Salvaging a “Meh” Recipe

We’ve all screwed up a recipe to the point of making it inedible – accidentally going overboard with the nutmeg in a béchamel sauce, burning tortillas (two of my most recent mishaps). But what about when food is still edible but missing that zing or element that makes it worth the calories? Luckily, the power of the Internet can save the day. I recently made two “meh” recipes – Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Sheppard’s Pie and Roasted Banana Bars from Cooking Light. Admittedly, I made my own modifications, but the end products were largely ho-hum and not worth writing out below. Online reviewers to the rescue! Had I read the RR recipe reviews before making the dish (as I am typically wont to do), I would have learned that 9 out of 10 reviewers find it bland and tasteless. I had tried to amp up the spice level with poultry seasoning and a can of turkey gravy (I used ground turkey as the base), along with liberal amounts of salt and pepper, but it was not enough. So, taking a cue from reviewers, added extra Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes and rosemary. But perhaps the best suggestion was to add a healthy amount of shredded cheddar on top of the mashed potato layer. Was it the best casserole ever? No, but cheesy potatoes can salvage almost anything. The banana cake was a prize winning recipe, but in an effort to cut calories, I originally decided not to bother with the frosting. But the reviews won me over and the browned butter cream cheese frosting was the best darn part of the dessert. Moral of the story – the next time you make a recipe, remember to read the reviews and take the time to leave a comment yourself. Someone with a “meh” dish will thank you for it.

Someone Else's Cooking: Talulah’s Table

I really like Yelp. In the old days, I would have searched chowhound.com or citysearch.com for restaurant recommendations, but these days, it’s all about Yelp, despite the fact I have never posted a review on the site myself. So when planning a trip to Longwood Gardens over the holidays, I searched Yelp for top-rated restaurants in Kennett Square, small town southwest of Philadelphia. While the local Mexican place received high marks, Talulah’s Table came in at number one – and this article in Conde Nast’s Portfolio sealed the deal. Talulah’s, started by two Philadelphia restaurateurs, boasts one of the country’s hardest to secure dinner reservations. With just one nightly seating for 12, it’s no wonder. Even Ko seats more than that (although they start taking reservations one week in advance vs. Talulah’s one year). Luckily, lunch is easier to come by. Just grab a sandwich or salad from the case upfront, or wander toward the back to the store for prepared food by the pound (or, in the crab cakes and potpies, by the item!). Place your order and wander back to the coffee bar to grab a mocha or browse the shelves lining the room for a must-have gourmet grocery item. Then grab a seat at THE table and wait for your lunch. Although portions were on the small side, the dishes I sampled packed a punch. Lunch for three, including: two mochas, a chicken pot pie, a crab cake, a side order of brussel sprouts with walnuts and a small serving of porcini pasta salad came to about $35.

