Euphoria Revisited

Deborah
While planning the menu for my husband's birthday dinner party this week, a friend reminded me of a dish I had made a year ago for the Presidential Inauguration party I hosted in my home. That was a euphoric occasion. I even created a drink I dubbed the Obama Cocktail made with Jamaican sorrel and champagne. I can barely remember what I made to eat ( I was euphoric, remember), but my friend prodded me to recall the kale and black-eyed pea dish I served. Ah yes, that WAS good.

Collard greens, like kale, have a deep rich flavor.

It was a recipe I had come across and then adapted a bit, as I am wont to do. But to recreate that sequence of events seemed unlikely. So, I am starting from scratch, making a dish I think will be filling, flavorful and festive. Truth be told, I am sick of kale at the moment (the experimenting with that raw kale salad has not gone as planned and the results won't be revealed for at least another post or two) so I picked up some collard greens instead.

After sauteeing them with onions and garlic, I threw in one of those mealy tomatoes I happened to have left over, to add a little color. Simmered with the BE peas and some white wine and a little water or stock the collards will be tender in about half an hour.

This dish is being made a day in advance so the flavors can improve overnight. I am going to finish it with a handful of fresh chopped herbs and a drizzle of really good olive oil.

Amanda is on vacation this week so I will tell you about the wine I used for this recipe. It is a Josephine Dubois 2008 Grande Reserve Chardonnay Bourgogne. What drew me to this wine other than the price tag of $9.99? I don't generally drink Chardonnay, but years ago I visited the Bourgogne region of France and it has become one of my favorites for wine, so I thought I could take a chance. And, it IS a really nice wine- fruity with a decent body- not terribly complex but more than a single note- with a slightly mineraly finish to add sophistication. I like!

I suspect we are going to be talking avocados when Amanda returns from Mexico next week. Meanwhile I am going to take a poke at my marinating raw kale that at this point still tastes likes sour rubber bands.

Collard Greens with Black-Eyed Peas
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 large bunch of collard greens, *chopped- see below
salt & pepper to taste
1 tomato, roughly chopped
1 can of Black eyed peas, drained of liquid and rinsed
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup water
3 Tbs. fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, sage, dill) roughly chopped
1 Tbs. good quality extra virgin olive oil



*to chop collard greens fold leaf in half and cut out the rib. Take the leaves and pile them up and roll into a "cigar" and chop into one inch pieces.

Heat oil in pan and add garlic and onion. Cook 5-8 minutes till they are soft and golden. Add the collard greens and the salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes till the greens begin to soften and wilt. Add the tomato, the black-eyed peas and the wine and cook another 5 minutes. Add a cup of water and bring to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook for another 20 minutes until the greens are softened. Add the chopped herbs and the extra virgin olive oil and heat for another 2-3 minutes. serves 4

bring on the tomatoes

Deborah
Years ago, when I was a very young girl, long before my mother hit the Gourmet magazines and learned how to cook, my favorite winter day treat was a bowl of Campbell's tomato soup. We would make it with a can of milk instead of water and swirl a dot of butter in the bowl letting it melt into the hot soup. The preferred accompaniment was saltine crackers topped with more butter. Yum yum. I was a salt freak from a very young age and this meal was the jackpot.

It has been a long time since I have had Campbell's tomato soup, and of course I now make my own. But when I consider making it as a winter treat I run into a dilemma. Fresh tomatoes found in the market this time of year are not worthy of anything, hard and mealy as they may be. My solution has been to come up with a soup recipe I call Winter Tomato Soup, a name which makes me snicker with skepticism, except I made it up myself. To start things off I break one of my cardinal rules and actually buy a few hard mealy tomatoes. Yes, I admit it.
If I had been lucky enough this summer to come across a batch of tomatoes in season that I could have frozen, well then, that would be a different story. But what with the tomato blight and all, well, alas.

