tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25383480626039710582024-03-14T03:46:32.656-04:00naomalyNaomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-67758085359257427982011-12-06T19:06:00.000-05:002011-12-06T19:06:46.691-05:00Gaining Momentum | Charcutepalooza, the final challenge<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am participating in Charcutepalooza, a year of meat which entails twelve monthly challenges to prepare dishes using various charcuterie techniques. For more information about charcutepalooza, click</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/charcutepalooza/the-ruhls-2/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">here</span></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. To read why I decided to partake in the meatmaking festivities, read my first post</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-year-new-blog-charcutepalooza.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">here</span></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreICWlmu1Q93DQZ2xWIhY1EnceY_9KwkY66LepUFhJddDsLlha6TYn94VHJbsiKv0WvC0B6a-9k-KejHpCTComZtKlg248Hi2B6r6DPxNTRcIdplqcmdtMFiuntcyfo-WxyNwWpPPhiI/s1600/bresaola-salad-2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreICWlmu1Q93DQZ2xWIhY1EnceY_9KwkY66LepUFhJddDsLlha6TYn94VHJbsiKv0WvC0B6a-9k-KejHpCTComZtKlg248Hi2B6r6DPxNTRcIdplqcmdtMFiuntcyfo-WxyNwWpPPhiI/s400/bresaola-salad-2.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It all started with the book. I don’t even remember exactly what motivated me to I buy Ruhlman and Polcyn’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323208456&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Charcuterie</a> all those years ago. I was in law school, a period of my life when the last thing I had time for was elaborate cooking projects. I used to take extended study breaks, wistfully reading through it, hoping I could someday prepare even half of its recipes. I imagined a future me, living in a farm house, raising pigs, preparing gorgeous terrines and pates, and curing fatty, ruby red salamis in my basement. Unfortunately, that version of myself was entirely a figment of my imagination, one I never believed I could actually become. Hung up on the infeasibility of my dream, I never seriously began using the book, except in my fantasies. Before this year I had only attempted duck confit and a couple sporadic and failed attempts at a pancetta (unwilling to invest heavily in an experiment, I bought small quantities of low quality meats, and the final results clearly reflected my lack of initial dedication).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For this month’s challenge, we were <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/2011/11/charcutepalooza-december-challenge-showing-off/" target="_blank">entreated</a> to show off to our friends and family, impress them with all the charcuterie skills we learned this year. But something happened that I didn’t expect: I managed to impress myself as well. At one point, while I was doing some prep work in the kitchen, one of my guests was flipping through my now stained and use-worn copy of Charcuterie and I realized that while I was certainly no expert, I was familiar with every recipe he commented on or had a question about. Each one was something I had cooked, or at least made a variant of. I still don’t live on a farm, I certainly don’t own any pigs, but I could prepare well more than half the recipes in that book. And I was that much closer to my previously inconceivable dream. It just took letting go of the end goal and taking it one challenge at a time. I learned so much more than just how to make charcuterie. I learned I can accomplish anything, no matter how seemingly unattainable, by taking small steps, and letting the momentum carry me forward. And, of course having the right group of people to back me up. So I owe so much gratitude to <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/" target="_blank">Cathy</a> and <a href="http://theyummymummy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kim</a> for bringing together this amazing and supportive group of meat lovers, to all my friends and family for putting up with, and in most cases, indulging my charcuterie obsession, and above all, to Ken for helping me with every challenge, cleaning up after me and being my co-guinea pig of each meat experiment.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As this year draws to an end, I remember vividly how I felt this time last year. A couple years earlier I left a career path that made me miserable, and as of last year, I was still trying to figure out what I should do next. I had ideas of where I ultimately wanted to be, but no clue how to get there. I felt trapped, stuck in limbo between a life I happily left behind, and one I desperately wanted. My life hasn’t changed all that much since then, except that I’m approaching the new year feeling hopeful. Even if I don’t have my life mapped out in front of me, and no clear idea of how to get to where I want to be someday, I feel that I’ve been gathering momentum, and the potential energy moving me forward is palpable and exciting. I know now that anything is possible and I can’t wait to see what happens next.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ok, enough with the sappy philosophizing, let’s move on to the meat! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My grand finale meal started with the dry cured goodies to come out of the last challenge. The chorizo turned out to be fully edible after all, despite my fears of uneven curing and botulism. We all ate copious amounts of it with zero adverse effects.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6sQ2l5C_SlBKFhUB6tx9icGQIWZJoWX_PIUw0hAYSQy9ErLk7d4-CebnrARN6k4hjHMNweiJdi8xry7A4OubdQ1ku0u5vipFZXdgA52fateyfU7EzkPTzmJUhQLtfH8sy6v7cs2VS6g/s1600/chorizo-matchsticks.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6sQ2l5C_SlBKFhUB6tx9icGQIWZJoWX_PIUw0hAYSQy9ErLk7d4-CebnrARN6k4hjHMNweiJdi8xry7A4OubdQ1ku0u5vipFZXdgA52fateyfU7EzkPTzmJUhQLtfH8sy6v7cs2VS6g/s400/chorizo-matchsticks.gif" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dry cured chorizo, served matchstick style</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The ostrich bresaola, while slightly over cured and tough, sliced to a gorgeous red color. Ostrich has a very beefy taste so the flavor was very similar to that of a traditional bresaola. It also had a not unpleasant metallic undertone which I attributed to the over curing, but which Ken astutely noted could be explained by the high iron content in ostrich meat. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHry0mShm8cDCEx5AFX0KRUrnK-eF7aDeWaWJufK3pPE-HtLWmbdcD_TkFGGkeGqRBvrl2CxN_K88qZ8oNwfghw07TTgF_qdbogIe14afCksXv0tpk28polEyQS5cu3dti9NI0Ad_tEkI/s1600/sliced-bresaola.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHry0mShm8cDCEx5AFX0KRUrnK-eF7aDeWaWJufK3pPE-HtLWmbdcD_TkFGGkeGqRBvrl2CxN_K88qZ8oNwfghw07TTgF_qdbogIe14afCksXv0tpk28polEyQS5cu3dti9NI0Ad_tEkI/s400/sliced-bresaola.gif" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ostrich bresaola</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdsFOCA1yXYglUFu5H6RL3TIWQUcKuaXfO_dyU-gB0liaSOcpnlGn2dOIIv04fVHzx_Fc7CirmcLok6ua2lZFvgXAWyIEST2ryNn1XwPWPUTWZ_fZkwEvyx-U7RzY9PSjWKObIDFxooE/s1600/bresaola-salad.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdsFOCA1yXYglUFu5H6RL3TIWQUcKuaXfO_dyU-gB0liaSOcpnlGn2dOIIv04fVHzx_Fc7CirmcLok6ua2lZFvgXAWyIEST2ryNn1XwPWPUTWZ_fZkwEvyx-U7RzY9PSjWKObIDFxooE/s400/bresaola-salad.gif" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ostrich bresaola, parmesan and parsley salad</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While the meats featured in the previous dishes were prepared for an earlier challenge, the following dishes were all made with this final meal in mind. This past Spring, for the <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/2011/03/charcutepalooza-april-challenge-hot-smoking/" target="_blank">hot smoking challenge</a> we had made <a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/04/tasso-charcutepalooza-challenge-no-4.html">tasso</a>, a decision I have never regretted. However, I did experience some serious charcuterie envy when I saw all the amazing smoked salmon posts to emerge that month. So for this final meal, I chose to prepare a smoked salmon appetizer. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPO8iVmTPBW8DOwJ-LapHfo-ZKLPjc3Ne4eme30U5AkNYQPFzqBqPro7O7jK2AjtMTK251Mgv4EYQI_irqPOHwUiMADnC5nLrHmvzhqdkobmWw5kvyM9BjfwNQzFjQrVoroIsDulfZQY/s1600/smoked-salmon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPO8iVmTPBW8DOwJ-LapHfo-ZKLPjc3Ne4eme30U5AkNYQPFzqBqPro7O7jK2AjtMTK251Mgv4EYQI_irqPOHwUiMADnC5nLrHmvzhqdkobmWw5kvyM9BjfwNQzFjQrVoroIsDulfZQY/s400/smoked-salmon.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoked salmon</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Served simply on a round of good <a href="http://www.nordicbreads.com/" target="_blank">rye bread</a>, with chives and a little chevre, this definitely satisfied the craving that has been gnawing at me since April. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwSvbLRhA9PoO3L6qAFW8hHBRszp3WMY4pq_FpuiXZIIvK5IUPpSyuKVg3K7L0r8QN79nEr4ewwQ29eE2U8ITlIoEMQUtZWlTGQuIkuu7wko6TyG8rfwTMGoQfcpqNyweUbr5x6JIZBw/s1600/salmon-rye.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwSvbLRhA9PoO3L6qAFW8hHBRszp3WMY4pq_FpuiXZIIvK5IUPpSyuKVg3K7L0r8QN79nEr4ewwQ29eE2U8ITlIoEMQUtZWlTGQuIkuu7wko6TyG8rfwTMGoQfcpqNyweUbr5x6JIZBw/s400/salmon-rye.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoked salmon on rye</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For the main event, we made a variation on chicken paprikash, serving chicken thighs, confited in duck fat, over spatzle with a parika sauce.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6ghSoPRBMsPRiqpuNV9E-QiNeiw-hGQHF4qQCyA1eJHZzvxp87DbnaKfsqIbHWJxUrMkg_xXgGnDNPg9_s-F5W6H3m6aUrSll9N6lHo3hf9hPmoK-NCbT_x2Lt9MUz9vr_sNb1iy4_o/s1600/chicken-confit-paprikash.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6ghSoPRBMsPRiqpuNV9E-QiNeiw-hGQHF4qQCyA1eJHZzvxp87DbnaKfsqIbHWJxUrMkg_xXgGnDNPg9_s-F5W6H3m6aUrSll9N6lHo3hf9hPmoK-NCbT_x2Lt9MUz9vr_sNb1iy4_o/s400/chicken-confit-paprikash.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken confit "paprikash" over spatzle</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kielbasa is one of my favorite sausages, so deciding to make it for this challenge was an easy choice. We combined it with seared brussel sprouts, a side dish that ended up being everyone’s favorite dish of the night.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19dlUsiAtbU83uYG-f1LMcQnUN7YBKY2n_8Xs4mCOT0ip7y-As6PpAfKgUFDp2lDChlsTOQDaJRRwjgrki7vQ2DrKdxSi1ctniwoI3f9SfVoVB9j1-g4Ulp_BBEykTi8t_NF61LF3Ocs/s1600/kielbasa-sprouts.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19dlUsiAtbU83uYG-f1LMcQnUN7YBKY2n_8Xs4mCOT0ip7y-As6PpAfKgUFDp2lDChlsTOQDaJRRwjgrki7vQ2DrKdxSi1ctniwoI3f9SfVoVB9j1-g4Ulp_BBEykTi8t_NF61LF3Ocs/s400/kielbasa-sprouts.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kielbasa and brussel sprouts</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We finished the night over a trio of stinky cheeses (to our group, the stinkier the better!), which I can take no credit for making. However, as I basked in the glow of cocktails, wines, and pride, I thought to myself, “why not? Maybe next year....”</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGEjJ3SDAQPHwrbJjlzCWmGnX7MLuJsqftIeoQ3FgsHHDilHvRW37Hb8_JfHDJSoFjcELzVpdMwtIhSR7df7Rozo1MzmI9JZefN2AJz-x-gQJTh-lgKbcFLCfwpAukUYRpxIDCpKs3Bg/s1600/cheese-course.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGEjJ3SDAQPHwrbJjlzCWmGnX7MLuJsqftIeoQ3FgsHHDilHvRW37Hb8_JfHDJSoFjcELzVpdMwtIhSR7df7Rozo1MzmI9JZefN2AJz-x-gQJTh-lgKbcFLCfwpAukUYRpxIDCpKs3Bg/s400/cheese-course.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stinky cheese, and just maybe the inspiration for stinkapalooza 2012...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-52811686567850570872011-12-01T18:27:00.001-05:002011-12-01T18:29:40.676-05:00Facing Fears | Charcutepalooza, challenge no. 11<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am participating in Charcutepalooza, a year of meat which entails twelve monthly challenges to prepare dishes using various charcuterie techniques. For more information about charcutepalooza, click</span><a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/charcutepalooza/the-ruhls-2/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. To read why I decided to partake in the meatmaking festivities, read my first post</span><a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-year-new-blog-charcutepalooza.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is a post I never expected to write. When I started on this meat odyssey back in January, I assumed I would drop out once the <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/2011/10/november-challenge-curing/">dry-curing challenge</a> rolled around. I had a million and one “practical” reasons why I couldn’t cure meat in my apartment but, in all honestly, I was mostly just scared. Scared of botulism, scared of sickening myself or someone I cared about, and just generally scared of screwing it up. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Then towards the end of October, two good friends helped me to face another fear of mine and the payoff was so rewarding that I chose to tackle my fear of dry-curing as well. For that reason, this charcutepalooza post is dedicated to Steve and Stefanie Richert who took Ken and me rock climbing. Although I am also scared of heights, the primary fear they helped me face was that of exposure.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was in a car accident almost fifteen years ago and have walked on crutches ever since. Despite the fact that my disability is one which is immediately visible to anyone who encounters me in the real world, I’ve been, for reasons I don’t even pretend to understand, incredibly reluctant to discuss it here in the online world. I realize how ridiculous it is that I was perfectly happy to publicly share the fact that I thought making a <a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/03/valentines-day-2011-why-i-love-pasta.html">beet and chocolate ravioli</a> would be a good idea (spoiler alert: it wasn’t), and yet I felt ashamed and scared to share something about myself that was so completely out of my control. I don’t know if I was just holding onto one last forum where I could pass as “normal,” or if I felt that the only way to beat my disability was to ignore it or pretend it had no affect on my life. Or maybe I felt that writing about my injury would come off as self-indulgent and whiny. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My friend Steve has a condition which is essentially invisible - diabetes. Unlike me, he talks (and <a href="http://www.livingvertical.org/">blogs</a>) freely about his condition. Moreover, he and his wife, Stefanie will be devoting an <a href="http://www.livingvertical.org/who-we-are/">entire year of their lives</a> to raising awareness for diabetes; they will be travelling the country, rock climbing daily and showing that blood sugar can be managed while living a transient and physically grueling lifestyle (and making a <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/Project-365-1">documentary </a>about it all the while!). I think its safe to say that there’s nothing self-indulgent or whiny about them.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Steve had been toying with the idea that his approach to dealing with diabetes would apply just as well to people with any number of afflictions. Which is why, when we planned to go rock climbing together, he asked if he could document the climb for his own blog. At first I was conflicted, I really wanted to help their cause, not just because they are friends but also because I truly believe in what they are doing. But as always, my aversion to exposing myself and my disability online welled up quick and acrid, like bile. My understanding of the irrationality of this fear paired with my admiration for my friend’s ability to “own” his condition by discussing it, made me realize that ignoring my disability was not helping me overcome it. On the contrary, it was limiting me. Hell, I’d never even posted a picture of myself here to avoid showing who I really was - I had forced myself into hiding. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Charcutepalooza has been about so much more than the meat. It has been about a community of fellow food adventurers and meat lovers who wanted to take their diy approach to cooking to new heights. Throughout this year we have shared recipes, tips, our successes as well as our failures, and supported one another through each charcuterie challenge. It is a community as real as any “real world” group and yet I’ve never felt like I was fully open about who I am. So, finally, after almost a year of sharing in this adventure with all of you, I am facing my fear and am ready to fully introduce myself.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.livingvertical.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IMG_0486.CR2_-590x620.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.livingvertical.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IMG_0486.CR2_-590x620.jpg" width="380" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Picture taken by Stefanie Richert)</span><br />
