all in the crunch

The buds on my forsythia bush are starting to peek out, a sure sign of a change in season. Still, there is a long way to go before any local garden will be producing something to eat. Indoor amusements are getting me through these cold days.

With so little color in the landscape, these beets I had prepped for roasting beguiled me with their ruby striations. I grabbed my camera to capture their heart-shaped beauty, perfect for a valentine's day meal, if your loved one happens to be into beets. 

These golden beets, just pulled from the oven, retain their glow. It got my pulse racing a bit admiring these lusty root vegetables. So so pretty, but not my most favorite vegetable to eat, alas.

Sharing dinner this weekend with good friends at the cozy East Village restaurant Sorella, we were urged to sample the Broccoli Frito, a restaurant specialty our friends could not recommend more urgently. Sold! I am thrilled to try any dish so warmly recommended. 

The broccoli is doused in a hot pepper aoili and smothered with grated Grana Padano, the queen of Italian hard grating cheeses. The flavor of the dish was to die for, nutty, cheesy, with a fantastic spicy bite, but the killer tada! was the amazing crunchy texture that defied reason. The broccoli did not have a thick crust like tempura, and the vegetable itself was perfectly tender, but the resounding crunch, as if biting into a hard crouton, was somehow engineered into this little offering. I dissected a piece of the broccoli on the plate, searching for a clue, until our waiter graciously revealed that the chef uses rice flour to create the crunch. huh? cool!

So I am thinking, this could be done at home, no? I ransacked my cupboards today for rice flour, and found a bag of brown rice flour. Would the brown rice make a difference? I found other flour options while searching and thought, why not try them all and see if I can figure something out.

The flour contenders were: the brown rice flour, cornstarch, a gluten free flour blend, crushed rice chips and tapioca flour.

I mixed a bit of water into each flour to create a loose batter the consistency of infants baby cereal. 

 The gluten free flour from Bob's Red Mill is a blend of chickpea flour, potato starch, tapioca flour and fava bean flour.

Each flour absorbed the water differently so I had to adjust the liquid as I whisked the batters smooth.   A pinch of salt and a spoonful of grated cheese finished each batter off.

Next I cranked up my deep frier and prepped the broccoli. Oh this was going to be fun! Each piece of broccoli was dipped into a batter and fried for barely a minute. Out they came and the taste testing began. 

The brown rice batter had a soft crunch and a nice, mildly nutty flavor. Next up, the cornstarch batter came out with about the same level of crunchiness. The gluten free flour batter was the most "batter-like" and in fact tasted great, but it was a different experience than Sorella's crunchy masterpiece. The rice chips were a waste of time and the tapioca had such a non-flavor that it actually detracted from the flavor of the broccoli. I discarded the last two batters and tried the first three options again. 

I never got close to the astounding crunch offered at Sorella, but the brown rice batter had a pleasing flavor and is worth experimenting with further. The cornstarch batter is my old deep frying stand-by and there were no surprises here. The cornstarch does the job without interfering with the flavor of the food. The gluten-free blend was a nice option if you are going for a more obvious batter-like consistency and I will certainly use it when the occasion arises.

When the broccoli comes out of the frier smother it with more grated cheese. 

A deep frier can become an amazingly entertaining toy on a winter's afternoon. The conclusion of my trials is that broccoli tastes really good fried no matter what you put on it! I am fascinated to continue to uncover the mystery of the super crunchy broccoli and all suggestions are welcome.

The Story of Stuff

Deborah
Obsession is a funny thing. Most of the time we are alone in our personal fervor. If we are lucky, our friends and loved ones smile at us indulgently when we go on about something they don't really care that much about. When we find someone who shares our obsession, what a blissful meeting of the minds!

I had the pleasure of catering a book party last week to welcome author Annie Leonard, a writer who truly speaks to my soul. Leonard's amazingly well researched and thought out book, The Story of Stuff is a riveting account of how our consumer society is impacting the planet on every level.

Lucky me got a signed copy from the author. I am completely immersed in the text.

You perhaps may not be losing sleep at night wondering where your trash goes, like I have since childhood (and apparently Ms. Leonard has too), but the trail of our use and disuse of everyday items should be fascinating to all.