To these sad dreary pale sorry excuses of a soup base I add lots of yummy WINTERY things like leeks and carrots and onions. So, the soup is more of a mixed vegetable puree, like a V8 as it were. The tomatoes don't do much of the talking, they are there to lend a little color and acidity. I play a lot with the seasoning of salt and pepper and add sugar to complete the balance because you really can't predict how much flavor your vegetables are going to have this time of year. Even carrots are now out of the ground and sitting in cold storage for a few months. Ok, maybe they came from Mexico or someplace, but if they are from say, Florida, they might well be covered in icicles this week, what with the temperature drop.

Tomatoes out of season will have a pronounced white center .

Winter root vegetables will bring substance and flavor to the tomato soup.

Any mix of root vegetables will work for his recipe. Roughly chop them to approximately equal size so they will cook at the same rate.

This soup does not exactly reach the nirvana heights of my early experiences with Campbell's, but my tastes have changed and I have come to appreciate this stand-in which can actually hold its own at the table. It comes together nicely and the sweet tart blend of vegetables will do the trick on a cold day. Serve with saltines if you like!

Winter Tomato Soup
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
3 cups root vegetables, roughly chopped (any combination of carrot, turnip, rutabega, parsnip)
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 teas. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 Tbs.sugar
2 cups water
1 Tbs. butter

Heat oil in a large sauce pan. Add onions and root vegetables and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper and lightly sweat the vegetables for five minutes till they just begin to soften around the edges. While the root vegetables are sweating, add 1/2 a teaspoon of salt to the chopped tomatoes and toss in  bowl. Allow the tomatoes to marinate in the salt for a few minutes until the juice begins to flow out.  Add the tomatoes and their juices to the pot and add 2 cups of water. Bring soup to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft when pierced with a knife.

Allow the soup to cool for a few minutes before pureeing in batches in a food processor. If you want a smoother texture, strain soup in a colander after pureeing. Return soup to a clean pot and TASTE! Adjust seasoning, add a Tbs. butter,  heat and serve.

Finish with an additional little pat of butter in each bowl if you are feeling indulgent!

Amanda
I have to say I only acquired a taste for tomato soup in my later years. Don't get me wrong - I always have loved tomatoes. But for some reason, it's something I was never exposed to much as a kid. I was always a Campbell's Chicken Soup kinda girl - you remember the one with the "curly" pasta. Loved it! Never was big on the tomato soup. Didn't make much sense since I loved all things tomato. But I have developed a taste for it and now find it very satisfying.


The acidity in the soup from the tomatoes will require a wine with low tannins. I would go for a wine that is notoriously delicious with pizza - for the same reason.  My choice for this recipe would be Barbera. Barbera hails from Italy, and is the second most widely planted grape in the country, next to Sangiovese. Look to the Piedmont for the highest quality Barbera. Though, nowadays Barbera can be found in other places like Slovenia and California. I love Barbera from California! Typically, Barbera will exhibit flavors and aromas of red fruit, and may have some undertones of smoke, vanilla, or toast which come as a result of barrel ageing.


One of my favorite Barberas is the Vietti Barbera d'Asti Tre Vigne 2007, which comes from Piedmont. Vietti makes fabulous wines in general. Antonio Galloni from The Wine Advocate calls it "one of Italy's finest values" as it retails for under $20. Smoky, clean and silky, the wine exhibits nice juicy fruit and would certainly shine next to Deb's Winter Tomato Soup!

baby it's cold outside

Deborah

Oooooh, man it is cold out. I am not much for this weather. It is only good for one thing- staying home to cook! Yeah, you saw that coming. The fun of changing seasons for a cook is the fun of changing cooking techniques. Slow, long braises and stews, roastings and bakings comprise my winter activities in the kitchen. And then there is all the tasting. What am I complaining about?

White beans happened to be on my mind. Amanda's white bean, barley and kale soup  was a great starting point, but I didn't have barley nor kale on hand (yes, the kale is marinating in a vinegar bath as we speak). What I had on hand was sun-dried tomatoes. My thought was to make a bean dish that would feature the tomatoes as a bright surprising accent to counterpoint the savory-creamy-earthy flavor of the beans. The bean dish could be served with rice as a warm comfort meal on a cold day.

