2 Tbs. Butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
2 pounds of Brussels sprouts, rinsed trimmed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Zest from one lemon

Melt butter and oil in pan, add garlic and cook till it starts to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add sprouts and saute for about 5 minutes, till sprouts start to wilt. Lower heat and cover for five minutes to let sprouts soften completely. Uncover and add pecans and lemon zest and s & p to taste. Cook another minute before serving. Allow dish to come to room temp if you are planning on freezing.

Amanda
I am a HUGE fan of Brussels sprouts! I will do all I can to get my kid to try this one! Sounds great. I love the idea that it is "freezable". Maybe I'll get a jump start this weekend and start prepping for the holiday!


Just to recap my thoughts on wine for Thanksgiving that I touched on earlier in the week:  Riesling is a perennial favorite Thanksgiving white. A great accompaniment to turkey and all the sides. White Burgundy (which is always Chardonnay) works beautifully as well. As for red, Pinot Noir is always a safe bet, as is Beaujolais. For the latter, the Beaujolais Nouveau is always a Thanksgiving staple. But, for something a little more sophisticated and complex, go for a Cru Beaujolais. You can't go wrong with any of these suggestions!

Jumping ahead

Deborah

For anyone interested in getting a jump on holiday cooking I am devoting this entire week of posts to do-ahead Thanksgiving dishes that can be frozen. Thanksgiving seems to be one of the most laborious cooking holidays and I set aside at least two solid days of cooking for my own family's meal during that last week in November.
Many don't have the time nor the inclination for this kind of labor. In fact a reader requested that I come up with these freeze ahead recipes that can be tackled now and crossed off the to-do list for the big day.

I like to freeze things judiciously and find I rarely make meals in advance to be frozen because:
A- Then I have to remember to take them out of the freezer in time to get them hot for the meal and
B- I love cooking so much that it doesn't ever feel especially laborious to me to actually be doing it.

So the time crunch factor is what I am really responding to here. The recipes I am offering this week are not specifically designed to be frozen ahead, but if they strike your fancy, they can successfully be frozen ahead. I also encourage any one who can manage it to cook the day before Thanksgiving, allowing certain dishes to sit over night, where flavors can develop rather than making things weeks ahead and freezing. I'm just saying.

Hiking this weekend in Ellenville, trying not to think about Thanksgiving AT ALL!

I would like to come back to leeks because they are one of the real treats of Fall. This recipe, if I remember correctly, originated out of Gourmet magazine years ago and was adopted by my family as a "must have" every year. I usually figure on one large leek for two persons and I don't count the kids as people because I have yet to see any of them try one (I have four nieces, three nephews, two stepdaughters and two of my own children at the table every year, so I am an authority on generational divide when it comes to hot onions). Adults like this dish, but not the picky picky eaters. I LOVE IT. Good enough.

It is easy to prepare once you have cleaned the leeks and I am beginning to see the charm of being able to pull this out of the freezer Thanksgiving morning and shoving it in the oven without another thought. Other than trying to find oven space. Does it not seem that EVERY dish for Thanksgiving has to go in the oven and how the heck do you get everything in there and hot at the same time? Someone else will have to figure that out.

Amanda, what are we drinking?

Leeks Baked in Mustard Cream
for 8 non-picky eating adults

4 large leeks
1 1/4 cups of heavy cream
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup of bread crumbs

heat oven to 400F
Trim the green tops from the leeks and the root end till you have just the white and palest green stalks. Score a shallow cut lengthwise a few layers deep into the leek and then cut them into 2"crosswise chunks. Put the trimmed leeks in to a large bowl of water and swish them around to loosen any sand and dirt caught in the layers. Let them soak in the water 10 minutes or so until the sand and dirt sinks to the bottom of the bowl. Remove leeks from the water and drain. Butter a baking dish with 1 Tbs. of the butter. Place drained leeks in the buttered baking dish in a single layer. Mix the cream, mustard, s & p in a cup and pour over the leeks to cover. Top with the breadcrumbs and dot with remaining 1 Tbs. butter.
Bake for 1 hour until the leeks are tender when you pierce them with a sharp knife.
Serve immediately
OR allow to come to room temperature, cover with foil and either
refrigerate overnight  to serve the next day OR freeze.
Reheat in hot oven till warmed through (timing will depend on how many other dishes are crammed in there trying to get hot. Half hour maybe?)

Amanda
Thanksgiving is different when it comes to food and wine pairing. If you think about it, very few families are going to choose a different wine to go with each course. Yes, there might be wine-loving families who will do this. But the reality is, while you may have a few connoisseurs at your table, chances are the wine is not going to be the focal point of this favorite traditional feast. Take my family, for instance. They enjoy wine, but they are by no means "picky" and critical when it comes to my choices. (I am the wine provider at our family gatherings). No one is going to judge that a particular wine was great with the turkey but wreaked havoc on the stuffing. Or "how could she think that wine would work well with sweet potato topped with marshmallow"? To me, both avid food and wine lover, the gathering is more about the idea of enjoying a traditional meal with my family and close friends. In this case, wine takes a back seat. Don't get me wrong - I bring good wine. But I am less concerned with how it will "complement" the food. It's nice to take the time to perfectly pair recipes with wines, but only when you have a room full of people that are "into" this sort of thing. At Thanksgiving, most likely you will not need to ponder how the seasoning of the side dishes works with the wine. The majority of individuals are there for the food and the company, not a food and wine pairing. So, the pressure's off.


