A few weeks ago, I posted my first batch of pictures from Poland and one of them was of my favorite thing that I get in that country...ZUREK! I can't even explain the euphoria of eating this soup every time it touches my lips. I literally could have it every day. I got a few comments asking about the soup, and what was in it. It begged for it's own post. So I went out and found this recipe which sounded right, which came from Chef Marek Widomski of the Culinary Institute in Krakow.
Zurek is a type of "sour" soup that is made with a base of fermented rye flour (which takes up to five days, so it takes some planning). It is so hearty that it could be a meal by itself.
Ingredients:
For rye meal sour:
3/4 cup rye flour
2 cups water boiled and cooled to lukewarm
For soup:
1/2 lb. peeled and chopped soup vegetables (carrots, parsnips, celery root, leeks)
6 cups of water
1/2 lb. fresh white Polish sausage (kielbasa biala)
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups rye meal sour (see above)
1 TBL flour mixed with 4 TBL water
1 garlic clove crushed with 1/2 tsp salt
3 large hard-boiled eggs
Directions:
1. To make the rye meal sour, mix together the rye meal and the water. Pour into a glass jar or ceramic bowl that is large enough for the mixture to expand. Cover with cheesecloth and let stand in a warm place for 4 to 5 days. This should make 2 cups. If the sour isn't used immediately, it can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
2. In a large soup pot, bring soup veggies and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add sausage, bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and cook another 30 minutes. Remove sausage from soup, slice when cool and set aside. Strain stock through a sieve, pressing on the veggies to extract flavor. Discard veggies, skim the fat off the stock, and return stock to soup pot.
3. Add the potatoes and rye meal sour to the stock, adding salt if necessary. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are al dente. Whisking constantly, add flour-water mixture, sliced sausage and garlic-salt paste. Bring soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender. Serve in heated bowls with half a hard-cooked egg in each serving.
Note: Once I made this soup and tasted it, it seemed like it was missing a smoky flavor. I figured out that it needed bacon. So I fried up about four strips, chopped it up, and added it to the soup at the end. In the future, I will probably add the cooked bacon when I add the potatoes, and give the flavor more of a chance to permeate the liquid.
And voila! You should have something that looks like this, which I had a restaurant. You get extra points if you make a bread bowl! And it tastes even better with a beer.
***************
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to
share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews,
recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is
even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the
weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your
specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post at Beth Fish Reads.
One of these days, I need to actually post a recipe for something healthy. Eh. It's the stuff that is bad for you that get me the most excited to share. Sorry. So today I bring you more red meat from the July 2013 Food and Wine magazine.
Churrasco, a Portuguese term for grilled meat, is a backbone of many Latin American cuisines. Have you ever seen the restaurants called "Churrascarias" that are all the rage these days? Exactly. You go and eat enough meat to last you a lifetime. Anyway, the featured chef in July was Michael Cordua, a Nicaraguan-born American restaurateur, and this is his offering to us. It is incredibly easy to make and so incredibly tasty.
Ingredients:
2 bunches curly parsley (8 ounces), thick stems discarded
1/3 cup garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 cup plus 3 TBL extra-virgin olive oil
3 TBL white wine vinegar
2 pounds trimmed center-cut beef tenderloin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
1. In a food processor, combine the parsley and garlic with the 3/4 cup olive oil and vinegar and pulse until smooth. Refrigerate the chimichurri for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
2. Using a sharp chef's knife, make a 1/4-inch, lengthwise cut in the top of the tenderloin. Turning the tenderloin and rolling it out as you go, spiral-cut the meat until you have a long, rectangular piece about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Light a grill. Season both sides of the tenderloin with salt and pepper. Rub all but one-third of the chimichurri over the meat and grill over moderately high heat, turning once, about 4 minutes for medium-rare meat. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the remaining chimichurri and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the steak.
Wine: Recommend a berry-dense, concentrated Syrah.
My note: I actually used a flank steak for this recipe, which is flavorful and less expensive than the tenderloin.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to
share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews,
recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is
even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the
weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your
specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post at Beth Fish Reads.