Small dried white beans cook in about an hour without soaking. I put them in a pot covered in 3 inches of cold water, bring them up to a boil, cover and simmer at a low temp for at least an hour till they are tender and creamy.

Oh, the challenges of photographing food while it is cooking. See how my camera lens has fogged up with the cooking steam. I let the beans cook and allow most of the water to absorb.

Meanwhile:

For flavoring I round up the usual suspects; garlic onions celery carrots.

Do you see what looks like a rock at the right edge of the cutting board? It IS a rock (or should I say a stone?) I call it my kitchen rock. It was picked up on the beach at Ditch Plains, Montauk and I use it to smash garlic cloves. I crush seeds and nuts with it too. Not just any rock would do. I picked up and threw back many a rock in choosing the one with the smooth surface that fit my hand perfectly.  It is a great tool, very early cavewoman.

These vegetables I consider my base flavor. They get lightly sauteed in olive oil and salt and pepper till they just begin to soften but still have a crunch. I want them to retain their shape in the final dish.

Next I think about my accent flavors. In this case it is chopped parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, a bay leaf and two dried chilies. These will give the dish it's distinctive identity. I add them to the pan with the other vegetables and cook for a few minutes to let all the flavors mingle and develop.

Once everything is at their peak doneness I turn off the heat and wait for the beans to finish cooking. You will notice that I am cooking the beans separately from the flavorings at this point. That is because I want all the ingredients to retain their identities and not turn to total mush during the slow process of cooking the beans. Once the beans are cooked I drain them from whatever cooking liquid is left and combine them with the sauteed ingredients.

I will cook everything together briefly and adjust the seasoning and even add some lemon zest, grated cheese and a swirl of high quality olive oil to finish the dish. The flavors get even better if you refrigerate it overnight. This is a yummy, hearty dish that warms the soul but still has a light flavor with the promise of springtime in the crunchy vegetables and sunny warmth of the tomatoes.

An alternative to this is to make it into a soup. Add some vegetable or chicken stock to the finished dish above (and in this case I added some spinach for color) and cook for another 15 minutes for the flavors to further develop.

 Both dishes taste great. The sun-dried tomato adds the tart brightness I am looking for. The carrots and celery still have a little crunch which adds texture and interest. Pluck out the bay leaf and the chilies before serving if you like. My daughter's boyfriend declared the soup a winner and polished it off before I could put away any leftovers. He suggested I make a bigger batch next time. Got it.

White Beans with Sun-dried Tomatoes
1/2 lb. dried white beans
2 quarts of water
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 dried chiles
salt and pepper to taste

Soup:
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup of cooked chopped spinach

Finish bean dish or soup with:
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. lemon zest
3 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

Sort through dried beans, rinse and put in large pot with 2 quarts of water or enough to cover them by three inches. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for at least on hour till beans are soft and creamy.
In a saute pan heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, onions, carrot and celery and cook for about five minutes until they begin to soften a bit. Add the parsley, tomatoes bay leaf and chilies and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
Drain the cooked beans and add the vegetables in a small pot. Heat through for about 8 minutes.
For the soup: Add 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and 1 cup of cooked chopped spinach. Cook for 15 mintues. 
Finish dish with lemon zest, grated cheese and or olive oil if you like.

Amanda
Deb - I'm anxious to find out how your kale dish turns out! Let me know! This white bean stew sounds so "comforting". I spend a lot of time in the kitchen during the winter, and probably 80% of my concoctions are stews and soups. Just so wonderful and perfect in so many ways. For lunch, dinner and really anytime of the day, they are the quintessential wintertime meal!