Talulah's Table

102 West State Street

Kennett Square, PA 19348

610 444 8255

Clean out, eat in

In today’s New York Times dining section, Mark Bittman has a piece on what should be “in” and “out” of our kitchens in 2009. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to actually use up and clean out my food cupboard (yes, singular! The sacrifices of a small studio apartment) and tiny freezer. Although I am not ready to rename this blog “backofthefreezer.blogspot.com,” I thought I would weigh in on his recs: In the “out” column: Packaged bread crumbs and croutons: Agreed. I recently tossed a four year old can of Progresso Italian seasoned bread crumbs I bought for some unknown reason. I admit, I do have a bit of panko lingering in there but since panko is all about texture of the crumb, and is something I probably could not recreate, I think I will leave it be. Bouillon cubes or powder, or canned stock: Disagree. I like a short cut. I like using boxed broth for soup, and the little packets of gluey broth concentrate (available at Trader Joe’s) when cooking grains. Yes, it’s probably all just sodium and/or MSG, but sue me. Aerosol oil: Um, if this means PAM or PAM-like sprays, disagree. Additives be dammed, cooking spray is a calorie counter’s friend. Bottled salad dressing and marinades: I do like to make my own Asian-style and Caesar salad dressings, but some commercial varieties, especially Newman’s Own Southwest Style, are really good. Bottled lemon juice: Agree! Spices older than a year: Agree! I do love Penzey’s and any excuse to buy a new spice blend. Currently on my shelf are several themed blends, including: Greek, Singapore, Turkish, Northwoods Fire, Bavarian and Herbs de Provence. Dried parsley and basil: Agree about parsley, disagree about basil. I liked dried basil in soups and sprinkled on homemade pizza. Canned beans: Disagree. I am a creature who likes convenience. And Whole Foods’ no salt added line. Imitation vanilla: Agree, although instead of vanilla beans, I recently splurged on a $17 bottle of real, double strength vanilla extract from Penzeys. So worth it. Grated imitation “Parmesan”: Totally agree. Canned peas and other canned vegetables: Except for beets (again, a convenience issue), agree. Tomato paste in a can: Agree. Love the tubes, even if they are $5 a pop at my Whole Foods. Premade pie crusts: Disagree. As we have established, I am not a baker and have not yet made a crust to equal Pillsbury’s, but then again, I really don’t have a need for crust much. Cheap balsamic or flavored vinegars: Is a $5 bottle of balsamic considered cheap? I typically use ultra cheap red wine vinegar and rice wine vinegar on salads any way. Minute Rice or boil-in-a-bag grains: OK, I like what Bittman calls “genuine grains” – quinoa, bulgur – very much but they are rarely substitutes for rice. In my opinion, par cooked brown rice, frozen or shelf stable, is one of the great food inventions of my time. “Pancake” syrup: Agreed! And in the “in” column: Real bacon or prosciutto: Agree, but as you can probably guess, I have ready-cooked vs. “real” bacon in my fridge. When cooking for one, or looking for a slice to add to a grilled cheese, Oscar Mayer Ready Cooked is your friend. Fish sauce: On the fence – have it, rarely use it. Canned coconut milk: Agree. Have it, usually goes into sweet versus savory recipes, like ice cream, or baked rice pudding (sub coconut milk for milk and shredded coconut for raisins in this recipe and it becomes less English and more, I don’t know, Thai?). Miso paste: Disagree – maybe if I cooked more meat? Or liked miso soup? Capers, olives bought in bulk and anchovies in olive oil: Agree! There are some capers and jarred Kalamatas in my fridge right now. Walnuts and pignoli: Agree, but store in the freezer. Dried fruit: On the fence – I recently used up a half pack of dried cherries in Bittman’s Blondie recipe, and do have dried cranberries somewhere in the back. Dried mushroom: Agree, although there are none in my cupboard right now. Frozen shrimp: Agree! Winter squash and sweet potatoes: Agree. I just used some butternut squash I had peeled over a month ago. Once I cut off the slimy parts, it was fine. Really. And I have two additions to Bittman’s list: Irish cut oatmeal and Greek yogurt. When combined in the recipe below with those leftover dried cranberries in my cupboard, they make for a nice breakfast or afternoon snack.

Cranberry Breakfast Bake Adapted from a Cooking Light recipe

Although this was originally a bar cookie recipe, by swapping yogurt for the sour cream originally called for and by cutting the sugar, I think you can get away with eating this warm, right out of the oven, for breakfast and then cut the leftovers into smaller pieces for an afternoon snack (providing there are any leftovers!).

