Pork and Pepper Stir-Fry

 

The recipe for this tasty dish came from an Abrams Books recent release,  In Praise of Home Cooking: Reasons and Recipes by Liana Krissoff. This book is unique among cookbooks in that it is equally valuable to the novice cook as it is to the more experienced. Krissoff deconstructs difficult processes and recipes, making them exceedingly doable for anyone interested in preparing a meal.

Pork and Pepper Stir-Fry

 1½ c. sliced red bell pepper (about one small)

1½ c. fresh snow peas

4 scallions, cut into pieces

2 cloves, garlic, chopped

4 coins ginger, chopped

1 c. chicken stock, preferably unsalted

1 T. cornstarch

2 to 3 T. Chinese light or regular soy sauce

1 T. sweet soy sauce (optional; a good pinch of brown sugar works if you don’t have sweet soy sauce)

Several grinds of black pepper

2 T. vegetable oil

8 oz. pork loin or lean steak, cut into very thin slivers

Pinch of kosher salt.

Cooked rice for servings

 Cooking a stir-fry goes quickly, so set out all the ingredients before you turn on the burner: put the bell pepper, snow peas, and scallions in a bowl. Put the garlic and ginger in a little pile on the cutting board or in a small cup. In a glass measuring cup, stir together the stock, cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of the light soy sauce, the sweet soy sauce, and black pepper, and leave the spoon in the cup.

 In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat. When it’s hot, add the pork, spreading it out evenly in the pan. Cook, undisturbed, for three minutes so the pork browns nicely on the bottom, then use a thin, metal spatula (or wok spatula) to turn and stir the slices. Cook for another one to two minutes or so, until no pink remains on the surface of the slices.

 Scoot the pork to one side of the pan and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the empty side of the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds, then mix it in with the pork. Pile the bell pepper, snow peas, and scallions into the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for about three minutes, until the snow peas are a brighter shade of green. Give the stock mixture a stir and pour it into the pan. Stir and turn the vegetables and pork in the pan for about two minutes until the bell pepper is just tender and the sauce is thickened and glossy. Taste and add more soy sauce if necessary. Spoon over hot rice in individual plates, and serve.

 Note: I like mushrooms, so I hydrated a 2 oz. package of Melissa’s dried portobello mushrooms, drained them, and stirred them in along with the other vegetables.

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 Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Abrams Books as a member of their Abrams Dinner Party 2022-2023.

Sicilian Citrus Pesto

 

Tomorrow is release day for Frances Mayes’ (of Under the Tuscan Sun fame) new cookbook, released via Abrams Books, Pasta Véloce: Irresistibly Fast Recipes from Under the Tuscan Sun. There’s a lot to like about this book, but what I found particularly fascinating were all of the recipes for pesto. I love pesto so much that I could eat it with a spoon. Her book has not only the basic version, walnut and pistachio versions, but also olive pesto, and this bright and delicious citrus version. I like to add lemon juice to pesto, but it never occurred to me to add orange juice or lime juice, much less all three together. This pesto has the freshest taste of any that I’ve tried. It is bright and refreshing, and, as such, so perfect for summer.

Sicilian Citrus Pesto
Makes about 1 cup

2 c. lightly packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic, quartered
½ t. coarse salt
3 T. fresh orange juice
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. sliced almonds
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
½ c. grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

In a food processor combine the basil, garlic, salt, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, and almonds. Pulse four or five times. Then, with the machine on, add the olive oil, then the cheese. Scrape down the inside of the processor with a spatula. Pulse about 10 times until the pesto is coarsely chopped.

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 Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Abrams Books as a member of their Abrams Dinner Party 2022-2023.

Creamy Vinaigrette

With recipes like Potato Gateau with Hickory Smoked Bacon, Onions and Comté and Tarte Flambée (Flatbread with Fromage Blanc, Onions, and Bacon) it might be surprising that the first recipe I chose to make from Gabriel Kreuther’s recently released culinary tome, The Spirit of Alsace Cookbook, was vinaigrette. It’s true. I find that a good vinaigrette can make or break a salad, and a good salad can make or break a meal. I always make fresh vinaigrette every week because it’s so simple. When I saw that Gabriel had a variety of different recipes, I wondered how much different they could possibly be from my own. The difference was a subtle but important one — he adds a small amount of nut oil to finish.