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</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So in the days after our climb, Steve and Stefanie shared our story, both in <a href="http://www.livingvertical.org/2011/10/24/an-afternoon-without-crutches/">writing</a> and on <a href="http://www.livingvertical.org/2011/10/24/in-case-you-havent-seen-the-video/">film</a>, with amazingly supportive feedback on all our ends. And having conquered one fear of mine, I chose to tackle another, and immediately began scouring craigslist for a wine fridge to use as my meat curing chamber. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Attempting a Spanish chorizo for our first dry-cured sausage was an easy decision. While in Chicago a couple months ago we had a dish (more like a bite) at Alinea, which flawlessly combined chorizo, mussels and saffron. We were eager to get home and play with the flavor combo. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEauxbK_HNxT7NNULPK7s6jx78Up6t1zmeAzofd_Cx5dPrPls5e4cEPxqRIKb2_mmHbT_oh_ftTohjI3KflGN55Qf2Cfkfp7cB7RtPMNi_aQ0evIrfRfLuLa5neffHOgE6NeZDU_s9DrI/s1600/stuffed-chorizo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEauxbK_HNxT7NNULPK7s6jx78Up6t1zmeAzofd_Cx5dPrPls5e4cEPxqRIKb2_mmHbT_oh_ftTohjI3KflGN55Qf2Cfkfp7cB7RtPMNi_aQ0evIrfRfLuLa5neffHOgE6NeZDU_s9DrI/s400/stuffed-chorizo.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshly stuffed chorizo, ready to be cured</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Knowing that a little fear is healthy, I sanitized the shit out of my curing chamber and kitchen before getting started. And to good result, as we never encountered any trace of mold on our chorizo.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYQTd-S8kN-q2HJKb-mUMppFN16LjF8DAe2OGQQkL_KHQHO96Sqk_rkc9c7ngFn1EAQdO2Hnj-DYuE5qKAnToyPjdBmGRba98zCp1wAZlWM2arHxUW53vwrXaLX25Zl4uH-irauLaC-4/s1600/curing-chamber.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYQTd-S8kN-q2HJKb-mUMppFN16LjF8DAe2OGQQkL_KHQHO96Sqk_rkc9c7ngFn1EAQdO2Hnj-DYuE5qKAnToyPjdBmGRba98zCp1wAZlWM2arHxUW53vwrXaLX25Zl4uH-irauLaC-4/s320/curing-chamber.gif" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curing chamber chamber set up. A bowl of salt water was <br />
added later to increase the humidity</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfCrS5P5hxxst35itfTr2Qkn2alQCrBRLRMwPPyJb5TIw4u-b55zh-JFpX0NPtBUPz3rDl608auGjqIfXzDJ3YpW5GhUwQsBRZQSnkj813-P3w5c3r5O38Uz4dW4BIEEr41-FNf8_FnI/s1600/hanging-meats.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfCrS5P5hxxst35itfTr2Qkn2alQCrBRLRMwPPyJb5TIw4u-b55zh-JFpX0NPtBUPz3rDl608auGjqIfXzDJ3YpW5GhUwQsBRZQSnkj813-P3w5c3r5O38Uz4dW4BIEEr41-FNf8_FnI/s320/hanging-meats.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a new member to the meat hanging party and a sneak peak <br />
at my next post</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> We did, however, have some issues getting the humidity high enough in our curing chamber, and ended up with sausages that dried too quickly, leaving a tacky, slightly raw center. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGaPxFUCjX3SRznxelv-1Ci_CxsI3_eekLCbFCjywDy8S9kwTru7lQbJX5PxKBURtXJMLzBWP7j1RM65oLVKk51N3MwuuojICJ6h09KYTttircV1K0Q6apncx2W8yoV_94lWp2I9ZMZE/s1600/finished-chorizo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGaPxFUCjX3SRznxelv-1Ci_CxsI3_eekLCbFCjywDy8S9kwTru7lQbJX5PxKBURtXJMLzBWP7j1RM65oLVKk51N3MwuuojICJ6h09KYTttircV1K0Q6apncx2W8yoV_94lWp2I9ZMZE/s400/finished-chorizo.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not quite perfect, yet perfectly delicious chorizo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fortunately we discovered another reason why chorizo is a perfect beginner’s dry-curing sausage: there are tons of delicious ways to utilize it that involve cooking. We smelled the sausages, even tasted a few slices raw, and when we didn’t get feel any adverse side effects, we decided that the sausages would be perfectly safe to eat after cooking them through. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We chose to make fideos, a dish we first discovered back in 2006, when Ilan Hall <a href="http://www.bravotv.com/blogs/cookbook-chronicles/ilan-halls-fideos-with-clams-and-saffron">prepared it</a> during the second season of Top Chef. Almost immediately after watching the episode Ken and I knew we had to make it. After cooking the dish once, we were smitten, and have been cooking and tinkering with the recipe ever since. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This dish is basically a paella made with thin noodles instead of rice. You can buy fideo noodles at a specialty store, but personally I’ve had more luck working with broken up angel hair pasta. First, the noodles need to be toasted to a golden brown in the oven. It is very easy to leave them in too long, so I would recommend keeping extra pasta around in case you burn the first batch. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzoPlHt6cOpMLNK_kAd5mLO8JHavi7mE56O6drU95qIY3tT0cqsguUr8kLuhPVBzKOiQjWh9AAyfKkM1amVWre19eWW90SixjgbXSFqObYbiYD1R3s2yxTZC9TT9DG2ZI4zdpU9uB3ZY/s1600/toasted-angelhair.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzoPlHt6cOpMLNK_kAd5mLO8JHavi7mE56O6drU95qIY3tT0cqsguUr8kLuhPVBzKOiQjWh9AAyfKkM1amVWre19eWW90SixjgbXSFqObYbiYD1R3s2yxTZC9TT9DG2ZI4zdpU9uB3ZY/s400/toasted-angelhair.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As with a paella, the topping options are endless. Shellfish is an easy choice (it is what Ilan used in the winning dish which originally inspired our obsession) but you could really use anything: chicken, veggies, fish, we even made it once with squid meatballs. In this case we had hoped to use mussels, but because they were sold out at the farmers market on the day we planned to prepare this dish, we ended up using clams instead. And of course we used our chorizo.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoW-K2GDdY9Yp1FFug3KtnPI8NEGEiYrCXaRtqY4fLDm8VwNtHOCv3CY1W8ZRSCv9Ja5AH96cPIs8-mH-k-kGk1rhuSqSCBO57xuynrMWSij01HDg4e_ZqRxJKEqUCPoACTFQUf5FxLs/s1600/diced-chorizo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoW-K2GDdY9Yp1FFug3KtnPI8NEGEiYrCXaRtqY4fLDm8VwNtHOCv3CY1W8ZRSCv9Ja5AH96cPIs8-mH-k-kGk1rhuSqSCBO57xuynrMWSij01HDg4e_ZqRxJKEqUCPoACTFQUf5FxLs/s400/diced-chorizo.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">R</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ather than boiling in a large pot of water, the noodles are essentially steamed in a small amount of flavorful liquid (here, in white wine and clam juice). Once they have absorbed the liquid and are soft, they are tossed with the toppings and a sauce and put under the broiler until crispy. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaR56KfSXkdEwyBtqupda5h-VGJK-eUO-B-yaJN0rj3XhCwBA77ssp8X3MS6ozfPye7EFcewUmmrRjx7-NSwezh32pYiQfmc8doka_VEetea0caZ7fEB6yKEqoCZmP565AF15UhE-lGM/s1600/fideos.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaR56KfSXkdEwyBtqupda5h-VGJK-eUO-B-yaJN0rj3XhCwBA77ssp8X3MS6ozfPye7EFcewUmmrRjx7-NSwezh32pYiQfmc8doka_VEetea0caZ7fEB6yKEqoCZmP565AF15UhE-lGM/s400/fideos.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fideos ready to be broiled</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Shellfish and Chorizo Fideos</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">feeds 2 (probably more, but you won’t want to share)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">½ lb cappellini</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1-2 lbs clams or mussels</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">½ cup dry white wine (may need a little extra depending on how much juice your shellfish yield) </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">olive oil</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 cup diced chorizo</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5 cloves smashed garlic</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2 cups saffron bechamel sauce (recipe below)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">salt & pepper</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Preheat the oven to 375</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Break the cappellini into 3 inch pieces (be warned, this will be messy), spread them out on a baking sheet and bake them until golden brown. Keep a close eye on them-they go from perfectly-toasty to burnt-to-a-crisp in a matter of seconds. Set them aside.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Steam the shellfish in the white wine, removing them as they open. Remove the meat from their shells, and if they are particularly large, give them a rough chop. Once the last one is removed strain the liquid through a coffee filter into a measuring cup. You will need about 1 ¼ cups of liquid. If you don’t have enough supplement with more white wine.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Heat a couple table spoons of olive oil in a pot large enough to hold all the noodles. Because our chorizo was less than reliable, we sauteed it at this point until the edges got a bit crispy, and then removed it and set it aside. If your chorizo was more successful than ours, feel free to skip this step.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5. Add the garlic to the oil and let it cook on medium low until it starts to break down.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">6. Increase the heat to medium. Add the noodles, and the clam juice/wine. Cover, and continue to cook until the noodles are soft and have absorbed most of the liquid.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">7. Stir in the cooked clams, chorizo, and saffron bechamel sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Be careful with the salt as the clams will be quite briny. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">8. Transfer contents of the pot into a over proof casserole and broil until crispy.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Saffron Bechamel Sauce</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ingredients</span>:<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 ½ Tbs butter</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 Tbs flour</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 cup hot milk</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">½ tsp. salt</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">large pinch of saffron</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Melt butter over medium heat, then add the flour. Cook for about a minute or two to make a light roux. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Slowly pour in the hot milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumping.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Add the salt and saffron, and continue simmering until thick enough to lightly coat a wooden spoon.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Set aside until called for in the recipe above.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-34721132002186142162011-10-15T15:51:00.000-04:002011-10-15T15:51:15.007-04:00The Tragic Tale of Gwen the Hen | Charcutepalooza, challenge no. 10<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.3549084828202371" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am participating in Charcutepalooza, a year of meat which entails twelve monthly challenges to prepare dishes using various charcuterie techniques. For more information about charcutepalooza, click</span><a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/charcutepalooza/the-ruhls-2/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. To read why I decided to partake in the meatmaking festivities, read my first post</span><a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-year-new-blog-charcutepalooza.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yjZUGwEy6Qk5GhPMpRD6-DhJgErOIU-wGqgSFVnXpDE8pNIaAEHrEN-hX2yUEvylqy7XlMXlB_YcyOj7RvGhhaC3vlvjVXE0x39ZRlTG3umUv2_FoaCjxc3XebUCGcMR46f0nVRY_0M/s1600/galantine-story-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yjZUGwEy6Qk5GhPMpRD6-DhJgErOIU-wGqgSFVnXpDE8pNIaAEHrEN-hX2yUEvylqy7XlMXlB_YcyOj7RvGhhaC3vlvjVXE0x39ZRlTG3umUv2_FoaCjxc3XebUCGcMR46f0nVRY_0M/s1600/galantine-story-1.gif" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ix3kN8qQ5n7g6_S_Ng4QkuErSwRqxFMUCONtIBJ2K6UgSevSh6aLDTdvkXdXz4O7tHDGtE9aKPfVBGm5lzaFMFhyCLMH6fvloru-H1A_3AQsX5vC-rE6TN-ELvZiFDtZUabrPo2TuOA/s1600/galantine-story-2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifyDH4679ilJj7z0Dkranlrq1K-cbtKewWDtKhnLcUpTR0MxmfeI-pieEgYQDlGxtcP0B6osFHrtzZbBzm3P5N073i9oh-pDT23oufqqPVUEHCDLkffq40QXGtr_qb2ZrdfoYUJqFew40/s1600/charcuterie-board.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifyDH4679ilJj7z0Dkranlrq1K-cbtKewWDtKhnLcUpTR0MxmfeI-pieEgYQDlGxtcP0B6osFHrtzZbBzm3P5N073i9oh-pDT23oufqqPVUEHCDLkffq40QXGtr_qb2ZrdfoYUJqFew40/s400/charcuterie-board.gif" width="317" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8473050911939566" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">charcuterie plate featuring Gwen and rabbit rillettes, <br />
served with red pepper sauce, spiced plum jam, <br />
hot country mustard and cornichon.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8473050911939566" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Recipes:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gwen was prepared following the recipe found in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318704299&sr=8-1">Charcuterie</a>, the only alterations being the use of pork belly instead of back fat and a longer cooking time which was necessary to get her up to temperature.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I had hoped to serve Gwen with a more ambitious sauce, but time did not permit. We threw together this pepper sauce which is dead simple and ended up being so popular that I had to include the recipe here. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Red Pepper Sauce</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3 red bell peppers</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">a couple hot peppers of similar color (amount depends on desired heat)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2 tbs olive oil</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 tbs tomato paste</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">salt and pepper</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Saute diced peppers in olive oil until soft</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Puree peppers and work the puree through a sieve.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Return puree to a hot saucepan. Add tomato paste and cook on medium high to reduce and intensify flavors.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.</span></span></div>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-25995560065843659912011-09-22T20:05:00.003-04:002011-09-22T20:16:00.846-04:00The Best Gifts<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The best gifts are those that come when least expected. A couple months ago I was shopping at the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://www.norwichmeadowsfarm.com/">Norwich Meadows Farm</a> stand at the greenmarket. After inquiring about an unusual looking artichoke on display by the cash registers, I found myself the lucky recipient of it.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpHYPr_wIOsG6x5dsQuwe_xJQ6kHBUx-yUI1_Vy0oCgHxcfsod13fs5F76J7qD84xI8YyxecgEy5trhDgZmX518l-n5ZX3AROmYKoiqvJGLsT4Js0fjv1tYyM9J21jtJ-zw-GCAqRUq0/s1600/artichoke.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpHYPr_wIOsG6x5dsQuwe_xJQ6kHBUx-yUI1_Vy0oCgHxcfsod13fs5F76J7qD84xI8YyxecgEy5trhDgZmX518l-n5ZX3AROmYKoiqvJGLsT4Js0fjv1tYyM9J21jtJ-zw-GCAqRUq0/s400/artichoke.gif" width="358" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course my primary interest in such a cool vegetable specimen was aesthetic. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0l7rBQhXZKYwDIHxZDELAUHnZInz3nEKxDMSdEuKlzmcVFOrFDTfKn39MLA-ToSoYg5wfiE2QsIppPfRSR9pb7ZwcGjgroIrxc5m5BrKxe3xbmkFfhhVM_obbjpIVq7s0TMgwektVsM/s1600/artichoke-drawing-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0l7rBQhXZKYwDIHxZDELAUHnZInz3nEKxDMSdEuKlzmcVFOrFDTfKn39MLA-ToSoYg5wfiE2QsIppPfRSR9pb7ZwcGjgroIrxc5m5BrKxe3xbmkFfhhVM_obbjpIVq7s0TMgwektVsM/s400/artichoke-drawing-1.gif" width="397" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For most of my subjects, I stop at only the one drawing. But out of gratitude for this surprise gift, I felt compelled to make the most of it. So I kept drawing... </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxSoKxKMzedbjh_GGG25pcWSTWr9fPwQwrC-GhOtAZTHmAD13duHwkA7X7XCMQLbnRZTT0i3vyqnkK3kQAmWhcFV1JDw28k5e4kbbpXL0mmldzudeADLKdM_HNbGovw4QY1b594dlZR8/s1600/artichoke-drawing-2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxSoKxKMzedbjh_GGG25pcWSTWr9fPwQwrC-GhOtAZTHmAD13duHwkA7X7XCMQLbnRZTT0i3vyqnkK3kQAmWhcFV1JDw28k5e4kbbpXL0mmldzudeADLKdM_HNbGovw4QY1b594dlZR8/s400/artichoke-drawing-2.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> … and drawing - until I had an image I was truly proud of.