Cooking Pasta: Debunking the Myth

Part of coming of age and the endless struggle for self is the establishment and ascendance of individual truth, honing mind and temperament, discriminating fact from fancy, empirical evidence from legend and myth.

I thought I had arrived in so many ways and then reality hit me like a flung wet noodle against the wall of my existence. We’ll save for another venue all the charming folktales of my youth soberly and maturedly dispensed with. But there I was, sitting pretty on the comfy wine colored couch, reaching for a bleached white conch shell that sits atop a wicker woven basket poised for reminiscence, aside other brilliant priceless colored stones, crystals, odd shaped rocks and shells randomly picked for their momentary significance and tangible recall. As I held the conch to my ear, I heard the voice of my nine year old neighbor and friend – Batya – herself clearly establishing her own unique truth sets, say:

– You know, that’s not the sound of the ocean you’re hearing, that’s just the echo of the air in the shell.

– What??? That can’t possibly be true, I know it’s the ocean, the waves of the very ocean that the shell came from.

I was not going to let this cute but clearly misinformed enfant terrible wreck my personal objects de time machine recall. Of course, we did what sensible people  do in such circumstances, we checked Wikipedia online.

I shouldn’t have, I know it now….. there are certain life mysteries that are best left alone… but there it was, the total deflation of spirit and romance and everything that’s right with the world….”What you are actually hearing is the sound around you vibrating as an echo in the air within the shell.” Who the heck needed to hear that, to know that? Great! Take the technicolor out of my universe… Hey, absolute reality is not all it’s cracked up to be. I know a butterfly flitting it’s wings impacts the climate at  the opposite end of the globe, and I know with the ten percent of my brain operational part of my brain that yawning is contagious, chicken soup cures a cold and that the five second rule applies. So maybe being primordial isn’t such a bad thing… No such thing as fairy dust?!?!?!? P’shaaaaaawww! What a world, What a world!!!

So talking about cooking pasta. Here I was thinking I had reached maximum maturity when I learned that al dente is très chic, that the “if it sticks” rule really does work and that salt in boiling water is a good thing along with a few drops of oil, so that the pasta doesn’t stick. When I really pay attention, I even cover the pot after its come to a boil and let it stay on low simmer.

Anyway, here are a few things I’ve learned since. Feel free to write in and further debunk my myths.

1. Use a one to four ratio of water to pasta – four parts water to one part of pasta. Pasta needs room to cook.
2. Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt for each gallon of water.
3. Bring it to mighty bubbling boil, and then let it simmer for a minute or two till done.
4. Don’t add oil… get this: oil makes the pasta slick and then all the wonderful sauces can’t adhere to it.
5. Furthermore, after you drain the pasta, don’t rinse it. The starchiness too is a binder for whatever you will be adding to your pasta dish. The only exception is when you are making a cold pasta salad, then it is preferable to rinse the pasta first.

See? Some things are worth knowing after all. By the way, that gum I swallowed approaching the shiva house… seven years until it dissolves. Well what you can’t see can’t hurt you, right? Right?

Photo from: http://www.6ixpassions.com

Stir Fry Beef on Penne Pasta (adpated from 6ix Passions)

Ingredients

• 1 lb penne pasta
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, cut into strips
  
• 1 lb beef, cubed
• 1 red pepper, cut into strips
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 8 broccoli florettes
• Mango Salsa
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook the penne pasta al dente (cooked through, tender, but still offering some resistance to the bite).
2. Stir fry beef with Spanish red onion, mushrooms, red peppers and broccoli
3. Toss on the pasta with mango salsa.
4. Sprinkle with fresh parsley

Enjoy!

SYR

Stir-Fry Beef on Penne Past

Cooking with Lévana – Part 5

It’s no secret to anyone who regularly peruses these pages (here, here, here, and here) that both SYR and I are enamored with Lévana’s cooking and teaching styles. Often defying the tried and true, she combines many an ingredient in ways that conventional wisdom might sometimes question but the results are always delicious! She does, time and again, prove that cooking for a crowd need not be a whole day affair, she invariably comes up with shortcuts that save hours of work, nerves and sweat.

