May Book Review: Recipes From The Root Cellar

We have a root cellar. This statement seems improbable when you consider our contemporary house, situated in the end of a cul-de-sac full of other mid-1970’s houses in suburbia. But we do indeed have a root cellar.

Tucked into the northern-most corner of our basement, made of plywood and blueboard insulation, with a tube to the outside to let cold air circulate into the 3’ by 4’ space, our cellar has a dirt floor and shelves with big plastic coolers filled with produce and sawdust. It does its job quite well, except that we did not think to install a light source in that little room and often I find myself wishing for one as I grope about in the dark, thinking, “Is this an apple? Or a potato?”

Our first wintering over was five years ago, not seriously - mostly as an experiment. In the spring, while the apple trees were in bloom, I slid the last apple into the pocket of my raincoat and went to visit the orchardist from whom we had purchased them in the previous late-September. She was delighted, and cradled the unblemished Northern Spy in her hands with a happy smile. I went home and made a pie, feeling very proud of myself. Encouraged, we became much more serious about our root cellaring activities, so that now, in the spring, we often realize that we have too much still in reserve and we begin a mad push to use up all the produce hanging in stasis in our cellar.

It was my turn to be delighted to find the cookbook, Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman. I could choose from “270 fresh ways to enjoy winter vegetables”, in sections with such titles as, Salads and Pickled Vegetables, Vegetarian Main Dishes and Main Dishes with Fish, Poultry or Meat.

Each recipe I tested from this book was a good one and likely to be made again in our house, but there were a few that stood out above the others. From the Soup section, the Winter Minestrone was hearty and delicious, taking its celery flavor notes from thinly sliced celeriac as well as using up a half a cabbage head in tiny shredded ribbons. The Coconut Curried Winter Squash Soup I (we did not try Soup II, but I’m sure it is also good) was the perfect blend of sweet-creamy-curry heat, sporting super-orange color flecked with little dots of green cilantro.

The Mashed Potatoes with Greens and the Rumbledethump (a Scottish take on colcannon) seemed alike at first glance, but each shone with their individual character in the making. This book harbors a lot of comfort food ideas – the Cheesy Mac with Root Vegetables and the Creamy Fish Pie (accurately described as “New England-style fish chowder in solid form”) were extremely warm and soothing as the spring rains poured down upon us.

From the dessert section, we loved the Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake, which, spiked with a little Grand Marnier, was consumed in an embarrassingly short interval. The Chocolate-Chip Pumpkin Loaf went with me to a party and did not come home again.

Here we are in May, with a few more potatoes and a handful of apples still left over. I’ll go back to Andrea Chesman’s book tonight, I’m looking forward to the magic that could be conjured from these simple ingredients.

“Recipes from the Root Cellar” by Andrea Chesman. Published by Storey Publishing, 2010. 387 pages.

Smoked Foods Just Cook It Potluck

This past Sunday, we hosted the second Just Cook It potluck of the season, and our second time focusing of the theme of smoked foods. For half of us at the potluck, the first time we had tried cooking any foods with smoke was at last year's potluck and this was a great chance to try it again. For the other half, this year was the first time to try. What we all found and shared was that cooking with smoke is not as difficult as we expected. I personally found that this year's attempt was much less messy than last year, mostly due to the lessons learned at the last potluck. Last year I tried using charcoal and sage wood to smoke a whole chicken and wound up trying a couple of different vessels to contain the cooking process switching from a hibachi to a gas grill. This year I based my attempt off of Alton Brown's Flower Pot Smoker design and used a square pan with sage wood over a hot plate in the grill (with the grill off, of course) to smoke some salmon, then I finished the fish on the gas grill. It was much simpler and I liked how the salmon turned out. Mara smoked some ice with green apple wood for a deliciously complex cocktail addition and made a smoked paprika potato salad and Pam used some foil smoker bags to cook monkfish and potatoes. Chris brought some excellent smoked sausages with sauerkraut and mustard, and we finished the evening off with some wonderfully surprising smoked bananas brought by Bekka and Rob. I am very pleased with the results of this second dinner. It was great to see all the creatively different approaches to this challenge. This was a great example of reaching the goal I have for these dinners. I proposed these dinners to give myself a reason to try some techniques that I otherwise might not try. I was thrilled to again share the results with friends who did the same. The atmosphere is always supportive and we are all excited to share what we have learned in the process. I look forward to the next event, the challenge of souffles. Please join us for the fun discussion and excellent food!

Passover my identity.

As you may all know, right now the Jewish people are in the midst of celebrating a holiday known as פסח, also known as Passover (see here for a quick wiki definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover ). The holiday lasts 8 days and during the first two days families get together to have a seder which is a Hebrew words that means “order." Having been celebrated for over 3.000 years, it is surprisingly more than just some mumbo jumbo of food and dance. On the contrary, it is true to its name and follows a precise formula.

It is the seder, that I wish to write about.