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHugFdgCLzgnD88ZZL9nhi3SlhDuLjTQTV-RiqiSWqYkxDFQOOFrvTVwMC6b4bqcp8t9th58IIWiEgQPDn-2TGmm1xg_ZM9jGC72WjQzeB74R9LMCeT4Br2KClFo_4CDcjxT9k-FcuJoU/s1600/artichoke-drawing-3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHugFdgCLzgnD88ZZL9nhi3SlhDuLjTQTV-RiqiSWqYkxDFQOOFrvTVwMC6b4bqcp8t9th58IIWiEgQPDn-2TGmm1xg_ZM9jGC72WjQzeB74R9LMCeT4Br2KClFo_4CDcjxT9k-FcuJoU/s400/artichoke-drawing-3.gif" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">study alongside regular globe artichoke</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Some gifts just add to the recipient’s store of material possessions, the best ones can actually improve the recipient. Thanks to the generous guys at Norwich, I was motivated to push my drawing skills to a higher level. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In the days I spent observing it, I noticed the artichoke was slowly splitting apart. At first I thought I thought it was deteriorating, rotting from the inside, but the slightly stale but otherwise inoffensive aroma suggested otherwise. It opened slowly, like a bloom and it occurred to me that this may not be some heirloom breed, or deformed artichoke, but an artichoke flower - something I had never seen before. My suspicion was confirmed days later, when my gift blossomed, revealing a heart of teensy purple petals.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_hPBdUJ2ggjYCa5d3US-CMClBowvyBeTj6eiRul3e4M3h4y8W5p_PqxBN7o7Ry-zE3xmBw5wi1ezHrwyM1WYcJSBTLFLk0n4jXiLHhTLQ1Z5faRjzdZi3klCSFOe7LQ8v6DtZiUseSc/s1600/artichoke-bloom.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_hPBdUJ2ggjYCa5d3US-CMClBowvyBeTj6eiRul3e4M3h4y8W5p_PqxBN7o7Ry-zE3xmBw5wi1ezHrwyM1WYcJSBTLFLk0n4jXiLHhTLQ1Z5faRjzdZi3klCSFOe7LQ8v6DtZiUseSc/s400/artichoke-bloom.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-25293845206417050522011-09-15T18:51:00.001-04:002011-09-15T18:54:21.315-04:00A Very Piggy Birthday | Charcutepalooza, challenge no. 9<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am participating in Charcutepalooza, a year of meat which entails twelve monthly challenges to prepare dishes using various charcuterie techniques. For more information about charcutepalooza, click</span><a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/charcutepalooza/the-ruhls-2/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. To read why I decided to partake in the meatmaking festivities, read my first post </span><a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-year-new-blog-charcutepalooza.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">here</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTPJ2Mjsg_dZXdT3Tv26BAtNRr-ruAimQM8Dpeo0AsDuPfxo2q7cdQqCbIsC82RpPAFJstk_vHhZAAeHbC8VeimOoJJKexp7YtS42FfHBas5s0nQjk3kKRcoJskUZ0tj5QAHN7IHiUcg/s1600/blue-hill.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uLCvjmz-f9eQTZdUxfxOaW_0mvPl1tgO6nw4o8SFh0-Dh5UhQm4TebARAu4CjtLai6pVKtAdVxJ05fDsCqilZc82qOl6-0NflpUweay4g5J_q1gkaD6K7ZLcfglA7Ysp8kQ1O7xvO8s/s400/blue-hill-piglets-1.gif" width="400" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This past month, I turned 30. My birthday always falls around labor day, which used to be a huge pain in the ass back when I had to start school around the same time. But now that I am several years out, it has become something to look forward to (aside from the getting older part), and usually involves a full three day weekend in which to celebrate. This month I was blessed with a particularly perfect weekend - an oasis of good weather during a month of floods, rain and earthquakes. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I planned to spend the weekend upstate with my parents, but my weekend started much earlier than expected when ken returned home from work, only a couple hours after he left, and hustled me into the car. Forty minutes later we pulled into the site of every farm to table foodie’s wet dreams: Blue Hills at Stone Barns. It turns out ken and my parents had been plotting this outing for weeks, and managed to keep me completely in the dark until the very last second!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTPJ2Mjsg_dZXdT3Tv26BAtNRr-ruAimQM8Dpeo0AsDuPfxo2q7cdQqCbIsC82RpPAFJstk_vHhZAAeHbC8VeimOoJJKexp7YtS42FfHBas5s0nQjk3kKRcoJskUZ0tj5QAHN7IHiUcg/s1600/blue-hill.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTPJ2Mjsg_dZXdT3Tv26BAtNRr-ruAimQM8Dpeo0AsDuPfxo2q7cdQqCbIsC82RpPAFJstk_vHhZAAeHbC8VeimOoJJKexp7YtS42FfHBas5s0nQjk3kKRcoJskUZ0tj5QAHN7IHiUcg/s400/blue-hill.gif" width="400" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We got there early enough to check out their farmers market, and walk around a bit before our 5:30 dinner. This place was the platonic ideal for what every farm should be: bucolic & pristine. And the animals were all happily doing what animals do.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0HKBL5f40ShbJa5CqAqSQr_fkJhOJ2yxlM9yxhe7lywiTPR8kzxHWGzt0RYs8M55ti8yNe9lzpWc-31wltDKSNCTb8EV-lANedgqkynmGZlc5nIVk8Mst5XzmFY_5QLL6mgrAzi6PqE/s1600/blue-hill-sheep.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0HKBL5f40ShbJa5CqAqSQr_fkJhOJ2yxlM9yxhe7lywiTPR8kzxHWGzt0RYs8M55ti8yNe9lzpWc-31wltDKSNCTb8EV-lANedgqkynmGZlc5nIVk8Mst5XzmFY_5QLL6mgrAzi6PqE/s400/blue-hill-sheep.gif" width="400" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Ak_m623xskkQ3szBQJpqyoQeydp-9J1KBG0qmpxiY_iizhg_kiRckCoQBxVmmkAw6AaeY_qmYVCAvam0qeCgTq9tk0o_5Lw4jujNvAjRf8JxtVC5zoZvL8YrKYHmag8E-Ei3HbOiGGI/s1600/blue-hill-rooster.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Ak_m623xskkQ3szBQJpqyoQeydp-9J1KBG0qmpxiY_iizhg_kiRckCoQBxVmmkAw6AaeY_qmYVCAvam0qeCgTq9tk0o_5Lw4jujNvAjRf8JxtVC5zoZvL8YrKYHmag8E-Ei3HbOiGGI/s400/blue-hill-rooster.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And of course my favorite... </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNwmfKP8B7zlzXsn9HZDsRZ8iRY2ZVYeJRxmMX9IlzQ9HikxeKvKxnB47XTCxpGm8hNCLjLO9ylp1qqYTj1dsBr_xWj3MSfVXUyakwiR_YUtiCxLh4cXAU_NdY1MnFecbBFSCpAbyu2s/s1600/blue-hill-pigs.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNwmfKP8B7zlzXsn9HZDsRZ8iRY2ZVYeJRxmMX9IlzQ9HikxeKvKxnB47XTCxpGm8hNCLjLO9ylp1qqYTj1dsBr_xWj3MSfVXUyakwiR_YUtiCxLh4cXAU_NdY1MnFecbBFSCpAbyu2s/s400/blue-hill-pigs.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The baby pigs were particularly adorable. So much so that I couldn't pick just one photo to share:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFobGfGu0VCLYEv7qBVuvqsdvdYTFtgLWHUQZJISJwlJOh5yTXUOjDMH04fuRlX9J-bAvDRFcmj-xh8nZ7miqX6rLJET8JAZwrN_IVywqfaDoOFd5NvJ5__OPxpzUt5_EVyOecN4tQ2dY/s1600/blue-hill-piglets-2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFobGfGu0VCLYEv7qBVuvqsdvdYTFtgLWHUQZJISJwlJOh5yTXUOjDMH04fuRlX9J-bAvDRFcmj-xh8nZ7miqX6rLJET8JAZwrN_IVywqfaDoOFd5NvJ5__OPxpzUt5_EVyOecN4tQ2dY/s400/blue-hill-piglets-2.gif" width="317" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82iZ-uk9UxttYQcox8fWXlpQeOHhdbh0ILA8N43GIU5pDsRroSnGxa_Z3Fby6pjA8J4XZi2gCz5b0RGdDQfq1OUNt4bZuCEV1pdwDRUv1vAafMeSElpx163fKz4vE211o8IT-nAN06ws/s1600/blue-hill-piglets-3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj82iZ-uk9UxttYQcox8fWXlpQeOHhdbh0ILA8N43GIU5pDsRroSnGxa_Z3Fby6pjA8J4XZi2gCz5b0RGdDQfq1OUNt4bZuCEV1pdwDRUv1vAafMeSElpx163fKz4vE211o8IT-nAN06ws/s400/blue-hill-piglets-3.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After exploring the grounds, we changed into proper dinner clothing, and ate the eight course farmers feast. It was a very good start to a very delicious and porky birthday weekend.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The next day we consumed our bounty from the blue hill farmers market which included pork hot dogs and a simple tomato salad.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OOje20QrcOPqvTzAcsDoeAXIep_3uYKPlmJ-LecSREXGwZNMH42pCKpe89NB4wR4ljABDmOklU4rsosocuWhc1lSCwOq757Csad2TC2__mAhyOAmxk6_G-mEMUweEXa1BGiPxwiylkg/s1600/blue-hill-hot-dogs.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OOje20QrcOPqvTzAcsDoeAXIep_3uYKPlmJ-LecSREXGwZNMH42pCKpe89NB4wR4ljABDmOklU4rsosocuWhc1lSCwOq757Csad2TC2__mAhyOAmxk6_G-mEMUweEXa1BGiPxwiylkg/s400/blue-hill-hot-dogs.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUj-xJgPLAcEl4cC1gjv8_SaGGmqyE99N-kJg6yQxSlx40wtrj7etLoXt4wbL8jK8rq09Zev2VyhnJSCxvv0GoN5E8_FukNNfwYuzwb4zW5YW7rSoB6N0FSAUwBoQOoRola-MvnKJFDfs/s1600/tomato-salad.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUj-xJgPLAcEl4cC1gjv8_SaGGmqyE99N-kJg6yQxSlx40wtrj7etLoXt4wbL8jK8rq09Zev2VyhnJSCxvv0GoN5E8_FukNNfwYuzwb4zW5YW7rSoB6N0FSAUwBoQOoRola-MvnKJFDfs/s400/tomato-salad.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On Sunday, in a combined celebration with my cousin whose birthday is one day before mine, we planned a lunch party. I’m not a huge fan of sweets so instead of a birthday cake, I planned to serve a meat pie. I had made <a href="http://www.amazon.com/River-Cottage-Meat-Book/dp/1580088430/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1316121357&sr=8-2">Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall</a>’s raised pork pie back in <a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/02/pancetta-charcutepalooza-challenge-no-2.html">February</a>, and briefly considering finding a new recipe. However, the first pie had been such a hit that I decided not to mess with what was already a very good thing. I hoped that by repeating the same recipe, ken and I could improve our technique, and start ourselves on the path to the pork pie nirvana. This time around, we put in more herbs (last time we had accidentally left out the thyme), and made it far enough in advance to let the gelatin set. I also think I improved on the decorations!</span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSV5vI32Jj1NQAYEWdmGe4ZmuSGeaCC9SV71YH4taa0AVobzrDrp-Di8-U49kRF5d0fnB_AHA3GEJDY5Za6dGjTkJGrS6aJ4Lf_AskYhGKNjN25lHIHJ4lTEGRv87mB791cGb0uZ0zwVA/s1600/pork-pie-decorations.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSV5vI32Jj1NQAYEWdmGe4ZmuSGeaCC9SV71YH4taa0AVobzrDrp-Di8-U49kRF5d0fnB_AHA3GEJDY5Za6dGjTkJGrS6aJ4Lf_AskYhGKNjN25lHIHJ4lTEGRv87mB791cGb0uZ0zwVA/s400/pork-pie-decorations.gif" width="400" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Back in February we had procrastinated and baked the pie on the same day we planned to eat it, hence the failure to gel. This time around we prepared the pie the Thursday before we left, to be eaten on Sunday. (I now know why ken insisted we finish it Thursday night, rather than my original plan of doing it during the day on Friday... sneaky boy!). I think the time made a big difference in the final product. While delicious, the February meat pie tasted a bit like an encased meatloaf, while the filling in this one was much more reminiscent of a real pate.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAJ3uojQoA7qbNvgnvDLvo4m1Hmb7es735w-Gtj0m8bdY3W1y0DsKI6UkDp03mmEaHLWFHKXpZ223nzoSo6sDlHMHg4HnW9IkRvboEYEbuuxmAfIkC9EM_XTB6BMLZNxRyXsFsi5-C1A/s1600/pork-pie.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAJ3uojQoA7qbNvgnvDLvo4m1Hmb7es735w-Gtj0m8bdY3W1y0DsKI6UkDp03mmEaHLWFHKXpZ223nzoSo6sDlHMHg4HnW9IkRvboEYEbuuxmAfIkC9EM_XTB6BMLZNxRyXsFsi5-C1A/s400/pork-pie.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The pie was served with mustard, green tomato and pearl onion pickles (recipe from the blog of charcutepalooza’s co-founder, <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/2010/08/tomolives-pickling-green-tomatoes/">Cathy Barrow</a>), a german potato salad and grilled eggplants.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WtEl0Eju4J-FLFsnIl8VIng8vOh69XA5_DUr0z3gjdhiYLT2oqye2RkRiJCwfB1piM1ukoQQ-ox0kGB-DLkZod492MxIvZLfxwrJ0f0Z3gE7xYe9quBRSOK3Q7C0cv90kWqGWwx6A5Q/s1600/sliced-pork-pie.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WtEl0Eju4J-FLFsnIl8VIng8vOh69XA5_DUr0z3gjdhiYLT2oqye2RkRiJCwfB1piM1ukoQQ-ox0kGB-DLkZod492MxIvZLfxwrJ0f0Z3gE7xYe9quBRSOK3Q7C0cv90kWqGWwx6A5Q/s400/sliced-pork-pie.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And finally , as a bonus, a close friend, and a loyal reader of this blog (thanks, marc!) included these apropo office supplies in his birthday gift to me, perfectly rounding out my very piggy thirtieth birthday. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzToR0Bx8EvoJeWxbeNqtfzxu5ptrQBN2YPYHZYs4FdnqXHJi6pyFeGTRgKCXBkyO7_aWxmpOnrVf5dqpuAslqmu_7HSaqbbJ-_orbpICxMqsunfpuu7aYiat8c0qZwuQsdwXZH8buKAM/s1600/pig-paper-clips.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzToR0Bx8EvoJeWxbeNqtfzxu5ptrQBN2YPYHZYs4FdnqXHJi6pyFeGTRgKCXBkyO7_aWxmpOnrVf5dqpuAslqmu_7HSaqbbJ-_orbpICxMqsunfpuu7aYiat8c0qZwuQsdwXZH8buKAM/s400/pig-paper-clips.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-84856934049242503552011-08-15T15:58:00.003-04:002011-09-13T12:11:28.352-04:00Tip-to-Toe Terrine | Charcutepalooza, challenge no. 8<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="goog_498279916"></span><span id="goog_498279917"></span></span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.6395206168150932" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am participating in Charcutepalooza, a year of meat which entails twelve monthly challenges to prepare dishes using various charcuterie techniques. For more information about charcutepalooza, click</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/charcutepalooza/the-ruhls-2/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">here</span></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. To read why I decided to partake in the meatmaking festivities, read my first post</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-year-new-blog-charcutepalooza.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">here</span></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCzEeo-rtNwptR6kQzoD4ks04odDVec119oQw0dm8V1KHAoNtWvGzQvLVjWqw2X74QWmrZkStBEqaw3-KDPkpnBRr2VXeX54qT2AFbnCfpxczWhwME1ktu2n6tZ0LyZfEB4iN2EU4AvI/s1600/pig-parts.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCzEeo-rtNwptR6kQzoD4ks04odDVec119oQw0dm8V1KHAoNtWvGzQvLVjWqw2X74QWmrZkStBEqaw3-KDPkpnBRr2VXeX54qT2AFbnCfpxczWhwME1ktu2n6tZ0LyZfEB4iN2EU4AvI/s400/pig-parts.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The sweetest meat is closest to the bone. Although the Chinese did not coin this aphorism, they certainly live (and eat) by it, as exemplified by my family’s eating habits. At yum cha, my grandmother would methodically and joyfully (gluttony is a trait that runs rampant up and down my bloodlines) reduce spare ribs and chicken or duck feet into a neat, ever-expanding pile of delicate white bones, clear of all meat and cartilage. At an early age, I too was taught to tear flesh off bones and crush shells between my teeth to get at the “best” bits, which were always those hardest to obtain. Once, in my grade school cafeteria, I was mortified when my dining companion commented on how funny it was that I kept eating chicken wings long after the meat was gone. Mortified, because in third grade I didn’t want to be “different” (who does?), but I also couldn’t understand how someone with fully functional eyesight could not see the very visible scraps of meat still attached to the wing bones.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To a very small extent this embarrassment has survived into my adulthood. When served bone-in meat dishes at fancy restaurants, I often ask to get the bone to-go for my non-existent dog, so I can gnaw at it in the privacy of my own home. Other than that one lapse, I am for the most part proud of my ability to get at every tasty tidbit of meat on a bone and every succulent morsel out of a lobster. Like learning to make charcuterie and to appreciate offal, eating every scrap of meat is one of the ways I show respect for the animals that die for my enjoyment and sustenance. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I suspect the Chinese love affair with the hard to eat bits originated in frugality as much as in respect. Regardless of the source of this obsession, its influence can be seen in all Chinese cuisine from street food to banquets. There are some Chinese delicacies, chicken feet or fish heads for example, that are impossible to finish eating without a mound of soiled and shredded paper napkins piling up next to your plate. The few bites that you work so hard to get are incredibly delicious and usually more than worth the entire undertaking. But sometimes I’d prefer to walk away from a Chinese meal without grease stains on my clothing and animal bits in my hair. For this month’s <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/2011/07/charcutepalooza-august-challenge-binding/">terrine challenge</a> I chose to turn a traditionally messy Chinese dish, jellied pig feet, into easy-to-eat, slice-and-serve presentation.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At the butcher, in addition to pig feet, I picked up a tongue, two pig ears and, as suggested by <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/2011/07/charcutepalooza-august-challenge-binding/">Cathy Barrow</a> a pork shank for added meatiness. I brined the meats for 24 hours as called for in the </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313436355&sr=1-1"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Charcuterie</span></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> head cheese recipe, but chose to omit the pink salt. After blanching the meats to rid them of impurities, I put them in a pot to simmer with onion, ginger, garlic, star anise, several tablespoons of both dark soy and light soy, and water to cover. This concoction is very loosely based on the recipe for Chinese-style pig’s trotters in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/River-Cottage-Cookbook-Hugh-Fearnley-Whittingstall/dp/1580089097/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313436419&sr=1-2">The River Cottage Cookbook</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. At this stage I was careful to avoid over-seasoning the liquid, knowing it may need to be reduced at a later time.