For a wine, I'm first thinking of the beans and their "earthy and creamy" characteristics you talk about. This makes me think immediately of a red burgundy, famous for the very same qualities. The problem is, however, the high price tag associated with red Burgundy. In Burgundy, the wines are "classified" according to their geographical location. Instead of the producer's name being prominent on the label, the location is more focused upon. The producer's name usually shows up somewhere on the label, but it is typically not what you see first when you look at the label. The designations from best quality down are Grand Crus, Premier Crus, village appellations and regional appellations. Grand Cru Burgundy are extremely expensive (typically $100+), and are site-specific, produced from only the best vineyard sites. The name of the vineyard is listed as the name of the appellation on the label, i.e Corton. Premier Cru wines are the next level down, and are also site specific though the sites are not of the same quality as Grand Cru. On the label, you will see the name of the village of origin, then the Premier Cru status (1er Cru), and finally the vineyard name.  Next come Village wines, which are made from a blend of wines from "lesser" vineyard sites. Specific qualities and characteristics are attributed to wines from the individual villages. Regional wines are made from wines coming from an area much larger than an individual village. The system can be somewhat confusing when first starting out in an attempt to understand how the wines are classified. But - I am slowly getting to my point here. Under the group of regional wines, there is a subgroup called AOC Bourgogne. These are "generic" wines, and can be made anywhere throughout the region. The wines are simpler, yet still representative of the village. And, the wines are not made for long term cellaring/drinking, but rather should be enjoyed in  the near term.


Sooooo, my point is this - although Burgundy prices are extremely high, it is possible to find some of the AOC Bourgogne wines which are priced much more affordably, yet are delicious and true to the terroir of their villages. This is what I'd recommend for a "comfort" food. I just wanted to give a little explanation and "lesson" about what differentiates one Burgundy from another.


Domaine Fichet Bourgogne Tradition 2007 is a great choice for this dish. Oh - I forgot to mention for those of you who are not familiar with Burgundy - they are always 100% Pinot Noir (except for Beaujolais which is made from the Gamay grape). The Tradition has the typical fruit of Pinot from Burgundy, and that wonderful earthiness which will pair so perfectly with Deb's dish. It is soft and easy drinking, and can be found for $14.99.

who ya calling obsessed?

Deborah
A while back I wrote a post about a raw kale salad that Amanda had sampled at a wine tasting dinner. I tried (unsuccesfully) to recreate that dish and wondered if anyone else has ever made one. It turns out my dear friend Olga makes a raw kale salad. In fact, she considers it her specialty. Olga is someone I would consider a VERY healthy eater. She is a massage therapist and is in great shape. Here is what she has to say on the topic of RAW KALE SALAD:

Olga

I am the queen of raw kale salad, a kale ceviche, as I have monikered it. Making some right now with lots of vinegar, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, sun dried tomatoes, Persian cukes and, I think this is very important: Lacinato kale, it's more tender and sweeter. It's the non-curly kind, deep dark emerald green.

Some good things to put in your raw kale salad

I've got die-hard non-salad eaters slurping up the kale with this recipe! I chop the lacinato kale into large pieces and let it sit in much vinegar and pomegranate molasses, plus I chop up Persian cukes nice and thin and they marinate and pickle in the "brine" -- YUM!  Also sun dried tomatoes add a nice saltiness; sprinkle walnuts on top as a last addition to maintain the crunch. 


The best batch I've made so far is when I used the pickling water from a giant jar of Russian pickled cherry tomatoes -- why? Probably the sugar in the "brine!" So, adding a sweet thing helps, like sweet peppers. The pomegranate molasses adds the sweet. I also throw in pomegranate kernels. The trick is letting the whole thing "cook" and sit in the vinegar bath for at least a day. I'm telling you, I've got folks who don't eat salad slurping this up and the folks that do eat salad are in heaven cause it tastes so goooooooood. I'm a bit into it myself. Been using sweeter greens like collards and bok choy, too. The collards start out by looking really ugly as they get marinated (wilted and rather sickly looking), but then they mix in and you can't tell which green is which.
Anyway, I'm proud of this cause I created this recipe myself! I really did, I did! in my quest for raw "cooking," which BTW, has gotten me into vinegars lately. I saw at my co-op a raw coconut sap vinegar!!! gonna try it this week.

Back to Deborah

Yeah Olga! Genius! Can't wait to try this at home. Hey and did you say you are into vinegars? Well, me too! I read somewhere a while back some snarky writer describe an overly food-obsessed person as someone who has lots of different vinegars in their pantry. Oh yeah?

