sprinklefingers: birds of a feather

sprinklefingers:

i’m in love with sprinklefingers’ readers. especially ronnie fein. we’ve found a connection through food - talking about it, thinking about it, cooking it - and we have a place to discuss it all (the magical internets.) and it’s a good thing we have the web because ms. fein lives all the way on…

I’m not so good at this Tumblr stuff either, so I’m reblogging here with a very big thank you for your very very generous words. Feels really good. With all that you said about eloquence, I find myself speechless. So, just thank you!

That said, the beloved “internets” is certainly a grand way to make friends and have relationships with people you may never meet in the “real world.” We have read each other’s blog and feel a kinship, “birds of a feather,” as you say. How lucky that modern technology gives us a way to connect with more people in our lives.

So, because I find what you choose to write about so well done and also love the way you write it, I encourage everyone reading this to check your blog http://www.sprinklefingers.com/ because it is informative, funny, interesting and just a great read.

Hope your Christmas dinner was as good and satisfying as you had hoped.

Just to let you know that you blogged about Jeni’s ice cream and I ordered some. Can’t wait to taste the Sweet Potato with Torched Marshmallow.

Lily Vail’s Nut Roll

Once, on New Year’s Eve, it snowed so much that we had 28 people for a sleepover at our house. My parents had invited my mother’s family to come celebrate — so long ago that I can’t remember what year — and no one could go home.

Okay, forget the Ben Franklin quote about how guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days. And forget what my father might have been thinking about the various characters on my mother’s side. There was no way anyone could shovel out and get home, so they stayed.

That meant food.

Fortunately my mother was the kind of person who always had enough food stored away, just in case — you name the disaster, she was prepared for it, ingredients anyway, if not actual cooked food put up and frozen.

Those were days when — for us at least — freezers were a new thing and my parents ordered a “freezer plan” that included a quarter of a cow and dozens of boxes of frozen vegetables. 

I honestly don’t remember what my mom and her sisters cooked but I am quite certain they served nut roll, my mother’s most famous and beloved confection. She’d make 6 of those at a time and whenever someone came to the house she would take one out of the freezer for dessert.

I’ve made the nut roll a few times and never could get it quite as good as hers. Maybe that has something to do with memory. Maybe I never wanted mine to be as good as hers.

But no one else has that particular emotional pull so here’s the recipe. Delicious in any weather, spring or winter, snow or no, from the freezer, thawed and warmed up or straight from the oven:

Lily Vail’s Nut Roll

• 7 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 pound butter, cut into chunks

• 1 cup dairy sour cream

• 4 large egg yolks

• 1/4 cup milk

• sugar (about 1-1/2 cups)

• cinnamon

• 1-1/2 pounds shelled, finely chopped walnuts

• 2 egg whites, slightly beaten

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl (or electric mixer bowl). Blend the ingredients thoroughly. Add the butter and work it into the dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, egg yolks and milk and blend thoroughly. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and beat the ingredients until a smooth, uniform dough has formed. Cut the dough into 6 pieces and wrap each piece separately. Refrigerate over night of for at least 8 hours. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll each piece, one at a time into a thin circle. Sprinkle each circle with some sugar (about 1/4 cup for each of the 6 circles). Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste. Sprinkle with equal amounts of the nuts. Roll the circles tightly, jellyroll style and place them seam side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Brush the outside of each roll with some of the beaten egg whites. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and cut into slices. Makes 6 rolls

Almond Chicken Nuggets

We’re snowed in and that’s fine with me because I love a quiet day at home. I can read and also catch up on Rubicon, which I realize has been over for quite some time now but not in my house. We’re only through episode #5.

Mostly I am going to cook because my cousins are coming for the New Year’s weekend. I need lots of food and wine. But, to tell the truth, less food and wine than last year and that was less than the year before and certainly much less than, say 15 years ago.

You eat and drink less as you get older. At least that’s what we are finding out.

Our new year’s weekend get together started years and years ago, when we were young and had little kids and we had learned about the usually awful service at restaurants on New Year’s Eve and we were too tired to party at some friend’s house into the wee small hours and besides a babysitter would have cost double that night. So we decided on sleepovers.