Families gather around the table in order to retell the story of the Exodus using a book called the Haggadah. We read, sing and more importantly remember. You see, in biblical hebrew there is no word for History (after all it implies that it is "his story" and not "ours"). In Judaism there is such an attention to retention and in fact in the torah it is said that it is a sin to forget. And thus, it is during the seder when everyone: old, young, secular & religious take part in a walk down identity lane.

(birthday overlapped with seder- doubles the fun)

Not only is there an emphasis on the importance of identity memory and family during this holiday, but it is also an excellent representation of how food can play such a fundamental role in traditions and how we can use food as a vessel to sail into our memory.

You see on the seder table, there sits something called the seder plate. On this plate there are a number of food items, all of which represent either an emotion or an object.

Through dipping the parsley in salt water, we taste the tears of our ancestors. Through eating Haroseth, we are recalling into our memory the mortar that the Israelites used when building the pyramids. By eating Matzoh, we taste the haste of the people. The Maror (horseradish) awakens us to the bitterness of slavery while the Beitzah (egg) represents life and continuation of existence.

Every food unfolds a part of the story and thus during the seder not only are our ears and eyes retelling the tale but our nose, mouth and fingers are as well.

What better way is there to relive an experience if not through all of our senses combined?

And how often is food the kindler of the past?

And what is identity if not a memory and imagination?

Zeitgeist: Got Natural?

What is natural? What is almost natural, kind of natural and not natural at all? My dictionary application defines natural as: something in or caused by nature; not made or caused by human kind; or in agreement with the character or makeup of, or circumstance, surrounding someone or something; instinct; based on innate moral sense... and so on and so forth.It seems to be a word that as my mom says, "is ambiguous and abused."

This past Sunday, April 10, I went to a wine expose called Vin Natur whose mission states:

“ The association of Vin Natur reunites wine makers from around the world that intend to defend the integrity of their territory respecting the history, the culture and the arts that have been handed down over time taking inspiration from a strong ecological ethic."

(http://www.vinnatur.it)

There were around 150 producers gathered in a beautiful castle on a hill overlooking springtime vineyards. From Chardonnay to Nebbiolo, Syrah to Nero d’avola, traveling from terroir to terroir is a full body experience. In a world where good wine seems to not be so difficult to find, how are we to choose between the great and the splendid, the fantastic and the wonderful?

A product, wine in this case, is no longer just a bottle full of a lavish liquid. Cultivation and fermentation are no longer the main factors that one takes into consideration when purchasing a bottle of wine. We go beyond the aromas and the consistency. As consumers, we are after more than just the vessel of vino. We are now after the person as well. From who are we buying? What is their story? We are seeking a relationship, an emotional attachment. Dare I say it; we’re looking to go steady with a product.

It is at events like Vin Natur where producers are able to create a powerful tie between themselves and the consumer and maybe even convince many of us to be their lawful loyal costumer until death to us part.

This is not to say that the taste of the wine is not important. However it is more likely that we would purchase a mediocre wine from someone who is full of passion and charisma than an extravagant wine from an egotistical snob. But the difference is if we did not know those two people, the man full of inspiration and an o.k wine would not be nearly as successful as the devious man with a one of a kind wine.

And so at this event, the person becomes the product. The producers with whom I mingled were no other than those with Frankenstein hair, colorful clothes and a passion for experimentation. Some brought their dogs and some brought their children. The wines were as funky as the folk and their talk as tangy as the wine.

More often than not, I found myself continuing to taste a wacky (or wackier) man's wine, not solely for the excellence of the wine but because of the story behind it. They would stir up my curiosity and before you knew it, the label on the wine had a face.

So back to our initial question:

What is natural? It is an echo.

Does the man mirror the wine.?

The people coming to Vin Natur are the ones who like to advertise the fact that their grapes are either organic or biodynamic, their sulfites are less than 50 mg, they do little or no filtration and they interfere as little as they can with the process. Does this make their wine more natural?

Well maybe yes and maybe no. I think that C.S Lewis sums it up best when he says, "Reason is the natural order of Truth; but Imagination is the organ of Meaning."

* The author of this piece is not a sommelier. Her perspective is based upon the fact that wine to her is a form of art. What's your opinion?

Stocks and Broths Just Cook It Potluck

Our first Just Cook It challenge potluck of 2011, held on March 20th, was great fun. We had 10 very different and very delicious dishes to try, all featuring a novel kind of soup stock or broth. Everyone got the chance to describe the process they used and the parts of their dish they were most excited about. It was a great chance to try a lot of different flavors, from Pho to rabbit stock, from duck confit over chicken broth-based bean soup, from shrimp bisque to beef stock. All of the dishes were very unique and showed the efforts and passion of the people who brought them. This event kicks off the season of these monthly potlucks where we slow food enthusiasts can try something new and share the challenges with others in a very convivial atmosphere. I like to see this as an opportunity to try something that I have been meaning to try for a while, but haven't had the occasion. I tried making beef stock, then clarifying it with an egg raft according to Julia Child's recipe. It worked even better than I expected and I found that it was indeed worth the extra effort. The next Just Cook It challenge potluck is coming up this Sunday, April 17th and will focus on smoked foods. While this is a valuable food preservation technique still today, there are many ways to use the aroma of smoke to add complexity to any type of dish. This is a chance to try a small stove-top smoking technique, or start the grill outside for the first time this year. The great food, conversation and enthusiasm at the stocks and broths potluck make me look forward to the whole series of these events in the coming year. Hope to see you there!