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4zLBsgQ5SPr-luN5YojnZwnIMZUC_QG49EKTug9RE9l2SdHXfzFp9LxoOidscG9rNRsd-olUpb1NY2HrjJ8B1tYiS2Mr0cZNERNqHi8QWFA3wYdyZJxi95tABcGzJLwhIc7khc1wWRI/s1600/parts-in-pot.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4zLBsgQ5SPr-luN5YojnZwnIMZUC_QG49EKTug9RE9l2SdHXfzFp9LxoOidscG9rNRsd-olUpb1NY2HrjJ8B1tYiS2Mr0cZNERNqHi8QWFA3wYdyZJxi95tABcGzJLwhIc7khc1wWRI/s400/parts-in-pot.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">clearly our "big" pot wasn't big enough - I finished it all up in a stockpot</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After about three to four hours on the stove, when the meat was tender and the ears offered only the mildest resistance when pierced with a chopstick, I removed the pieces and strained the liquid, which should have absorbed enough gelatin from the pig skin and cartilage to bind my terrine together.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3E_J3gjxWOnGKYJ-_i1trr1As5ZYdf-Y9yKR3NiJVd2vcw0B1WjJvnuHSQIWcAhp8P1c6RrRowvOJRyauIgmeIV0NNIlz6HHMyObEWBL5RyJFy-qns2MONwSUp6Of9tz0_7nnP5pND4/s1600/simmered-feet.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3E_J3gjxWOnGKYJ-_i1trr1As5ZYdf-Y9yKR3NiJVd2vcw0B1WjJvnuHSQIWcAhp8P1c6RrRowvOJRyauIgmeIV0NNIlz6HHMyObEWBL5RyJFy-qns2MONwSUp6Of9tz0_7nnP5pND4/s400/simmered-feet.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-to-half-ass-weisswurst.html">Last month</a>, I had written about how sausage making was finally coming more easily to me. I think my arrogance seriously angered the charcuterie gods, who decided this month to make me pay. My memory of everything after the meat finished cooking is hazy. I remember it was very very very hot that day. I remember shredding meat off the pig feet and realizing why glue is made from animal hooves. I remember ken coming home from work to find every surface in the kitchen - walls, appliances, pots, pans - sticky with the gelatin which seemed to have found its way into everything except into my cooking liquid. The damned thing would not gel.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ken somehow wrestled me down off the edge of depression and convinced me to put the terrine aside completely until the morning (and he cleaned! Once again, I am struck by how lucky I am to have him). The charcuterie gods must have been satisfied with my penance, because everything pulled together the next day. After reducing the broth by about a third, it gelled up nicely. From there, the process was straightforward, if a bit messy. I combined the shredded trotter and shank meat with slices of pig ear and diced tongue and pressed the mixture into a terrine. I kept one ear intact so I could form a decorative stripe of pig ear through the center of the terrine. Once the stock was poured over the meat, the entire thing was weighted and put in the fridge until ready to be unmolded and served.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85hSIrXLR2_fJUcwieorHW9uaLRBh6Z_8zd40LRfsZ1BbZg9xQe0soifh46421GhhOFRoVdyylvBiWIfGyFpFszANT_TLmWfoBytoKc75d6qTU8Mu_md4SVAPTgM-TAjeovhs-sb7meY/s1600/terrine-making.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85hSIrXLR2_fJUcwieorHW9uaLRBh6Z_8zd40LRfsZ1BbZg9xQe0soifh46421GhhOFRoVdyylvBiWIfGyFpFszANT_TLmWfoBytoKc75d6qTU8Mu_md4SVAPTgM-TAjeovhs-sb7meY/s400/terrine-making.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Since presentation was a big part of this months challenge, I wanted an appealing spread of accompaniments. Barbara Tropp’s </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Art-Chinese-Cooking/dp/0688005667/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313437107&sr=1-1"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking</span></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> opens with a chapter on the Philosophy of Chinese Cooking in which she describes an overriding characteristic of Chinese cooking to be the “conspicuous juxtaposition [of]...flavors, textures, colors, food types, and cooking methods.” It was with this principle in mind that I chose the dishes which would accompany the terrine. From Tropp’s book*, I made fire-dried walnuts, which were crunchy, meaty, and slightly sweet and bell pepper pickles with vibrant colors that contrasted their subtle sweet-soy seasoning. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">*I see the irony that my Chinese recipes come largely from Western writers. I have a theory which I won’t go into today, that often the best culture-based cookbooks come from outsiders to that culture. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijquE_0LV1V-5VYLLs1cnGtS8Uhg7a5NOgEAhzzWAec8pK67bqtWjUzo4Z3HmhIK9Ru3JZq9BuPSH5pxMshWVeCL-gWilYW2uzp1_4Eh4NS8xQmSJ-OSCUWGBm_HG_mARpt6mE3Zt0Dh8/s1600/mini-bell-peppers.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijquE_0LV1V-5VYLLs1cnGtS8Uhg7a5NOgEAhzzWAec8pK67bqtWjUzo4Z3HmhIK9Ru3JZq9BuPSH5pxMshWVeCL-gWilYW2uzp1_4Eh4NS8xQmSJ-OSCUWGBm_HG_mARpt6mE3Zt0Dh8/s400/mini-bell-peppers.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">adorable mini-bell peppers I found at the greenmarket</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Szechuan cucumber pickles, from Su-Huei Huang’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Cuisine-Wei-Chuans-Cookbook-Huang/dp/0941676080/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1313437191&sr=1-1">Chinese Cuisine</a> contributed a bold spicy flavor with bright vinegar overtones. And finally, the meal was rounded out with stir-fried bitter melon. All, of course, served over a bowl of steaming white rice. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8Ol9AdQEFYNG1ytzGng6dMQsHtug5l9BEYSPXVKO1n3XGP3cxupEjC944ZqKjS79Vowec6dNnAuxC0GkI2Zlsv_6YVhoSgrJ983ha5qwpoPwP2pI9RYGgDuKA7ZZP8z-Q-5PDgO1nk4/s1600/terrine-board.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8Ol9AdQEFYNG1ytzGng6dMQsHtug5l9BEYSPXVKO1n3XGP3cxupEjC944ZqKjS79Vowec6dNnAuxC0GkI2Zlsv_6YVhoSgrJ983ha5qwpoPwP2pI9RYGgDuKA7ZZP8z-Q-5PDgO1nk4/s400/terrine-board.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The terrine was good, although I’d do some things differently next time I make it. For one, the gelatin itself needed much more robust seasoning. I was so worried about adding too much soy the first day, that I overcompensated, and ended up with a slightly bland binder. Also, next time I would probably leave out the ears. The crunch was slightly disconcerting (which is odd because I am quite fond of another Chinese dish, pressed pig ear terrine), and there was a slight off flavor to it which I couldn’t help but associate with ear wax. If I ever get around to making an actual headcheese, I will need to find something more palatable to do with the ears. These complaints are just nitpicking, though. Altogether this was a nicely balanced meal, where each component complimented the others. I’d never had a terrine over rice before, but found it to be a very pleasant combination. While mostly holding its shape, the gelatin melted just enough to season the rice beneath it. The dish was complex in flavors and textures, and perfectly showcased the terrine.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYKTJLnpa7RbY1kc8Y1kcxy-kHRtJ4urBS5byA6m-anwoaMIwjMaq4dH7UA6MUX4PYVnxkUka-3lt4duNtnj9O4PRpR9PBe-X_aQoonBsAql9vif-IPjJwqT_if6IgR1obV7hG7QG6PQ/s1600/rice-bowl.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYKTJLnpa7RbY1kc8Y1kcxy-kHRtJ4urBS5byA6m-anwoaMIwjMaq4dH7UA6MUX4PYVnxkUka-3lt4duNtnj9O4PRpR9PBe-X_aQoonBsAql9vif-IPjJwqT_if6IgR1obV7hG7QG6PQ/s400/rice-bowl.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">unfortunately it didn't slice as cleanly as I'd hoped</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-54585439867559194622011-07-15T18:58:00.000-04:002011-07-15T18:58:27.557-04:00How to half-ass a weisswurst | Charcutepalooza, challenge no. 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.0999330149457407" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am participating in Charcutepalooza, a year of meat which entails twelve monthly challenges to prepare dishes using various charcuterie techniques. For more information about charcutepalooza, click</span><a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/charcutepalooza/the-ruhls-2/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. To read why I decided to partake in the meatmaking festivities, read my first post</span><a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-year-new-blog-charcutepalooza.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3F5s1kyduPmCEmA47Yno9G3zc75MkSdT-3EyVq3RLRILLPimYWvTTiqR8rNGDTwIH5hlVO4tBpQxbWLjLDmkOenCaUQS2WSiBnc7nYBEFR805w4M1dD_fjlnJYzeoyAf9kCHZuFYTYsM/s1600/weisswurst.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3F5s1kyduPmCEmA47Yno9G3zc75MkSdT-3EyVq3RLRILLPimYWvTTiqR8rNGDTwIH5hlVO4tBpQxbWLjLDmkOenCaUQS2WSiBnc7nYBEFR805w4M1dD_fjlnJYzeoyAf9kCHZuFYTYsM/s400/weisswurst.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Usually I approach my monthly charcutepalooza challenge like a celebration, with days of planning and eager anticipation. This month it was hard to muster up a similar level of enthusiasm. Not that I was unhappy with the <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/2011/06/charcutepalooza-july-challenge-blending/">challenge</a>. On the contrary, I had been anxiously awaiting the emulsified sausage challenge, for which I had planned to create my own version of the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/39941/%20">Chang Dog</a>, completely from scratch with homemade buns, kimchee, bacon, and of course the hot dog. But when the challenge finally rolled around my heart wasn’t in it. With a big trip to Maine approaching all I could think about was seafood. For the first time since this year of meat started, I just wasn’t craving any.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Beside all that, finding time to get upstate where we have access to the smoker, which we needed to make hot dogs, was simply not feasible. Not only was I occupied with all the normal things that need to be taken care of in the weeks before traveling, but ken managed to come down with a bad three week long summer cold which left him for all practical purposes, incapacitated. I never realized how much ken does to make my life easier and better until he went out of commission, and everything just started falling apart.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">At first I considered skipping this challenge altogether, but couldn’t justify it to myself as we had all the equipment necessary plus about a lifetime supply of hog casings in the freezer. We chose to make weisswurst mostly because it was simple enough to do in the limited time we had, and mild tasting enough for ken to eat on a queasy stomach. So on a day that ken was feeling well enough to help out, and I had a few free hours to kill before running out to meet some people at a party (gay pride - this year you couldn’t live in ny and not <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/25/nyregion/gay-marriage-approved-by-new-york-senate.html?pagewanted=all">celebrate</a>!), we banged out three pounds of weisswurst</span>.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Unlike the fresh sausages we made <a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/06/two-tastes-of-family-charcutepalooza.html">last month</a>, the meat in emulsified sausages is ground twice, the second time with ice, and then whipped into a stiff paste before being stuffed into a casing. Maintaining the temperature is extra crucial because the meat is so extensively manhandled. Otherwise, the process is pretty much identical. And the practice we had making the fresh sausages paid off - we had a surprisingly easy time making these weisswurst. It still took a lot of time, but everything felt like it came together rather seamlessly - even the pastry bag technique felt less onerous. I guess it’s really true what they say that doing is the best form of learning. This may be an obvious lesson to most, but I’ve always been the type to over-think any potential undertaking. I had owned and sporadically read through </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Charcuterie</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> for years, but all that reading and learning didn’t teach me how to make sausages. It was only by using the grinder, and stuffing sausages regularly the past couple months that I finally started to get the hang of it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxchjieuoEir2niE9dXwpBmmPIshLsQ0RSY5WzglPycTsbPDm3q49_OVEMqiesxsvBpc766WMpymicemkgi4acYr3laCWyW396AvwMxWoezwJ_Rd3CgkeEjYL5-ixM-ryD-a2NdAXAu8Q/s1600/weisswurst-paste.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxchjieuoEir2niE9dXwpBmmPIshLsQ0RSY5WzglPycTsbPDm3q49_OVEMqiesxsvBpc766WMpymicemkgi4acYr3laCWyW396AvwMxWoezwJ_Rd3CgkeEjYL5-ixM-ryD-a2NdAXAu8Q/s400/weisswurst-paste.gif" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">That’s not to say that we are experts, or even particularly good yet. I mean, check out the air pockets in the casing! But the process is finally feeling a little more routine, and less like a huge and unpredictable endeavor.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnBPcpfJfdl8Di4aB6hkXSVCnc1c8ekvkGQaQSVUGOIdz2_y4b9G-_au68k7BokeyG60IBL0wprGRPZUdzoYZMp0DUv9Qa3vjchJdNsaU-Es4vIJVKAfu3K5wwFMHcOksoztlTVsqIbU/s1600/weisswurst-stuffing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnBPcpfJfdl8Di4aB6hkXSVCnc1c8ekvkGQaQSVUGOIdz2_y4b9G-_au68k7BokeyG60IBL0wprGRPZUdzoYZMp0DUv9Qa3vjchJdNsaU-Es4vIJVKAfu3K5wwFMHcOksoztlTVsqIbU/s400/weisswurst-stuffing.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once, years ago, after cooking a huge multi-course meal for my family, I asked my grandmother what she thought. Her reply was that it was good but that I was a “fun cook”. At the time, I was confused, and probably slightly offended, but I now understand what she meant. Any reasonably skilled cook can make a great meal when it is for an event or a meal that they are excited about planning and preparing. The true test of a good cook is how well they can put together a meal when they are tired or cranky, or would rather be doing other things. Although we’ve made sausages successfully a couple times now, it took making them when neither of us were at all excited about eating them (ken ate reheated soup that night and I went out), to finally start feeling proficient at it. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I thought I could muster up the enthusiasm to make homemade pretzels and mustard to go with them the next day, but after waking up with the worst hangover in existence, it was clear that was not going to be an option. So without further ado, our charcutepalooza dish: weisswurst and, um, sliced bread.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I sincerely hope a recipe is not necessary.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjQI9AqpC5kgaQ20haqxxapTdT-ULK3_KgnFIKuLU57sR7mL7cmUuYycDsNraqBYPnHGvRl39WSTk43-JX2Qa85SSGkpELj6s97Vatkq8iXdvYm8Q2SVMk9jioQ5dwj4ncL5Ot18p1e8/s1600/weisswurst_cooked.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjQI9AqpC5kgaQ20haqxxapTdT-ULK3_KgnFIKuLU57sR7mL7cmUuYycDsNraqBYPnHGvRl39WSTk43-JX2Qa85SSGkpELj6s97Vatkq8iXdvYm8Q2SVMk9jioQ5dwj4ncL5Ot18p1e8/s400/weisswurst_cooked.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And just so I’m not a total downer, here are some of the things we were actually excited about this past month:</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKp8VEVAl5Qo6nAv_fGoZZLWXBHZkOkMwXz2K8AD5LEiT25AzGrvxAl4DTtajr1nQ2sAyOkzmNrNx_CaWYlGSxmL_RXNysjletwAQy4V6blBGMBhu4YxtzSRZQveEfnjPsnXo1zO93R0/s1600/lobster-roll.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKp8VEVAl5Qo6nAv_fGoZZLWXBHZkOkMwXz2K8AD5LEiT25AzGrvxAl4DTtajr1nQ2sAyOkzmNrNx_CaWYlGSxmL_RXNysjletwAQy4V6blBGMBhu4YxtzSRZQveEfnjPsnXo1zO93R0/s400/lobster-roll.gif" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">lobster roll that we ate on our way out - first meal in Maine!</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8PRlYmFtzJSxk6c1gJBQLbwUI9Z6V7UrYa8xA8ykDnAOZVl5MIfVMjd_rgC0LcTXpOfUkKjsyMG7ivE5lt34UkVcd1xDQ8fG4soOIbOrgJI7DXjEjn-DOTeOCFkqUQI-PzDEHwF3sIg/s1600/beach-view-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8PRlYmFtzJSxk6c1gJBQLbwUI9Z6V7UrYa8xA8ykDnAOZVl5MIfVMjd_rgC0LcTXpOfUkKjsyMG7ivE5lt34UkVcd1xDQ8fG4soOIbOrgJI7DXjEjn-DOTeOCFkqUQI-PzDEHwF3sIg/s400/beach-view-1.gif" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> the view from our home away from home</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhrD5tONbfkOU_vF9UwfW5vYZE89wdcJfc-ngjcnVzOR2xlpJOOyP4zzc911-2WqdkxYaUL8hJ5AUh2lKGJwWI9jv5AF-_J0ORKYVwCOA1Ro-KgVcJpC2Z1hDvbTNBeEi1VyEzZULFu4/s1600/fox.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhrD5tONbfkOU_vF9UwfW5vYZE89wdcJfc-ngjcnVzOR2xlpJOOyP4zzc911-2WqdkxYaUL8hJ5AUh2lKGJwWI9jv5AF-_J0ORKYVwCOA1Ro-KgVcJpC2Z1hDvbTNBeEi1VyEzZULFu4/s400/fox.gif" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">fox living on premises, who made an appearance every day <br />