Ingredients Crust: 1 C. Quick cooking Irish oats 1 C. Flour ¼ C. Splenda brown sugar Dash of salt ¼ t. of Baking soda A few liberally shakes of cinnamon, to taste 6 T. Butter, melted 3 T. Orange juice Filling: ½ C. of Orange essence dried cranberries, or regular dried cranberries and some orange zest ¾ C. Greek yogurt 2 T. Flour 1 t. Vanilla 1 Egg white 1 packet of Splenda (optional) Method Combine oatmeal, flour, Splenda brown sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in medium bowl. Drizzle melted butter and OJ over dried ingredients until they form a kind of dough (may be sticky or may be crumbly, either way will turn out fine). Pat all but ½ C. of the dough into the bottom of an 8 x 8 (or approximate) pan that has been coated with cooking spray. In the same, now empty, bowl, mix together ingredients to form filling, adding extra sweetener if you deem necessary (I like it less sweet). Spread filling over crust, top filling with reserved dough the best you can (I recommend the drop method). Bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes or until edges of filling start to pull away from sides of pan and turn golden brown.

The 12 Days of Macarons

“On the first day of macaron making, the baking gods gave to me a tray of burnt meringues and two trays of super sweet cookies…” I wanted to try my hand at French Macarons (the sandwich cookies made with almond flour, not to be confused with their coconut cousins, the macaroons), over Thanksgiving vacation. I had even purchased sliced almonds and a set of pastry tips. But for some reason, it never happened. So on December 14th, a Sunday, my last Sunday in New York City before the holidays, I dragged everything out and made the first attempt. I knew the cards were stacked against me. I am hardly what you would call a baker, and everyone and their brother says macarons are all about technique. Plus, my equipment sucked. Lacking a large food processor (to both pulverize the almonds and then combine with the powered sugar), I had to use my one cup Black & Decker mini chopper -- which, wonder of wonders, did not really turn the almonds into almond flour after all. Despite sifting out the larger chunks, I basically resorted to using ground almonds in the batter. Undaunted, I combined the dry ingredients with my whipped egg whites (with no counter space for a KitchenAid stand mixer, I used a KitchenAid hand mixer to make the meringue). And not owning any Silpat mats, piped the batter onto parchment. I put the first batch in my gas oven at 375 degrees. Despite the troubles I had with the batter, the cookies looked damn good. They even developed a small foot, a mark all macaron makers strive for. But about halfway in, I smelled burning. So while the view from the top was perfect, the bottoms were black, the cookies were totally dried out and tasted more like meringues than macarons. Pulling from one of the tips I had read, I put the next batch on top of two stacked cookie sheets. Again, a small foot developed. The tops looked a little worse given I had tried to smooth them over after piping the batter (note to self: do not pipe in a spiral). The third batch was virtually the same as the second, although I baked them on top of a silicone liner instead of parchment. While these two trays did not look great, they were a bit softer, but with one cup of powdered sugar and 5 tablespoons of granulated sugar, were so sweet, I had to toss them out. “On the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth days of macaron making, the baking gods gave to me too many blogs with tips and tricks to read…” I take comfort in the fact that many are infected with the desire to make macarons and that we’re all an obsessed bunch. After the first failed attempt, I read, a lot, about how to improve my technique. From Syrup & Tang to David Lebovitz (whose chocolate macaron recipe I tried the first time), about aging egg whites and what the consistency of the egg whites should look like when whipped (although I am still not sure what exactly egg white “magma” looks like). I bought almond meal, a coffee bean grinder and more parchment. And was ready for the second attempt. On December 20, I tried again, using the same recipe with three [disastrous] modifications: 1. I cut the granulated sugar to 2 T. in hopes of cutting some of the sweetness 2. I upped the amount of unsweetened cocoa powder by 1 T. in hopes of the same 3. I used my parents’ crappy electric stove, which has minimal ventilation to let steam escape Despite using the coffee bean grinder, and a large food processor, and sifting the dry ingredients twice, the end result were dense, fudgy cookies, much like those used in moon pies. Tasty, but with no feet, or lightness. “On the eighth day of macaron making, the baking gods gave to me three egg whites which I left out on the counter and aged 48 hours…” I was a woman obsessed. It was baking season but I did not attempt any other kind of cookie that week. I was focused on making a perfect (or at least passable) macaron. I studied the merits of the Italian meringue technique and even ran out to buy a candy thermometer. I compared the number of people who age egg whites in the fridge vs. the counter top. And then I tried again. “On the 11th day of macaron making, the baking gods gave to me two trays of flimsy white cookies…” For the third attempt, I consulted a recipe from Tartelette, converted grams to ounces and used my aged-on-the-counter-for-48-hours egg whites. Things were looking good, until I slipped the pans into the oven. The batter spread into thin disks and did not pouf at all. While the cookies from the second attempt had at least been eatable, the third time was definitely not a charm. I had lost the battle, but not the war. “On the 12th day of macaron making, the baking gods gave to me a chance to redeem myself and use up seven egg yolks...” I’ve temporarily admitted defeat and have retired from macaron making, but not cooking or baking in general. In fact, I used up my leftover egg yolks in two dishes: Ina Garten’s jam thumb prints (turned out divine!) and a creamy batch of cinnamon ice cream. Make your New Year be filled with better dishes!

