NudeFood Guest Post & Essence of Corn Soup

Eat, Drink and Be is one of my favorite food news websites. Check out NudeFood's guest post, where you'll also find a recipe for a luxurious Essence of Corn Soup.

Fig, Prosciutto and Mozzarella Salad

I went to Whole Foods the other day with a definitive shopping list in hand and the intention of getting in and out. But, inevitably, something always distracts me. This time is was the display of fresh figs. 

They immediately conjured up breakfast memories from last summer in Croatia. We were in Rovinj on the Istrian Peninsula and started every morning with a sack of fresh figs, a container of homemade yogurt and a pastry from the local farmers’ market. While overlooking the communist-era monument celebrating the Partisan Army’s victory over the Nazis in WWII, we munched on the plumpest, juiciest figs we’d ever had. And knowing how small their seasonal window was, we took full advantage.

So I greedily grabbed a pint from the Whole Foods display knowing full well their destiny - a beautifully delicious salad that Jamie Oliver deems the sexiest in the world. Fresh figs are partially quartered and opened, adorned with fresh mozzarella and basil, woven together with prosciutto and drizzled with a lemony dressing. Salty, sweet, creamy and fresh, all in one. Darn pretty, too. 

Figs have a peak season from mid- to late summer with some varieties stretching into early autumn. So if you haven’t had the pleasure of eating this old world treat this year, now is your chance! They work especially well in appetizers, jams, sauces and, of course, sexy salads.

Fig, Prosciutto and Mozzarella Salad
Not only is this salad sexy, it's practically effortless. A simple balsamic and olive oil drizzle would also work in place of the lemon dressing. Adapted from a recipe in Jamie Oliver's Happy Days with the Naked Chef.

Serves 2 as a main course (but can easily be reduced for a first course)

8 fresh figs
6 paper thin slices prosciutto
4-6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
Handful of fresh basil leaves

Honey Lemon Dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Using a paring knife, make two criss-cross incisions into each fig from top to bottom, but not all the way through. Divide the figs between two plates, squeezing each at its base in order to open them up a little. Weave half the prosciutto around each plate and decorate with half the mozzarella. Roughly rip the basil and scatter it over the top.

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to combine and season to taste.

Drizzle the honey lemon dressing over each plate of salad. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

 

Shrimp Wonton Soup

If you know me at all, you probably know that I have a serious soft spot for homemade pasta. The fresher and eggier, the better. But within that category, filled pastas  are probably my favorite. I can’t imagine not ordering a plate of handmade ravioli, agnolotti or tortellini at a good Italian restaurant, or Chinese dumplings, Himalayan momos or Afghan ravioli at their respective establishments. So naturally, when it comes to soup, I’m a big fan of the wonton. 

Talley and Beryl are some of our best foodie friends and since they just got married (!!) and will be moving away in about a week (sob..), we wanted to squeeze in one last dinner party. Earlier in the week, the Thai-style Chicken Legs and Mango Slaw recipes on Smitten Kitchen caught my eye, which made choosing a main course all the easier. It also presented me with the perfect opportunity to make wonton soup, which I had been daydreaming about for over a year, as the starter course.
 
We began our dinner outside at the picnic table in the garden. Even though it was a warm, balmy evening, the hot soup somehow tasted refreshing and light. It left me wanting more, which is precisely the goal of the first course. But I also think that a large bowl with some baby bok choy would serve as a really nice main course. 

Since this soup has a delicate, clear broth, I would advise that you take the time to make your own stock. It sounds daunting but only requires dumping a few ingredients into a large pot, covering with water, and letting simmer for a couple of hours. Our neighborhood Whole Foods has a little freezer chock full of chicken, lamb and beef bones just for that purpose. Otherwise, you can always buy a package of wings or use the leftover carcass from a roasted chicken. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Shrimp Wonton Soup
The following recipe is very clean and light. If you’d like more intense flavors, feel free to add a ½ teaspoon or so of freshly grated ginger, a pinch of sugar and a few minced water chestnuts to the filling. Wontons filled with both pork and shrimp are delicious, too.