I love vinegar and I love having lots of different kinds and I CAN tell the difference and they DO have different uses. Here is a random sample of the vinegars I currently have in my pantry:

These Asian vinegars each have a distinctive flavor. The rice vinegar is one I use in my typical stir-frys. The plum juice vinegar in the middle has a sweet and salty tatse. It is almost like an Asian balsamic in that it has some body and complexity. The Eden Selected ume plum vinegar is an acquired taste- VERY salty. I really only use it when it is specified in a recipe.

These balsamics are great for marinades, salad dressings and to finish a dish. I use them when I want a subltle sweetness. The two fruit infused white balsamics on the right I use specifically when I dont want the dark color of traditional balsamic. The fig infused vinegar has a bit deeper fruit flavor than the pear. The classic balsamic here on the left is really just a cheapy fake of the more expensive aged balsamics that I only buy on very special occasions.

These are my basic go to vinegars when I am making salad dressing. I love the straight up acidity of red wine vinegar. The Capriete sherry vinegar is my current all time favorite and so far I have only found it sold at Fairways. It has a really nice balance of sweet and sour and it is a lovely amber brown color- not pitch black like balsamic, with that inky color I always hesitate to put it on salads.

The white vinegar I use to clean the floors, counters and pour into the dish washer for a cleansing rinse. The vinegar on the right is homemade purple-ruffle basil in cider vinegar. Purple-ruffle basil makes a great vinegar with a bright distinctive taste and an insane scarlet color.

Ok, perhaps I have more vinegar than I need, but it makes me happy and everyone should have a little happiness, right?

Amanda, we finally have a kale salad! What should we drink with it?

Amanda

Yay! Sounds terrific! But first, I have a few questions. One - is it difficult to find lacinato kale? Sounds like it might be. Deb, I believe that was the type of kale in the amazing kale salad I enjoyed at Cafe Panache in NJ. I just googled lacinato kale, which I discovered is also called "black kale". That is what was in my salad! I'm so excited to try Olga's salad. Two - Since there are so many vinegars in the market today, I was curious what type of vinegar Olga uses for this salad. Three - should the salad be "drained" before serving? And finally, four - is it difficult to find Pomegranate molasses? Maybe Fairway?

I'm a little stumped as to which wine to pair with this particular salad. Salad typically is extremely hard to pair with wine to begin with. I've been considering all the different flavors in the salad, specifically the acidity and tartness of the vinegar and lemon juice. Then there is the sweetness of the pomegranate molasses. The saltiness of the sundried tomatoes adds yet another element. The kale salad I enjoyed at Cafe Panache sounds very similar to this recipe, but instead of the sundried tomatoes, it included something that looked like raisins on steroids. Not sure what they were. But getting back to the wine...I am thinking something a little off-dry (meaning there will be just a touch of sweetness), but with plenty of acidity. A slightly sweet Riesling first comes to mind. German Rieslings have different levels of sweetness, with Kabinett being the dryest.  The next level of sweetness is Spatlese. This word refers to the "late picking" of the grapes - they are picked after harvest. This results in the grapes being riper with more sugar content, which in turn produces wines which are more sweet. The wines tend to be bright with lively acidity. I think the sweetness of the wine combined with the wonderful acidity will work well in conjunction with the different flavors of the salad.

Another option would be an off-dry sparkling wine. Here at Wine & Spirit World over the holidays, we had great success with the Mumm "Cuvee M" sparkling wine from Napa Valley. It is a crisp, clean sparkler with good acidity and just a touch of sweetness. Something like this might be a fun accompaniment to Olga's salad as well, especially if enjoyed in the afternoon. The Mumm "Cuvee M" retails for around $20. Olga, thanks for sharing your salad with us. I can't wait to try it!

a new "thing"

Deborah
Part of my job as a personal chef is to keep an eye on healthy eating trends for my clients. This can entail taking someone's beloved family recipes that may no longer reflect the way the family eats  and tweaking those recipes to make them more healthy, something I really love to do. I find this process challenging, fun and exciting, especially when I find solutions that become the new family classic.