This past Monday, after just over a month of being unable to do much, I found my way to Lévana’s Dinner and Show, this week. She covered Sephardi Finger Foods; the menu consisted of the following:

Lamb, Pine-Nut and Raisin Grape Leaves
Spicy Chicken Cigars
Mushroom Borekas
Fishballs in Lemon Sauce
Spicy Marinated Olives
Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini and Eggplant
Nut Truffles

"Let's start now, OK?"

It’s hard to choose just two of the recipes, but since this week we’ve been covering mushrooms we will include this one where she uses them:

Mushroom Borekas

Filling:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound mushrooms, chopped
¼ cup fresh bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Good pinch nutmeg
½ teaspoon dry thyme or tarragon
2 pounds puff pastry sheets, kept chilled
1 egg, mixed with a little water

Preparing the filling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the mushrooms and sauté until all liquids evaporate. Add the remaining filling ingredients, and combine thoroughly. Cut the puff pastry to desired size. Place the filling in the center and close on all sides, pressing all around the sides with a fork. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Bake about 30 minutes, or a little longer, until golden brown and puffy. Serve hot.

Hot and delicious

Hot and delicious

The Spicy Marinated Olives were superb (and those who know me, know I’m no big fan of olives), with very subtle hints of anise. Unusual, delectable!  The Spicy Chicken Cigars were the best I’ve ever tasted; the Fishballs in Lemon Sauce, superbly delicious, didn’t taste fishy at all!

The Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini and Eggplant looked great and tasted supreme. The excellent Nut Truffles dessert, was just sweet enough without the sweetness drowning out any of the other flavors.

The pièce de résistance, for me, was the Lamb, Pine-Nut and Raisin Grape Leaves dish:

Lamb, Pine nut and Raisin Grape Leaves

Filling
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large cloves garlic1 large onion, quartered
1 small bunch flat parsley
¼ cup mint leaves, packed
1 pound ground lamb
1 large tomato, halved, seeded, and diced small
1/2 cup golden or black raisins
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (325 degree oven. 10-12 minutes)
Good pinch saffron
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pepper to taste
1 15 ounce jar grape leaves, separated and rinsed
1 cup pomegranate or cranberry juice
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the oil in a skillet. In a food processor, finely grind the garlic. Add the onion, parsley and and mint, and grind coarsely. Add the ground mixture to the skillet, and saute until translucent. Add the lamb and tomato, and cook 2-3 more minutes. Add all remaining filling ingredients and mix thoroughly. Place a tablespoon stuffing at the bottom center of a leaf (smaller leaves: Make them overlap to get a larger more workable surface). Roll once, fold the sides towards to center, and roll all the way up. Place seam side down in a pan just large enough to fit the leaves snugly in one layer. Repeat with the remaining leaves and stuffing. Whisk the juice, tomato paste and oil in a little bowl, and pour evenly over the leaves. Bake about 40 minutes, until the juices are reduced and the leaves look nicely browned on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Lamb and Pine-Nut Stuffed Grape Leaves - ready to be baked

All in all, it was a cooking demo and dinner to remember.

CS

More Mushroom Recipes

[While recovering I’m actively on the hunt for new and exciting recipes, considering that our last post has gathered a lot of interest, I thought I’d do best by bringing you more “mushrooms as a main ingredient.” I’ve tried everyone of these, and I found each simply delicious! CS]

From Kaylin’s Kitchen:

Roasted Mushrooms with Garlic, Thyme, and Balsamic Vinegar

1 lb. mushrooms (I used brown Crimini mushrooms)
2 T + 1 tsp. olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 T finely minced garlic
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 T finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 T chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)

Preheat oven to 400F/200C or heat gas or charcoal grill to medium high. Wash mushrooms, pull out stems, and cut into halves (or quarters if the mushrooms are large.) Put mushrooms into bowl and toss with 2 T olive oil, salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Cover a roasting pan with foil, then arrange mushrooms on the pan in a single layer. (Spread them out as much as you can. For cooking on a grill, I’d probably use heavy foil to make a “pan” so the flame doesn’t turn the bottom of the roasting pan black.)

Roast mushrooms 15 minutes. While mushrooms cook, finely chop fresh thyme, then mix with minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, and the tsp. of olive oil. (You could mix this right in the bowl you originally tossed the mushrooms with.)

