Basmati Rice with Apple, Bacon, and Sage

17 November 2009 Filed In: apple, bacon, cooking class, Dairy-free, Fall, Gluten-free, rice, Side Dish, Soy-free, Summer, Thanksgiving, Winter





Yes, more bacon. What? You didn’t think I was done with it just because I ate up a pound of it all by myself five years ago did you?

Mmm, this little side is something I could eat for breakfast or lunch or dinner. The smoky, the sweet, the salty all come together so that the gestalt is warm and satisfying in chilly weather. Fall comfort food, don’t you know.
There are other grains to use for the base. Standing with me in the checkout line on Sunday, my friend S began to talk lovingly about farro. Oh yes, that would be so good and perfectly earthy in this recipe. For class, though, we stuck with basmati because, well, there has never been a kid who walked into my class yet and proclaimed that they hated rice. (Notice the little sneaks of it in the picture above). Plus, rice sops up all of the lovely flavors.
I promise that I will try and back off of the pork for a bit. I do not know what has come over me of late with all the bacon this, pork that. Hmmm?
Basmati Rice with Apple, Bacon, and Sage

*2 c. basmati rice
*1 t. salt
*1/2 lb. uncured bacon
*2 1/2 lbs. apples, a mixture of sweet and tart works best, diced
*3 shallots, chopped
*1 1/2 c. apple cider
*2 t. apple cider vinegar
*1 t. maple syrup
*1 T. fresh sage leaves, chopped

Together: Place 3 paper towels on a dinner plate in preparation for the bacon. Measure out all of the wet ingredients together; weigh the apples.

Wash the basmati rice in a bowl or large measuring cup with a pouring spout. Pour off the water and wash again. Repeat till the water is mostly clear.

Place the rice, the salt, 3 cups of water and 1/2 c. of the apple cider in a heavy pot with a lid.

Big Person: Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 25 minutes. Take the pot off of the heat with the top still on. Let the rice steam, covered, for another 10 minutes before you lift off the lid.

In a saute pan, cook the bacon over medium heat till it has browned on both sides. Remove the bacon from the pan to the plate with the paper towels. Clean all but about a tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan.

Add the shallots, apples, apple cider, maple syrup and vinegar to the pan and cook, stirring, for a few minutes, till the apples and shallots are completely soft. Let cool.

Back Together Again: In a big bowl, place the rice and the cooled apple mixture. Crumble in the bacon. Sprinkle in the sage. Carefully, mix everything together. Taste for seasoning. You might find you need some black pepper, a little more vinegar, or a pinch of nutmeg.

Serve garnished with a few small sage leaves.

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Roast Pork Loin with a Simple Orange Glaze

13 November 2009 Filed In: cooking class, Dairy-free, Fall, Gluten-free, Main Dish, pork, Soy-free, Spring, Summer, Winter





One of my big person friends found it a little shocking that we would practice butchering in our cooking class for four-year-olds.

“They’ll never eat meat again, ” she said pleadingly.
Well, that very well might be true. When we work with meat and animal products, when we cook with them, we are face to face with the reality of exactly what we are eating and not ten steps removed. It can definitely be shocking to some kids and to adults for that matter.
There is also some general fear around butchering that I hope to dispel among the mini-chefs. One mother commented that she had always been afraid to cut and tie roasts before she saw us do it. Afterward, you could see that she was going to go home and be able to do it very easily herself. This stuff is not difficult if you follow each step the first time around. Having been a mostly vegetarian for a decade, I, too, had experienced some fear around particular cuts of meat for no reason other than nobody had ever taught me how to work with them. The way our class works is this: If the mini-chefs can do it, you can do it!
Because we usually cook pork loin by browning it in the pan on both sides first and then sending it to the oven, I decided to search “roast a bone-in pork loin” on Google and on a few food sites. Martha Stewart, in all her glory, won out for the best kid-adaptable version. To me, her version seems sort of like an edible craft project.
The adult will be there to make the actual cuts, but the Yummies can do the rest of the work to get the roast ready for the oven. Before you make this roast pork loin, go check out Martha’s fabulous pictures. She was spot on in her rendering. Take a peek, and then try this one. We adjusted the seasoning and whipped up an easy glaze to make the taste more pleasing for more families.
After the roast came out of the oven, all of the children ate some and most of them absolutely loved it. There might end up being some vegetarians in the mix, but at least they will know what they are getting themselves into if they do choose to eat meat. And now, they can go home and direct their Big Person exactly how to make it.
Roast Pork Loin with Garlic and Thyme
adapted from Martha Stewart
feeds about 6 adults

For the roast:
*5 lb bone-in pork loin, Frenched (ask your butcher to do this for you)
*3 cloves of garlic
*2 T. dried thyme
*salt and pepper, to taste
*a bowl of warm sudsy water and a kitchen towel
* kitchen twine
*fresh thyme sprigs for garnishing (optional)

For the glaze:
*2 navel oranges, juiced
*1/3 c. dry white wine
* the pan drippings from your roast

Big Person: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Cut two of the garlic cloves into about 12-15 thin slices apiece. Separately mince the remaining clove of garlic and set aside.