Cinnamon Ice Cream Based on a recipe from David Lebovitz (thanks to Cynthia and Matt for getting me my own copy of The Perfect Scoop for Christmas) Ingredients 1 cup skim milk Pinch of salt 1/2 cup sugar 5 egg yolks 2 cups whipping cream, divided 2-3 T. of Penzey’s Vietnamese Cinnamon, depending on taste Method Wisk together milk, salt, sugar, cinnamon and half of the cream in a small pot and warm through. In the meantime, beat egg yolks in a small bowl; add a small amount of the warmed dairy mixture, whisking gently. Add the egg mixture to the pot and heat until custard thickens. Strain mixture into covered container and chill completely. Add custard to your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacture’s directions. Enjoy as is, over some

Panettone bread pudding or drizzled with chocolate sauce.

Yea for the fingerling

Between the holidays, my social calendar and long hours at work, most of my recent dishes (and farmers market buys) have been old standards rather than new experiments. Perhaps the most versatile veg I've been consuming is the fingerling potato. I've seen them at the market for years, but only started buying them a few months ago. It's the lazy woman's potato -- thin skinned so no need for peeling, perfectly sized when cooking a frittata for one, equally good diced and boiled in soup, sliced and roasted as pseudo french fries or just eaten with cheese, as I did over Thanksgiving week upstate. Fingerlings can be stored for months, but they say the taste does change slightly. These had been stored under my parents' sink (I know, I know) for over two months, which may explain why the potatoes seemed a little dried out. But let's be real -- in this dish, the fingerling is the mere supporting actor and the star is the raclette cheese. So why this may not have been as tasty as my first taste of raclette in Switzerland, or the version available from Neal's Yard Dairy in Borough Market, London, to use the words of Ina Garten, potatoes and cheese,"how bad could that be?"

Easy Raclette

Ingredients

Fingerling potatoes, halved

Raclette cheese

Assorted condiments such as pearl or sliced onion, cornichons, etc. Method (for those without a Raclette grill)

Boil or roast fingerlings until fork tender, liberally salt and pepper

Place in in shallow baking dish, cut side up

Slice cheese an place over each potato, melt under broiler and serve

Someone Else's Cooking: Ithaca Farmers Market

Sometimes, visiting the farmers market is less about the food you buy to cook and consume later and more about the food you buy to consume then and there -- as I quickly accepted when I visited the Ithaca Farmers Market.

I went to school in Ithaca, but for some reason, never once in my four years there did I ventured off the hill down to the market at Steamboat Landing. In fact, I don't really remember cooking a lot at all during college, so I am sure I would have not appreciated it.

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But I think I would have appreciated the other offerings at Ithaca, including vendors featuring mini wooden clock towers, handmade cards and jewelry, baked goods and prepared food.

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Oh, the prepared food at Ithaca is like no place else -- people wait in lines 10 deep for corn fritters or peanut noodles or platters at Macro Mamas (the only macrobiotic food I have tried and actually liked), which is right next to the Cambodian stand, which is down from the burrito people.