For the stock:
3 pounds chicken backs, necks, wings
6 slices ginger, each about ¼-inch thick
3-4 green onions, cleaned and cut into 1-inch pieces
10-12 cups water, enough to just cover
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the wonton soup:
1 lb raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar or dry sherry
Pinch of salt
Good pinch of white pepper
1 tablespoon chopped chives, plus more for garnish if desired
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish if desired
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 package wonton wrappers (you’ll need between 30 and 45 wrappers)
6 cups stock
Toasted sesame oil to taste

Place the bones, ginger and green onions into a large stock pot. Add enough water to just cover. Bring to a boil, skim off the gunk that floats to the top, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 2 hours. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
 
Note: I was greedy and added too much water, which left me with a weaker broth. This can be remedied by simply boiling the stock, uncovered, until it reduces down a bit.

Rinse the shrimp under cold water and pat dry; chop them coarsely and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the fish sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, chives, cilantro and corn starch; toss well and let marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour.

  






There are numerous ways to form the wontons. Regardless of your chosen method, you will only want to place a slightly rounded teaspoon of filling in the middle of each wrapper, then wet your finger with water and run it around the wrapper edges. From here you can fold as desired. 

Here's how I folded most of mine 

And here are a few other ideas

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the wontons and simmer, stirring occasionally, until they are cooked through and float to the top (the shrimp will turn pink/opaque), about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer wontons to serving bowls. Ladle hot broth over the top; garnish with chives and/or cilantro and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Serve hot.

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragù, Ricotta & Mint

The World Cup came to a screeching halt last Saturday when the U.S. lost against Ghana in overtime. We were at Bill’s Off Broadway watching with a packed house of hardcore fans, including one dressed as George Washington in an American flag cape. It was close, and I do think we got screwed, but in the end, the tragic truth was that the U.S. was out.

We left Bill’s with hung heads, teary eyes and hoarse voices. What a way to start a Saturday.

But we had rapidly approaching dinner plans and needed to buck up, fast. We had no idea what we were making and immediately started brainstorming quick menus that were just a notch or two above the ordinary. This particular lamb ragù fit the bill perfectly.

It’s adapted from a Food & Wine recipe that has been in my “must cook” pile for quite some time. What goes better with flavorful lamb than reduced wine, stock, a handful of savory spices, ricotta cheese and fresh mint? Not much.

I was able to get the ragù simmering away in less than 30 minutes, plus the fresh pasta only took about 3. It tastes decadent and complex but it’s simple enough to throw together at the eleventh hour… even if you are nursing some fresh wounds.

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragù, Ricotta and Mint 
This has even deeper flavors the next day. Adapted from an Andrew Carmellini recipe in Food & Wine. 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 celery rib, finely diced
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (you don’t have to but I added an extra 14 ounce can as well)
1 1/4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
3/4 pound pappardelle
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped mint

In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground lamb, coriander, fennel, cumin, rosemary and thyme. Season with a hearty pinch of salt and a few fresh grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir well, allowing some of that raw taste to cook out of it, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Next, add the diced tomatoes and their juices (and a little extra if you’re like me) along with the stock; bring to a boil. Partially cover the pot and cook over moderately low heat until the liquid is slightly reduced and slightly thickened, 25-30 minutes.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until it’s al dente (if you’re using fresh pasta, this should only take about 3 minutes). Drain, return to the pot and add the butter; toss well.

Divide pasta among plates and top with a ladel of hot ragu. Place a scoop of ricotta cheese on top of each with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkling of kosher salt and pepper and some fresh mint.

My New Addiction

I’d like to take a moment and bend your ear about one of my favorite new products: Liberté Méditerranée yogurt. I wouldn’t have even discovered it had it not been for their coconut flavor (I’m an absolute sucker for anything coconut and was powerless to resist grabbing one). ‘Twas a lucky day for them since they scored a returning customer. 