One recipe my own family adores is my mother-in law's scrumptious spinach noodle casserole recipe known to the family as "Spinach Noodle Thing".  My daughter has been begging me to make it for her and when I actually looked at the recipe I saw why it tastes so great and why we only eat it at holiday dinners a few times a year. A stick of butter, a cup of heavy cream, 2 envelopes of onion soup mix and 3 eggs give this dish all its popular appeal. Oh yeah, and there is spinach in it. Pretty yummy, but not something I would make for a week day dinner.

Before hitting the oven I sprinkled breadcrumbs on top and a bit more grated cheese.

I decided to tackle this recipe and see if I could shave off a few calories and lose the onion soup mix which has more sodium than we need. To add flavor I sauteed the spinach with chopped garlic and then added 1/2 cup of chopped fresh dill. I think the addition of fresh herbs adds lots of flavor and keeps calories and additives under control.  Instead of using all the butter I cut it down to one tablespoon and combined it with one tablespoon of olive oil. I only used one egg instead of three. I substituted orzo for the noodles to give the dish a bit more body as the orzo can be cooked al dente and retain a little texture. I also decreased the proportion of noodles to spinach and reduced the cream to barely a quarter cup while adding grated Romano cheese.

Fresh herbs add so much flavor and keep the calorie count down.

The results? Delighted with my first bite I excitedly called my daughter in to taste it. Miss El Exigente pronounced that it was SO NOT as good as Nanas (natch), but it wasn't bad. She then proceeded to scarf down a huge helping. Her one complaint was the dill which is not her favorite herb. Next time I make it for her I will use parsley which has a less pronounced presence but will add the freshness I am looking for.
We will continue to feast on Nana's original Spinach Noodle Thing on those wonderful occasions when she serves it and we now have a lighter version to enjoy on less grand occasions.

The finished result was hard to resist.

Nana's Everyday Spinach Noodle Thing
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 lb. fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped (or use frozen- defrosted and squeezed dry)
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs- dill or parsley or a mix of the two
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb. Orzo
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Romano Cheese
3 Tbs. bread crumbs tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil

Heat butter and oil in a saute pan. Add the garlic and cook for five minutes until soft. Add the spinach and cook till wilted. Add the fresh herbs and salt and pepper to taste and cook another minute to combine flavors. Remove from heat and scoop into a mixing bowl. Cook the orzo according to package directions and drain. Beat the egg, the grated cheese and the cream in a small bowl with more s & p and then fold it into the spinach mixture. Add the orzo and mix well to combine. Scoop into a baking dish and top with breadcrumbs and a little extra cheese if you like. Bake in oven for 25 minutes until bread crumbs are golden.

Amanda
I'm thinking Chardonnay with this. Something with a creamy mouthfeel to coincide with the creaminess of this dish, resulting from the cheese and cream. By the way, I am a HUGE dill fan. Love it. My favorite cream cheese spread at my local bagel shop is the cucumber dill. SOOOO refreshing and wonderful. Nana's original recipe for the "Spinach Noodle Thing" does sound quite good, but I think I would prefer your version. My belly isn't accustomed to eating heavier and richer dishes these days. Lighter fare seems to appeal to me more. This seems like it would be great as a main course, but also as a side. It is possible, if only slightly, that my kids might even try something like this! I'll have to give it a shot. Looks and sounds yummy!


For Chardonnay, I am thinking of the Landmark Overlook Chardonnay 2007. This is a creamy, rich, fleshy Chardonnay from California. It's got beautiful aromas of tropical fruit and a touch of oak on the palate. It is medium to full-bodied, and certainly has the qualities rendering it a perfect match for a creamy pasta dish. This bottle can be found anywhere from $20-$29. I think this would be a spectacular match!

Peace in the new year

Deborah

A message for the New Year.  This inscription is part of a monument marking the former site of the Vatican Pavilion from the 1964 Worlds Fair in Flushing Meadow Park

This has been an especially hectic and personal holiday season for both Amanda and me. We are really looking forward to getting back to our tri-weekly posts after the New Year (and decade!) begins. Please accept the following which is a post I wrote last year for another blog. The black eye pea salsa recipe is one of my favorites and is very holiday appropriate.