After 15 minutes, drain off any liquid that has accumulated. (If you spread the mushrooms out well, the liquid will evaporate, but if yours are too crowded like mine, you’ll have a little liquid to pour off.) Then toss the hot mushrooms with they garlic-thyme mixture. Arrange back on roasting pan and cook about 10 minutes more. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Delicious!!!!

Portobello mushrooms are inexpensive, full of flavor and meat like in taste. Here is a quick and easy recipe from allrecipes.com:

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 3 portobello mushrooms
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Clean mushrooms and remove stems, reserve for other use. Place caps on a plate with the gills up.
2. In a small bowl, combine the oil, onion, garlic and vinegar. Pour mixture evenly over the mushroom caps and let stand for 1 hour.
3. Grill over hot grill for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe Yield: 3 servings

As a child, as a teenager, mushrooms were not exactly my idea of good food… As I grew older, my taste buds got more educated and started appreciating many ingredients I would never have touched in my early years. Mushroom based dishes not only are healthy, but mushrooms add a lot of flavor to almost anything they are cooked with. Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy

CS

Wild Mushroom Pierogies

[I’ve not been well for just over a month, while I’m slowly recovering and SYR is finishing off some other projects, I thought that I should at least bring you some delectable recipes from other blogs. One of my favorite recipe sites PtitChef, directed my attention to this great recipe (I made it yesterday and can attest to it being delicious!) from a non kosher blogger (Gourmet Traveller) who nevertheless has some superb recipes that are easy to adapt or already can be kosher. Below I will quote the original recipe and then I will give you my variation, because I had it together with meat. CS]

serves 6

Filling:

1 cup boiling water
18g (2/3 oz) dried porcini mushrooms
1 medium onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves, crushed
170g (6 oz) cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

1 portion pierogi dough (recipe below)
450g (1 lb) onions, chopped
55g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
sour cream (to serve)

First, make the filling. Pour boiling water over porcini in a small bowl and soak until softened, 10 to 20 minutes. Lift porcini out of water, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, and rinse well to remove any grit. Pour soaking liquid through a paper-towel-lined sieve into a bowl and reserve.

Finely chop onion and garlic in a food processor, then add the cremini and porcini mushrooms and pulse until very finely chopped.

Heat butter in a skillet over moderate heat until foaming, then cook mushroom mixture, stirring frequently, until mushrooms darken and excess liquid has evaporated (about 8 minutes). Add reserved soaking liquid and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick, dry, and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes (there will be about 1 cup filling). Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Leave to cool completely.

To make the pierogies, Halve the dough and roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface into a 15-inch round (keep remaining dough wrapped). Cut out rounds with a floured cutter and place 1 tsp filling in centre of each round. Moisten edges with water and fold in half to form a half-moon, and pinch the edges together to seal. Transfer made pierogi to a flour-dusted kitchen towel and repeat with remaining rounds.

Cook onions in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Cook pierogies in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the skillet with onions and lightly pan-fry for a minute or two on each side – be careful as the dumplings will be fragile. Serve immediately.

Note: Filling can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Filled pierogies can be frozen 1 month. Freeze on a tray until firm (about 2 hours) then freeze in plastic bags. Thaw before cooking.

Pierogi Dough

1 3/4 cup plain flour
2 large eggs
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water

Stir together flours in a bowl. Make a well in flour and add eggs, salt, and water, then stir together with a fork without touching flour. Continue stirring, gradually incorporating flour into well until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding only as much additional flour as needed to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. (Dough will be soft.) Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Note: Dough may be made 2 hours ahead, wrapped well in plastic wrap and chilled. Bring to room temperature before using.

Because some porcini mushrooms are known to be infested with tiny insects and worms I substituted them with fresh shiitake mushrooms, even if the taste is somewhat different and not as nutty. On the other hand, shiitake mushrooms have been identified as a top provider of L-ergothioneine (one of the most potent anti-oxidants), so I felt it was a very good substitute.

Since I had some left over Shabbos meat, that had to be finished, instead of butter (as the original recipe calls for) I used Hollandaise Sauce (made with margarine) as taught by Chef David Ritter (from the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts) on these two videos. The Hollandaise also brought another element to the above recipe, not only was the sauce quite buttery but it also added a subtle, tang taste. MmMmm, MmmMm!