In the shop, we typically recommend wines that provide all-around enjoyment. Riesling is a "common" Thanksgiving wine. It's a very food-friendly, versatile white that can accompany a variety of dishes, which is really what you look for on Thanksgiving. It's a great wine to bring if you are the guest and are not sure how the Turkey will be prepared (if you eat Turkey of course). It could have a barbeque flare, as my brother's does, roasted on the grill and seasoned with coffee grinds and other interesting flavors, or it could be roasted with the traditional touches. Any way it is prepared, Riesling is a safe bet. Another sure hit is a white Burgundy. Stay away from over-oaked Chards from California which will be overpowering.


For red, there is the perennial favorite, Beaujolais. It doesn't have to be Beaujolais Nouveau which comes out every November just in time for Thanksgiving. If you are looking to impress, seek out a wonderful Cru Beaujolais. Still 100% Gamay, these wines are of higher quality and are still affordable, usually under $20. The Cru Beaujolais have more complexity and depth than a Beaujolais Nouveau or Beaujolais Villages. "Cru" means the wines are more site specific, which gives the wine higher status and assures the quality is superior. Pinot Noir is another Thanksgiving favorite. Soft, elegant, with a wonderful velvety mouthfeel, Burgundy is always a big hit. If you prefer something fruitier, and "bigger", and therefore probably more crowd-pleasing, look to California for this varietal.


My family enjoys wine, but they don't care if it's Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. So I don't put a great deal of thought into it. I buy something fun and different, that will please a variety of palates and I think they will enjoy. That's as far as I take it. And every year, we have a blast!

follow up...on the road

Deborah
Labor day weekend has brought me back to Saratoga Springs. Saturday at the race track was exhilarating as we watched the girl wonder-horse Rachel Alexandra beat the boys by a nose in The Woodward Stakes race. The crowd was electrified by the narrow win and I felt like I had witnessed racing history, seeing the the first filly to ever clinch this classic race.


Fresh lemonade at the Saratoga Fairgrounds

My other goal this weekend was to dine at Chez Sophie, a landmark Saratoga Springs restaurant that will be closing at the end of this month after 15 years in the area. The chef owned restaurant has consistently served imaginative and delicious meals while championing and supporting the wonderful local farmers in the area.

Friday night's menu at the restaurant featured an appetizer of seared scallops with cantaloupe and heirloom tomatoes. I HAD to try it! The blog post about my Tomato,cantaloupe, and sweet onion salad back in August had caused many comments from readers about the unusual and to some, improbable combination of ingredients. I decided to make the salad for a potluck party I was invited to last week and got several requests for the recipe. It was exciting to share this dish and turn my friends on to this unexpected combination that all agreed was surprisingly just right.



Chez Sophie chef Paul Parker pureed his cantaloupe and made it the base of a vinaigrette with olive oil and chives that filled the bottom of a bowl. The golden cherry tomatoes carefully peeled and arranged around the scallops sat on top. Yummy! I had a glass of sparkling wine to go with it as per Amanda's blog post suggestion and it was perfect!
Incidentally, amid the extensive and impressive wine list the restaurant has La Vieille Ferme listed as their house table wine.

I will miss Chez Sophie. Chef Paul Parker and his wife Cheryl Clark are off to France with their two small children to run a vineyard/bed and breakfast/cooking school. It all sounds wonderful. I will even miss Cheryl's weekly email newsletter describing changing diapers, dealing with customers and managing a restaurant during floods, blizzards and electrical failures.

Bon Chance Parker-Clark family!

On another note:
This edition of the newsletter from The Roxbury Farm, a Community Sustained Farm  (CSA) in NY, does an excellent job of highlighting the concerns with the current American food systems as seen in the film Food, Inc. The newsletter provides excellent links to many of the organizations working hard to create better food standards for our country. It is well worth looking at, and see the film if you can!


Amanda
Deb, sounds like you had a great weekend as well as a wonderful dining experience! My Labor Day weekend was chockful of barbeques and screaming kids. It was one of the most enjoyable weekends I have had all year! But the one thing I wanted to share with you was my fabulous day yesterday. Chuck and Maria Russo, owners of Wine and Spirit World had a birthday get together for their son, who is turning 13 next weekend. Among a fine assortment of delectable treats was your grilled vegetable ratatouille, which was simply superb. I had told Maria about it, and she went right to our blog and printed it out. It was perfect. The one addition Maria included was portobello mushroom. I took a nice big piece of crusty bread, and spooned a heaping mound of ratatouille right on top of it. I was drinking Pinot Noir at the time, and it made a fine companion to the dish. Delish!!