giddy!

Deborah
After a long Winter the emergence of Spring just seems so, well, improbable! Suddenly bare tree branches are loaded with cloudy powder puffs. Intensely perfumed flowers pop up from the bleak, brown dirt. It is amazing and catches me by surprise every year. That must be the reason it holds such delights. We have endured much weather to get here.

 Spring arrives in Queens, at last!

Easter with the family was a happy, sunny day.

Our family of passionate cooks rose to the occasion and we feasted on seasonal treats like artichoke hearts, asparagus and peas. I recreated the stuffed fish I had made in the Caribbean, giving it a Queens, NY spin by adding fresh sorrel from my garden to the stuffing.

The other dish I contributed to the table was a rice pilaf. My idea was to infuse the rice with sauteed red onions for some decorative flecks of pastel color. What I did not expect was that while the rice was cooking the red onions turned the entire dish pink. Sadly, not the most ravishing pink you would want, more of a grayish pink. Undaunted I garnished the pilaf with bright green pistachio nuts and chopped parsley to give it a little holiday swagger. The flavor was mild and savory, which is what I was going for, a perfect foil to all the rich dishes on the table. Nobody commented on the color. whew.

Pink(ish) Rice Pilaf with Pistachio Nuts
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. butter
1 red onion, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water or stock
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Heat olive oil and butter in a sauce pan. Add the onions, celery and garlic and cook at a low heat for 10 minutes till vegetables are soft and translucent. Add the rice to the pan and stir to caot the grains with the oil. Continue to sautee the rice, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Add the water or stock and the salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover, simmer for 20 minutes. In a small non stick pan toast the pistachio nuts at medium heat for about 6 minutes, then add the chopped parsley and toast an additional 3 minutes.
Remove cooked rice to a serving platter and garnish with the nuts.
Serves 4

Amanda
I'm right with you on the ubiquitous signs of Spring! It is sooo exciting! A few weeks ago, I took my kids to the store and bought a nice variety of seeds, dirt, and a "starter" kit. We planted sunflowers (their choice), parsley, oregano, chili peppers, basil, parsley, chives and thyme (all my choices), and more is yet to come. Several days later, little sprouts began popping up, and now they are thriving! I cannot wait to transfer them to their own planters and set them outside where they can flourish beneath the sun!


Deb's Rice Pilaf sounds simple, delicious, and looks pretty. There are no strong seasonings in it - everything seems pretty mild. Therefore, no one particular wine is jumping to mind. This rice can really work with red, white, rose, sparkling - whatever you prefer. The one word of advice I will give is to concentrate more on the main dish being served. Deb served the stuffed snapper with stuffing flavored with sorrel. Either a light, crisp white or a lighter-style red would be fine.


For this particular combination, the snapper with the pilaf, I would actually pour a Champagne, especially for a festive, sit-down dinner. People generally think of Champagne as something to toast with, or sip as an aperitif before dinner. Champagne actually is made to be enjoyed with food, and makes an incredible accompaniment to many a meal! It just pairs so beautifully with so many different cuisines and styles of cooking.

Louis Roederer Brut Premier is a light, creamy Champagne that would be a delight to quaff alongside this type of meal. It works well when paired with lighter foods. There are, however, bigger, more powerful Champagnes that are made to be savored with heavier foods. Another Champagne to seek out which is absolutely lovely is the Paul Roger Brut NV. At $34.99, this is a true bargain in Champagne!


So - to sum up - when serving a single meal with various components, I would focus on the main course when pairing a wine with it, as opposed to the "sides". But, if you are serving a 3, 4 or 5 course dinner, it's most fun to pair a different wine with each individual course!

Finally!

Deborah
My Irish eyes are smiling. No, not over green beer. There is action going on in my backyard. The earth is finally stirring up some fresh shoots.

The crocus are up!

Forsythia buds

Chives! I can start harvesting them now.

An oregano that I planted in the fall.

In honor of St. Patrick's day I made a fair amount of corned beef for my clients this week. The dish that got me excited, however, was a red cabbage braised with shredded apple.

Red cabbage has such dramatic color.

I let the cabbage cook down till it is really caramelized and adjust the seasoning to get a deep sweet-tart flavor. A handful of nuts at the end of cooking will add some crunch and a little protein.

