Butternut Squash Risotto

Some things are just worth the fuss. This risotto takes awhile to make, but you won't be disappointed. The recipe makes 4 main course servings (or 6 first courses), so we eat it for 2 days. You don't really want to overindulge with this one, as rice expands, and I'm sure there are several comic drawings of humans who ingest too much rice. Save yourselves. Have a pretentious salad afterwards.

This recipe is from Cook's Illustrated, so you know there will be some fussy steps. I will try to minimize them as I can. However, this version is light on the stirring.

Butternut Squash Risotto

2 T olive oil

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs)
3/4 t salt (divided)

3/4 t pepper (divided)
4 c low-sodium chicken broth
1 c water
4 T unsalted butter
2 small onions (or one large sweet one)
2 medium garlic cloves
2 c arborio rice
1 1/2 c dry white wine
1 1/2 oz. grated Parmesan cheese (or Piave)
2 T minced fresh sage leaves
1/4 t grated nutmeg (so important!)

First, get your chop on. Finely chop the onion and set aside in a bowl. You should have around 1 1/2 cups. Mince the garlic or press it though a press and add it to the onion bowl (around 2 t. garlic). In that same onion bowl, throw in 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t finely ground pepper. Set aside. Pick up that squash and peel it. Slice it in half, separating the bulbous part from the straight part (you'll know what I mean). Cut the bulbous part in half and scrape out the seeds and membranes. Save the guts in a small bowl. Dice the rest of the squash in 1/2 inch pieces. You can put this squash stash in a medium bowl which you will use again.

Heat oil in a nonstick skilled over medium high heat until shimmering. Add about 3 1/2 c of the diced squash in an even layer and cook without stirring for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown. Stir in 1/4 t salt and 1/4 t pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until squash is tender and browned (about 5-8 minutes longer). Cook it till you want to eat it (some of this will not be cooked any further). Transfer to the bowl you first put it in and stick it somewhere it will stay warm-ish.

WARNING: You could leave some of this next step out if you want.

Start bringing your chicken stock and water to a boil in a large saucepan. (keep that part) Return the skillet to medium heat and add the squash guts and any leftover diced squash to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes or so. Transfer this to the saucepan of chicken stock, bring it to a full boil, then reduce it to simmer, covered, until you're ready.

Melt 3 T butter in the now empty skillet over medium heat; when foam subsides, cook the bowl of onion stuff, stirring occasionally until soft, about 4-6 minutes. Add the rice to the pan and stir frequently until the grains are translucent on the edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine, stir frequently, until fully absorbed, 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, strain the hot broth (see, I told you, you might want to skip the guts addition from earlier) and return the broth back to the pan to keep simmering. PERSONAL NOTE: I do the guts thing, but strain the liquid as I pour it in the risotto through a little strainer. Discard the solids.

When wine is fully absorbed, add 3 cups hot broth and half of reserved squash to the rice. Simmer, stirring every 3-4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and bottom of pan is almost dry (about 12 minutes). Meanwhile, get your sage leaves chopped, grate your nutmeg if you wish, and grate the cheese.

Stir in about 1/2 c hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes. Repeat with additional broth 2-3 more times until rice is al dente. Off heat, stir in remaining 1 T. butter, cheese, sage and nutmeg; gently fold in remaining cooked squash. Use any remaining hot broth to loosen the texture. Serve immediately.

C is for Cookie

I've tried hard to press Sean into saying what his favorite cookie is. Last year, I tried to find his preferred sugar cookie. After 3 or 4 tries, I gave up. From now on, I'll be baking MY favorite sugar cookie recipe.

So now we think Sean's favorite cookies are Molasses Spice Cookies. I made them this week and they are absolutely perfect with a cup of ginger tea. This recipe is from Cook's Illustrated, and I made the variation with orange essence, so that is the version I'll include below. If you have something against oranges, just leave out all the zest. I have to say, these cookies are a tiny bit fussy to make but I am always surprised how much I like them each time we bake them. Especially with the orange zest.

Tip: Measure out molasses in a liquid measuring cup that has been sprayed with cooking spray or greased with butter. It slides right out. Or, if you have one of those gunk tubes from Pampered Chef, you don't have to spray it, just punch it out.

Molasses Spice Cookies with Orange Essence

1/3 c granulated sugar, plus 2/3 c for dipping
2 1/4 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground allspice
1/4 t finely ground black pepper
1/4 t salt
12 T butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but cool
1/3 c packed dark brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 c light or dark molasses
2 large oranges

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Zest the oranges until you have 3 t of zest. Place 2/3 c white sugar in a food processor with 1 t of the zest, and whir until pale orange, about 10 seconds. Store this on a plate or cake pan to use later.