After a few years my brother and sister-in-law, once skiers, decided that dinner at my house with the cousins was less of a schlep, so the tradition grew to include their family. We’d feed the kids and send them down to the basement playroom or to bed and we’d have dinner late, they way you can when you’re young.

I used to have a different menu every New Year’s Eve and over the years there were wonderful dinners, but also some disasters. Like the Beef Stroganoff, grayish and awful looking, so many years ago that no one teases about it anymore because it’s such an old thing.

After years and years we finally settled on a couple of entrees we’d stick to: rib roast or rack of lamb. And even that passed. Now we always have rib roast with Rosemary Sauteed Potatoes and some vegetable or other. Desserts are Apple Pie and some kind of (usually plum) cobbler that I made in October or November when the fruit was available, and stored away in the freezer.

And because we’re older now and we can’t eat (or drink) the same quantities that we used to and find it stressful to fill up at one meal, we begin our celebration at mid day with hors d’oeuvre. Those change every year, although I always make Chicken-Almond Nuggets because they are irresistible. They’re also easy to make and I can freeze them ahead.

I’ll make some today in fact. It’s a good day for it. And in case you’re snowbound or just feel like cooking something really wonderful, here’s the recipe.

Almond Chicken Nuggets

• 2 whole boneless and skinless chicken breasts

• 1 large egg white

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking sherry (or use white wine or sherry)

• 1-1/2 cups ground almonds

• vegetable oil for frying

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and put them in a large bowl. Add the egg white,  cornstarch, salt and sherry and mix until the chicken pieces are uniformly coated with the mixture. Dredge the chicken pieces in the almonds, pressing to coat the entire piece. Set aside, preferably on a cake rack, for 20-30 minutes to air dry slightly. Heat 1/4-inch vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot enough to make an almond crumb sizzle, fry the chicken pieces a few at a time for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Do not crowd the pan when frying the chicken. Makes about 36 pieces. Serve hot. 

These may be reheated in a hot oven (425 degrees) for 2-3 minutes per side (more if the nuggets have ben frozen or refrigerated and cold). 

Applesauce

My goose is cooked. Or should I say, prepared and ready to cook. I usually roast one during Hanukkah but the holiday was early this year and the days flew by and I never got to it. But — the stores had so many plump, good looking geese for Christmas it reminded me that I don’t need it to be Hanukkah to make one. My children and grandchildren are coming for the weekend because everyone is on the Christmas/New Year break.

So, it’ll be goose for dinner. I ordered a lovely 10-12 pounder from my butcher. Can’t wait for the meat and skin and fat.

Don’t throw out that goose fat. So silky white, smooth, luxurious and nearly tasteless. I strain it and keep it frozen. You just need a little to make a big difference in cooking.

I’ll make my own applesauce with the goose:

Applesauce: peel, core and cut up 6 apples and put it in a saucepan. I add 2-3 peeled, cored and cut up pears and about 12 dried California apricots. No water or sugar. Cover the pot and cook on low, low, low for about 35-40 minutes. That’s it. The extra apricot tang is delish, especially with meat as rich as goose.

I’ll also make some crispy potato pancakes and some sauteed Swiss chard.

Dessert: my famous Grand Finale cookies from my book, Hip Kosher.

Have a good holiday everyone!

A Timely Thought About M.F.K. Fisher

My English professor husband Carl is teaching a class next quarter in non-fiction writing that includes food writing, and the first person he thought of was the renowned M.F.K. Fisher. Most foodies know that Fisher was one of the greats — her writings about food qualify her as a gastronome, but, more importantly, they place her in the forefront of distinguished American sociologists, philosophers and — most certainly — essayists.  This article by Krissy Clark for American Public Media <http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/07/19/wolf/#> includes a recipe for Gaspacho [sic] Soup by “Mary Frances,” from Fisher’s 1942 wartime book, “How to Cook a Wolf” — a major treatise in economizing without sacrificing the fun of preparing a meal (it’s clearly apropos for today’s tight times).  OK, I know a cold soup is mid-summer, not mid-winter, fare.  But who cares about dates or seasons when Fisher’s passion for cooking and eating is concerned?  Clark quotes from Fisher’s chapter, “How to be Cheerful Though Starving” [yikes!], about a woman who cooked meals of beach-foraged sea spinach and kelp.  Wrote Fisher: "I doubt very much if anybody but Sue could make it good… But anyone in the world with intelligence and spirit and the knowledge that it must be done, can live with her inspired oblivion to the ugliness of poverty. It is not that she wandered at night hunting for leaves and berries; it is that she cared enough to invite her friends to share them with her."  Krissy Clark ends her article: And so Ferrary and I sat down to a simple lunch of delicious soup… and to the pleasure of each others’ company, which, Fisher reminded us, was the most important part of all.”  That’s the true holiday spirit, I think!