Yesterday’s dinner was delicious, but I also learned how to make a great Hollandaise… ahhh, the future possibilities!  I froze three of the six pierogies,  those I’ll try this with Chef Ritter’s Béarnaise Sauce, it should greatly enhance the taste.

CS

More Delicious Passover Recipes

I found two great Passover recipes and… my mouth is already watering. Both come from the same site:

Here’s the first:

Chicken & Vegetable Croquettes

[Gebroks]
This is a recipe amended for Passover from the one printed in Food & Wine which originated from Ismael Prados, the chef at La Vinya del Senyor, a well-known tapas bar in Barcelona. Substitutions have been made for flour and bread products, and this recipe calls for coconut milk instead of regular milk, which does change the flavor, but also makes this dish kosher. During non-Passover times, it would also be possible to use unflavored soy milk instead of the coconut milk.

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 leek, white and lt. green parts only, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 carrot, cut into 1 in. chunks
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. Madras curry powder salt & freshly ground pepper
2 cups lite coconut milk
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cups matza cake meal, plus more for dusting
about 1 quart vegetable oil for deep frying
2 eggs
1 cup matza meal

Makes 35 croquettes.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375.

In a small roasting pan, toss the chicken thighs with the onion, leek, carrot & garlic. add the olive oil and 1 1/2 tsp. of the curry powder. Season with salt & pepper. Roast, turning once, until the chicken thighs are tender (about 35 minutes). Let cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, on med-low heat, bring the milk to a simmer with remaining curry powder. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a food processor, pulse the chicken with the roasted vegetables until a puree forms, Season the puree generously with salt & pepper.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the cake meal and cook over a moderately low heat, stirring constantly until lightly browned. Stir in the chicken puree. Gradually add the coconut milk, little by little at first, and whisking constantly until it has all been added. coo over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is no longer sticky, about 15 minutes. Season with salt & pepper and let cool to room temperature, about an hour.

In a large saucepan, heat 1 1/2 inches of vegeable oil to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured (matza cake meal) surface, roll the croquette mixture into 3/4 inch ropes. Cut the ropes into 1 1/2 in. little pieces.

In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Spread the matza meal in another shallow bowl. Dip the croquttes in the egg, then coat with matza meal, Add the croquttes to the hot oil in bacthes, taking care not to crowd the pan, and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer croquettes to paper towels to drain and serve piping hot.

Here’s the second recipe:

Stuffed Portabellini Mushrooms

[Gebroks]
Smaller versions of portobello mushrooms, portobellinis taste just as great and are the perfect size to use in this stuffed mushroom appetizer recipe. A great appetizer for a Passover seder dinner, this vegetarian recipe (vegan, actually) can also be used as a Thanksgiving dinner appetizer. You can substitute bread crumbs for the farfel when it’s not Passover. This also makes a great holiday party appetizer recipe as mushroom appetizers make good, easy to handle, finger food!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup vegetable or no-chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup. balsamic vinegar
6 portobellini or portobello mushrooms
1 cup matzah farfel (use bread crumbs when not Passover)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage (pineapple sage if you can get it)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
cooking spray (olive oil if you can get it)

Makes 6 servings.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 3/4. c. broth, vinegar and garlic in a small bowl, let stand 15 minutes. Strain through a sieve over a small saucepan to reserve garlic. Bring vinegar mixture to a boil, and cook until reduced to 6 tbsp (about 6 minutes). Keep warm.

Remove the brown gills from the mushrooms using a spoon, and discard gills. De-stem the mushrooms, finely chop stems and set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over med high heat. Add farfel , cook for 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Stir in the reserved garlic, chopped mushroom stems, chives, sage, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in 1/2 c. broth. Keep warm.

Place the mushroom caps, stem sides up, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until tender. divide farfel mixtured evenly among mushroom caps and drizzle 1 tbsp of vinegar mixture over each serving. Garnish with sage leaves, if desired.

Enjoy!

CS

The Making of a Corporate Chef

Chef David Kolotkin is no stranger to these pages, but every time he reveals more and more about the Chef’s art. This time I went with him to Manhattan’s Union Square Farmers’ Market.