around cocktail hour</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPDkW0S1uOww1HdPCQEqHszCxu8x_H5yFI14nD3m6TvSBHoHC_nw5c81eMmV2vx6G3f_6t4KwQDOpUurjw4Lmjo26d9B374rKdAUDRywvUo1uytd_jnaxFFRSODEFMgiHv1X0NVjvcw8/s1600/lobster-killing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmPDkW0S1uOww1HdPCQEqHszCxu8x_H5yFI14nD3m6TvSBHoHC_nw5c81eMmV2vx6G3f_6t4KwQDOpUurjw4Lmjo26d9B374rKdAUDRywvUo1uytd_jnaxFFRSODEFMgiHv1X0NVjvcw8/s400/lobster-killing.gif" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">learning how to humanely dispatch a lobster</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NPs5Zu9GOvaIa_oNI_xf72FXtv5oL81UuUtwbWuA3sWW4MI4BTyPvEOhMwwV4e-RSDJU5yYrXB7o3Ih2W5IHxUZwQhIg83ddLHPIEA5pnbjwOH0IxccRYRG8F7vCktSoSUcQRWKBIuY/s1600/crab-bake.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NPs5Zu9GOvaIa_oNI_xf72FXtv5oL81UuUtwbWuA3sWW4MI4BTyPvEOhMwwV4e-RSDJU5yYrXB7o3Ih2W5IHxUZwQhIg83ddLHPIEA5pnbjwOH0IxccRYRG8F7vCktSoSUcQRWKBIuY/s400/crab-bake.gif" width="392" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">cooking shellfish on the beach</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbNw-0jmddtKfe3PIGZRimB9Xr9An4gDzCCCLwTDOmJNq0CswGjYJ2ExLoW80McEeZnXvOBeD9my7HoiBuv_t5svzGRZeMCOSH-Ve0R9sqiG5MKIOJv1tQzjqloXlMKEvqSHs8HqB_GA/s1600/fried-clams.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbNw-0jmddtKfe3PIGZRimB9Xr9An4gDzCCCLwTDOmJNq0CswGjYJ2ExLoW80McEeZnXvOBeD9my7HoiBuv_t5svzGRZeMCOSH-Ve0R9sqiG5MKIOJv1tQzjqloXlMKEvqSHs8HqB_GA/s400/fried-clams.gif" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">fried clams that we ate on our way home - last meal in Maine</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With a headcheese</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/2011/07/charcutepalooza-august-challenge-binding/"> challenge</a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> on the way, I can assure you, I’ll have more enthusiasm for next month’s charcutepalooza post!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">P.S. If anyone knows how to better control the spaces between pictures in blogger, please please please let me know.</span></span>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-54422251479373180972011-07-01T16:58:00.000-04:002011-07-01T16:58:33.557-04:00Farmer's Market Finds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am in the midst of packing for a week long trip up in the wilds of coastal Maine. While there, I hope to be completely offline except when absolutely necessary, and yes, that includes twitter (eep!). Before disappearing I wanted to share a couple things I've been working on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The warm weather and amazing produce at the <a href="http://www.grownyc.org/greenmarket">Greenmarket</a> has been pushing me to experiment more with color in my artwork. This past wednesday I finally made it out to the market early enough to have my pick of the goodies at <a href="http://www.nofa.org/tnf/sp02/supplement/hhollow.php">Honey Hollow Farm</a>. Most of their produce is foraged, so it is highly seasonal, susceptible to vagaries in the weather (as I learned when I attempted to buy morels this past <a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/06/springtime-on-plate.html">spring</a>), and like all scarcities, are in high demand. There have been times that I've gotten to the market around noon, and find their stand completely wiped out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This time, however, by stopping off before my early morning printmaking class, I had all of their early summer bounty to choose from. Here are some sketches of what I picked up: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09QkBFUXuvIiRYhzg8hkH5AiwFt5f75g8PLv0mGcTXXe8cSGutgXRGSTAEklrvA9YLhU2TM6q9YxOLFUFUNUXYpAdVb_dovq_8C-eimJHCRsBcHcG0lkIY1-fcLfTeLw1Hxkyxv59yuk/s400/daylilies.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daylily Buds</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEFXi3hY8MuV41LiQESSGIT6nUF5xc1TAOf9fiGjf8FI2iylbUQEA3rbS_K8Dr2xPpxuZ0pzvslclYHxOtDeZv0Ic7PJSniUz1rcat4F7BGM1c3dSfZRPiEKROuHsBsSvsSFhvQEf79Q/s1600/chanterelles.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEFXi3hY8MuV41LiQESSGIT6nUF5xc1TAOf9fiGjf8FI2iylbUQEA3rbS_K8Dr2xPpxuZ0pzvslclYHxOtDeZv0Ic7PJSniUz1rcat4F7BGM1c3dSfZRPiEKROuHsBsSvsSFhvQEf79Q/s400/chanterelles.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chanterelles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Happy Fourth of July!Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-10523910200245328742011-06-15T19:08:00.000-04:002011-06-15T19:08:16.050-04:00Two Tastes of Family | Charcutepalooza, challenge no. 6<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.1205290072127746" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am participating in Charcutepalooza, a year of meat which entails twelve monthly challenges to prepare dishes using various charcuterie techniques. For more information about charcutepalooza, click <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/charcutepalooza/the-ruhls-2/">here</a>. To read why I decided to partake in the meatmaking festivities, read my first post <a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-year-new-blog-charcutepalooza.html">here</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.6235146894778305" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">THE FIRST TASTE: the apprentice challenge</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Its funny how much you can learn, just by acknowledging the limits of your own knowledge. I was born in New York City, a hot spot of culinary adventuring, to parents who took full advantage of all that the location had to offer. To my inflated city girl ego, I was a worldly diner who knew everything there was to know about Italian food. And then I met ken. The first time he made me a real marinara was a revelation. For some reason, entirely beyond me now, I had always thought that the type of food served at red sauce pasta & pizza joints was somehow fake or americanized: the chop suey of Italian cuisine. The slow cooked sauce ken made me was perfectly smooth, sweet, but far from cloyingly so. It has since become a favorite of mine, perfect with meatballs over homemade orrecchiete. Once I opened myself up to learning more about Italian food, I found ken and his family a wealth of information. I learned about the timpano, a multi-day cooking production of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115678/">Big Night</a> fame. Another dish I learned of, Italian greens and beans is so simple, and so satisfyingly rich and comforting, that I am sad just thinking of all the years I didn’t know of its existence. Since then, I have come to associate this dish closely with ken’s family. The first time we went to L.A. together, ken’s uncles welcomed me into their home, and served me this dish: tender cannelini beans with wilted dandelion greens, fresh from the farmers market. Ken’s mom makes a more traditional version with escarole, a green I had never tasted before, but which has a bitterness I have since learned to love. At a restaurant in Utica, the city where his family is from, we had a version so loaded down with pancetta and pepperoni that I had trouble recognizing it as the simple hearty, healthy dish I had first been introduced to.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUaFW31yo751-fpjc0i1QLj3QIPOVMM31r2jj47_pqU-bkx1C84mx7j8eYHx323iVQIincLSngvBev24woCy3tod1n_J_bZnlGCqMU7vjkgkNUJhbIRbQCsM_AYeydsTkLpUWsRBcJso/s1600/greens-and-beans.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUaFW31yo751-fpjc0i1QLj3QIPOVMM31r2jj47_pqU-bkx1C84mx7j8eYHx323iVQIincLSngvBev24woCy3tod1n_J_bZnlGCqMU7vjkgkNUJhbIRbQCsM_AYeydsTkLpUWsRBcJso/s400/greens-and-beans.gif" width="400" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Last fall, we had purchased a ton of fresh cranberry beans from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2010/10/market-scene-profiles-bodhitree-farm-union-square-greenmarket.html">Bodhitree</a>, one of our favorite farms at the Union Square Greenmarket. Most were eaten almost immediately, but we saved a quart of cooked beans in the freezer, planning on using them with the first greens of spring. This past month, with greens finally abundant at the market, a half pound of leftover pork in the fridge, and a sausage making <a href="http://www.food52.com/blog/2062_june_challenge_stuffing">challenge</a> on my mind, I decided it was finally time for me to come up with my own version of greens and beans. Back at the Bodhitree farmstand, I hit my first hiccup: no escarole. No worries, they recommended curly endive, another new vegetable to me, and one which worked beautifully. It had the same bracing bitterness, but with a sturdier leaf which took a bit more time to become tender.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgPGaNUmbcCdl03y1x9mRn61lMpqFM29tbuAFzZ3NFO6n0GGYdFIKWBzc0eAg6l58SwBgVYw2UpkyTaPTmRgDWW7XlrqoiCxygVVEiw0sOQ052FjvGEtIc0qs_X8Eu1uKKAXf_ABmBa0/s1600/curly-endive.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgPGaNUmbcCdl03y1x9mRn61lMpqFM29tbuAFzZ3NFO6n0GGYdFIKWBzc0eAg6l58SwBgVYw2UpkyTaPTmRgDWW7XlrqoiCxygVVEiw0sOQ052FjvGEtIc0qs_X8Eu1uKKAXf_ABmBa0/s400/curly-endive.gif" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am a fortunate girl in that I am often given very good advice. A good friend of mine, who also happens to be a professionally trained chef, recommended using the kitchenaid sausage stuffer attachment with all its known imperfections, over my planned method: a pastry bag. Unfortunately, I am also a very stubborn girl (there goes that ego again) and that is how I found myself alone in the kitchen, swearing at a pastry tip for being too damned short, while trying to thread three feet of hog casings onto it. Suffice it to say, there are no pictures of the process. It took about two hours before I finally had my first sausages, exactly three links of hot Italian (based on the recipe in Ruhlman and Polcyn’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308171866&sr=8-1">Charcuterie</a>). And now I also know why people don’t make sausage in half pound batches.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPr2OrVUfkgNFTI6fDn09vcM93h6mvcbZRD9HDOsMqbaMGOumi3MfYgz5rPhZ6UYdq-UoYLpVqmE4LvtXVvWWyZvKnl4Zb6QLTC9M0RZYz-lPLwSoeTbdVY-DdfaUQkBDo2OkCs4elmSw/s1600/hot-italian-links.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPr2OrVUfkgNFTI6fDn09vcM93h6mvcbZRD9HDOsMqbaMGOumi3MfYgz5rPhZ6UYdq-UoYLpVqmE4LvtXVvWWyZvKnl4Zb6QLTC9M0RZYz-lPLwSoeTbdVY-DdfaUQkBDo2OkCs4elmSw/s400/hot-italian-links.gif" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Regardless of the myriad inefficiencies in the making, these sausages were juicy, flavorful, and tasted great in greens and beans.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtTC9kThQluW9c7aWva8-2sBfpyc1WrCl763U9BfWc0wfyho-b4zsMxp-phh0-CrX5270899NivhU58uVRxjVdcDyv1nUObGehvjcMdmCkbNdnJVva8BfBtFFXwxSjcecBqBeIG7zzCc/s1600/sliced-sausage.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtTC9kThQluW9c7aWva8-2sBfpyc1WrCl763U9BfWc0wfyho-b4zsMxp-phh0-CrX5270899NivhU58uVRxjVdcDyv1nUObGehvjcMdmCkbNdnJVva8BfBtFFXwxSjcecBqBeIG7zzCc/s400/sliced-sausage.gif" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Greens and Beans with Italian Sausage</span></u><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This dish is hearty enough to be a meal. If there are unexpected diners, it can easily be stretched into a soup with the addition of water or stock (and salt to taste!).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">½ lb hot Italian sausage</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 onion, chopped</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">olive oil</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2 cloves garlic, minced</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 bay leaf</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 bunch curly endive or other bitter leafy green, such as escarole, dandelion greens, washed and cut up.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 quart cooked beans, preferably fresh, but fine if dried, or even canned</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">parmesan for grating</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">salt and pepper to taste</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. In a large pot, saute the sausages until the skin is caramelized, and they are just cooked through. Remove the sausages from the pot, being careful to leave behind as much of the fat as possible. When they are cool enough to handle, slice them and set them aside.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Add olive oil to the pan if there is not enough of the reserved sausage fat. Add the onion and cook until sweated but not browned. Then add the garlic and the bay leaf and saute for another couple of minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Stir in the greens, and cook until wilted. Add about a half cup of water, turn down the heat, cover the pot and let it cook until the greens are tender. Feel free to add more water if it boils off before the greens are to your liking. Once you are happy with the texture of your greens, remove the lid, and turn the heat up until most of the water has simmered off.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Add the cooked beans, stirring gently to avoid smushing them. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5. Stir in the sausage slices, and let the whole thing simmer for a few minutes while the flavors blend together.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">6. Add salt, pepper, and grated parmesan to taste.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">7. Serve alongside parmesan for grating, for those who prefer a cheesier taste.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">THE SECOND TASTE: the charcutiere challenge</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Since ken’s family was so well represented in this challenge, I didn’t want my own to feel left out. For the second part of the challenge: inventing my own poultry sausage, I drew inspiration from my parents. Although my personal heritage is Chinese and Eastern European, my culinary background is much more complicated. My dad did most of the cooking for us growing up, and has always loved to experiment with various cuisines from around the world. A week of dining in their household could easily start with a simple pasta or risotto, followed later in the week by a Korean inspired braised short rib dish, and end with a Mexican grilled chicken taco feast with all the works. A recent addition to his winter repertoire of braised dishes is a chicken tagine. Although usually a staple of cold weather cooking, this dish and Moroccan food in general has been on my mind, because currently, my parents happen to be vacationing in Marrakesh. Jealous of the food they must be enjoying, I decided to take the exotic flavors of a tagine and stuff them into a casing: a sausage perfect for summertime grilling.</span><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3AJ_pX8iNxSIHyjtZSDhK3E6JKo0xjFyF_jTDaiPVng_VRQAP25yIQmXMxeRcU0msrOPP5m3dvhpb9aRE5PcQEOuVKD8wydFPwRtyUBuRfziZ7vBanHcFVwJitpvmAwME4rVSp70WnY/s1600/sausage-links.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3AJ_pX8iNxSIHyjtZSDhK3E6JKo0xjFyF_jTDaiPVng_VRQAP25yIQmXMxeRcU0msrOPP5m3dvhpb9aRE5PcQEOuVKD8wydFPwRtyUBuRfziZ7vBanHcFVwJitpvmAwME4rVSp70WnY/s400/sausage-links.gif" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wanting to use some of the gorgeous preserved lemons I had in my fridge, a generous gift from a friend (the same friend, in fact, who wisely but unsuccessfully tried to guide me away from sausage stuffing via pastry bag), I chose to base my sausage on a preserved lemon and olive chicken tagine, for which many recipes exist online.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RE5zOHejLgL9-v8z0tdOU9RIWCOPD2Te3wpBE9I-XawbYkev4nUBwJkr3l1WuXXzcwBq-xe30hTXWuMqUXU1aOHIpI6919bGG-PWF6UNdwYQMYQNB_SDWYnvD6CgV34AfYfSBRx4kJY/s1600/preserved-lemon.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RE5zOHejLgL9-v8z0tdOU9RIWCOPD2Te3wpBE9I-XawbYkev4nUBwJkr3l1WuXXzcwBq-xe30hTXWuMqUXU1aOHIpI6919bGG-PWF6UNdwYQMYQNB_SDWYnvD6CgV34AfYfSBRx4kJY/s320/preserved-lemon.gif" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The largest impediment to the making of these sausages was the terrible heat wave we experienced here in the Northeast last week. Sausage meat has to be kept exceptionally cold to keep the fat from separating. Usually this requires keeping all the grinding equipment, bowls and meat in the freezer, something I am ashamed to say was not really an option for me. They say confession is good for the soul, so at the risk that one of my concerned readers will be reporting me to the producers of <a href="http://www.aetv.com/hoarders/">Hoarders</a>, I would like to show you all the inside of my freezer:</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfi2r0vrgQHCvrywR_cGcB3YtETZTLybNNBiCRnoXMsWcXjhJGzKqqxhLDpgp8UyHIHaMEVNckDQqHuXN5MXaBBq2sDzGuNWgJ-X0v3ysn3aw72rir2Plf5TQFsYlLsFNCsZ_g14RZl7I/s1600/freezer.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfi2r0vrgQHCvrywR_cGcB3YtETZTLybNNBiCRnoXMsWcXjhJGzKqqxhLDpgp8UyHIHaMEVNckDQqHuXN5MXaBBq2sDzGuNWgJ-X0v3ysn3aw72rir2Plf5TQFsYlLsFNCsZ_g14RZl7I/s320/freezer.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, that is a bag falling out as I took this picture. My freezer is a deathtrap.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Clearly I have a problem. There was zero possibility of fitting a bowl in. I only managed to get the meat in by cycling out quarts of stock, and the grinder hardware, by wedging it between a bag of chicken carcasses and a tupperware full of duck fat. As a safeguard against the oppressive heat, I ground my sausages (4 lbs this time around) in two batches, cleaning and rechilling all the equipment between each round. Apparently the fat survived because these were some of the juiciest sausages I’ve ever eaten!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Unfortunately I couldn’t get my hands on the kitchenaid stuffer attachment in time to make these sausages so once again I had to make do with the pastry bag. But this time, with some experience, and an extra set of hands (ken’s) to help out, the stuffing went much faster and with a lot less swearing. </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgS0m6oSmq7RMhan5wUzJ11Qp8YwHzVe72dODmBI21oNVIBFMsjt0PSQ2miHYet84reT68SCUw4fc2125Amv_EddpWePJL8OIe1ahtAt5eBIO9j5pDa_hN0zInBuqOacP7j4yPEEDi1A/s1600/sausage-linking.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgS0m6oSmq7RMhan5wUzJ11Qp8YwHzVe72dODmBI21oNVIBFMsjt0PSQ2miHYet84reT68SCUw4fc2125Amv_EddpWePJL8OIe1ahtAt5eBIO9j5pDa_hN0zInBuqOacP7j4yPEEDi1A/s400/sausage-linking.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having issues with twisting links, and no kitchen twine on hand, I tied each link <br />