Sometimes my daughter's compulsion to play with her food results in a couscous message I can get behind.

Best wishes to everyone for the new year!

From the blog: dsoffel.blogspot.com 

Originally Published: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

Deborah

I am thinking about black-eyed peas, a traditional Southern dish served on New years day to represent good luck. On the cusp of a new era we can use all the luck available, so I hail the tiny pea as a perfect party food for the season.

Cheap and easy to cook, they come dried, frozen or canned. I have tried all three varieties with happy results. My black eyed pea salsa served as a dip with pita chips was a big hit at an election night party I attended with friends. Lots of red onions, minced jalapeno and garlic and a good glug of sharp red wine vinegar bring this dish together. Let it sit for a while so the flavors develop. I threw in a large handful of garden mint, the last of the summer crop harvested before the frost sets in. Cilantro, parsley and chervil are all good substitutes.

With any left over peas I made a simple soup, tossing them into chicken stock and adding chopped kale and cooked macaroni, seasoned to taste. Adding a large spoonful of parmesan cheese doesn’t hurt. This makes a perfect hardy lunch as the weather cools.

Black-eyed peas are particularly cute with their cream colored skin and little button of black. They have a deep rich nutty flavor that can stand up to aggressive seasoning. They are inexpensive and plentiful, so enjoy this humble bearer of good fortune.

Black-eyed pea salsa

1.5 cups dried Black-eyed peas, picked over (or 2 cups canned peas rinsed and drained or 2 cups defrosted frozen peas)
2 quarts water
1 T red wine vinegar
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1 garlic clove finely minced
zest of a lime (optional)
.5 cup red onion, small dice
1 jalapeno pepper, finely minced
.5 cup fresh chopped herbs (parsley, mint, cilantro, chervil, chives or any combination of these)

Rinse dried peas and add to sauce pan with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer tightly covered for about 40 minutes or until peas are very tender.
Drain and set aside.

In a mixing bowl combine the vinegar, salt, sugar and garlic wisking to blend. Add in the cooked peas, the onion, jalapeno and herbs. Toss to combine and taste for seasoning. Add the lime zest if you prefer a more zingy bright flavor. Let salsa sit for an hour to allow the flavor to develop. Salas will keep in the fridge for up to four days. Serve with pita chips.

the morning after

Deborah
Christmas was truly wonderful. I had eleven teenagers, one baby and 14 adults in my little house in Queens for dinner.

Due to necessity we had to have two seatings. This was the first seating, the "kids" table. They all helped get the table ready and kept me entertained all evening.

This was me. I never stopped moving long enough for any one to get a picture of me in focus.

This was the menu that I wrote on the wall. Can you make out at the bottom Tangerine Sorbet with Star Anise? That was an inspired combo I was particularly proud of. Even my Brother-in-law the sous chef at Craft Steak was impressed.  Everything on the menu tasted great. The Brownie Pudding was contributed by my sister-in-law and it was SICK good.

So here is what we drank:

Petrale. Aglianico 2006. This was a gift.

This one was called Carinu. I picked up at a wine tasting in Chelsea Market for about $16.99. Both wines were really nice. The Carinu in particular had a lot of character and complexity. Amanda, do you know them? What do you think?

I had spent a full day cooking the day before and then just heated everything in the oven right before serving. With the vegetables I blanched them ahead of time, then made some seasoned olive oil: lemon and shallots for the green beans and garlic and red pepper flakes for the broccoli rabe. Before serving I heated the oils in skillets and quickly sauteed the vegetables in the hot oil till they were warmed through.

While I was doing all this cooking I still had to eat! I made a treat for myself and sauteed some broccoli, olives, chickpeas and sun-dried tomatoes in some olive oil and garlic.

I made some spaghetti and tossed it all together with a splash of white wine and a handful of grated Romano cheese. Delish!

My family's holiday was a warm and happy event. We have so much to be grateful for. Access to plentiful and fresh food is an incredible blessing that I try never to take for granted.

Note to Amanda: Best wishes to get well soon! xoxo d