B is for bruschetta

I admit that I don't miss Phoenix all that much. But that doesn't mean I hesitate to steal an idea from one of its few good restaurants: Postino, a wine and small plates affair in a renovated post office. In this case, I stole their signature bruschetta appetizer - so large it could double as a meal. The great thing about bruschetta is that you can feel free to try just about anything. I thought all of these tasted pretty good, but the prosciutto, apple, honey and mascorpone bruschetta was pretty darned good. I paired it with a light salad.



Here are the combinations I made on a battard of rustic sourdough bread:

-Sliced apples, mascarpone, honey, and prosciutto crudo
-Roasted red peppers, diced, with chevre
-Sauteed baby artichokes (see previous recipe for preparation)
-Chicken, sauteed in garlic and lemon, with Genovese pesto
-Figs and roquefort

Salad: mixed greens, blood orange, asian pear, pine nuts, chevre.

A is for artichoke

We are about five weeks behind on posting, so when I made this baby artichoke and chicken fricassee with morels, the artichokes had just hit the shelves. This recipe inspired me to start cooking them more often, and over the ensuing weeks we had baby artichokes many times. The first time around, I underestimated how much of the artichokes' outside layer should be shed before cooking, so we had to do a little maneuvering in the eating. This dish ended up being very rich and tasty.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lemons
12 baby artichokes

6 cups water
2 tablespoons all purpose flour plus additional for dredging
2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
4 ounces fresh morel mushrooms
2 medium carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth

1/4 cup crème fraîche

Preparation

Fill large bowl with water. Squeeze juice from 1 lemon into water; add lemon halves. Tear outer leaves from 1 artichoke until only pale green leaves remain. Cut top 3/4 inch from top; trim end of stem. Cut in half lengthwise. Rub cut sides of artichoke with lemon half; transfer to bowl with lemon water. Repeat with remaining artichokes.

Bring 6 cups water, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and bay leaf to boil in large saucepan. Add artichoke halves and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.

Melt butter with oil in heavy large deep skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate. Add mushrooms, carrots, and shallots to skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon thyme and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add wine; bring to boil. Add broth and artichokes; bring to boil.

Return chicken to skillet, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Turn chicken, cover, and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer chicken and vegetables to platter. Whisk crème fraîche into sauce in skillet; bring to boil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken, sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon thyme, and serve.

Z is for Za

What is "Za" you ask? Well, it is a variant of the frat house-inspired 'za, or pizza. And, as any scrabble aficionado knows, "za" is an officially recognized word. As for how it works out as a meal: easy to make, and not hard on the tongue, either. I made mine fairly simple, with tomato, basil, and avocado. Maybe next time I add some lemon zest.

Ingredients:

Pizza dough (make your own if you've got the time - I went to the nearest pizzeria and bought some for 3 bucks.
1 ball mozzarella cheese (about 6 oz.)
1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 heirloom tomato, sliced
1 ripe avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
truffle oil for finish.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Saute shallot in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and half of basil, salt and pepper and cook for one minute. Add tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar. Reduce until fairly thick. Roll out pizza dough to desired thickness (I prefer around 1/2 inch). Spread sauce evenly across dough. Add cheese and tomato and place in oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is dark brown. Add basil and avocado. Drizzle crust with truffle oil (or just use olive oil).

Y is for yellowtail

I was in the mood for some Sicilian-style fish, and this seared tuna with warm olive vinaigrette brought me back to my grandfather's kitchen. The caper/olive/tuna/lemon combo is one of my favorites. Some of the reviewers of this recipe (which, I should add, I adapted from epicurious) complained that the flavors are too strong. I completely disagree, but if you don't like olives or capers then you won't like this either. Serves 2.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
two 1-inch-thick tuna steaks
6 Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted
2 teaspoons drained bottled capers
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste
1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons finely chopped drained bottled roasted red peppers plus additional for garnish if desired
1 tablespoon finely chopped white and green parts of scallion plus additional for garnish if desired
lemon wedges as an accompaniment

Preparation

In a blender or small food processor, blend together the olives, capers, garlic, mustard, vinegar, tomato, water, and salt and pepper to taste. With the motor running add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, blending the dressing until it is emulsified. Set aside.

In a heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Sear the tuna steaks, patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper, for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, so they are still raw in the center.

Transfer the tuna to plates and wipe the skillet clean. Pour the dressing into the skillet, heat it over moderate heat until it is hot, and stir in 2 tablespoons of the roasted peppers and 1 tablespoon of the scallion. Spoon the dressing over the tuna, garnish the tuna with the additional roasted peppers and scallion, and serve it with the lemon wedges.

W is for wontons

Continuing on my recent Asian theme, tonight I made shrimp wontons and baby bok choy. I would say for future reference, wontons are probably better as an appetizer than a main course. But a little extra fried shrimp goodness never hurt anybody. I used the extra plum sauce from the ume recipe (see previous post) as a dipping sauce. Makes 6-8 servings.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus vegetable oil for shallow frying
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1/2 pound raw shrimp shelled and finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chili oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
12 won ton wrappers

Preparation

Place a wok over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and when hot, add the ginger and green onions, and stir-fry until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and water chestnuts and cook for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and chili oil and stir to combine. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water and add to the shrimp mixture, stirring. (The mixture should thicken immediately.) Transfer to a bowl or plate and let cool before assembling the won tons.