off with extra casings. It's not pretty but it worked!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We were just planning to eat these with regular pitas, but ken took it upon himself to find this <a href="http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/breadandrice/r/Batbout_recipe.htm">recipe</a> for Morrocan flat bread known as a batbout. Batbouts are not baked, rather they are cooked on a stove top, making them ideal summer breads. Although similar to pitas, these flat breads were a bit chewier because of their high semolina content. </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkYxthnVbH_hsZ1Mpr3_61q2DJAF-0u1fEbXykToz143xtPaS46xVX7KrXZI5dyt0QklW9VugS10G2dUiGyX0o55025YJf_05wKTum7bqDTqoxr4jPgR_nas0gabwkTXssodtXDEdqbQ/s1600/batbout-making.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkYxthnVbH_hsZ1Mpr3_61q2DJAF-0u1fEbXykToz143xtPaS46xVX7KrXZI5dyt0QklW9VugS10G2dUiGyX0o55025YJf_05wKTum7bqDTqoxr4jPgR_nas0gabwkTXssodtXDEdqbQ/s400/batbout-making.gif" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We ate the sausages gently grilled, with a tzatziki-like condiment of diced cucumber, greek yogurt, mint, garlic and lemon zest. Even wrapped in the batbout, this was a messy meal, best eaten outdoors with those closest to you, who won’t mind you licking your fingers.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnL_wXshRA7hGV8cEQD0xp3EXLl261v_fo8P9EisE7gpUa8QBlQGyPZsuVwDml8sGzI2H7v1xfLJA4zPd5oOGR5UfQ43ztDgG1LyqcY6DumjozPcWcCTBm45KDsCKJeY1iwxL-nsrgrhg/s1600/final-dish.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnL_wXshRA7hGV8cEQD0xp3EXLl261v_fo8P9EisE7gpUa8QBlQGyPZsuVwDml8sGzI2H7v1xfLJA4zPd5oOGR5UfQ43ztDgG1LyqcY6DumjozPcWcCTBm45KDsCKJeY1iwxL-nsrgrhg/s400/final-dish.gif" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"> <u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chicken Tagine Sausage with Preserved Lemons and Olives</span></u><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The base recipe for these sausages came, as always from Ruhlman and Polcyn, this time from their Chicken Sausage with Basil and Tomatoes recipe. I wanted to use their meat to fat to salt ratio but discovered too late, that I had only half a pound of back fat in the freezer, a full pound less than they called for. Still the sausages were sufficiently juicy and fatty, a fact I attribute to the quality of the chicken thighs. I will write the proportions I used here, but more fat certainly won’t hurt. Also, the spice amounts included are approximations. Season, as always, according to your tastes. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3 ½ lbs chicken thighs, diced</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">½ lb back fat, diced</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">30 g salt (careful here as the preserved lemon and the olives add a fair amount of salt, especially if you, like me, forget to rinse the lemons before prepping them)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 preserved lemon rind, rinsed and then minced</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2 cloves garlic, minced</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 tsp grated ginger</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 tsp cumin</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 tsp paprika</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1 tsp tumeric</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">¼ tsp ground cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">¼ cup green olives, diced</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">¼ cup red wine vinegar, chilled</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">¼ cup olive oil</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Combine all the ingredients except for the olives.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Let the meat and seasonings sit for as long as overnight, in the fridge.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Grind the meat according to the instructions in Charcuterie, being very careful to keep everything cold.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Mix the ground meat using the paddle attachment on the mixer for a couple minutes, adding the vinegar, the olive oil, and lastly, the diced olives while mixing. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5. Fry up a small portion of the sausage to taste. Adjust the seasonings accordingly.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">6. Stuff the sausages in hog casing.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">7. Grill the sausages gently and enjoy!</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.1205290072127746" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-43010240228929921682011-06-03T16:35:00.002-04:002011-06-14T12:14:10.978-04:00Springtime on a Plate<span id="internal-source-marker_0.2252260665648136" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Not too long ago, my printmaking teacher said something quite humbling to me in response to a glib remark of mine: that current methods of art history education (requiring large amounts of rote memorization) were obsolete in the current age of google. His response was that through reliance on technology we forfeit our abilities. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In hindsight, it is unsurprising that someone who teaches printmaking would see the value of preserving skills many would consider obsolete. The real question is why, as a student of printmaking, I didn’t instinctively feel the same way. The truth is, that in a lot of ways, i do. Take cooking for instance. Almost all the cooking I do, practically speaking, is obsolete. I could just as easily buy everything premade and packaged, ready to be microwaved. But I choose to preserve my cooking abilities because I find it enriching. And my teacher was absolutely correct about the effects of our reliance on search engines. Since getting a smart phone and consequently always having googling capabilities at my fingertips, my memory, which has served me well in the past, is suffering. I used to be able to ace exams that I crammed for the night before, vocab and grammar rules used to come easily to me when learning new language. Now, those memory feats seem entirely unattainable. One summer shy of thirty, I’m certainly not old enough to blame my age for my forgetfulness. By always taking the easy way out: constantly checking wikipedia for facts, bookmarking information instead of retaining it, I have forfeited, i.e. actively surrendered my memorizing abilities. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So what’s my point? I’m not saying that I want to go live under a rock, eating termites, so I don’t lose my poking-sticks-in-logs-to catch-bugs skills. Clearly no one person can be highly skilled at everything. My point is that I need to be more aware of the payoff, or cost of convenience. The decision of which skills I want to maintain, and which I am willing to relinquish must be made consciously and deliberately. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In considering what other abilities I have put in danger of forfeit, it is clear to me that technology is not the only culprit. Any voluntary relinquishment of a responsibility can effect a forfeiture. Ken and I almost always cook together and the division of labor naturally gravitates towards our respective strengths. I realized that over the years my comfort level with the tasks he usually assumes has fallen although I was perfect adept at them before we started seeing each other. I would never give up cooking together. Our ability to cook so well together (despite the fact that I am a recovering kitchen bully* with occasional relapses) is one of my favorite things about our relationship. But I have decided that every so often I should cook an entire meal from conception through execution alone, just to maintain those skills which I would be loath to lose. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">* years ago the nytimes published an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/14/dining/14beta.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all%20">article</a> on kitchen bullies and my first thought on reading it, unhappily, was that it described me to a T. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoQglOqsepp6MrdbDxIijYQo3stsPzAMQiYfnRB1VAo2DT5eKaMtlBrjOeuGC4wQF9j9KiCvlr1In0-gXEUZOz6uEsr3AXHFZWaPqTAoo6v8a6Q4j2SliJmk1XJMG6InUDo207-mwxq4/s1600/spring_closeup.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoQglOqsepp6MrdbDxIijYQo3stsPzAMQiYfnRB1VAo2DT5eKaMtlBrjOeuGC4wQF9j9KiCvlr1In0-gXEUZOz6uEsr3AXHFZWaPqTAoo6v8a6Q4j2SliJmk1XJMG6InUDo207-mwxq4/s400/spring_closeup.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My first solo meal was inspired by the early spring produce at the farmers market, and by this Hank Shaw blog <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://honest-food.net/2011/05/04/first-morels-of-the-season/">post</a>. I was hoping to mimic his use of the season’s trifecta: ramps, fiddleheads and morels, but unfortunately, according to the folks at the greenmarket, the weather (constant rain, followed immediately by intense heat) ended our morel season early. No worries, the fiddleheads and the ramps paired with a roast rack of lamb more than represented for the season.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0CXlcVTYE2LGX9t7GnAS9y-OddmKLlb7oyZcmDnh00ieJVPU8U04xZhMRYiYbKOyFrgbbYp1XXab64P3zi57D4y8CK9s8JOi4IruI2xVZBuYT1cc7Ry5sXX-TzBXH2EEhRCev9yjstk/s1600/spring_veggies.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0CXlcVTYE2LGX9t7GnAS9y-OddmKLlb7oyZcmDnh00ieJVPU8U04xZhMRYiYbKOyFrgbbYp1XXab64P3zi57D4y8CK9s8JOi4IruI2xVZBuYT1cc7Ry5sXX-TzBXH2EEhRCev9yjstk/s400/spring_veggies.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0zSiKL1g4xlUB2TJNw7Zsh-kbt4qIg6-lkHeEpXAeder7MAooq9dckkhLEVidtsVapl6kQTfZKfMtQ_iyxqP4klazQuUOWNHBfGBlSLTNLQhLdPaIqNvf6yfASUOglbswRWI38BoAxA/s1600/fiddleheads_blanched.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoduMYCVyYsZbtsBatkFo7zRHf5rWTwll6HZhNGY9aOyjPJQjAYv0b9tIC7wr25PmiP4AvEwZMTZF-uJhymMV1jI3AvSaxcA_7G9n89Aduv8ssqzWQWrfqbT-WJQmLuKp33TKqBrHjFmE/s400/fiddleheads.gif" width="400" /></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I prepared the fiddleheads by trimming them and rubbing off their brown papery husk. They were then pre-boiled for about five minutes in well salted water.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0zSiKL1g4xlUB2TJNw7Zsh-kbt4qIg6-lkHeEpXAeder7MAooq9dckkhLEVidtsVapl6kQTfZKfMtQ_iyxqP4klazQuUOWNHBfGBlSLTNLQhLdPaIqNvf6yfASUOglbswRWI38BoAxA/s1600/fiddleheads_blanched.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0zSiKL1g4xlUB2TJNw7Zsh-kbt4qIg6-lkHeEpXAeder7MAooq9dckkhLEVidtsVapl6kQTfZKfMtQ_iyxqP4klazQuUOWNHBfGBlSLTNLQhLdPaIqNvf6yfASUOglbswRWI38BoAxA/s400/fiddleheads_blanched.gif" width="400" /></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Usually we are so enamoured with ramps when they finally show themselves after a long winter, that we do as little as possible to them, opting for just a basic saute. While I certainly enjoy them that way, I find two faults with our usual preparation. First, the greens on top tend to cook much faster than the pink bulbs at the root-end, leaving either overcooked greens, or too crunchy bulbs. Second, I find that merely sauteing the greens tend to leave them a little too fibrous and difficult to eat. For this meal, I chose to separate the two parts, and prepare each differently.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeD9W2yPWd2Gsm0feQQPgbaiLz4QleRUHOqi14Y4bcnYBPqrL9X7NMQld9Dd7OTmiUsvKMc3Y5SIEoHPvTp1puQjKnYIwFvm-h6GGlYYgv7-wRbYC4uvvoiNKmHJ6tFCvMUjI8XnbheIc/s1600/ramps_trimmed.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeD9W2yPWd2Gsm0feQQPgbaiLz4QleRUHOqi14Y4bcnYBPqrL9X7NMQld9Dd7OTmiUsvKMc3Y5SIEoHPvTp1puQjKnYIwFvm-h6GGlYYgv7-wRbYC4uvvoiNKmHJ6tFCvMUjI8XnbheIc/s400/ramps_trimmed.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I made a sauce for the lamb by combining blanched and chopped ramp greens with greek yogurt and lemon zest. This yielded way too much for one meal, but the leftover sauce, enhanced with an assertive addition of paprika and cayenne, made for a great chicken marinade the next day.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEL5alMeQclCcdPmd2f8KGrDeEWe8wK7oAhNnc-OjOzu84-SpPGTSLLJWKlceiNtCB7Rv0-l33XjxqVieSqblPsZizqM6G8feMSzhXlR9_fULW6zEDRWfHTNAu1L-vgcxj06EASDXVqg/s1600/ramp_sauce.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEL5alMeQclCcdPmd2f8KGrDeEWe8wK7oAhNnc-OjOzu84-SpPGTSLLJWKlceiNtCB7Rv0-l33XjxqVieSqblPsZizqM6G8feMSzhXlR9_fULW6zEDRWfHTNAu1L-vgcxj06EASDXVqg/s400/ramp_sauce.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I sauteed the bulbs and the fiddleheads together and served them with crisped gnocchi. (I have to confess that the gnocchi were in the freezer, and most likely made by ken). Alongside a roasted coriander spiced rack of lamb, this dish was a lovely celebration of the spring.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZmWYFrb-qnyzgTOH0WncqVFCTTzqKEcbyj0aJ5dz9UB0HPGJ8iFhSsAgY0lUweDWEyaufM4H_XtPjZjbDIwMMNiPCNP-epLAuezRf132abEpytyb5gj-ymynPORrtfiSwWyBQNVaBqY/s1600/spring_plated2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZmWYFrb-qnyzgTOH0WncqVFCTTzqKEcbyj0aJ5dz9UB0HPGJ8iFhSsAgY0lUweDWEyaufM4H_XtPjZjbDIwMMNiPCNP-epLAuezRf132abEpytyb5gj-ymynPORrtfiSwWyBQNVaBqY/s400/spring_plated2.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
</span>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-46579649064102829772011-05-24T17:59:00.000-04:002011-05-24T17:59:32.873-04:00Conch Shell Aquatint<span style="font-size: small;">I used a drawing of the baby conch shell I <a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-stinky-muse-baby-conch-studies.html">posted</a> about previously for my first attempt at an aquatint:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJLEyw37sH_Y36CzUQ1vY-55x8Oa_ZH_wAneI5hOD7u9aRjTSQuzLmwOGkFTfR5jIGAE0QwuuPnqsiKHxmLQBH8k-U8J4tE0tXEYycBd9QtQg1jQMqGEr9CupyXgXEGilmVyeadBCcP0/s1600/conch_aquatint.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJLEyw37sH_Y36CzUQ1vY-55x8Oa_ZH_wAneI5hOD7u9aRjTSQuzLmwOGkFTfR5jIGAE0QwuuPnqsiKHxmLQBH8k-U8J4tE0tXEYycBd9QtQg1jQMqGEr9CupyXgXEGilmVyeadBCcP0/s400/conch_aquatint.gif" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">The final product could be cleaner but I'm loving the textural tones. Aquatint may be my new favorite printmaking process.</span>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-42020824432363833632011-05-15T10:49:00.000-04:002011-05-15T10:49:59.997-04:00Chorizo Tamales | Charcutepalooza, challenge no. 5<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.1205290072127746" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am participating in Charcutepalooza, a year of meat which entails twelve monthly challenges to prepare dishes using various charcuterie techniques. For more information about charcutepalooza, click <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/charcutepalooza/the-ruhls-2/">here</a>. To read why I decided to partake in the meatmaking festivities, read my first post <a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-year-new-blog-charcutepalooza.html">here</a>.<br />