Whisk flour with all dry ingredients (spices, soda, salt) in a medium bowl until combined; set aside.

In standing mixer bowl with paddle attachment, beat butter with the 1/3 c white sugar, 1/3 c brown sugar and the remaining 2 t. of orange zest until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes on medium-high. Add yolk and vanilla (stop or reduce speed to as not to wear these two ingredients), and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Add molasses at lower speed and beat till mixed, about 20 seconds, scraping the bowl sides and bottom once. On lowest speed, add the dry ingredients and beat about 30 seconds, scraping the bowl once. Finish the dough with a few strokes by hand to assure no flour pockets. The dough will be soft.

Using a tablespoon measure, scoop heaping balls of dough and roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. Drop balls into the plate of orange-ified sugar from earlier. It helps to do about 4 at a time, then toss in sugar to coat and set on the baking sheet. (The more sugar you can force on that dough, the snowier the finished cookie will look.) Space about 2 inches apart. When you have a sheet full, bake in oven (one sheet at a time) for about 11 minutes, rotating halfway through, until browned, still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone). Do not over bake.

Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. These keep for about 5 days (if not eaten, of course) in a sealed plastic bag.

Snowbound Food

This is what we ate........................... This is where we ate it.

We just got back from a short vacation outside of Denver in the Arapahoe National Forest. The cabin was just down the road from Apex, a former mining community near Black Hawk, Colorado. I believe just before we arrived on Sunday, they had two days of heavy snow (heavy for Texas, anyway), so there was about 2 feet of snow on the ground. We have no snow gear, so we went for the ambience. But we will go back in warmer weather to enjoy more fully.

When we vacation, we don't eat Hamburger Helper (no offense to those that do). We rig what we like to eat according to the kitchen capability of our rental establishment. This place had raunchy knives, but we still managed to eat really well.

We stopped at a pretentious grocery store in Denver to gather supplies and pick up our wine (no alcohol sales on Sunday, so we phoned in an order on Saturday and paid for it in advance). Of the three wines: the Dolcetto was the least interesting and not worth repeating, the southern Italian red was awesome (60% Negroamaro, 40% Primitivo, 100% yum), and the Pinot Grigio was delightful (Santi Apostoli, 2006).

What better for cold weather than soup? Nothing, I say. We love this Lemon and Chicken Soup and usually double it for lots of leftovers. I don't think it offends any eating category, so it should be safe for kids if you cut things up small enough. We, of course, modify it, and I'll note the changes from the original recipe, which originates from Practical Cookery- Soups from Dempsey Parr. They call it a summer soup, but I think it deserves the whole calendar.

Note the pasta shape below. I like using mini pasta shapes instead of spaghetti, but the pasta really soaks up the broth, so you'll need more that the recipe calls for. Also if you reheat this, you'll need more broth since the pasta continues to absorb the liquid during storage. You can prepare the soup right up to the pasta addition in advance; just reheat it when you're ready and then add the pasta.

There is also a lemon zest option to the recipe. The original recipe says to thinly pare the lemon zest in strips, then blanch in boiling water, then chop finely. This is bogus and tedious. I use a microplane and zest it before juicing the lemons, skip the boiling altogether, and add it in the soup. If lemon scares you, just don't use all the zest. I'm so confident you need to avoid the original method that I won't even include it below.

Lemon and Chicken Soup

Servings: 4, Prep time: 10-15 min, Cook time: 1.25 hr

4 T butter
8 shallots, thinly sliced (I use 4, but Beth, feel free to use 8)
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
8 oz. boned chicken breasts, finely chopped
3 lemons
5 c. chicken stock (you really need more)
8 oz. dried spaghetti, broken in pieces, or other small shaped pasta
5/8 c heavy cream (I have never used the cream, ever, EVER)
parsley, for garnish

Get all your 'thinly sliced' action done first. Start with the shallots, then carrots and celery, and end with the chicken. Then get rid of that cutting board so you won't contaminate anything else.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add everything you just thinly sliced (veggies plus chicken) and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes or more until chicken is cooked through, and veggies are soft. Meanwhile, zest the lemons and then juice them.

Add the lemon zest and juice to the saucepan, as well as the chicken stock. Bring slowly to a boil over low heat, then simmer for 40 minutes. Find something useful or productive to do in the meantime, like open a nice Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc and start a movie.