With a sharp knife, make 24-30 cuts half-inch cuts all over the meat. Then, with your knife right up against the meat at the bones, slice down about two inches into the meat, creating a pocket.

Together: Show your mini-chef how to stick the slices of garlic into the slits that you made all over your meat. Remind them before and during that they should not put their hands in their mouths throughout this process. Use a bowl with warm, soapy water and a clean kitchen towel any time you feel you need it.

Open the pocket you made. Sprinkle the minced garlic and 1 1/2 T of the thyme into the pocket. Sprinkle in some salt and grind in some pepper.

Close the pocket and get your kitchen twine ready. Let out a few inches of slack and keep free for the first part of the wrapping. Starting on one side of the roast, begin wrapping. Go in between each rib as you wrap around the whole thing. End up in the middle using your slack to tie off the twine and fully seal the pocket.

Sprinkle the remaining thyme and some salt and pepper all over the roast. Place the pork loin on a roasting pan.

Big Person: Roast the pork loin for 60-85 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees. Let the meat rest at least 10 minutes to reabsorb the juices.

Make the glaze:
Using the pan drippings from your roast with the orange juice and white wine. Bring them to a boil on the stove top in a saute pan. Stirring, reduce the liquid to 1/3. Spoon the glaze over the individual pork chops when serving.

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Favorite Dish

11 November 2009 Filed In: chicken, corner view

Asking me to pick a favorite dish is like asking me to pick which of my children I like best. Each dish has its own history in my life and, sometimes, in the life of my family.

Take bacon. When I was twelve, over at my friend Janelle’s house the morning of a sleepover, Janelle’s mom served us a mountain of pancakes and a wall of bacon. I put some bacon on my plate, tried to take a bite, and just couldn’t. Now when you are in North Carolina, where I was attending an arts school, you are expected to eat what you put on your plate. That day I was not a good, southern girl. Luckily, bacon seems to be one of those things you can pass on to your friends without much questioning. I slipped it to one of the other girls who happily ate it right up.
I did not touch bacon for fourteen years until one evening when I asked my husband if he would please go and get me a little bacon. He looked at me askance, but, since he is a great lover of bacon and since he figured his influence must have been changing me for the better, went downstairs to the bodega and brought back a pound of bacon. I ate the whole thing. Every last bite of it, no sharing.
A day later we found out I was pregnant with our daughter.
A dish, though, implies something with a bit more gravitas, then a lonely pan of bacon. It implies, to me, something besides dessert, too, which is my favorite of favorite foods, courses, and earthly delights. To help make a decision, I asked myself what I could eat for the rest of my life if I absolutely had to. It was a toss-up among miso soup, chicken soup, and whole roasted chicken with vegetables. In the end, the roasted chicken won out. My entire family will eat it with no complaints, no grumbles, just lots of chewing.
The recipe for my dry spice rub is here. For a whole chicken, slice an organic lemon in half and place it into the chicken’s (cough) cavity along with two or three cloves of garlic and tiny bunch of thyme, rosemary, or your favorite herb. Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter over the chicken and cover with 2-3 tablespoons of the spice rub. Cram whatever veggies you’d like in the bottom of the pan in a single layer around the chicken.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place your prepared chicken in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook till the chicken is beautiful and browned. Basting is not essential but it does add more deliciousness and crispiness to the skin.
What is your absolute favorite dish? The one you could not live without?
Read about other people dishing around the world:

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Dumplings Part Two: Sesame Spinach Dumplings

09 November 2009 Filed In: Appetizers, cooking class, Dairy-free, dumplings, Fall, Gluten-free, sesame, Side Dish, spinach, Spring, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter





One of my students called these tasty little bites, “ducklings” instead of dumplings the other day. It is easy to see a connection. They are small, cute, and you want to have them around you.