Submitted by Carol Selkin (carol_selkin@sbcglobal.net)

I agree, the true holiday spirit. And I cheer the fact that Fisher — food writing!! —  will be included in Carl’s course. Too many people think of food writing as a frivolous subject. But food is life. And good writing is worthy, whatever its subject matter.

Sweet and Sour Short Ribs of Beef

I love sweet and sour food, especially when it’s cold. And it’s been SO cold here in Connecticut lately that I’ve been whipping up sweet and sour everything. Lots of things, anyway. Like these Sweet and Sour Short Ribs I served last night (with mashed potatoes and cabbage).

I used honey instead of the more traditional brown sugar and added some powdered ginger to give it a little more zip. Both worked really well.

Sweet and Sour Short Ribs of Beef

• 4 pounds boneless short ribs (cut crosswise)
• all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup bottled chili sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Dredge the meat in the flour; shake off the excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large, deep saute pan over medium heat. Fry the meat, a few pieces at a time, for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside. Add the remaining vegetable oil to the pan. Add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Return the meat to the pan. Pour in the chili sauce, red wine, water, cider vinegar and honey. Add the bay leaf and ginger. Mix the ingredients, spooning the liquid over the meat. Cover the pan, turn heat to very low and cook for about 4 hours or until the meat is tender. Reduce sauce, if desired, by continuing to cook without the cover, for another 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 servings.

Stir-fried Broccoli with Orange and Chili Peppers

I don’t want to get into a political fight with anyone, but I am in favor of the new school lunch law. I’m glad there is some new focus on healthy eating for kids so we can start somewhere. I look around and see a lot of overweight children, many more than I remember through the years. I hear about the huge increase in childhood diabetes. It’s not good. 

A healthy school lunch 5 days a week won’t change the world. But it’s better than not doing anything and may make kids more interested in some of the foods they might get.

I remember the first time I ever ate broccoli. It was at college. College! In a dorm cafeteria! 

My mother had never made broccoli. It looked interesting so I tried it. I liked it. College broccoli! Imagine that.

So I told my mother about it and when I came home for Thanksgiving that year she served broccoli at our holiday dinner. We’ve been eating it ever since.

Okay, maybe I’m weird because it was broccoli and not some chocolate thing. But what I’m saying is that children of all ages can learn and some may actually like the food they get at school and they may tell their parents about it and their parents might make it and so on and so on. And maybe the world will change a little.

Stir-fried Broccoli with Orange and Chili Peppers

• 1 bunch broccoli

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 2 scallions, chopped

• 2 dry red chili peppers

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

Clean the broccoli, peel the thick stems and cut the broccoli into bite size pieces. Pour 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil into a wok or stirfry pan over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and stirfry for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the salt and pour in the orange juice. Mix the ingredients, cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Dish out the broccoli, drain any liquid and set the broccoli aside. Return the pan to the heat and pour in the remaining vegetable oil. Add the scallions, chili peppers, garlic and ginger and stirfry for about one minute. Return the broccoli to the pan and stirfry briefly until the broccoli is heated through. Add the sesame seed oil, stir ingredients and serve.

Makes 4 servings

sprinklefingers: pulling it off.

sprinklefingers:

in less than one week i’m hosting a plated christmas dinner for 10. TEN. each time i’ve been asked if someone can bring something i say, “oh, no. thank you. i’ve got it handled.” and i do. i DO have it handled. but, just between you & me, i’m already a little tired.

i wish i could say that i’ve…

No, you are not crazy.

Or else, I am too.