On my last visit, I noticed a new baked goods vendor with a genius business model -- a portable wood burning oven for made-to-order $7 flat bread pizzas. On a cold and blustery day, after slogging through the muddy parking lot just to get inside the market, $7 was a small price to pay.

Apparently, many other people thought so too, as this was the last margarita "pie" they were able to make as they ran out of tomato sauce. Very thin and piping hot, we devoured it while enjoying the water view. If I went back, I might try one other versions, including a white flat bread and Mexican style flat bread (burrito people, take note).

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And if you're curious, yes, I did buy some veg at the market, including some very pretty delicata squash, but it really was a day to enjoy the market ambiance and, for once, let someone else to do the cooking.

Quinoa Calling

I did it again – spent almost $50 at the green market. I went with the best intentions of only spending what was in my pocket ($23) but was seduced by produce and actually hit up the ATM mid-shopping spree. Can you tell the one thing I was not able to buy? If you guessed Persian cucumbers, you’re right! The season is almost over and what the vendor had, they were saving for an unnamed restaurant. Hmph. But since I could barely carry what I had, perhaps it was for the best. Four days later and I’ve actually used up a good chunk of my purchases – in cauliflower leek potage and baked eggplant mozzarella and several servings of an autumn salad based off of one I had from Marks & Spencer’s Simply Food last January. Marks & Spencer’s Simply Food has the best concept – a majority of the space is dedicated to high quality prepared foods for people on the go. If they would only open across the pond, as I have only seen them in Europe. When I was in London last winter, the exchange rate was even worse that it is now, so I picnicked from M&S SF several times. The best dish was a Moroccan Chicken Salad prepared with grains, roasted sweet potato, pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and two kinds of dressing (chermoula and a lemon mint yogurt) served over greens. I actually preserved the label from the container so I could recreate it at home, and when I saw that pomegranates were reappearing in the markets, dug out the scrap. The ingredient list is pretty daunting: quinoa and bulgur, rocket (arugula) and baby spinach, mint and coriander (cilantro), preserved lemon, sunflower oil and more – oy! So I simplified a bit. I still made a tabouli-style mixture of bulgur and quinoa with chopped mint, cilantro and scallions, but I subbed olive oil for the sunflower oil and lemon juice and zest for the preserved lemon. To me, adding butternut squash was somehow more appealing than adding sweet potato, although the sweet potato may have the nutritional edge. And I didn’t bother making a separate chermoula and a lemon mint yogurt dressing. Served over arugula with a sprinkle of rice wine vinegar, and it was almost like I was back in London…without the £9 M&S price tag.

Mock M&S Salad I noticed that the October issue of Bon Appétit has a similar recipe. I actually think the addition of grains makes for a heartier main dish salad, which is the intent of this recipe. Ingredients About 2 c. of butternut squash, peeled and diced into .5 inch cubes 2 T. olive oil, separated 1/3 c. uncooked quinoa 1/3 c. uncooked bulgur 1 c. water or broth, divided 2 T. cilantro, finely diced (more to taste) 2 T. fresh mint, finely diced (more to taste) 3 scallions, diced ¼ c. pomegranate seeds ¼ c. pine nuts, toasted 1 lemon, zested and juiced Paprika Salt Pepper Salad greens (optional) Method Preheat oven to 400 Place squash cubes and 1 T. of olive oil in baking or roasting pan; season liberally with salt, pepper and paprika Roast squash in oven for 20-minutes until edges start to crisp Boil ½ c. of water or broth, combined boiling water and bulgur in a large mixing bowl, cover Boil remaining ½ c. of water or broth, add quinoa and cook until water is absorbed[i] Add quinoa to bulgur bowl, along with herbs, pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, lemon zest, lemon juice and remaining olive oil; toss well Add roasted squash cubes and stir to combine Serve over greens or eat as is [i] I like to add the plumped bulgur to the cooked quinoa during the final minutes of cooking so bulgur can absorb any excess water from quinoa