The cabbage will be brightly colored when it first goes in the pan but as you cook it down the color will get deeper and darker. Make sure to cook it till the color is a dark, dark burgundy. My camera ran out of batteries before I could take the photo.


This cabbage dish is really tasty and not CABBAGEY at all. Meaning that it should appeal to most. The dark rich sweetness gets a nice counterpoint from the tart apple. I wish I could show you the picture. I added pistachio nuts at the end and the light green color of the nuts made a very festive presentation.

Amanda is there any wine to celebrate an Irish holiday?

Braised Red Cabbage and Green Apple
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 head of cabbage, shredded or finely sliced
1 green apple, shredded
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, cashews, pistachios)
s & p to taste
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook till golden and tender. Add the cabbage and the apple and cook, stirring frequently for 15 minutes on medium to low heat, being sure not to let the cabbage burn and stick to the bottom of the pan. The cabbage should begin to be tender and start to dry out, at which point add the apple juice and stir. Allow the juice to simmer down into the cabbage for about 5 minutes. Cover the cabbage and cook another 10 minutes till the cabbage has browned and caramelized. Add the chopped nuts and serve.

getting ready

Deborah
The countdown has begun for what many consider to be the biggest cooking holiday of the year. Everyone is thinking about food right now, from what to cook to what to eat (and what not to eat), how to organize everything and to how to afford it all.  Here are a few finds I would love to share with you to keep your holiday smooth and happy.

Michael Natkin has done it again. I came across his recipe for Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Candied Pepitas and Cider Vinegar and I think it is perfect for the holiday. I featured Michael's recipe for leek fritters a while back. He is a regular contributer to the web site Serious Eats and he has his own blog Herbivoracious. His Brussels sprouts recipe looks easy and delish and I think it is worth a try.

Katie at Party in my Pantry offers up a great cranberry sauce (she is calling her recipe chutney) that is also simple and delicious. Cranberry sauce is really so easy to make. I urge you, if you have any doubts, to try making it yourself rather than from a can. You will NEVER go back, I promise you.

I am stocking up on all sorts of ingredients right now:

Patel Brothers supermarket in Jackson Heights, Queens sells nuts by the pound at VERY reasonable prices. Can you see the price tag on these pecans? $5.99 per pound!! My local supermarket is selling them for $9. I will be making pecan pies with them. I made the dough today, rolled it out and put it in a pie tin and stuck it in the freezer till I am ready to bake.

Butternut squash will store in a cool dry place for weeks. I am going to braise them with apple cider . Don't get discouraged with the peeling. Cut the squash into smaller chunks before you peel,  they will be easier to handle that way.

Speaking of peeling. My family insists on mass quantities of mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. Normally I would leave the skin on the potato for a rough mash with herbs, but that would be rejected by the familial purists on this occasion. SO, I peel and quarter the potatoes the day before and store them covered in water in the fridge overnight. Drain and refresh with clean water on the day of and cook as you would. I put my cooked potatoes through a hand cranked food mill for a really nice texture.

Small pearl onions baked in cream look especially pretty in three colors. Don't be afraid to mix things up a bit. I got these as a trio at B.J.s. I use the same mustard cream sauce for them as I use on my baked leeks.

Don't forget to combine varieties of apples when making a pie or apple sauce for a more complex apple flavor. These are macs and granny smith, a classic combo.

For a really pretty garnish I love to use pomegranate seeds. These were 2 for $5, not exactly a bargain, but a nice treat. Put the seeds in salads, or over rice pilaf, squash gratin, mixed with green vegetables or even piled up on the turkey platter. They are as colorful as gems and give a wonderful tart burst of juice.

These pistachio nuts were a reasonable buy at both B.J.s and my local supermarket at $10 for a two pound bag. I use them in my green bean dish as follows:

Green Beans with Pistachio Nuts
Blanch one pound of trimmed green beans in boiling salted water for 5 minutes or until the beans are tender. Drain beans and wrap in a damp paper towel and store in a plastic bag in the fridge overnight.

Before serving remove beans from fridge and allow to come to room temp (or use beans right after blanching), heat olive oil in a pan and saute a finely minced shallot. Cook about 10 minutes till shallot is soft and golden and a little crispy, then add 1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts and the beans to the pan and toss to coat until beans are warmed through and the nuts are lightly toasted.
serves 6-8 as a side dish

Happy happy happy Thanksgiving !!!