I made his creamy vinaigrette, and absolutely loved it. To make the creamy vinaigrette he adds just a few ingredients to his base vinaigrette as follows.

 Base Vinaigrette

Salt (start with ½ teaspoon, as the vinegar should taste salty)
2½ to 3 tablespoons and sherry vinegar, Sherry, red wine vinegar
Pepper
½ cup grapeseed oil or other neutral oil

Combine the salt and vinegar in a mixing bowl and whisk to dissolve the salt, then add the pepper. Whisk in the oil. This can be stored for a week in the fridge.

Creamy Vinaigrette

Whisk 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon sour cream or mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons finely minced onion, and 1 to 2 tablespoons water into the vinaigrette base. Allow the vinaigrette to rest for 20 to 30 minutes so that the onion tempers and infuses the dressing. The dressing should be served the same day it is made.

Use this vinaigrette for a tomato or endive salad. Again, as with all vinaigrettes, the addition of just a little nut oil adds great nuance to the dressing’s flavor.

In the case of both the base and the creamy variety, instead of using a whisk, I used a small high-speed blender. That little gadget will emulsify salad dressing like nobody’s business.

Disclaimer: I received a complementary copy of The Spirit of Alsace Cookbook as a part of the Abrams Dinner Party Program for 2021-22.

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Home Made Basics, Reviewed

  Is it just me, or are cookbooks getting bigger? The last couple that I have read must have weighed 10 pounds each. They seem to be part cookbook, part coffee-table book, and part memoir. The latest in this group is one that I have been eagerly awaiting. If you are as much of a fan of Yvette Van Boven as I am, then you will be pleased to know that her latest book, Home Made Basics: Simple Recipes Made from Scratch, was recently released by Abrams. If you are unfamiliar with Van Boven, then pick up any one of her books, page through, and you will instantly fall in love.ne that I have been eagerly awaiting. If you are as much of a fan of Yvette Van Boven as I am, then you will be pleased to know that her latest book, Home Made Basics, was recently released by Abrams. If you are unfamiliar with Van Boven, then pick up any one of her books, page through, and you will instantly fall in love.

If you are familiar with Van Bovin’s books, then you are well aware that there is a certain comfort that comes when reading any one of this author’s tomes. Perhaps it’s from the homey and engaging text, the beautiful, comforting photos, or the charming illustrations. Or, perhaps it’s all three. If these things alone aren’t enough, there are the unique and doable recipes, all carefully explained, some steps illustrated with her charming drawings, other details clearly explained through beautiful photographs.

This book is divided into five major sections: Morning, Afternoon, Dinnertime, Dessert, and For Our Pets (the latter divided into canine and feline offerings). My favorite section is Afternoon. It contains recipes for tea bites, cocktails, mock tales, and other non-alcoholic drinks. Everything here looks inviting and delicious. The “Pick-Me-Up Tea” in the non-alcoholic section, including a surprising drop of vinegar is quite good.

  In addition to recipes for main and side dishes, you will also find a lot of recipes for flavored butter, snacks, syrups, sauces, and other recipe “add ins.” You will also learn the basics of making bread and pizza dough, broth, caramel, crumpets, fries, gnocchi, mayo, as well as a heavenly mustard vinaigrette.

Main dishes run from simple to complex fare. The Homemade Fish Sticks with Spicy Dip (something in which you can get the children involved) look crunchy and delicious. Adults will surely enjoy the Poached Whole Salmon with Crab, Cockles, and Butter Sauce.

As it is her habit, van Boven provided her thoughts, tips, and wisdom in paragraphs preceding many of the recipes. I always find learning how other people use their kitchens to be invaluable.

If this book has any failing, it is certainly in its rather oddly constructed index. Although there are two of them, one by recipe name and the other by ingredient, there fails to be any mention of items by category. As someone who was once employed to create indices, I tend to give them a long look in books that I own. I’m wondering why, if I’m looking for a recipe for a tart, I would need to look under the letter “A” rather than the more obvious letter “T?” How am I to anticipate the ingredients a tart is to contain? Wouldn’t it make more sense to list it under the obvious letter “T” to make it easy to find? The chocolate almond tart in the book is listed under the former for “almond.” This is not the first, but a wide variety of instances, making it very difficult to find cakes, cookies, tarts, etc.

