Vintage Veg

Brussels Sprouts (Petals with Bacon & Onion)

December 17, 2020

Today it was an impulse buy. But seeing those beautiful, almost prehistoric looking stalks of Brussels sprouts, I couldn’t resist. I love them!  In years past, I had relegated the little green globes which the French endearingly call “petit choux” (little cabbage) to the bottom of my vegetable list. Why? Because during my childhood, my mom overcooked them, thinking the result would be milder and more palatable. But overcooking Brussels sprouts leaches out sulfurous-smelling, cancer-preventative compounds, making them soggy and less nutritious. Writing for WebMD magazine about better ways to prepare them, I perfected this simple, delicious recipe: A delicious quick saute of  Brussels sprouts petals, with diced onion, bacon and (optional) the tiniest drizzle of maple syrup. To make it, the only fiddly part is removing the tiny cabbage cores. You just poke the tip of a sharp knife in the base of each one, twist and cut that little piece out. Then, you can easily pluck the petals apart, wash them well, and saute. As a side dish, this is fantastic with poultry. Or, just pile them over whipped potatoes and add some brown bread and mustard for a simple warming lunch. Continue Reading…

Holiday Baked Treats

Mincemeat Tarts

December 11, 2020

Among traditional Holiday foods, mincemeat goes waaaaaaay back.  Dating from the 11th century, mincemeat pie originally packed (along with the meat, fruit, sugar and spice) a lot of religious symbolism: The trio of spices –cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, represented the gifts of the Magi. The crust (or casing) represented a cradle (i.e. manger), and in early renditions, pies were topped with an itty-bitty baby Jesus. As decades rolled by, the practice of preserving meats with sugar and spice prevailed, but the pies eventually shrank in size. And, for two sad decades in mid-17th century Massachusetts, the Puritan’s ban on all things Christmas just about eradicated the pie altogether.

But, mincemeat endured! If you have had only the store-bought version, you are in for a treat: homemade is most-definitely better. Here is a lovely rendition from my dear friend and talented chef, Tory O’Haire. Continue Reading…

Happy Holidays

Christmas Pudding

December 7, 2020

Stir it up! That’s the chorus in Britain on Stir it Up Sunday, right before Advent. Churchgoers hear, “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people,” and anyone—churched or not, with a love for boozy Christmas puddings stirs up the fruity mix to get the holidays going.Loaded with spice, fruit, nuts and tradition, the Christmas “pud” is a lovely creation, more moist and mellow than American fruit cake. Since it’s fed little tipples of brandy from the day it’s made until Christmas, the treat emerges a well-spirited highlight of the Holidays. For even more tasty Holiday tradition, try our recipe for Mincemeat Tarts! Continue Reading…

Poultry Perfection

Persian Quail with Pomegranate Walnut Sauce (Fesenjan)

November 24, 2020

Sweet, tart, earthy and rich, this beautiful celebratory Persian dish originated thousands of years ago in the Iranian province of Gilan on the Caspian Sea. You may have seen fesenjan served as a chicken stew, but here, I’ve elevated the dish by serving the sauce with honey-and-spice-glazed grilled quail–a gorgeous presentation for fall and winter feasts. If you prefer? Swap out the quail for grilled bone-in chicken. Continue Reading…

American Classics

Skillet Cornbread with Molasses & Honey

November 19, 2020

Hailing from Texas, my Mom made a lot of cornbread: Corn dodgers, corn cake, cornbread…we ate it with butter and molasses, dunked it in spicy stews, crumbled it over our chili. This version is one of my favorites. It bakes up nicely moist, with a crispy crust and lovely crumb. Be sure to use stone-ground cornmeal—white, or golden, for best texture and flavor. You can gild the lily by stirring a few spoons of diced green chilies or fresh corn kernels into the cornbread batter before baking if you like. But it’s just fine without, eaten piping hot, right out of the oven. Continue Reading…

Fresh Fruit

PBJ Bars (Fresh Concord Grape with Peanutty Crust)

October 21, 2020

The grape harvest had happened, truckloads of deeply fragrant Concord grapes already on their way to become juice and jam. But my friend Vera said, “There are loads of grapes still left on the vines!” With permission from the vineyard’s owners, off we went to glean the field, baskets and clippers in hand. Within an hour, our feet wet from the long grasses, backs warmed in the late afternoon sun, fingers and lips stained from the grapes we’d eaten on the spot, we had gathered all we could carry. Continue Reading…