Chef David Kolotkin looking at mushroom varieties

We looked at tomatoes, cucumbers and some interesting varieties of mushrooms as the Chef explained about their flavor nuances, how the various types differed from each other. Next we turned to stalls carrying mesclun, arugula, and a few other salad greens. I really got an education today! Before we left the Chef picked up about four pounds of fresh Jerusalem artichokes for The Prime Grill.

But who is David Kolotkin? What makes him tick? He was barely in his teens when his interest in cooking first manifested itself. His mother had taken him to a restaurant where the food was prepared table-side. David watched fascinated and decided right there and then that one day he too would join that profession.

After high school he attended the prestigious Culinary Institute of America from 1991 t0 1993, he then went on to apprentice at the legendary Club 21.  Club 21 was a favorite meeting place for many of the rich, the famous, powerful politicians and entertainers. After a while he resumed studies at the CIA and returned to Club 21 for another 3 years.

Leaving Club 21, he became sous chef for the Restaurant Associates operated, very exclusive, Trustees Dining Room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. From there he went on to to become sous chef at Windows on the World, which occupied the 106th and 107th floors of the North Tower at the World Trade Center.

After 9/11 he landed at The Prime Grill (60 East 49th Street; New York, NY 10017; 212.692.9292). He left in 2005 for his own venture in Miami, it didn’t work out and on his return to New York he worked for famed restaurateur Kenneth Uretsky, whom he knew from his RA days. Mr. Uretsky hired him for his Butterfield 81 restaurant. In 2007 he went back to The Prime Grill. Since then while still primarily at The Prime Grill he went on to became Corporate Chef for Joey Allaham’s restaurant ventures, including Solo and soon to open up Prime Ko, an upscale Japanese steakhouse.

Unlike others in his profession, Chef David is no prima donna, he puts on no airs, is well aware of his self worth without any need to toot it around. He’s totally dedicated to his profession and the people at his restaurants. Is it any wonder that he rose in the ranks?

CS

Colorful, Tasteful!

Having heard quite a bit, from some friends, about this six months old eatery I felt I had to try it out and taste their fares myself. Earlier this week, SYR and I made our way to Tuscany (547 Kings Highway, corner of 4th Street; Brooklyn, New York 11223; Telephone: 718.339.5200), the ambiance is casual and friendly.

We decided to go for their $44.99 special which consists of one salad, one appetizer, 2 mains and 1 dessert. We started with their Ceasar Salad, fresh, delicious and nicely presented! We followed it with Melanzane Di Rolentini…

Melanzane Di Rolentini

This is a delectable combination of Grilled Eggplant with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese with mushrooms all rolled and baked in Marinara sauce. It looked great and tasted even better, both SYR and I loved it.

For the main dishes, SYR ordered Atlantic Salmon…

Atlantic Salmon

The grilled salmon came with a teryaki sauce and some vegetables. There was nothing “fishy” about the taste, a masterpiece!

I ordered the Pasta Primavera…

Pasta Primavera

This is a spaghetti pasta with carrots, zucchini, broccoli and mushrooms in a delicate homemade pink sauce, colorful and delicious.

The portions were generous and we certainly felt satisfied, we almost had no room for the desert, except… when we saw it… there was no question we’d have to have it! We got a  Homemade Tiramisu… while every dish, up to now, had been a veritable feast for both eye and palate the dessert was in a class by itself…

Tiramisu

It was a nice, filling, dinner for two with friendly, prompt service; all very reasonably priced. But, there is more! Enticed by the exclamations of delight at the table next to ours, we ordered – in addition – Tuscany‘s signature dish, the sushi Spider Roll. This was outside of the special, but worth it. We  had the rolls right before the Melanzane Di Rolentini, again the taste was superb and quite different from what either of us expected.

Sushi Chef Joe, takes special delight in coming  up with unusual flavor combinations and pleasing presentations. Those who recommended Tuscany to me said the sushi is unequaled. Having tasted the Spider Roll, I wholeheartedly agree. We’ll just have to work our way through the rest of Suchi Chef Joe’s creations. We can’t wait for an encore. Bravo, bravissimo!

CS
[In our upcoming website we’ll have more about this delightful kosher restaurant specializing on fish and dairy, including their menu and MORE!]