I would describe it as a cross between whole milk yogurt and Greek yogurt: thick, creamy and just sweet enough. The venerable Montreal-based company uses hormone-free Vermont milk to make a velvety yogurt with 8.5% fat. It reminds me of the good stuff from Europe made with minimal ingredients (and no cornstarch in sight). I’ve been religiously pairing the coconut with freshly cut pineapple or mango but recently discovered that quartered strawberries taste so much better topped with a dollop of lemon Méditerranée, as would a warm slice of gingerbread. 

My dessert repertoire has happily landed in a delicious rut.

The 36th Annual Duck Dinner

The Duck Dinner has been taking place every year, without fail, for the past 36 years, and last weekend I had the privilege of attending my third. In over three and a half decades, the multi-course feast has never repeated themes (rumor has it that a large binder containing every menu since its inception exists), although they tend to have a strong French influence.

Last year was very Julia Child -- fig and pate spread, mussels with minted Greek yogurt, duck breasts with roasted endive tarts -- while the previous year was upscale rustic. The location had been moved to Sid and Michelle's gorgeous cabin in the Adirondacks and the menu aptly reflected its surroundings: duck burgers on homemade brioche buns with heirloom tomato ketchup, roasted fingerlings with crème fraiche and caviar, deviled eggs with salmon roe, and s'mores made with entirely homemade elements.

Finding a way to blow everyone's socks off each year seems like a daunting task but, once again, Eric managed just that. The theme of 2010, South of the Border, was fresh and exciting. And the inventive menu, we later figured out, contained some sort of pepper in every course, save the margarita sorbet palate cleanser. ¡Muy delicioso!

So without further ado, I give you the 2010 Duck Dinner.

Little peppers stuffed with herbed white beans

Sweet potato chips with guacamole

  Raw oysters with mignonette sauce

 Green corn soup
 

Empanadillas 3 ways: BBQ pork, fish and fruit

Seviche

Sombreros: fresh pasta sheets with truffled mushrooms, truffle cream and two pepper sauces

Lime margarita ice

Sliced duck with chipotle sauce and polenta

Local lettuces with sherry vinaigrette and edible flowers; homemade potato rolls

Mexican sundae with 2 types of homemade vanilla bean ice cream, caramelized plantains with rum glaze, sweet mole sauce, whipped cream and roasted pecans

Chocolate espresso torta with cinnamon

Everything Bagels with Vegetable Cream Cheese

I’m from New York and enjoy a good bagel. There are a few decent ones here in Seattle but none that get me excited. For some reason they haven’t found a way to replicate that chew. So instead of complaining, I decided to try making my own. 

I’m the first to admit that baking isn’t my forte but I like a culinary challenge as much as the next guy. After some researching, it appeared that the bagel recipe in Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice is considered the gold standard. It involves making a sponge, an overnight retardation, and then a classic boil and bake preparation. This was definitely a weekend project and, finally last Saturday, the rubber hit the road. 

The recipe calls for instant yeast, which, apparently, is so small that the granules can be mixed directly in with the flour. I only had active dry in the pantry so a simple conversion of instant yeast amount x 1.5 worked well, as long as the active dry yeast gets proofed in warm water before adding the flour. Also, I didn’t have any malt powder or syrup but a tablespoon of brown sugar seemed to do the trick.

In the same way that I like my pasta doused with sauce, I like my bagels doused with everything -- onion, garlic, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and salt –- and as you can tell from the photos, I didn’t hold back. Feel free to be a bit more conservative with the toppings or leave them out altogether. You could also mix cinnamon and raisins into the dough. 

All in all, I’d deem this little experiment a major hit. We ate the first round straight from the oven slathered with homemade vegetable cream cheese (recipe follows), smoked salmon, red onions and capers. Round two, which served as today’s breakfast, was toasted with butter. I’m pretty sure I got a few covetous looks from my coworkers.