The brainy and charming Ms. Leonard honored me with a visit to the kitchen where I was nailed to the stove cranking out hors d'oeuvres. I gushed over her book and paid compliments to her hilarious recent appearance on the Colbert Report.  As for the food: The hostess of the party loves to stay with healthy options so the menu was filled with lots of fresh vegetables. I made the Moroccan couscous rolls featured in a previous post, mushroom pizzas and Thai vegetable rolls among other things.

The next day, in the spirit of reduce reuse recycle, I decided to take a look at the ingredients I had left over from making all those hors. There was literally only a handful of this and that by the time I had done all the cooking for 100 guests, just enough for a light lunch for my daughter and I.

The spinach and broccoli were leftover from the vegetable rolls, the sauteed mushrooms were the topping for the pizzas. A simple pan saute seemed to be the way to go.

The mushrooms were bought at The Fruit Exchange at Chelsea market, one of my favorite places for produce, they have a huge selection of organic and non organic stuff (stuff!). The mushrooms were a mix of trumpet, shiitake and baby bellas.

To make a simple meal from these leftovers I started with a base of onions, garlic and creole seasoning slowly cooked in lots of olive oil to bring a boost of flavor to the vegetables

I put everything into the pan with a splash of white wine and then reduce reduce reduce till everything is cooked down and tender.

The dish was finished with a large handful of chopped mint and a sprinkle of pine nuts, both left over from the couscous rolls.  These vegetables would taste great served over rice. My daughter scarfed them up mixed with noodles. It would also work well as a crepe or omelet filling. The mushrooms really dominate with a deep woodsy flavor.
Don't be afraid to go with what you've got. A well seasoned oil will bring different elements together to make a cohesive and delicious whole. Amanda- I know you love mushroom dishes. What wine would you serve with this?

Amanda
The Story of Stuff seems like such an interesting book - I must seek it out! And the book party sounds like it was a success! I'm having a "Mom's Spring Get-Together" this week, and I have been toying with the idea of making the Moroccan Cous Cous Rolls - I'm just not sure if this is something that will turn out fantastic my first time trying it! But after making Deb's Black Bean and Sun Dried Tomato Quesadillas for dinner twice this week, I know they will definitely be on the menu! Absolutely delicious and so easy! And, my big meat-eater of a husband loved them too!


This current simple pan sautee also looks like a winner. I love the idea of serving it over rice for a quick, healthy dinner. As the warm weather approaches, I love to enjoy lighter fare for my meals and this one hits the nail on the head! For this recipe, I want something with nice minerality, and enough fruit to complement the creole seasoning.  I would pour myself a glass of white Burgundy to sip alongside this dish. As we know, Burgundy can be extremely expensive. For something enjoyable yet affordable, look for a simple Bourgogne Blanc, or a Macon Villages. The cooler climate of Burgundy produces a racier, crisper, livelier Chardonnay than other warmer regions like California or Australia which produce riper, fuller Chardonnays. You don't want a wine that's too big or it will overpower this delicate dish. As a general rule - if a Chardonnay is what you are looking for - choose Burgundy for lighter fare, and California for creamy, richer dishes.


A Burgundian Chardonnay will offer notes of earth and minerals, making it a nice match for the mushrooms. And the rich, complex fruit notes will pair well with the creole seasoning.

J.J Vincent, Olivier Leflaive and Vincent Girardin are producers which are relatively easy to find. The Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc Les Setilles is worth seeking out. It offers up lively acidity and green apple and citrus flavors. It is medium in body and has all the elements to make it a great partner for Deb's recipe. It can be found for around $15-$17 per bottle.

Unbelievably Delicious...and Simple!

Amanda
The other day I made such an incredibly delicious, and simple dish that I appealed to Deb to give me a shot at doing a recipe this week. Thank you for your confidence in me! So Deb - how about giving the wine recommendation on this one? I must confess, I never realized how difficult it is to actually create a recipe. For example, my recipe involves broccoli. I was presented with the challenge of conveying to the reader exactly how much broccoli should be used. A cup? Half a cup? The whole broccoli, stalks and all, or the florets? A pound? A head? Half a head? What type of measurement should I use? Help! It's daunting for the non-chef, first-time recipe creator. So, that being said, I can only promise this dish is absolutely delicious. I will provide amounts of ingredients, but really - feel free to use the idea...I won't be hurt if you adjust quantities.