This week, four bloggers were inspired to talk about the things they love the most...beer, cheese, bread and wine. Really what is not to like? Then we decided that we sounded like a pub crawl in the making. Here is the lineup earlier this week:
Beer: Kathy at Bermudaonion
Cheese: Jill at Rhapsody in Books
Bread: JoAnn at Lakeside Musings
I was happy to take wine duty.
In fact I thought this was the perfect opportunity to showcase a book I got at SIBA last fall. It was the end of the show and the publishers on the floor were tearing things down. I had spotted this book and asked if I could have it for review. I got a stink-eye from the guy, and he muttered under his breath that it was probably for my husband. I was offended. Really? Only guys take wine seriously? Girls just drink the pink crap? We just giggle and slam back the house wine? He had no idea who he was talking to. Still, this book is SO GOOD that it must be discussed, whether or not the rep was a chauvinist.
There are many wine bibles out there. You know, where they tell you about grapes, growing regions, vintages, ideal storage temperatures, etc. This is not a wine bible. It is loving homage to God's juice.
For almost 40 years, there has existed a wine column in the New York Times, written by some of the world's most respected wine experts. Within the pages of Book of Wine, 125 of the paper's best articles have been accumulated, offering informative and chatty essays on topics ranging from wine bottle openers, the vague (and often humiliating) area of wine tasting, after dinner wines, cult winemaking, the "Judgement of Paris" (when American wines beat the French at a blind tasting in 1976), the emergence and popularity of screw tops, and even the controversy of appreciating wine in front of the kids.
I would almost bet that even if you are not a wine-o, you would find this book highly entertaining. It is the furthest thing from snobbery.
How about matching wine with Chinese food? Normally I'd grab a beer, but some experts stepped up to the challenge and actually found that many wines went well with Chinese. The only dish that stumped them was a dish with Sechuan peppercorns.
We hear about an experience of tasting wines from 1846 and 1865, that had been sitting in the bowels of a French chateau. Good Lord, I would think it was pure sludge! But in fact they must have been stored properly because they inspired awe.
How about some scandal? Did you know that some sommeliers NUKE REDS IN A MICROWAVE to take the chill off before serving? This is one of those dirty secrets! Or the award-winning porn star that also has turned out an Italian red wine that won a rating of 91? I can't even begin to explain THAT article. You'd have to read it to believe it.
Reading this book was pure joy. It is like a collection of short stories that are so individually unique and entertaining, every page is a new experience and full of facts that made me want to share with anyone who would listen.
So if you know someone that is moderately interested in wine or is obsessed with it, you need look no further for the next perfect gift.
Last week I posted the recipe for Mini Calzones, which included ricotta. And that gave me the idea...why not share my ricotta recipe? (Well, it isn't MINE but I ripped it out of Food and Wine in November 2008 and it resides in my kitchen folder!) Of course, it is convenient to buy your ricotta at the grocery store. It tastes fine. But sometimes it is fun to make your own and impress your friends and family. It makes you seem so Martha Stewart.
And the funny thing is...it is insanely easy to do, and tastes so much better than store-bought. So here you go.
Ingredients:
2 quarts whole milk, preferably organic
1 cup heavy cream, preferably organic
3 TBL white vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions:
1. In a medium pot, warm the milk and cream over moderately high heat until the surface becomes foamy and steamy and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the milk registers 185 degrees. Don't let the milk boil. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the vinegar and stir gently for 30 seconds; the mixture will curdle almost immediately. Add the salt and stir for 30 seconds longer. Cover the pot with a clean towel and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
2. Line a large colander with several layers of cheesecloth, allowing several inches of overhang. Set the colander in a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the curds to the colander. Carefully gather the corners of the cheesecloth and close with a rubber band. Let the ricotta stand for 30 minutes, gently pressing and squeezing the cheesecloth occasionally to drain off the whey. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl and use at once, or cover and refrigerate. Ricotta can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to
share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews,
recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is
even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the
weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your
specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post at Beth Fish Reads.