Everything Bagels
Bread flour works best here due to its high protein content. If you don’t have any, simply add 1 teaspoon of vital wheat gluten to each cup of all purpose flour. These are perfect for a weekend project – start them the night before and bake them in the morning. Adapted from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. 
Makes 1 dozen

Sponge:
1 teaspoon instant yeast (or 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast)
4 cups bread flour
2 1/2 cups water
Dough: 
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast (or ¾ teaspoon active dry yeast)
3 3/4 cups bread flour
2 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons malt powder
OR
1 tablespoon malt syrup, honey or brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking soda for the water

Topping:
3 tablespoons dehydrated garlic flakes
3 tablespoons dehydrated onion flakes
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1-2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt, or to taste

The Night Before:
In a large mixing bowl, stir the instant yeast into the flour. Add the water and stir well. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to bubble and rise for 2 hours. (If you are using active dry yeast, simply sprinkle it over 1/4 cup lukewarm water with a good pinch of sugar. If the yeast is alive, it will begin foaming after about 10 minutes. At this point, add the remaining water and the flour and continue with the recipe). 
 
Remove the plastic wrap and stir in the additional yeast. (This time, if using active dry yeast, simply hydrate it in a touch of warm water before adding). Add 3 cups of the flour, salt and malt powder; mix until all the ingredients come together and form a solid mass. At this point you will need to add the remaining 3/4 cup flour, either by mixing in the bowl or by kneading. The dough will be quite stiff.
 
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead for 10 full minutes. It should be smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, about 4 ½ ounces each. Roll each piece into a ball and set aside. When all 12 pieces have been rolled, cover them with a damp towel and allow them to rest for 20 minutes.
 
To shape the bagels, poke your thumb through the center of each ball of dough and rotate (or twirl, in my case) to expand the hole slightly, being sure to keep an even width all the way around. Place the shaped bagels onto two oiled (or parchment-lined and lightly sprayed with oil) sheet pans, leaving a bit of space between them. Cover with plastic wrap and allow them to rise for 20 minutes. Note: I used a paper towel dipped in oil to lightly brush the tops of the bagels to prevent them from sticking to the plastic wrap.
 
Peter Reinhart’s method for determining whether the bagels are ready to retard is as follows: drop one of the bagels into a bowl of cold water. If it floats to the surface in under 10 seconds, it is ready to retard. If not, allow it to rise a bit longer. I actually skipped this step and simply allowed them to rise for 30 minutes instead. Cover the bagels with plastic wrap and place them into the refrigerator to retard overnight.
 
In the Morning:
Preheat oven to 500°F. Put a large pot full of water on the stove to boil. In the meantime, mix the topping ingredients and set aside.

Once the water is boiling, add one tablespoon of baking soda - this supposedly replicates that authentic bagel shop flavor. Drop a few bagels into the boiling water (I could only fit 3 at a time) and allow them to boil for 1 or 2 minutes. Using a large slotted spoon, carefully flip them over and allow them to boil on the other side for another minute or two. Remove and place them back onto the oiled sheet pan (or 2 that are freshly lined with parchment paper and a light coating of oil). Immediately, while bagels are still hot and wet, sprinkle them with the topping mixture, flip over and sprinkle topping on the other side. 

When all bagels have been boiled and topped, transfer them to the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 450˚F, rotate the pans and bake for another 5 minutes or until bagels are golden brown (mine took another 8-10 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool.

Vegetable Cream Cheese
Pretty much anything goes here. Try it with chives or dill.
 
16 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced
3 green onions, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced
2-3 radishes, finely diced
1 1/2 ribs celery, finely diced
Salt to taste
Pinch of finely ground black pepper 
3/4 teaspoon celery seeds, optional 
1/2 teaspoon onion powder, optional

Place the cream cheese, carrot, green onion, radish, celery and seasonings in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix on low speed until blended.