April Book Review: All About Braising

Books are an important part of my life, on almost all subjects – fiction, history, gardening, among many others, including cookbooks. I usually keep one on my nightstand and read it straight through before bedtime, as if it were fiction. I love everything about books, the way the pages smell when they are new, how their spines hold their heft together neatly in my hand.

Molly Stevens’ book, All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking says it is A Treasury of One-Pot Meals, right there on the cover. To call this book a treasury is certainly an understatement. This book is not simply a collection of 150 recipes, it is a wonderful volume filled with meal after meal of cooking treasures.

The book opens with a section titled The Principles of Braising, which is well worth reading. I read this whole section before digging into the recipes, and I’m so glad I did. In it, Stevens acquaints her reader with the best foods fit for braising, the proper pot shapes and sizes, the importance of browning, the role of aromatics, the braising liquid and so much more. After this opening primer, Stevens lays out the sections by subject, such as Vegetables, Seafood, Poultry & Game, Beef, etc. Each recipe therein includes a narrative and detailed instructions that really help to keep the reader grounded in the process at all times. Many of the recipes offer a suggested wine pairing as well, thanks to Tim Gaiser, which were very welcome as I tend to be a little wine-naïve.

Braising is an activity that takes some preparation as the cooking times are long, and some of the recipes have marinades that require a day or so of advance planning. The old adage of good things coming to those who wait couldn’t be more true for this book. I was delighted to find that as long as I had to wait for some of these dishes – the pay-off in taste was tremendous.

The recipes travel around the world’s palate of braised and slow-cooked dishes, from Italy as in Peperonata or as in the Tuna Steaks Braised with Radicchio, Chickpeas & Rosemary, to Asian treats such as Chicken Do-Piaza, Chicken Goan or Beef Rendang. Braised Pork Chops & Creamy Cabbage satisfy deeply and the Grillades & Grits left me searching my calendar for another occasion to make them.

Some of the recipes serve dual roles: the Braised Leeks with Bacon & Thyme make a reprise as Braised Leeks & Bacon in a Tart. The Pappardelle with Leftover Braised Lamb & Olives is so delicious that I wondered which of the eight recipes for braised lamb I should choose to make for it. The answer for me was the succulent Herb-Stuffed Leg of Lamb Braised in Red Wine.

After the Coq Au Vin, which was the finest chicken dish I have ever eaten, hands down and without question, I had to stop. It won’t be long before I’m back to this book again. It is a cooking treasure in and of itself.

“All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking” by Molly Stevens. Published by W.W. Norton & Company, 2004. 481 pages, color photos.

Drink More Wine

Wine in Italy is a world away from wine in the United States. Wine anywhere is different than wine anywhere else: technically speaking as well as culturally speaking. In this land, that is Italy, one does not have to wait until the age of 21 to Cin Cin nor do they chug chug chug until not even a drop of Dolcetto dangles in the glass (however this is slowly changing). Piemonte, the region in which I live, is home to what many people would consider some of the world's best wine. From Dolcetto to Nebbiolo, Piemonte seems to be dressed in vineyards while those lacking the lines of vines strike you as naked.

I am still a novice when it comes to wine. However, it is difficult to be a wine wiz at such a young age. After all it is lots about seeing and smelling and tasting as many wines as possible in order to create a wine bank of memory in your brain. Your own wine dictionary that expands with every smell n' sip.I guess, "The older the wiser." Needless to say, I am trying to speed up my wine aging process. Studying at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, I have been learning through smell and taste. In how many other subjects do you learn via the tongue and the nostrils?

This past Thursday, March 31, Vittorio Manganelli, also known as Master Taster, came to the University to give us a two hour lecture on the history of Piemontese wine in the past 50 years. From 10 wine producers after the second world war to 300 today, wine has evolved and is continuing to do so for many reasons:

1. In 1970 D.O.C (Denominazione di origine controllata) gave birth to the idea of quality in the Italian wine world.

2. Increase in global consumption: thanks to the emergence of the American market

3. In 1988, the first Italian Wine Guide was published called, "Vini d'Italia," published by Gambero Rosso and Slow Food- giving consumers a pre-constructed guide to good wine.

4. The birth of the enologist.

With this knowledge, gusto was kindled. As awareness spread, palates were magnified.

It is as if knowledge itself is a taste bud on the tongue that with time and learning can become hyper-sensitized. An optimal example of this is wine.The acquired taste theory is one for the weak. Of course you'll get use to things but will you be able to appreciate them?

So get on with the drinking. Unleash the power of your nose and amplify the sensitivity of your tongue!