Aside from that, this is a lovely, useful book that serves equally well in the kitchen as it does on the coffee table. It is certainly comprehensive enough to be giftable. 

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Home Made Basics from Abrams Books as a member of their Abrams Dinner Party 2021-2022.

 

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Beef Empanadas

 

Abrams’ new, gloriously colorful, unique, and exciting new book Filipinx, Heritage Recipes from the Diaspora, by Angela Dimayuga and Ligaya Mishan is where this fabulous recipe from empanadas came from. This is the first time that I have ever made empanadas that both looked and tasted restaurant quality. I cut the recipe in half, but was sorry later, figuring that I could have frozen them before frying and pulled them out whenever I was in the mood for a bite or two of delicious, authentic ethnic food.

I’m not going to lie, this recipe takes time, but your efforts will be well rewarded in the fabulous taste.

 

 Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Dilipinx from Abrams Books as a member of their Abrams Dinner Party 2021-2022.

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Boozy Cherries

 

What is it about fruit and booze that just screams the holidays? Honestly, it may seem strange, but it’s true. At no other time of the year am I as keen on soaking fruit in alcohol than I am around the holidays. If you feel the same and are looking for a tantalizing new recipe, you’ll find one in Abrams’ new release, Arty Parties, An Entertaining Cookbook by Julia Sherman, creator of the charmingly cute Salad for President.

If you are one of those people who pounce on cherries as soon as they’re available in the summer and freeze them, I hope you froze at least one and a half pounds of sour cherries in order to make this delicious treat. They last in the fridge up to a year, and make mixed drinks, ice cream sundaes, and Sunday morning pancakes extra special when topped with one of these. If not, I tried it with well-dried frozen cherries, with good results.

Boozy Cherries

1½ lb. sour cherries
1½ c. light brown sugar
6 whole cloves
1 t. black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole star anise
1 large strip orange zest
1 c. vodka

Wash the cherries thoroughly, leaving attached stems in tact and removing any loose stems from the bunch. Pack half of the cherries into a large glass mason jar, being careful not to squish them.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, 1½ cups of water, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, and orange zest. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Add the vodka to the cold syrup. Pour the mixture over the cherries to just cover (spices and zest included). Fill the jar with the remaining cherries and top off with the hot liquid. Allow to cool, then seal and refrigerate. The cherries will be ready to eat after two weeks.

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 Disclaimer: I received a complementary copy of Arty Parties from Abrams books as a member of their 20 21–22 Abrams Dinner Party.

Nailed It! A Review

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If you have ever dreamed of being a contestant on the Netflix baking show, Nailed It!, if you are interested in giving a daunting baking project that old college try or, if you don’t mind being somewhat amusing on Pinterest while learning some valuable skills, this book is for you.

Informative, enticing, while at the same time laugh out loud funny, this book takes you on the culinary journey of building a show stopping dessert. Some projects are more complex than others, but even the simpler creations still take a bit of skill, and most of all, ambition.

If you are up to the challenge, you are going to find this book an absolute delight. Take advantage of the quick tutorials on basic building such as how to shape rice cereal and work with fondant. These quicker, less involve recipes than some of the behemoths on the show, are doable, they just take a bit of time. If you’re feeling social, consider hosting a Nailed It! Party using the tips provided in this book.

It begins with wonderful advice for beginners from Jacques Torres, from reading the recipe first (something you should always do no matter what you’re making), all the way to his strong encouragement not to give up. Learn about modeling chocolate, royal icing, shaping crispy rice cereal, to how to make the best ever buttercream.

Once you learn some basic skills, the Chocolate Emoji Cake is quite doable. Work your way through the book as you master one skill after the other. Allow your feelings to be soothed by photos of some of the failures.

This book is loads of fun, and you will come away from it far more skilled than when you began. You can buy a copy for yourself or to give as a gift, here.

 

Disclaimer: I received a complementary copy of this book from Abrams books as a member of their 20 21–22 Abrams dinner party.