Back in April, Food and Wine featured a section on a Mario Batali Bootcamp, where Jimmy Fallon tried his hand at cooking with the big guy. I love Batali but I can't spend too much time with him because his recipes are pretty decadent. But a little pasta and dough is good for the soul now and again. The one recipe in this section that made my eyes light up was the Mini Calzones. I planned to make them a couple of times, but time got away from me, and that is one thing you need to make calzones...time. I waited for a day when I stayed home to clean house, and just tended my dough as needed.
Dough
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup warm water
1 TBL honey
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 tsp kosher salt
1 TBL olive oil, plus more for brushing
3 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
4 to 6 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
1 large egg lightly beaten with 1 tsp water
Olive oil for frying
1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, stir the wine, water, honey and yeast until the yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and the 1 TBL olive oil. Add 1 cup flour and stir until a loose batter forms. Stir in remaining 2 cups of flour until almost completely incorporated and the dough is smooth and silky, 7 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and brush all over with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 hour and 30 minutes.
2. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into 16 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes.
3. Fill the calzones: Working with 1 ball of dough at a time, roll it out on a lightly floured work surface to a 4-inch round, a scant 1/8 inch thick. Spoon 1 TBL of ricotta on one half of the round, then top with 2 to 4 pepperoni slices and a heaping 1/2 tsp of the pesto. Fold the dough over to form a half moon and press the edge to seal tightly. Crimp the edge with a fork and pinch at intervals to make pleats. Transfer the calzone to a baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make the remaining calzones.
4. Preheat over to 325 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 350 degrees. Fry 4 calzones at a time, turning once, until browned and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the calzones on paper towels and keep warm in over while you fry the rest. Serve hot.
You can make these ahead of time through Step 3 and freeze for up to 1 month. Let the calzones return to room temperature before frying.
A few comments: I didn't have any pepperoni, so I sliced up some salami instead, and it worked fine. I also used Canola Oil for frying instead of Olive Oil. I just like the taste better. As we were eating these, we agreed they would be extra awesome if we had some marinara to dip them in!
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to
share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews,
recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is
even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the
weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your
specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post at Beth Fish Reads.
So I mentioned last week that I love mustard. I've been on a bit of a mustard binge here lately so I thought I'd share another recipe that I ripped out of the June 2011 issue of Food and Wine. It is the perfect easy dinner for summer, when everyone has their grills fired up. And margaritas in the cocktail shaker.
Marinade
1/2 cup tequila
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 TBL olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 TBL chopped oregano
1 TBL kosher salt
3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch strips
Tequila Mustard
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup malt vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup tequila
2 TBL freshly squeezed limed juice
1 TBL dry mustard
1 TBL ground coriander
1 TBL ground cumin
1 TBL chile powder
1 tsp finely grated lime zest
Salt
1. In a large bowl, combine the tequila, brown sugar, olive oil, garlic, oregano and salt. Add the chicken, toss to coat, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. In a saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, water, malt vinegar, honey, tequila, lime juice, dry mustard, coriander, cumin and chile powder. Cook over low heat, whisking, until thickened, 5 minutes...do not boil. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Stir in lime zest and season with salt. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.
3. Soak 24 bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes. Light a grill. Transfer 1/2 cup of the mustard to a small bowl. Thread the chicken onto the top third of the skewers, grill over moderate heat, turning, until browned and almost cooked, 8 minutes. Brush the chicken with the reserved 1/2 cup of mustard and grill until glazed and cooked through. Serve the skewers with the remaining mustard.
They paired this dish with either a floral beer (Ithaca Flower Power) or a ripe, full-bodied California Roussanne.
A few comments: I can't emphasize how important it is to actually use fresh oregano with this recipe. It makes all the difference! Also, the mustard sauce is SPICY, so if you are sensitive to heat, you might scale back on the chile powder.
Whenever I cook dishes that lend themselves to leftovers, I make extra for my son's lunches. No go on this night. They consumed everything I made! I served it with a Jasmati rice and it was delicious.
**********
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to
share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews,
recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is
even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the
weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your
specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post at Beth Fish Reads.
Posts
