efoodie

Great Little Bean Cookbook

So, I'm taking a food writing course at Boston University. It's a series of 4 Monday night classes, and the only one I wasn't thrilled about was on writing cookbooks. It was a teacher I wasn't familiar with, who has a cookbook on Beans called Fagioli. I was even thinking about skipping it. It was the Monday night after Superbowl (we Won!), and I was tired, and looking to curl up on the sofa, not sit in class.

Until I mentioned the class to my sister.  And she got excited. This is significant because my sister is only just starting to get into cooking, and she was familiar with this book and I wasn't.  Turns out she'd bought it as a Christmas gift for her mother-in-law after seeing a write up in the Boston Globe that it was on the top ten list of well written cookbooks. And her mother-in-law continues to rave about the book.

So, I figured I might as well go, and started looking forward to it. When I arrived at class and settled into my seat, I started flipping through the cookbook. That was a nice bonus to the class, everyone got a copy. It's a beautiful little book, unusally small, and wide, perfect for resting on the counter next to the stove as you cook. I wonder why more cookbooks don't have a similar design actually.  I was even more interested, when I discovered that the author, Judith Barrett, also wrote one of my favorite all time cookbooks, that is full of grease-stained pages. I still refer to it whenever I make risotto. It is simply called Risotto, and is excellent.

We sampled several bean spreads, one with lentils, two with fava beans, and plenty of olive oil, over delicious french bread.  This cute little cookbook, Fagioli, focuses

on Italian recipes for beans. Lots of great spreads, and soups. I will be making one of the Tuscan soup recipes tomorrow, with white cannelini beans, escarole, proscuitto, and lots of garlic and olive oil.  Will report back with results.  In the meantime, check out this book if you see it in your local store. It is very informative, and full of Wintery, comfort food type recipes.

:) Pam

Mystery Wine Revealed... Spain's Wrongo Dongo!

  Okay, so I thought the name was Wrongo Mongo.  At least I was close. But, here it is, and this is a fun little wine. Small price ($7-9), Crazy name, Big taste.

Wrongo Dongo hails from the Jumilla area of Eastern Spain, and as I've recently discovered, Spain has some tasty, cheap wine. It's a combo of Mouvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, and the result is a lively, fruity, light red, rich with berries and spice, and a hint of chocolate dancing in the background. We enjoyed it with salsa and chips, and then even more so with our grilled steaks and excellent chewy French bread from Panera Bread (my latest addiction).  This wine is often found on sale for about $6.99, and I will soon be snapping up a half case or so. It's that good.

Enjoy!

:) Pam

Easy Superbowl Snack--Prison Food Dip

Prison food. Lovely image huh? But it's quite appropriate for this ugly, but oh, so delicious dip. I was first introduced to this delicacy many years ago by Katie O'Leary of Dennis, MA. Katie was the skinniest thing ever, tall and model slim. But I couldn't hate her for it because she was funny as hell too, and nice. And because she told me about Prison Food.

"It's great for when you have people over unexpectedly and want to throw something together. Chances are you'll have the ingredients on hand."

"Why do you call it Prison Food?" I asked.

"Well, darling, you'll see. It's the ugliest damn thing. Gets even uglier once people start diving into it. But trust me, they won't notice."

She's right. I thought it was quite stunningly beautiful actually.

Best part is this dip comes together in less than 5 minutes, and you just might have all 3 ingredients already. 

It's a great, crowd pleasing dip. Perfect for Super Bowl.

Oh, FYI, I'm still trying to track down the name of that yummy wine. I think it might be Wrongo Mongo....but will be back once I can confirm.

Enjoy the Superbowl......and GO PATS!!!

Prison Food Dip

1 8oz package of cream cheese

1 cup of chili (Katie uses canned, I go through the Wendy's drive thru)

1 cup (or two) shredded cheddar cheese (I use Taco Blend)

In a casserole dish, spread cream cheese evenly on bottom and up sides about a half inch or so. Dump in chili, smooth evenly over cheese. Top with shredded cheese, as much as you like. I usually use about a cup and a half or so.

Microwave on high for about 2 minutes, until bubbly. Serve with chips and if you like, additional salsa.

This comes out fine if you bake it too, but the microwave is faster, and if the dip cools down, you can just throw it back in and zap it for a minute or so.

:) Pam

Big Basil Meatballs and Grammy's Red Sauce

I had two amazing things today. The best basil scented beefy meatballs ever, and a delicious, dirt cheap red wine with a crazy name that I cannot remember. But, I will track it down and post asap, hopefully tomorrow, because it is one to get again. It's a blend of tempranillo and grenache I believe, and is rich, and smooth, fruity, and light. I had it for dinner with steak, but it would have been fabulous with the meatballs and sauce I had for lunch.  Yes, I know. The diet starts again on Monday.

Spaghetti and meatballs is such a simple thing, basic, homey and good. Yet I've screwed it up many times, the meatballs that is. The sauce always comes out great because it's my grandmother's recipe, with lots of garlic. The meatballs have been a bit iffy in the past because I've tried to get fancy and improvised too much.