  

Christmas with Southern Living: Inspired Ideas for Holiday Cooking and Decorating, Reviewed

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Lifestyle magazine Southern Living came into existence in 1966; when you are still in circulation after 50 years, you know that you’re doing something right. In addition to their wildly successful periodical, they have also published a series of lifestyle books including a Christmas annual. This year’s Christmas with Southern Living: Inspired Ideas for Holiday Cooking and Decorating is a real winner!

There is much to like about this book — the wonderful decorating styles, the beautifully photographed, mouthwatering recipes, the overall feeling of Christmas joy as well as one of my favorite parts, the included holiday planner.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have trouble getting it together over the holidays. If I’m honest, sometimes I have trouble getting it together, period. This book will help you if you’re anything like me because not only does it provide you with a calendar, it even tells you what to do! I love that! There’s also plenty of room for note taking, a special planning section strictly for decorating, a party planner, guest list, party to do list, Christmas dinner planner, gift and card log, and a guided section to help you highlight the successes of this year.

  If you are familiar with SL’s Christmas books, you’re going to want to get your hands on this one; if you’re unfamiliar, ditto. You will begin a long and happy tradition and eagerly await new ones year after year.

Now to the recipes! The recipes in this book are all doable no matter the level of culinary experience. Some take a little more time than others, but I have read through each and every one of them, and even a novice in the kitchen will be able to serve a fabulous dinner over the holidays. Each recipe is written in a clear and concise fashion. In many cases recipes have tips to help you through the process, swapping suggestions in case you don’t have all of the called-for ingredients; the photographs will help you plate your excellent meal in fine fashion.

Whether you are interested in preparing a classic Christmas dinner, or something more modern, all of your answers are in this book. I cannot recommend it enough.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Abrams Books as a member of their Abrams Dinner Party 2021-2022.

 

Peace, Love, and Pasta, Reviewed

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For the third year in a row I am representing Abrams Books as a part of their Abrams Dinner Party. The first batch of books has arrived, and they all appear to be winners. One of the beauties of reviewing books is that I get to try a lot of new recipes and share them with you. Last week, I shared the recipe for Pasta e Fagioli, a restaurant quality soup that can double as a meal. Today I’m going to tell you a little bit more about the book.

Peace, Love, and Pasta: Simple and Elegant Recipes from a Chef’s Home Kitchen by Scott Conant, may initially appear not, as the subtitle would suggest, simple. In quite a few cases, there are lengthy cooking processes, hard to find, perhaps unfamiliar ingredients, and techniques that may be foreign to the average home cook. That said, anyone who has a working knowledge of cooking, or the desire to turn everyday food into something restaurant quality, this book is for you.

 The recipes are plentiful and varied; the photos are positively mouthwatering. The desserts will make your eyes roll back in your head. The introductions to many of the recipes are both helpful and informative. You’ll feel as though you are sitting down with an old friend with whom you often exchanged culinary tips and ideas.

In addition to a cookbook, you will also get an education in Italian cooking, taught by the chef and owner of Italian-American dining destination, the Americano in Scottsdale, Arizona, Mora Italian in Phoenix, Arizona, and Cellaio, an Italian steakhouse in the Catskills. This book focuses on the dishes of Conan’s childhood, the ones that he makes for his loved ones today. These recipes combine sophistication and comfort to bring the absolute best to your table.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Peace, Love, and Pasta from Abrams Books as a member of their Abrams Dinner Party 2021-2022.

Pasta e Fagioli

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I find, as I get older that, like many others my age, I don’t cook as often as I used to. Three times a week does it for me, with Sunday being my main “in the kitchen” day. There is nothing I like more than chopping up ingredients that I’m going to use that day, or later in the week, and putting on a big pot of soup. Soup is one of my favorite foods. I love that a big bowl of it and a crusty roll make a meal; I love that I can pour some into a mug and have it as a snack. There is just something wonderfully soothing about soup, not to mention that it’s wildly nutritious. This recipe for iconic Italian soup will take you all day long, but the results are both plentiful and restaurant quality.