I was really craving brussels sprouts. I love to clean them up, slice them in half, and toss them with a little olive oil. Then, I put them face down on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven for about 15 minutes. That's all I do to them and they are wonderful. But I also love roasting an assortment of veggies. So simple yet so satisfying. This particular evening, I chose to add broccoli and sliced red onion to the mix. My original thought was just to eat them by themselves, but I was craving more.


I prepared some angel hair spaghetti to serve alongside my veggies. Now, the idea to toss the veggies with the pasta may seem a no-brainer to many of our seasoned readers. But to my usual "I-need-a-recipe-to-be-inspired" way of thinking, this thought was akin to Newton's getting hit on the head with an apple. I was so excited by the idea of combining the ingredients as opposed to enjoying the pasta merely as a side. So, I roasted the veggies until the cut side of the Brussels sprouts were nice and brown. I put the broiler on for the last minute or so to let the florets also get a touch browned, as well as the onion.


On a mission, I sliced up a lot of garlic, thin. I sauteed it a bit in some olive oil. I like to cook the garlic to the exact point where it is about to get crisp, but is not quite there yet. It's almost "chewy". I love the nuttiness this method contributes to it. Then, I tossed the angel hair right into the pan, as well as salt and pepper to taste, and a bit of crushed red pepper. Finally, I added the veggies. While still in the pan, I threw in some shaved parmesan. Now, I have cooked a lot of pastas in my day. A lot. This was probably the most delicious, satisfying one I can remember in a long time. And, just so simple!


Well, you get the idea. This is one you can just take and adjust to your own liking. But here is a guideline!
Simple Roasted Veggies with Pasta
Half a head of broccoli florets broken into medium sized pieces
10 Brussels sprouts cut in half
1 red onion sliced thin
6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
Angel hair pasta (not sure what quantity I used. But you can do what I do: cook the whole box and use it for dishes all week long...)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp crushed red pepper (or adjust to your tastes)
shaved parmesan cheese


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare pasta according to directions.
3. Arrange all veggies in a roasting pan and toss with a tablespoon of the olive oil. I like to put the Brussels sprouts cut size down so they caramelize a little. Roast for about 15-20 minutes. Again, I like to put the broiler on the last minute or so, until the broccoli is browned in spots.
4. Heat remaining olive oil in a pan with the sliced garlic. Cook 2 minutes over low to medium heat. Toss in the quantity of angel hair you will be using. Add salt and pepper to taste, and crushed red pepper. Continue cooking for about 4 minutes, tossing it periodically.
5. Add roasted veggies. Cook another minute or so. I add the parmesan while everything is in the pan. This gives it a chance to melt a little and really combine with the rest of the ingredients. This way, it will not just be on top, but will rather blend entirely with the veggies and pasta.
Should serve four. I like to make more then enough for leftovers! Enjoy!


Deborah
A VERY good description of how to cook garlic in oil to...
the exact point where it is about to get crisp, but is not quite there yet. It's almost "chewy".
Amanda, you have said a mouthful! Garlic oil sure makes everything taste good. And this dish looks so good too. Your recipe highlights for me one of the best reasons to cook your own food; you get to make it taste the way you want it to. My first reaction to the recipe was one of slight skepticism. I would not be inclined to pair Brussels sprouts with pasta. Given that, I would never think to further combine it with broccoli. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are in the same cruciferae or cabbage family. They both would bring a nutty, pungent flavor and rough crunchy texture to the dish. So my question was could it possibly be redundant? However, the addition of the red caramelized onions is inspired and brings a sweet depth to your sauce. I am intrigued and would be THRILLED to try this dish if you made it for me :- )

Is the bottle half empty or half full?

Now I am on the spot for a wine pairing. My first suggestion would be my safe go-to wine: La Vielle Ferme Cotes Du Luberon, a nicely balanced white with a bit of a green overtone that would certainly compliment the vegetables. Another possibility is a wine I picked up over the weekend that I am head over heels about: Masi Masianco Pinot Grigio & Verduzzo. As expected with a Pinot Grigio it has a grapefruit flavor, but this is followed by sweet apricot, and finishes with a velvety vanilla, almost like sweet potatoes. Crazy, no? It is perfectly balanced and just outright delicious (too delicious). I bought it for about $12. 
My knowledge of wines is so limited I can barley do this pairing justice. But thanks for asking Amanda! And thanks for that great recipe.