When you have a passion for something, that’s what you do. It’s more than “pulling it off,” which of course you will do because, I suspect, you are a good and dedicated cook and someone who is generous enough to spend time and talent entertaining others graciously.

But in addition to pulling it off, there’s the gastronomic satisfaction of planning a new menu that works. The creative satisfaction of trying new recipes. The mathematical and logical satisfaction of working out the hows: to cook two things that need different temperatures and times in one oven, when to cook ahead and when not to, when to remove the cold soup from the fridge so it will be the right temperature. The fashion satisfaction of setting a lovely table. And of course, the emotional satisfaction of getting it done, and especially, well done.

It is absolutely enervating. But worth it. I have been entertaining at dinner parties for many years. I have to confess that there have been times when, after I have cooked everything and set the table and finished the flowers and stuff, and there are a few minutes left before my guests arrive, that I wish the evening would end right then and there, because it feels as if everything is over. Like finishing a difficult sodoku or working out a business problem.

But then the company comes and they ooh and aah over the Gougeres or the Pan-Roasted Chicken with Prunes and Port Wine or the Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce and I am revived!

At the end of an evening like this my husband and I used to stay up late and clean the things that needed hand washing. This gave us an opportunity to “debrief” the evening. And it would let us feel the glow for an hour or so longer.

These days we actually let some things wait for morning. It gets more tiring as you get older.

But I will never give this up. And neither should you if you love it. I have years and years of spectacular memories. I am certain that had we eaten a nice dinner in some restaurant we would also have had some wonderful memories of those meals. But it would not be as satisfying as the meals we hosted at home. They were worth all the trouble, time, money and work.

They are some very special deposits in our memory box.

Let me suggest that you keep menus of all your dinners. Make sure you include the wines you served and the dishes you used or even if you had special table decorations.

Good luck with your dinner. Please post so we can read about it! I would love to know the menu.

re: your 12/16 Advocate rib roast article

I’ve been using a similar roast seasoning approach for decades but I suggest the following tweak. It makes things easier and much more convenient for me.

Add a full canister of salt to a large bowl. Press and add all the cloves of a full head of garlic and thoroughly mix until all the lumps are gone. Add paprika until the color is just about that of your site background. Reserve in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use.

Use as a dry rub on your beef, poultry or lamb and place the meat in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for a day or two before cooking. The salt will draw moisture from the meat and will permeate well. The rub will keep indefinitely and you only need a few spoonfuls for this ready-to-use, no mess approach.

Obviously, you can modify ad lib as preferred. For example, on a brisket I place a few bay leaves on top of the roast.

Submitted by Reivan Zeleznik (rzlapidary@yahoo.com):

Thanks for your input! I do keep a few homemade rubs on hand for various roasts — never though to do it with rib roast though!

Carving Lesson at Fairway

My daughter Gillian is the carver in our clan. She is awesome and when she carves turkey each slice is perfect. The bones are cut away in exactly the right spot. The skin says crispy and she layers it over the meat, just after spooning some pan juices on the platter to keep the meat moist. 

I can’t remember when Gillian started carving. But it probably had something to with the fact that my father, talented and wonderful in so many ways, couldn’t carve meat and have it come out looking like anything you would want to eat. I can’t even say he butchered the meat because that would be insulting to butchers.

So one day we probably told him Gillian wanted to try her knife skills and that ended his career and began hers.

I wanted to post a photo of Gillian doing her carving but my scanner isn’t working. It’ll have to wait for some other occasion.

And I’d like to invite everyone to come to my house next time Gillian is in town, to learn how to carve a turkey, but I really don’t have the room.

But if you want to now how to carve for your holiday dinner, stop by Fairway in Stamford tomorrow, December 15th. An expert butcher, the master carver himself, Ray Venezia will be there doing the demos (he’s done this on the Rachel Ray show and others so you know this guy knows what he is doing).

The demo starts at 11:00 a.m. Wish I could go but I am not in Stamford tomorrow. So we’ll have to rely on our master carver’s skills for now.

I think Ray will be demonstrating on a leg of lamb, crown roast and rib roast. But better see for yourself.

Plus you can win that holiday dinner I mentioned yesterday.