Keeping the won ton wrappers covered with a damp kitchen towel, place 1 won ton wrapper at a time on a work surface with 1 point toward you. Spoon a rounded tablespoonful of filling in the center, just above the point. Fold the corner over the filling and roll to tuck the point under. (The won ton should look like a triangle). Pinch the wrapper around the filling to completely enclose, pushing gently to expel any air bubbles. Using both hands, pull the 2 side corners toward you below the filling. Overlap the corners slightly, moisten with a dab of water, and pinch to seal.

Place the filled won tons on a baking sheet and cover with a damp cloth while preparing the remaining won tons. (If desired won tons can be frozen on a baking sheet and once frozen, kept in a ziplock bag for up to 2 months.)

Fill a large pot or electric fryer halfway with vegetable oil and heat to 375 degrees F. Add the won tons in batches and fry until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and let dry on paper towels.

V is for vindaloo

According to Madhur Jaffrey's Indian cookbook, this is chicken vindaloo the hard way. It wasn't that hard, but it was spicy as hell. (As always, I increased the original recipe's spice quite a bit; the version below is my adaptation.) This made us sweat and want to sop up every last bit with the naan I bought at the Indian Bazaar on Valencia. Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
3 hot, dried red chili peppers
1 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cardamom seeds (take seeds out of the pods)
3-inch stick of cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp whole black mustard seeds
1 tsp whole fenugreek seeds
5 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 to 2 tsp salt
1 tsp light brown sugar
10 tbsp vegetable oil & 3 tbsp. butter
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced into fine half-rings
1 cup chicken stock
2 lb boneless chicken meat, cut into 1-inch cubes (lamb will also do)
2-inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small, whole head of garlic, with all the cloves separated and peeled
2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground tumeric

Preparation

Grind cumin seeds, red chilies, peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, black mustard seeds, and fenugreek seeds in a coffee-grinder (or other spice grinder). Put the ground spices in a bowl. Add the vinegar, salt, and sugar. Mix and set aside.

Heat the oil and butter in a wide, heavy pot over a medium flame. Put in the onions. Fry, stirring frequently, until the onions turn brown and crisp. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and put them into the container of an electric blender or food processor. (Turn off the heat.) Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to the blender and puree the onions. Add this puree to the ground spices in the bowl. (This is the vindaloo paste. It may be made ahead of time and frozen.)

Dry off the meat cubes with a paper towel and remove large pieces of fat, if any.

Put the ginger and garlic into the container of an electric blender or food processor. Add 2 to 3 Tablespoons of water and blend until you have a smooth paste.

Heat the oil remaining in the pot once again over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the meat cubes, a few at a time, and brown them lightly on all sides. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon and keep in a bowl. Brown all the meat this way. Now put the ginger-garlic paste into the same pot. Turn down the heat to medium. Stir the paste for a few seconds. Add the coriander and tumeric. Stir for another few seconds. Add the meat, any juices that may have accumulated, the vindaloo paste, and 1 cup stock. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer gently for an hour or until meat is tender. Stir a few times during this cooking period. Serves 6.

U is for ume

"U" is getting tougher and tougher as we keep going through the alphabet. Pretty soon, I think we're going to have to retire it. But not yet. This week I made squab with ume (Asian plums - be careful, they have a pretty strong flavor). You can, of course, substitute chicken for squab. I think the sweetness of plum goes well with a heavy compliment of ginger and soy, so I altered my recipe accordingly (below). Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 squabs
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup rchopped green onions (roughly chopped)
4 tblsp. minced fresh garlic
5 tblsp. soy sauce
4 tblsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tblsp. dry sherry
2 tblsp. turbinato sugar
1 tblsp. honey
1 tspn. salt
Peanut oil, for frying
Steamed long grain white rice, accompaniment

Ume Plum Sauce:
1/2 cup plum preserves
1/2 cup chopped ume
2 tblsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tblsp. minced onions
1 tspn. honey
1 tspn. minced fresh ginger
1 tspn. minced garlic
1 tspn crushed red pepper flakes
2 tblsp. soy paste
1/2 cup chicken stock

Preparation

Ume sauce:

Caramelize onions in oil. Add ginger and stir for 1 min. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil in small saucepan on low heat. Reduce.

Squab:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the squabs and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove, drain, and pat dry with kitchen towels. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken stock, green onions, garlic, light and dark soy sauces, ginger, rice wine, brown sugar, honey, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the squabs and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove and dry on kitchen towels for at least 1 hour, and up to 4 hours (refrigerated). Strain the poaching liquid to serve with the rice, if desired.

In a medium pot heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides to 350 dergrees F. Carefully add the squabs and fry until the skins are crisp and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Mound rice in the center of 2 plates and drizzle with a small amount of the poaching liquid, if desired. Place the squabs in the center of the rice and spoon the Plum Sauce over the top of the birds. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve hot.