</span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.1205290072127746" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Spring means so much more than just the onset of warm weather. For some it is about the colors; it is the season when blossoms explode in their riotous hues. For others, it is all about the food as ramps and fiddleheads make their puckish appearances. But for me, spring has a darker edge: every year it sparks in me a devastating wanderlust. Each spring day with picture perfect roadtrip weather, warm enough to drive with the windows down, overcast enough to keep from baking, makes me want to jump behind the wheel and revel in the open road. Frustration sets in when I realize I am living smack dab in the middle of a city of over eight million people, trapped in on all sides by hours of gridlock.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With this restlessness stirring within me, choosing to make chorizo for this month’s charcutepalooza <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/2011/04/charcutepalooza-may-challenge-grinding/">challenge</a> (making uncased sausages from scratch) was a no brainer. The southwest has been a feature of several past road trips, memorable for the food as much as for the otherworldly landscape. And recreating those flavors, and memories, was just what I needed to alleviate a little of my cabin fever.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie72CpuqJpjdVNqdO5zgekauEMloNQXVvNJLYj0285VdyFPEnPyIQFao65SXfwFjrMIwiF7_xMPioYsH-w6PvbCXhYRXnrrWg-sWASpbgbnW9ykGiovAhCZG0YsBo1QLYtqTla_icGBh0/s1600/monumentvalley.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie72CpuqJpjdVNqdO5zgekauEMloNQXVvNJLYj0285VdyFPEnPyIQFao65SXfwFjrMIwiF7_xMPioYsH-w6PvbCXhYRXnrrWg-sWASpbgbnW9ykGiovAhCZG0YsBo1QLYtqTla_icGBh0/s400/monumentvalley.gif" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monument Valley, on the border of Arizona and Utah</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Making sausages from scratch is an extremely rewarding process. The flavor profile can be tweaked to exactly fit your taste. In this case, I included dried New Mexican red chiles, which I had purchased near the Guadalupe mountains in Texas on my last road trip, to bring out a more southwestern taste.</span><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ycizJc3yDSSykZPRunDfqxIxZZQJC8n-98_ep4-oMhbMgmuRhgzWLslvC0NhLFvrZpQP1keZl5_Wk99fX6UN2BYEQEZtZrnlQczmKkC-RhyJ-hT5S9zbDtQn-3BQkwOwpViEzFS5LYU/s1600/chorizo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ycizJc3yDSSykZPRunDfqxIxZZQJC8n-98_ep4-oMhbMgmuRhgzWLslvC0NhLFvrZpQP1keZl5_Wk99fX6UN2BYEQEZtZrnlQczmKkC-RhyJ-hT5S9zbDtQn-3BQkwOwpViEzFS5LYU/s400/chorizo.gif" width="400" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Deciding to make tamales with my chorizo was also an easy decision. It was on a much earlier trip through Texas and New Mexico with two of my best friends, where I first learned to love the taste of corn tortillas. Their earthy flavor and grainy texture is an acquired taste in contrast to the simple pleasure of their flour counterparts, but one I acquired with a vengeance. The taste became something I craved in its other forms as well: in hominy and of course in tamales. I’ve made tamales a couple times before, but only using masa harina, a poor substitute both in taste and nutritional value for the traditional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masa">nixtamalized masa</a>.<br />
<br />
So last weekend, ken and I ventured out to Jackson Heights, home of <a href="http://www.tortillerianixtamal.com/">Tortilleria Nixtamal</a>, one of the few places in the metro-ny area where traditional masa can be obtained.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXjLuf5BYemvOJUGyMu_PvPkc1ysEI11h6_dJXt6b2OJ_M8EiBn2AkTAcSrqlGNPZI4f5oN_mqCVTQfirWeWqy2eogl_0GYQRzl-SBAcoFWZVQwMw5oGiz9XDgMmCGJodc7jD-crpZ6w/s1600/nixtamal.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXjLuf5BYemvOJUGyMu_PvPkc1ysEI11h6_dJXt6b2OJ_M8EiBn2AkTAcSrqlGNPZI4f5oN_mqCVTQfirWeWqy2eogl_0GYQRzl-SBAcoFWZVQwMw5oGiz9XDgMmCGJodc7jD-crpZ6w/s320/nixtamal.gif" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course on such a gorgeous day, we couldn’t resist sticking around for lunch. Lounging in the airy back patio, secluded from the city by a brilliant yellow fence, with soccer “en vivo” airing on the flatscreen, we felt transported to a more exotic place. For about an hour that sunny Saturday afternoon, we got to eat tacos, tamales, and a big bowl of pozole, sip Mexican coca-cola, and pretend we had finally escaped the big apple.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm05CIm3qgyiZPJcZenlD7fPHWVxGZxgBPj55Thsqm2oMV2YR2klRyCNyzxapIk_0ZkGNoETrl08F8vu_l8PtBuMSXQgL7BjVFh9m0DMdBrYw29SR2NkBwe-moB8MICF00XGB4YsHo1o/s1600/nixtamal_table.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm05CIm3qgyiZPJcZenlD7fPHWVxGZxgBPj55Thsqm2oMV2YR2klRyCNyzxapIk_0ZkGNoETrl08F8vu_l8PtBuMSXQgL7BjVFh9m0DMdBrYw29SR2NkBwe-moB8MICF00XGB4YsHo1o/s400/nixtamal_table.gif" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pozole with tacos carnitas and al pastor</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPiyEH-yksucGdcaOZXYvEMPttMi3NtCb496JhOWV7ezk0GF9Q3vYOcK0J3Y7tttGrDesm0GTYRGelqLxnZqkI8-nd1yE5mjKcp7lyWQJzBg4PCWwrci9U-NNAoE_zYO7FAFQlrJLzitw/s1600/pozole2.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPiyEH-yksucGdcaOZXYvEMPttMi3NtCb496JhOWV7ezk0GF9Q3vYOcK0J3Y7tttGrDesm0GTYRGelqLxnZqkI8-nd1yE5mjKcp7lyWQJzBg4PCWwrci9U-NNAoE_zYO7FAFQlrJLzitw/s400/pozole2.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of the pozole, full of delicious hominy</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> And that evening we returned home with a most precious souvenir, three pounds of freshly ground masa!</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VVL3SKja6lHcKEPLn2PY3lFMknErbNHRuvZYv3UdIl3XFuA-oe41pRDYFksTGpoBFdby-eQFzbFwSU0POpAIJFj-w2JD2_EOG7iPtcRIYq-2I1Nvd1hpHzWS1w9n4YKOGdqPMB57Ikk/s1600/masa.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VVL3SKja6lHcKEPLn2PY3lFMknErbNHRuvZYv3UdIl3XFuA-oe41pRDYFksTGpoBFdby-eQFzbFwSU0POpAIJFj-w2JD2_EOG7iPtcRIYq-2I1Nvd1hpHzWS1w9n4YKOGdqPMB57Ikk/s400/masa.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We kept the tamale filling simple - chorizo sauteed with shallots and garlic until just cooked through, to highlight the carefully calibrated flavor of the sausage.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The dough was made following the instructions in this Rick Bayless <a href="http://www.fronterakitchens.com/cooking/recipes/recipe_porktamales.html">recipe</a>, with tremendously good results. The trick, I learned, other than using real masa, is to use home rendered lard. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once a nutritional scape goat, it is now generally accepted that cooking with lard does not require a death wish. Home rendered lard is more nutritionally sound than the packaged stuff, which is hydrogenated to make it more shelf stable.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (For more info check out these articles from the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/12/opinion/12kummer.html">new york times</a>, <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2219314/">slate</a>, and <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/lard-the-new-health-food">food and wine</a>.)</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The lard, whipped to a buttercream consistency, ensures flavorful, fluffy tamales (as opposed to the dry dense tamales one usually encounters). </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUg7c4XVr3sGMJ5_8I4uCJtdgr0VT-5nDaM8e7hFoZ1RsoLOtjVhi1sqgafaXHON53n0YRMmz-fQnhDkdPOSzeDJRmNBnwZJgTbCaqGMeCHP37Gys8ls5gAIhG07Tdo2KjliLKaP7qJ5g/s1600/whipped-lard.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUg7c4XVr3sGMJ5_8I4uCJtdgr0VT-5nDaM8e7hFoZ1RsoLOtjVhi1sqgafaXHON53n0YRMmz-fQnhDkdPOSzeDJRmNBnwZJgTbCaqGMeCHP37Gys8ls5gAIhG07Tdo2KjliLKaP7qJ5g/s400/whipped-lard.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The whipped lard is combined with masa and chicken stock to make a dough with a consistency similar to cake batter. The tamale dough is then spread onto pre-soaked corn husks, and topped with a generous scoop of chorizo filling.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW4rLkAgpp3aiWzmveiHM4uhhGX4edwzcHfalWyHaB7FBJeyr_9YEf0vzmuEENK4mZ346URK-wftz4XAB32kRZ_tPpvdLKgr6GO6gkkzkTCMrihQgeedMzDkvEPw-liyYgBjGJHkSmkQ/s1600/tamale-rolling.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW4rLkAgpp3aiWzmveiHM4uhhGX4edwzcHfalWyHaB7FBJeyr_9YEf0vzmuEENK4mZ346URK-wftz4XAB32kRZ_tPpvdLKgr6GO6gkkzkTCMrihQgeedMzDkvEPw-liyYgBjGJHkSmkQ/s400/tamale-rolling.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Each side of the corn husk is folded over to completely enclose the tamale, and the ends are tied off with thin strips of corn husk. At this point, the tamales are ready to be steamed and served. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9zPZk2ooeiPN4JUfyf07PHjL_Qj0WGWhersEO0XEHEQvlt5kLwRLLX0_17SQFdeuJbl3qnTxGa8VuRsJZzOy3blh7i_rmt9cUAyZhKNsrr4_OcvtGaARdlG_PwQnmSIgih-Igq9hyphenhyphenRA/s1600/tamales.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9zPZk2ooeiPN4JUfyf07PHjL_Qj0WGWhersEO0XEHEQvlt5kLwRLLX0_17SQFdeuJbl3qnTxGa8VuRsJZzOy3blh7i_rmt9cUAyZhKNsrr4_OcvtGaARdlG_PwQnmSIgih-Igq9hyphenhyphenRA/s400/tamales.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In all modesty, these were the best tamales I have ever had. Usually I find tamales slightly dry and a little bland, primarily a vehicle for showcasing a flavorful and saucy filling. The lard of course added a lot of flavor, but more startling was the prominent corn flavor, reminiscent of my travels through the land of enchantment. The texture was moist and airy, a perfect bed for the juicy chorizo filling. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXXu17AwK0i_iCLEyor4g9Qij8AMhlmoS_MNLwdGXr-Ii-7_auHc3YOC65mALqo9Pn09roP8M_UlVORkGhEFpvPfh9fZt40u7wUm9Za8SBKqAbUfD0yWGUo3GwPJSHLNkZIZZZQjZSkI/s1600/tamale-1.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXXu17AwK0i_iCLEyor4g9Qij8AMhlmoS_MNLwdGXr-Ii-7_auHc3YOC65mALqo9Pn09roP8M_UlVORkGhEFpvPfh9fZt40u7wUm9Za8SBKqAbUfD0yWGUo3GwPJSHLNkZIZZZQjZSkI/s400/tamale-1.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It was with great pride that I brought these tamales to our mothers’ day pot luck dinner. Although compliments from people who love you have to be taken with a grain of salt, everyone, my mom and grandmother included, raved about my contribution. And the opportunity to spend an evening with my family, enjoying delicious food and each others company, made me realize there are some things worth staying close to home for. </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndBqYqOqSHUzGnMhNciBIw94GiuVICBmvGzdNUaVAd5kVD45v0ck5dVxF07zLgqFaMtIU1lRzIbHFaJSCRqTn9ldLtzgr8DWSyafIye0t2bAgC53Dr4K7NP937leMoUcPj0-_7ouMRNE/s1600/tamale-3.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndBqYqOqSHUzGnMhNciBIw94GiuVICBmvGzdNUaVAd5kVD45v0ck5dVxF07zLgqFaMtIU1lRzIbHFaJSCRqTn9ldLtzgr8DWSyafIye0t2bAgC53Dr4K7NP937leMoUcPj0-_7ouMRNE/s400/tamale-3.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tamale served with a <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Guacamole-Taquero-Taco-Shop-Guacamole-364411">guacamole taquero</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">----------------------------------------------</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The process described above was based on a tamale dough <a href="http://www.fronterakitchens.com/cooking/recipes/recipe_porktamales.html">recipe</a> which requires no alterations from me, and on a filling so simple, no written recipe is necessary. However, I wanted to offer a recipe to my readers, and so I asked ken, who is a great, amateur bartender to come up with a cocktail pairing. If eaten outdoors on a sunny day, these tamales need nothing more than a cold beer, or maybe a michelada. But if you want to make them part of a more classy Mexican inspired cocktail party, this is the drink we suggest:</span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Choke-a-mole </span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">loosely based on the <a href="http://www.adashofbitters.com/2007/03/26/choke-artist/">Choke Artist </a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">40 ML Tequila Blanco </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">20 ML Dry Vermouth</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">20 ML Cynar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2 Dashes of <a href="http://bittermens.com/products/xocolatl-mole-bitters/">Bitterman’s Mole Bitters</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Stir with Ice, strain into whatever kind of glass you feel like using. Garnish with lemon peel. </span></span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.1205290072127746" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-57503580100780885092011-04-15T07:28:00.000-04:002011-04-15T07:28:30.754-04:00Tasso | Charcutepalooza, challenge no. 4<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvt69n_F4sLbSV1CJcJnYZWBk5nkmsi3vAkRY47EFq-DPX57aZj8HftrJU06H4dkWGOfZ4YSzY7UuJflgkPLDztcvKMDO-Yip7tFsA1joMawj7-HtmHNI8mWBTHdBjeHHZGAjS3cbWjj0/s1600/spiced-tasso.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1oBSWx3VvFg1QUZ5NRX_tPWsz3DoYC_eTtC-xmTCDT0qMaZTjll4bW_mO1jmzcKLEiCSmYF2Mx_PxdosTWKd32mfiRyp_BuQ15yWi2mOQS2cSuva3xZvFkWAwVzQrYwLck_Q3xjhCQM/s400/tasso-cut.gif" width="400" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After our charcutepalooza “<a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/04/hot-smoked-turkey-charcutepalooza.html">practice run"</a> with smoked turkey, ken and I tackled the official challenge, making tasso ham, a cajun dry-cured and smoked pork shoulder. Because the pork shoulder is sliced into thin slabs before curing, it calls for a relatively short curing time of four hours. The entire process of making tasso can be completed start to finish in less than one day, which is about as close as any charcuterie project can get to offering instant gratification. After curing, the slabs are coated in spices and smoked. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvt69n_F4sLbSV1CJcJnYZWBk5nkmsi3vAkRY47EFq-DPX57aZj8HftrJU06H4dkWGOfZ4YSzY7UuJflgkPLDztcvKMDO-Yip7tFsA1joMawj7-HtmHNI8mWBTHdBjeHHZGAjS3cbWjj0/s1600/spiced-tasso.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvt69n_F4sLbSV1CJcJnYZWBk5nkmsi3vAkRY47EFq-DPX57aZj8HftrJU06H4dkWGOfZ4YSzY7UuJflgkPLDztcvKMDO-Yip7tFsA1joMawj7-HtmHNI8mWBTHdBjeHHZGAjS3cbWjj0/s400/spiced-tasso.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The day before we had problems getting the Bradley smoker up to temperature, but decided to give it another try. Ken deftly diagnosed the problem, finding that the lever that controls the temperature wasn’t working. He employed his expert engineering skills, and with crackerjack timing, fixed the faulty lever by “jiggling” it while making temperature adjustments.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY27nDqoV1SkJoJ0AC6PUvKMUQEwzqdC46dPBhyphenhyphenVTzUrs7an07UFINHK7UyNfqL5DZ4g0CVCfdEyAhj_uhrSflo5LmOvsBFt26uRYW6Qk5C7aC5Nk2b1Vsv4UpaGciV6UfmH8gQvoB3y8/s1600/smoking-tasso.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY27nDqoV1SkJoJ0AC6PUvKMUQEwzqdC46dPBhyphenhyphenVTzUrs7an07UFINHK7UyNfqL5DZ4g0CVCfdEyAhj_uhrSflo5LmOvsBFt26uRYW6Qk5C7aC5Nk2b1Vsv4UpaGciV6UfmH8gQvoB3y8/s400/smoking-tasso.gif" width="400" /></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And less than three hours later, we had tasso!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxwhSwAr7nsAkuZvub6WXBa9bgCnJv3nJWQC_JW0D5GVBzhH0Nn1qRSqtGIPlIl-CIqXq2mD_TOjKigEt-cIBQCfOtjtsKkAsT0oAV9551Lu2DAWibVdfP7D2YihyBK2znLJprXB6ROg/s1600/tasso-whole.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxwhSwAr7nsAkuZvub6WXBa9bgCnJv3nJWQC_JW0D5GVBzhH0Nn1qRSqtGIPlIl-CIqXq2mD_TOjKigEt-cIBQCfOtjtsKkAsT0oAV9551Lu2DAWibVdfP7D2YihyBK2znLJprXB6ROg/s400/tasso-whole.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRddJuxlRRXclB6CtlQnpTnW7AT4oz-4VLRlogKkCL5MTafIfGIvxQ4cWQv0PqFfJolwH88F9ADggELkKSsDneu23RTq7-UurWqjvHYYFh2hnqCwPM8_gGNS4QPliEPOQOTbCZdD_aZHU/s1600/tasso-cut-2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRddJuxlRRXclB6CtlQnpTnW7AT4oz-4VLRlogKkCL5MTafIfGIvxQ4cWQv0PqFfJolwH88F9ADggELkKSsDneu23RTq7-UurWqjvHYYFh2hnqCwPM8_gGNS4QPliEPOQOTbCZdD_aZHU/s400/tasso-cut-2.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We had eaten tasso before, but it was nothing like this one. The meat was juicy and salty, the crust almost too spicy to enjoy alone (I may have overdone the spicing), but perfect in a gumbo, which is exactly how we ended up using it. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Our go-to cookbook for cajun cooking, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chef-Paul-Prudhommes-Louisiana-Kitchen/dp/0688028470/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302822873&sr=8-1">Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen</a>, has several gumbo recipes but none that use tasso. However, we have made the seafood and andouille gumbo so often that we figured we had the basic technique down well enough to improvise. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One of our favorite stands at the greenmarket is John Fazio’s Duck Farm, which sells chicken, duck and rabbit. Although they are our regular source for chicken and duck (and, in fact, they supplied the meat for my first charcutepalooza challenge, <a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-year-new-blog-charcutepalooza.html">duck prosciutto</a>), we have never actually cooked one of their rabbits. Thinking this would be a great time to remedy the omission, we chose to make a rabbit and tasso gumbo.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCUb5qyzd3aH6NrLpAWCgmsqcBcs1zdiaWf8w8fbO_nxlSkZIYUZgUcenl0hy9gkhRK_g50TaiTPEHvaf2pG3DMqTlciiVdu3pDfJozCt4OToLTnF73t4GSryLn53iT_Qe4-RK6jLQ-s/s1600/whole-rabbit.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCUb5qyzd3aH6NrLpAWCgmsqcBcs1zdiaWf8w8fbO_nxlSkZIYUZgUcenl0hy9gkhRK_g50TaiTPEHvaf2pG3DMqTlciiVdu3pDfJozCt4OToLTnF73t4GSryLn53iT_Qe4-RK6jLQ-s/s400/whole-rabbit.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This was my first time working with rabbit so, although the meat would ultimately be shredded into soup, I took the opportunity to try my hand at breaking it down into its usable parts. For reasons completely beyond me, I had assumed it would be like taking apart a really skinny chicken. Apparently someone needs to explain to me the difference between a bird and a rodent. A rabbit is a rodent, right? Regardless, I think I did a pretty good job with this bunny for my first try.