Add the pasta to the pan and cook for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (freshly ground, of course) and add the cream (if using, although I suggest not to). Heat through but don't boil if you added cream; it will curdle, but serves you right for using the cream in the first place.

Pour into warmed serving bowls and garnish with parsley.

Fall Food

Bless me, www, for I have sinned; it has been six weeks since my last blog. Forgive!

This picture really doesn't do this justice. We were watching a cooking show on PBS (we don't have cable, really), and Jacques Pepin was making this. Sean really wanted to do it, and I thought, "Sure, I'll go along, but I don't want to make that stewy sauce." The sauce is the best part! I make it often and put it on just about everything. It is really good on toast, on other meats, and also grains like quinoa (my favorite grain; it is the most palatable of all health foods). This picture shows it in the original combination of pounded and breaded pork tenderloin medallions.

We made this for my extended family on Thanksgiving day, since they had rescheduled Thanksgiving for Friday this year. Some of you know how picky my Grandfather is. I do believe with my whole heart he is the most spoiled, pickiest eater older than 2 years. Everyone makes special versions of food just for him to avoid conflict. For this meal, Granny actually picked out the mushrooms of his portion in advance because he vehemently detests them. Family and friends, I want the internet community to note, I got an A+ from my Grandfather for this meal!

We had been cooking all day for the Friday gathering (which I would miss comletely, and I am still jonesing for some dressing!), and I said Sean and I would fix dinner for the family that night. We made this dish and everyone, EVERYONE, loved it. Even Sophie at three bites of meat! Granddaddy actually had seconds from the main pot with mushrooms and didn't even notice!

This meal can be made with lots of canned goods, so it is super convenient. The mushrooms were my addition because I absolutely love them. Leave them out, Chris, if you like. Oh, and have a salad after; go European! We usually make this for two people, but that night was seven and a half people, so just plan your tenderloin appropriately. The sauce can, and should be, doubled for leftovers.

Breadcrumb note: Please learn to make your own breadcrumbs. It is so easy if you have a food processor; we even use that little mini prep one. Take about 3-4 slices of bread and cut it into large pieces. Use just about any kind of bread; sandwich bread, pagnotta, or even herb bread and skip the extra herbs. We usually add some herbs to the processor, too, when we didn't have herb bread. It's not necessary, but very tasty. Whir it around till it looks like fluffy snow, then dredge your meat. I cannot advocate the crumbs in a cardboard container. If you are processorless, grate the bread on a cheese grater. If that proves unwieldy, try freezing the bread first.

Pounded Pork with Stewy Sauce

egg noodles, if using
1 T. butter, plus another 2 T. for frying
pork tenderloin, cut into 2 inch medallions
some flour, like 3-4 T.
Fresh breadcrumbs (in your food processor, not a cardboard can)
one egg, beaten
1/2 sweet onion, diced or slivered
15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed
15 oz. can diced tomatoes (or chop up canned whole tomatoes)
15 oz. can chicken broth, low sodium
mushrooms, sliced, as much as you want
fresh tarragon, chopped, or other herb

Saute the sweet onion and some oil in a medium sauce pan on medium heat until soft. Add the rinsed garbanzos, tomatoes, chicken broth and mushrooms, if using (and I do suggest using). Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer while you prepare the meat.

If using egg noodles (so simple and yummy), start boiling a large pot of unsalted water. You should add them just as you start cooking the meat (about) so they will be just finished as you serve everything.

Pound the tenderloin medallions to 1/4 inch or so with a mallet or heavy flat saucepan. Salt and pepper the pieces. Heat a nonstick skillet to medium. Place three plates on your counter, one for each dredging ingredient (breadcrumbs, egg and flour). , Dredge each piece of pork first in the flour, then the egg and finally in the crumbs. (If you are trimming calories, just use the flour; the sauce will make it yummy later.) Heat a bit of oil in the pan and just before adding the meat, add 1-2 T. butter (real butter) to the pan. Fry each piece until browned, flip over and do it again.

Noodles can be tossed with 1 T. butter. Add chopped tarragon to the sauce. Place the pork on top of the noodles, then the sauce.

Light reds work well with this, as do some whites. Try a Beaujolais Nouveau, out right now for a limited time and rather inexpensive. We love Pinot Noir with this.

I'm gonna make you a pasta you can't refuse...