Soup Kitchen

Borscht (Beet & Beef Soup)

October 11, 2020

I have a friend who calls beets “essence of dirt clod” : ) But I have always loved their earthy flavor, and deep color. I like them roasted, simply boiled, grated into salads, pickled and perhaps most of all: made into borscht. Continue Reading…

Spicy & Fun

Viet Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Boil

September 10, 2020

When my mom grew up in Houston, Texas, excursions to Galveston, where my grandfather owned land, were a beach-filled regularity. Grandfather loved fishing, and my mom loved sea-food. Especially shrimp. Those days, shrimp boats were manned by a tough lot of Texans, with some Cajuns mixed in. But by the time my Mom and Dad bought Neil Armstrong’s old house in the shrimping village of Seabrook on Galveston Bay, the shrimping community had broadened to include a large group of Vietnamese immigrants. Mom—a spicy food lover, was thrilled to discover the fusion cuisine that resulted: Viet Cajun. While the marriage of these two on the plate may seem unusual, both cultures share colonial French roots, which gives them a natural affinity. Best Viet Cajun dishes take familiar Cajun fare, and then ramp it up to include Vietnamese spices and seasonings such as lemon grass, ginger and fish sauce. This shrimp and sausage boil is a classic example. Continue Reading…

Classic Casseroles

Spiced Shepherd’s Pie

August 26, 2020

One of my boys loves lamb, and this one-dish classic casserole, layering sautéed garden vegetables and gratineed whipped potatoes over the meat, is the perfect comfort dish to showcase ground lamb. We’ve spiced it with cumin, mint, Kashmiri chili powder, smoked paprika, coriander and cinnamon. (Yum!)  The dish works well with ground beef, too.

Versions of shepherd’s pie featuring beef or mutton topped with a potato crust started appearing under the name “cottage pie” in 1791 Britain. By 1854, it became more widely known as shepherd’s pie. The French were making similar “pies” in 1900 under the moniker hachis (for finely chopped) Parmentier (for Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a big promoter of potatoes in France through the 18th century.)

But whatever you choose to call it—this shepherd’s pie is truly delicious! To make the dish’s three layers, you will simmer potatoes and then whip them for the top layer, brown the ground meat (lamb or beef) with garlic, onion and the medley of spices for the bottom layer, and sauté carrot, more onion, celery and tomato paste for the middle layer. I use a pastry bag to pipe the whipped potato over the layered meat and veggies. Then, sprinkled with a little parmesan and paprika, and popped in the oven for a few minutes to brown the crust, the dish is ready to serve.

A little bonus tip: If you don’t have a can of tomato paste in the house, you can make your own tomato paste using sun-dried tomatoes! Just pulse the tomatoes in a food processor with a few tablespoons of water to create a nice paste. I actually prefer the flavor of this “homemade” version over canned. Continue Reading…

Baked Treats

Honey Cinnamon Graham Crackers

August 16, 2020

For all of you firepit fans and s’mores lovers out there, here’s my absolute favorite homemade graham cracker recipe. It makes an over-the-top s’more, and tastes great on its own. To make the crackers into s’mores: Just sandwich fire-toasted marshmallows and your favorite chocolate bars in between.

Graham crackers are named for Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham, who introduced a coarsely-ground, unsifted wheat flour. He believed the flour could be an antidote to the poor health suffered by people who ate too much white bread.  A vegetarian and big believer in high-fiber diets, Graham was also a rather severe guy who recommended “hard mattresses, open bedroom windows, chastity, cold showers & loose clothing” (!) Not exactly a partier.

I’ve made these crackers a variety of ways: With dark brown sugar and a darker honey, they take on a sweeter, darker flavor. Use a lighter-flavored honey and light brown sugar and a lighter cracker results (which is my preference.) I include two teaspoons of cinnamon in the dough. But you can add extra cinnamon by brushing the crackers with egg wash and sprinkling them with cinnamon sugar for a glazed crunchy finish. Oh, and be sure to bake the cookies in the center of a preheated oven. They’ll crisp up nicely as they cool. 

I like to use Turkey Red flour from The Mill at Janie’s Farm. It’s 100% whole grain, milled from organically grown hard red winter wheat, stone ground and unsifted. You can buy it direct from Janie’s. Continue Reading…