Pasta e Fagioli
From Peace, Love, and Pasta by Scott Conant

1 c. dried cannellini beans
1 c. dried borlotti beans
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
4 c. chopped yellow onions
1½ t. chopped fresh thyme
½ t. crushed red pepper
1 T. finely chopped garlic
1½ t. finely chopped fresh oregano
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Kosher salt
8 oz. prosciutto ends, skinned and cut into ¼-inch dice
1 15-oz. can puréed tomatoes
2 qt. vegetable or chicken stock
2 c. dried tubettini pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Soak the two types of beans in separate containers overnight in 4 cups of water per container.

The next day, set the container of borlotti beans aside. Drain the water from the cannellini beans and place them in a pot. Add water to cover, bring to a simmer, and cook until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain the cooked cannellini beans and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Sweat the onions with the thyme, crushed red pepper, garlic, oregano, rosemary, and a little bit of salt to help release acid from the vegetables, 5 to 6 minutes. Continue to cook until the onions start to caramelize, 8 to 9 minutes. Add the prosciutto, if using, and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute, stirring to prevent the vegetables from burning. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Drain the soaked borlotti beans, add them to the pot, and continue to simmer the broth until the beans are tender, about one hour

While the beans are cooking, cook the pasta in heavily salted water until tender. Drain the pasta, without rinsing, reserving the pasta water. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.

When the borlotti beans are tender, add the cannellini beans and return to a simmer. Add half the pasta cooking water, return to a simmer, and cook for at least 40 minutes.

Allow the soup to cool slightly, then remove 1/4 of the beans from the pot and set aside. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rest of the cooked beans to a blender and purée until smooth. (Or purée the soup in the pot using an immersion blender.)

Combine the tubettini and reserved beans and divide among four or six bowls. Pour the soup over the pasta and beans and serve immediately, topped with chopped parsley, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and a drizzle of olive oil. (The beans and soup can also be prepared the day before, refrigerated, and reheated, but you may need to add some additional stock, as the beans will absorb a lot of liquid as they sit. Do not add the pasta before storing.)

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Peace, Love, and Pasta from Abrams Books as a member of their Abrams Dinner Party 2021-2022.

Animal-Style Burgers

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Despite all of the unique and complex things that I have prepared over my decades and decades (groan) of cooking, my favorite food continues to be the cheeseburger. I tend to not make them at home, however, because I never seem to be able to replicate the taste of a restaurant cheeseburger...until now. This recipe for Animal-Style Burgers from Katie Lee Biegel’s latest book, It’s Not Complicated (review coming Sunday), is one of the best burgers I have ever eaten, much less made at home. Topping the burger patty with yellow mustard before it is grilled is genius; it adds juiciness and flavor. Making two very thin patties instead of just one thicker patty, topping each with a slice of cheese, takes this burger over the top. For me, her recipe is burger perfection.

Animal-Style Burgers

From It’s Not Complicated

1 onion, ½ grated, ½ thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, grated
1 large egg
1 t. kosher salt
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. ground beef
1 T. unsalted butter
3 T. yellow mustard
8 slices American cheese
Special Sauce (recipe follows)
4 potato buns, buttered and lightly toasted
Iceberg lettuce
Sliced tomato*
Pickles

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grated onion, garlic, egg, salt, and pepper. Add the ground beef and use your hands to gently mix until combined. Divide the mixture evenly into four portions, then divide each into two, to give you eight total. Form each into a thin patty and place on the prepared baking sheet. The mixture will be wet and a bit sticky. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Heat a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and sliced onion and cook, stirring every so often, until the onion slices have a nice cedar to them, 45 minutes. Set aside.

Wipe the griddle clean and return to medium-high heat. Put the patties on the grill, working in batches if necessary. Spoon 1 teaspoon mustard (or squeeze directly from the bottle) onto the top raw side of each patty. Cook for about three minutes, then flip and cook for an additional three minutes. Top each with a slice of American cheese.

Spread some special sauce on each bottom bun, then add lettuce, one patty, some onions, a second patty, tomatoes, pickles, more sauce, and a top bun. Serve.

Special Sauce
Yield: About 1 cup

½ c. mayonnaise
3 T. yellow mustard
2 T. sweet relish
1 T. ketchup
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. paprika

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended.

 *I used a Melissa’s organic heirloom tomato. A burger like this deserves to be topped with only the best!