Who needs a good picture of pasta? What you need is the recipe for this pasta. It has a name (Penne with Tomatoes, Olives and Two Cheeses), but we call it Godfather Pasta. We made it the first time KK saw Godfather Part 1, and had a lovely chianti (KK's first, as well). It was so delicious and suited to the movie, we made it again when we watched Godfather Part 2. However, last night we had it with Talladega Nights, so it's versatility is obvious. Last night we had a Tuscan red wine from Villa Pillo called Borgo Forte, 2004. Yummmmmm! Nice balance of sweet and tannic.

A couple of notes on the recipe: I add mushrooms to the sauce while it does most of it's boiling down. And, I often change up or add other herbs, and even fennel seed. This recipe takes about 2 hours from start to chewing, mostly for the sauce time; but the sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead, just rewarm before assembly. Oh, and don't halve this recipe. It is too much trouble and too yummy to do all the work and only have the chow. This lasts Sean and I for at least 3-4 meals together.

The Amazing Godfather Pasta, Parts 1 and 2

6 T olive oil, divided
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 t. minced garlic
3 28oz. cans Italian plum tomatoes, drained
2 t. dried basil
1 1/2 t. dried crushed red pepper
2 c. canned low-salt chicken broth
(1 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms, if you want)

1 lb rigatoni or penne
2 1/2 c. packed grated Havarti cheese (can be light, no kidding)
1/3 c. sliced brine-cured olives (I use more)
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh basil

Heat 3 T. oil in a large sauce pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, saute till onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, dried basil and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon (or I use a stick blender right in the can before I add them to the pot). Add broth and bring to a boil. (This is where I add the 'shrooms.) Reduce heat to medium; simmer and stir occasionally until sauce is reduced to 6 cups, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta until tender but still al dente. Drain well. Add pasta to sauce pot and sprinkle with 3 T. oil before stirring. (I skip this oil part). Mix in Havarti cheese and transfer to a 9x13 baking dish. (I spray this dish with cooking spray to help with clean up.) Sprinkle olives on top, then Parmesan cheese on top. (Note: I use extra olives and mix in the whole thing, not just on top, but what can I say? I like olives.)

Bake until pasta is heated through, about 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil.

Laaaaaamb, First Attempt

Perhaps this is not the sexiest picture, but we can tell you it was enjoyable to eat.

We have never had lamb before, either of us. I have always said I do not like lamb, mostly because I think of goat meat as something gray and gristley, and goats are sort of like lambs. I'm pretty sure I'm wrong here, but it keeps me from eating mystery meat. Anyway, we decided to try these Lamb Burgers a week ago. And I know I have some lamb lovers in the family, so eat up. This recipe is from Cooking Light, so they mix the lamb with ground turkey. Feel free to use all lamb, you crazy lamb lovers. The herbs to heavily influence the flavor, so I'm still not sure I could recognize lamb if I had it again.

Greek Lamb Burgers

1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary
2 t. lemon zest
2 t. chopped fresh oregano
1/2 t. salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 lb. lean ground lamb
3/4 lb. ground turkey breast
Cooking spray
3 (6 in.) pitas, cut in half
6 T. tzatziki sauce or plain yogurt
tomatoes, sliced
lettuce, shredded

Prepare grill, or skillet. Combine first 8 ingredients. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2 in. thick patty with a deep thumbprint in the center. Place patties on grill on in skillet, about 6 minutes each side, or until a thermometer registers 165 degrees. Remove and let stand 5 minutes. Place one patty in each pita half, tuck in tomato slices and lettuce and drizzle with sauce or plain yogurt.

We had these with home-baked fries, just to be more yummy, and a Pinot Noir.

Lara "Makes" the Blog

It's simply high-time for a new salad. I realize the timing is off, since most of the world is in full fall mode, but we live in Perpetual Summer Texas. And we happened to visit the beach recently. My cousin Lara wanted to make the blog, and it is her hands holding the bowl in the picture. Sean and I went on vacation with my branch of the family to Seaside, Florida last week. We cooked dinner one night and this little salad was sort of a hit. True, you must like corn to like this salad. Jerry even said it would be good as a topping on fish. I personally think you could add other vegetables, too, like sun-dried tomatoes, or cut up green beans.

The recipe, from Cooking Light magazine, adds you could spruce this up with crumbled feta cheese, grillled shrimp or chicken. Please use fresh corn cobs. And wouldn't this be great with lobster?

Fresh Corn Salad

(8 servings, 1/2 c. each)

3/4 c light sour cream

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

3/4 t. seasoned salt

3 c. fresh corn kernels (cut from about 5 ears)

1 c. finely chopped red bell pepper

1 c. finely chopped green onions

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add corn kernels and remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.