The beer phase for instance, was a bit disturbing. For some reason, I was convinced that beer was a good thing to put in meatballs. I think that started because I was out of eggs, and felt like there needed to be some kind of added fluid, and the only option was beer. They actually weren't bad, but did have an odd aftertaste.

But, then I discovered the Cook's Illustrated Best Recipe Cookbook, and learned how to make perfect meatballs. The secret ingredient? Well, as many of  you already know, I'm sure, it's milk.  Just a bit of milk added to the breadcrumbs and then the beef, acts as a tenderizer, and gives the meatballs a hint of creaminess. My other new trick, that I just discovered, is lots of basil. It gives the meat an amazing flavor. Helps if you like basil...and I love it.

This is an easy make and then simmer dish. I made it a few days ago, and simmered it for 2 hours, and it was great. Made it this morning, and simmered for only 30 minutes, and it was good, but the extra simmering time does make a difference. It gives an added depth of flavor.

You can do this all in one big dutch oven or soup pot. I use my Le Crueset 4 1/2 qt Soup Pot, it's my newest bargain and I love it. Got it online at Amazon for a fraction of the regular price. But, any big pot will do.

Basil Meatballs and Grammy's Red Sauce

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

1/4 cup milk

2/3 cup soft bread  pieces

1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs (I used panko)

olive oil

1 small can tomato paste

1 large can ground tomatoes

1 box mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup red wine

Lightly coat bottom of pan with oil. Turn heat to medium. Add whole garlic cloves. In large bowl, mix bread crumbs, 1/4 of onion, chopped fine, 2 teaspoons dried basil, and milk. Mix to combine, then add meat, and mix well.  Shape into whatever size meatballs you like, and brown in small batches on all sides.  Set meatballs  aside on a plate. Then add rest of onion, chopped. Cook for a few minutes, then add wine, let cook a few minutes more, then add mushrooms, and wait a few more minutes. Add more basil, about another teaspoon or so, and dash of oregano, salt, and pepper. Add tomato paste, and then a canful of water. Then add the ground tomatoes.  Add meatballs to sauce. Turn heat to medium low, cover and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring every now and then.

***Note on the garlic. Yes, the recipe calls for whole cloves. Chop it if you must, but I tried it with whole and loved it. I toss the cloves into the oil as the meatballs cook, which flavors the oil without burning the garlic as it tends to do when you mince it. For me anyway, I'm forever burning garlic. But, this way, by the time the meatballs are done, the garlic has taken on almost a roasted quality. The outside is brown and the rest is soft, and mellow. I just smash it up a bit at this point, and go on with the rest of the recipe. If the outside is too black, you can always pinch off the outer skin, and you'll be good to go.

Enjoy!

:)

Cool beans...

This article just made me smile. To think that this guy never noticed his photo on the jar of Nestle's Taster's Choice instant coffee, for years, because he preferred fresh ground and brewed. Smart man. Even smarter man to reject their initial offer. Now he can buy the very best beans....for many years to come. 

Off to make some coffee. Peet's fresh ground, of course. Best coffee in Boston.

:)

Madly in Love....with Pork Tamales

I've fallen hard, and fast.  Thanks to this week's egullet food blog. Andrea from New Mexico has a mouthwatering lineup of photos and spicy food descriptions. One of the most intriguing was a stacked enchilada dish topped with a lightly fried egg. I've been craving enchildas (without an egg), since reading her blog this morning, and set out at lunch to Sam Diego's, my local Tex-Mex spot. 

I tend to be a creature of habit with Mexican. I've been going to Sam Diego's for over 20 years now. (Yikes that makes me sound old, I will add that my Mexican cravings started early, around age 13, after living in Phoenix, Arizona for a year.) When I moved home to the Cape and started eating guacamole, my friends turned their noses up in disgust.

"It's green, and nasty looking," they'd say.

"Just try it." I'd offer as I happily ate my Taco Maker Macho Nachos out of a styrofoam container.  But there were never any takers.  It was a good 8-10  years later before guacamole and cilantro entered the mainstream in New England.

But, back to Sam Diego's. My usual there is either Nacho Supremos, which I mentioned in an earlier post, or if I go at lunch, it's usually just a bean and cheese burrito, served enchilada style, smothered in red sauce and cheese.  But, today I was feeling daring, and added a steamed  pork tamale, something that strangely enough, I'd never had before.

A true foodie will understand this feeling, the first time you try something new and are just blown away. How you cannot believe that this food existed for so long without you knowing it. Instant love, and it really is something I should have tried long ago. It makes perfect sense that I would love tamales, they are like polenta, which is something I adore, wrapped around a shredded, spiced pork filling.  If you like polenta, but have not yet discovered tamales, they are a must try.

Next up, I am on a mission to eat more tamales, and to make some myself.  Off now to investigate.