Our vegetarian version, made with sesame and spinach, packs in a lot of flavor and vitamins. In general, I hear a lot of groaning and “yuck”-ing when spinach is mentioned, but when we add in some other and delicious flavors like sesame, the kids start changing their minds. The optional addition of the ricotta cheese lends a creaminess, like ravioli, that a lot of children will also find really pleasing.
As we were eating our dumplings together in class and once the moms had figured out how easy they were to make, a lot of the moms started talking about the other things with which you could fill your dumplings. That, to me, is the greatest achievement, to give an inspiration and then let my students interpret the recipes to fit their and their family’s taste.
As my afternoon student went to put her coat on, she called down the hall, very seriously, “Mom, don’t forget my ducklings!”
Success.
Sesame Spinach Dumplings

*raw spinach (fresh is best, but frozen is fine)
*1 T. olive oil
*1 t. toasted sesame oil
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1/4 c sesame seeds (black or white)
*1-2 T. tahini
*optional: fresh ricotta cheese, room temperature
*salt and pepper, to taste
*100 dumpling wrappers (wonton or egg roll skins)

Big Person: Blanche (submerge in boiling water) the spinach for one minute, remove to a colander and drain. Once most of the water has drained off, chop the spinach well. Set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the oils over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for a minute, stirring. Stir in the chopped spinach, season with black pepper, and cook a minute or two, until a lot of the water evaporates and the flavors meld. Remove to a bowl and cool till just warm or to room temperature.

Together: Let your mini-chef sprinkle in the sesame seeds and add the tahini to the spinach mixture. Give all that a good stir and taste for seasoning.

To Assemble: Set out a little bowl of water and a dinner plate for each dumpling maker. Place your dumpling skin on the dinner plate. In the very middle of the skin, place a little ball of the spinach mixture and a little bit of the ricotta cheese, if desired.

Trace the perimeter of the dumpling with a finger dipped in water. The water will act as the glue that seals the dumplings. Begin to fold the dumpling so that the filling is completely sealed. Everyone has a different technique, depending on the shape of the wrapper and personal style. Once a dumpling is made, place it on a platter to be steamed.

To steam the dumplings place a colander in a large pot with a inch and a half of boiling water. Oil the colander so that the dumplings do not stick. Place one layer of dumplings in the colander. Top with a layer of parchment paper, leaving some room around the edges so that the steam can reach the top layer. Place another layer of dumplings on the parchment. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid, and steam for 4-6 minutes.

Remove the dumplings to a platter and consume immediately. Serve with a side of soy sauce or sesame ginger dressing for dipping.

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Dumplings Part One: Pork Dumplings

06 November 2009 Filed In: Appetizers, cooking class, Dairy-free, dumplings, Fall, Gluten-free, pork, Side Dish, Spring, Summer, Winter





Dumplings are a family affair, a community affair. Like ravioli, samosas, or tamales, they are easier made with and consumed by a crowd. In this case, a crowd of mini-chefs and mums assembled the many dumplings. Quicker than it took to make them, we gobbled them up.

The most frequent comment that I heard about these-besides the mmm’s emanating from the Yummies- was how glad everyone was to have made these.
“I would never have thought they were so easy,” was the general consensus.
Call up your neighborhood and your college roommate. Time to make the dumplings!
Pork Dumplings

*2 lbs. ground pork
*2 T. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
*2-3 cloves garlic, minced
*1 1/2 c. shredded carrots
*1 T. olive oil
*1 T. soy sauce
*black pepper, to taste
*3 scallions (green parts only), chopped
*300 wonton or egg roll wrappers (if they are too big, use kitchen scissors to cut them in half)

Big Person: In a large saucepan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the garlic, carrots, and ginger and, stirring, cook a minute. Add the pork, break it up and stir it with your spatula, and cook it thoroughly, till all the pink disappears. Season with the soy sauce and the black pepper. Set the scallions aside in another small bowl till ready to assemble the dumplings.

You can easily make these in a bamboo steamer set over a saucepan of boiling water, but if you do not have access to such a thing, then simply place a colander over boiling water inside a large pot with a tight fitting lid. Oil the steamer or colander with a little vegetable oil. To steam more than one layer of dumplings at a time, place a piece of parchment paper on top of the first “level” of dumplings, and add another layer right on top of the parchment, making sure that there is a bit of room around the sides so that the steam can make its way into the top layer.

Together: Set up your work space so that each chef has a little bowl of water to dip fingers into, a large plate on which to assemble her dumplings, and access to the pork filling and the scallions. Also, have a big platter ready where you can place your finished but still raw dumplings.

Place a dumpling wrapper on your plate and then top that, right in the center of the wrapper, with a bit of the pork filling. Sprinkle on a couple of the chopped scallion pieces.

Dip your finger in the water and trace around the entire perimeter of the wrapper with your finger, painting a water shape. This last part is up to artistic expression. You will fold the dumpling and seal it well, using more water. Just make sure that, in the end, it is fully sealed: half moons, triangles, little purses, or, well, your own creation. Set your sealed dumpling on the platter to take to the steamer. Keep assembling till all the filling and wrappers are used.

Working in batches, steam the dumplings for 4-5 minutes. Take out and serve immediately with a little soy sauce.

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