</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRbd-sw2G7db0LKQC0C4SjGkezp5t-Rlyy9uDzMoicCQ-G6jixFgd0e0ZxI6Lo7_BqpfxUD8XwMyk_PrEKaKBlKblag-_RHQ-BmA9jZKLVP3rnDF4Rhm9otj6LWJpt_DvNtqhiNnSmKc/s1600/rabbit-pieces-2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRbd-sw2G7db0LKQC0C4SjGkezp5t-Rlyy9uDzMoicCQ-G6jixFgd0e0ZxI6Lo7_BqpfxUD8XwMyk_PrEKaKBlKblag-_RHQ-BmA9jZKLVP3rnDF4Rhm9otj6LWJpt_DvNtqhiNnSmKc/s400/rabbit-pieces-2.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In fact I was so proud of myself for getting the tenderloins out somewhat cleanly that I kept them out of the soup, and featuring them in their own course alongside the liver. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLSK5KBJ5HqpzpMA6y2Wn9RoJBm2Hb1KHh3HvfEC57f2iVgdBJ_3vAq2qJT6FbM7Yp1pXDImdMZ4aiqvWrbaL0cBAVgHZ_Q8NFvEmj1q_ZHnwo2jNMbzPty5_lsTrYy-kY7OyDJPNqgk/s1600/rabbit-tenderloins.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLSK5KBJ5HqpzpMA6y2Wn9RoJBm2Hb1KHh3HvfEC57f2iVgdBJ_3vAq2qJT6FbM7Yp1pXDImdMZ4aiqvWrbaL0cBAVgHZ_Q8NFvEmj1q_ZHnwo2jNMbzPty5_lsTrYy-kY7OyDJPNqgk/s400/rabbit-tenderloins.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Whenever I make meat based soup, strew, ragu - anything which requires both a braise-tender meat and stock, I like to braise the meat ahead of time, over a basic mirepoix, bay leaf and parsley. I remove the meat once it reaches the desired texture and strain the liquid, yielding plenty of stock to use in the final dish. Although less crucial for a lean meat like rabbit, this method allows me to degrease the liquid in advance, strain it of impurities, and reduce it as necessary, without worrying about overcooking the meat. Applying the same technique here yielded tender boneless rabbit meat, and just over six cups of flavorful rabbit stock.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvGRL__DofSiihzGLlpGVXt_wCqV1OHSrpDxMXnynoFAjY5_VwcWoSRrcflKXyaFVbqDm2ZU0qbmIHtIoLkrSzMJTHIZr2Og4HTzh8bQ7YSt_Z1PU1GG-QXmohG4fHXCm9u_M3A-Vwrs/s1600/braising-rabbit.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvGRL__DofSiihzGLlpGVXt_wCqV1OHSrpDxMXnynoFAjY5_VwcWoSRrcflKXyaFVbqDm2ZU0qbmIHtIoLkrSzMJTHIZr2Og4HTzh8bQ7YSt_Z1PU1GG-QXmohG4fHXCm9u_M3A-Vwrs/s400/braising-rabbit.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the most important parts of a gumbo is the prep work. Once the actual cooking starts up, there is very little time to get things measured and chopped, even with two people in the kitchen (especially when one of them is busy taking pictures of the process!). To prepare for our gumbo cooking we combined and set aside all the necessary seasoning, and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">brought the stock to a simmer. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We combined chopped garlic, onions, celery and green bell peppers in one bowl. And, in another, went our lovely diced tasso. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48rcm1nXWvN6abFPia74lkVWtalmuMMl_ZGBC4HIzM-evcn5GZ8o6-NFFli-KPLB5sYLMbP6pG7xLYQzgguxBESHjRcwALQ3gULfVuGOk_yIm0Uk7IjkOc0-sVbAcmRtjJtGqIBpbJI4/s1600/diced-tasso.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48rcm1nXWvN6abFPia74lkVWtalmuMMl_ZGBC4HIzM-evcn5GZ8o6-NFFli-KPLB5sYLMbP6pG7xLYQzgguxBESHjRcwALQ3gULfVuGOk_yIm0Uk7IjkOc0-sVbAcmRtjJtGqIBpbJI4/s400/diced-tasso.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And finally we started the actual gumbo, which began, as all gumbos do, with a dark roux. This is the most labor intensive part of making the gumbo, because it requires constant whisking and careful attention. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXTt01rdA_8mSOFi2nTci9c7tS6DbQrNR9snhHYisQLRpEkOQ7ya1-3LGFufvTXBNQtgGS6BnB6WSP7xIHtaYfFlu_cqOavKovsKqX_1Oeyq5LA7bHqO2RzsMG5EkN_QhcQDf9bnj1Lg/s1600/roux.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXTt01rdA_8mSOFi2nTci9c7tS6DbQrNR9snhHYisQLRpEkOQ7ya1-3LGFufvTXBNQtgGS6BnB6WSP7xIHtaYfFlu_cqOavKovsKqX_1Oeyq5LA7bHqO2RzsMG5EkN_QhcQDf9bnj1Lg/s400/roux.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once the roux took on the right color, half of the chopped vegetables were stirred in, followed a couple minutes later with the rest of veggies and the diced tasso. After a few more minutes we stirred in the seasoning mix and removed the pan from the heat.</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YZBVKFWX1Mpkwlk_toYSbiMN-5grzw8YNNCgP0GLNjyTlEvrKlpQC48qkVJBKyVRGy57jpEBtoR4QCNnYNr5918lKfYlfvkIh7Xy6BOheKac_uoL-gipVeBn0aDL60DWEZW1Xj-1t1c/s1600/roux-mixture.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YZBVKFWX1Mpkwlk_toYSbiMN-5grzw8YNNCgP0GLNjyTlEvrKlpQC48qkVJBKyVRGy57jpEBtoR4QCNnYNr5918lKfYlfvkIh7Xy6BOheKac_uoL-gipVeBn0aDL60DWEZW1Xj-1t1c/s400/roux-mixture.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We then added the roux mixture to the bubbling stock, one spoonful at a time, stirring all the while to make sure it was well incorporated, and brought the whole thing to a gentle boil. At this point the stressful portion of the cooking is over. We let the gumbo boil away for about 45 minutes, allowing the flavors to develop and the gumbo to thicken slightly, while we enjoyed our first cocktail of the evening, a Vieux Carre. The <a href="http://www.gumbopages.com/food/beverages/vieux-carre.html"> recipe</a> came from the ever informative site on all things New Orleans, <a href="http://www.gumbopages.com/index.html">The Gumbo Pages</a>). </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After 45 minutes of boiling, we reduced the heat and added the rabbit meat. The gumbo simmered for ten more minutes, before we served the whole thing over Prudhomme’s basic cooked rice.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7KPYk6xA6vHHHEH6uLj1hF9T1OW3bJPM9d6zyU9YEvbuScBo5__y74VG_faNoOynNAi42UrLDJq5qrNKFXGzOMf_j3O3z5uSqGeMPpJWcLhjtN2-ht3ACQ_AlFJ3BQUr4Zbp00uU92o/s1600/gumbo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7KPYk6xA6vHHHEH6uLj1hF9T1OW3bJPM9d6zyU9YEvbuScBo5__y74VG_faNoOynNAi42UrLDJq5qrNKFXGzOMf_j3O3z5uSqGeMPpJWcLhjtN2-ht3ACQ_AlFJ3BQUr4Zbp00uU92o/s400/gumbo.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And the final product? Amazing! I was afraid I would miss the taste of the andouille but the tasso gave it the perfect spicy smoky porky flavor. We both preferred the tasso to our usual andouille, as the sausage often leaves a grease slick on the surface of the final gumbo. There’s a good chance as long as there is tasso in our freezer, it will be replacing andouille in most of our cajun cooking. Until, of course, we have a smoked sausage challenge, in which case a homemade andouille may be back in the running. </span>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-3387951106780373072011-04-14T21:39:00.001-04:002011-04-14T21:42:42.658-04:00Hot Smoked Turkey | Charcutepalooza, practice run<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9wD1O9nX1NBeJsG1DY1b8nKwohpzdvNmPBHwsU7268hIL0ZFU1tsV7TMjF_veB-e2bLjErPFnBG1anlCTx4Hp9YG9MwHEk2K8kXKLew-LFKq5y1HF5MHixSXfl-cs9_OoGPfPVUyAjA/s1600/smoked-turkey-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9wD1O9nX1NBeJsG1DY1b8nKwohpzdvNmPBHwsU7268hIL0ZFU1tsV7TMjF_veB-e2bLjErPFnBG1anlCTx4Hp9YG9MwHEk2K8kXKLew-LFKq5y1HF5MHixSXfl-cs9_OoGPfPVUyAjA/s400/smoked-turkey-1.gif" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This month’s <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://www.food52.com/blog/1804_april_challenge_hot_smoking">charcutepalooza challenge</a> was easily my favorite one so far. Maybe because it didn’t require maintaining frosty temperatures in my apartment like the <a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/02/pancetta-charcutepalooza-challenge-no-2.html">pancetta challenge</a>, or because it didn’t take up every usable inch of space in my fridge (the <a href="http://naomaly.blogspot.com/2011/03/corned-beef-and-tongue-charcutepalooza.html">brining challenge</a>...). Most likely this was my favorite because my parents were generous enough to let ken and I to stay at their summer home for a weekend, where we completed the challenge. Try to imagine cooking with this view, and not loving every minute of it!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsVlBX3W-g0asyOlFaIuosNF57R0mFdixEQgt-B2Lxf8DNI8MD92LZO1a1KWFgRYFxlz1k4dv5Dsoql-sWDMUyjI5kiFz0xsX3Gc56kHdolQkg7cOV2FwFwZfs20fQ-5oCxwadBB2KHA/s1600/lake.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsVlBX3W-g0asyOlFaIuosNF57R0mFdixEQgt-B2Lxf8DNI8MD92LZO1a1KWFgRYFxlz1k4dv5Dsoql-sWDMUyjI5kiFz0xsX3Gc56kHdolQkg7cOV2FwFwZfs20fQ-5oCxwadBB2KHA/s400/lake.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Plus for once we had a well-sized and -equipped kitchen, a striking contrast to the tiny window-less closet we call a kitchen back home. And the icing on the cake: access to a Bradley smoker - perfect for this month’s challenge: hot smoking! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Although the Charcutiere</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">challenge was to hot smoke either pork shoulder for tasso or tenderloin for canadian bacon, we started with a practice run of smoked turkey. And its a good thing we did, because we had some issues using the Bradley which we managed to resolve by the time we got to the real challenge: pork. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I usually prefer buying whole birds in order to have carcasses for stock, so despite the fact we were only cooking for two, we used a whole turkey from DiPaolo’s Turkey Farm stand at the greenmarket. This turkey was pieced, brined then smoked over hickory.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lj4jDCD1dzB3pzAleeAoEeIBQD4eRXaU5jWAOfmWaROcc-Ge6muePmvXUsmgLAh95QcqLw9LdfvYoSkd0Mw0MKIJHXHvn2kthyDA4UlUb2TiyJRszW8ksQOwjOub8lPlOmK4E_gtTgU/s1600/brining-turkey.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lj4jDCD1dzB3pzAleeAoEeIBQD4eRXaU5jWAOfmWaROcc-Ge6muePmvXUsmgLAh95QcqLw9LdfvYoSkd0Mw0MKIJHXHvn2kthyDA4UlUb2TiyJRszW8ksQOwjOub8lPlOmK4E_gtTgU/s400/brining-turkey.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ironically, (as cold smoking is supposed to be the more difficult process) we could not get the Bradley smoker to go above 100 degrees. After leaving the turkey in the smoker for a couple hours essentially cold smoking it, we moved it to the weber, where we finished the cooking process.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-i3mSPIypGf1VP9nV6Hwkjwp_gz97rXVmoF2L8sdPhGyJ3MojMAYPyzlHu4XX_tNzq0FQO7IcvU8rlOZT-AVzXHHiZDMRhP6FUCYyqGLTZnDkjoaVcMDGOkO_Xzmvrsha5LjOK6tlwbM/s1600/smoking-turkey.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-i3mSPIypGf1VP9nV6Hwkjwp_gz97rXVmoF2L8sdPhGyJ3MojMAYPyzlHu4XX_tNzq0FQO7IcvU8rlOZT-AVzXHHiZDMRhP6FUCYyqGLTZnDkjoaVcMDGOkO_Xzmvrsha5LjOK6tlwbM/s400/smoking-turkey.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We were slightly nervous eating this turkey, since it sat at 100 degrees for two hours before finally being cooked through. But, emboldened by the careful sourcing of the bird and the pink salt in the brine, we went ahead and ate what turned out to be delicious turkey.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhdJa8wREDewJcRY_AXCNEOtnP4KnPOQr19baRvRuhaWdsG3t_YcSpQ5Oc8kb6HxMBuI4cfxhGywCZEZto_pUVNo3lKOZT0t21G55fzfOnu_nbzZe9PLy8qqWJR__XvqmETAhywtThXo/s1600/smoked-turkey-2.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhdJa8wREDewJcRY_AXCNEOtnP4KnPOQr19baRvRuhaWdsG3t_YcSpQ5Oc8kb6HxMBuI4cfxhGywCZEZto_pUVNo3lKOZT0t21G55fzfOnu_nbzZe9PLy8qqWJR__XvqmETAhywtThXo/s400/smoked-turkey-2.gif" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes it was more than enough to feed two people but with turkey that tastes this good, we made sure none of it went to waste. The smoked thighs and legs were devoured straight. One breast was sliced for sandwiches and a so-cal-mex quesadilla we threw together for a quick weeknight meal.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOfEsl7ty5wkUl0I2XrJaJdqJioVp7kvO545FOwHGUzp7wk2m3BR4o3kLrblYcVrBnNFbcFTh6ohsB2_IXgGHa7abm44-KHzfKD8y-5-UGdp_55wMBRztyzm70lDbs9umO3XKxen6_zo/s1600/quesadilla.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOfEsl7ty5wkUl0I2XrJaJdqJioVp7kvO545FOwHGUzp7wk2m3BR4o3kLrblYcVrBnNFbcFTh6ohsB2_IXgGHa7abm44-KHzfKD8y-5-UGdp_55wMBRztyzm70lDbs9umO3XKxen6_zo/s400/quesadilla.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The other breast, which we diced and shredded, along with the wings were a perfect addition to soups and vegetable dishes, providing a nice meaty smoky flavor. We used some in a lentil soup (made with stock from the turkey carcass), and the rest is in the freezer for future use.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoTe-ppeOU2SiBogOP2Ia7rgvFx_zvjiXhbZofvYiDrI_NK5RJwVWhCG97WZRnOSIacDTJ8awfXePYoO9Uk1Pj2YliPhK5j9jbqjlCaj0Enuy1OP8oyJS_evs6EB_ZGscuhymCiLPnwU/s1600/lentil-soup.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoTe-ppeOU2SiBogOP2Ia7rgvFx_zvjiXhbZofvYiDrI_NK5RJwVWhCG97WZRnOSIacDTJ8awfXePYoO9Uk1Pj2YliPhK5j9jbqjlCaj0Enuy1OP8oyJS_evs6EB_ZGscuhymCiLPnwU/s400/lentil-soup.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This cooking process exemplifies why I like to buy whole birds (and if I someday have the freezer space, would like to purchase whole animals as well). From just one 13 pound bird, we managed to prepare four meals for the two of us, plus a couple turkey sandwiches, with more in the freezer for later use. After eating these farm raised turkeys - with meat that is dense and tasting of, well, turkey, I’d be hard pressed to go back to eating just any supermarket butterball. Turkey like this makes you realize why turkey is a wonderful food in its own right, and not just an over-sized bland chicken substitute to feed extended families on holidays.</span></div>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-64102696454955590732011-04-08T16:31:00.002-04:002011-05-25T19:19:29.929-04:00Liberated Daffodil | A Nature Drawing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxv0wmNhTMcaYh5r_yZd7scpc7VCcJeJ2lByYJDJy7JK5-36Gv5DM3Bd2c10L6xRVLIGP9c4ngkupIUDzpmqdbo2q4DDhwyesnTYQOiJ3bEufNRBUsoQ4BCJR22PgOcYimOMZteklr6c/s1600/daffodil-sketch.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxv0wmNhTMcaYh5r_yZd7scpc7VCcJeJ2lByYJDJy7JK5-36Gv5DM3Bd2c10L6xRVLIGP9c4ngkupIUDzpmqdbo2q4DDhwyesnTYQOiJ3bEufNRBUsoQ4BCJR22PgOcYimOMZteklr6c/s400/daffodil-sketch.gif" width="346" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.13215966175083205" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The <a href="http://www.designspongeonline.com/2011/04/jill-bliss-nature-drawings-journal-giveaway.html">design*sponge nature drawing contest</a> was a lovely excuse to get outside yesterday. In honor of the warm weather we are finally having here in the northeast, I wanted to draw daffodils. Daffodils are the first sign of spring, if not botanically (I’m sure some other flowers bloom first), certainly aesthetically. Who can look at the sunny yellow color, and slightly ridiculous looking shape, and not feel hopeful that spring is here to stay, despite recent frigid temperatures, and late march blizzards? Walking around my very urban hometown, however, I noticed something distressing: all the daffodils and other blooming flowers were behind bars. Fenced in to protect them from careless pedestrians, incontinent animals (and pedestrians), and inconsiderate flower pickers. Not wanting to draw through iron bars like some jailhouse visitor, I decided instead to draw a tangle of branches conveniently dwelling by a park bench. Happy with my drawing, I abandoned my flower search and decided to head home. It was on the way out that I came across a giant patch of yellow flowers on the side of a grassy field where anyone could join them. So I did, and made the drawing shown above. These were not the perkiest daffodils, a little bedraggled and faded, but they were free and out in the open. To me, nature is really at its most beautiful when I can be a part of it, and not just an outside observer. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqWUhyve8dNWt_e-d-iCReCMM_4Q7qhQiNSs9FqOL7M6Cso3LkqK4J1tD05HGbZf3_8hgrnM3fQ6NiPaTPzW4AL1N6MKaMOCOYdw_qRYyNB_ZkC8YFRqd5231yKPf9l39x6eJn-mT5qI/s1600/branches-sketch.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqWUhyve8dNWt_e-d-iCReCMM_4Q7qhQiNSs9FqOL7M6Cso3LkqK4J1tD05HGbZf3_8hgrnM3fQ6NiPaTPzW4AL1N6MKaMOCOYdw_qRYyNB_ZkC8YFRqd5231yKPf9l39x6eJn-mT5qI/s400/branches-sketch.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-84554550077170103902011-04-01T19:05:00.001-04:002011-05-25T19:20:13.012-04:00My Stinky Muse | Baby Conch StudiesA few weeks ago I had the sashimi omakase at <a href="http://www.kanoyama.com/">Kanoyama</a>, which included baby conch. I brought the shell home to draw, figuring that it would be a nice change from all the brussel sprouts. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkJi5uiFszaC-NVNuUREQtH6UIMzttpSmBOT8waP_o97rLEzRNuM3rTs4s33C-A9K3lwBGqVcSxHB4paXHXafwYZKwpPMMqZZn9jnnZQCk9KqBeB9sSSmTZC1eWqIz2LbgESWIjSQ2No/s1600/baby-conch-shell.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkJi5uiFszaC-NVNuUREQtH6UIMzttpSmBOT8waP_o97rLEzRNuM3rTs4s33C-A9K3lwBGqVcSxHB4paXHXafwYZKwpPMMqZZn9jnnZQCk9KqBeB9sSSmTZC1eWqIz2LbgESWIjSQ2No/s320/baby-conch-shell.gif" width="320" /></a></div>I didn't realize until the next day that this little shell packs quite an odiferous punch. I tried soaking it in bleach, packing it in baking soda, scrubbed it inside and out with an old toothbrush. Nothing worked. So I decided, do a quick study, and get the offensive thing out of the apartment, asap! Well, two weeks later, and it is still there. I'm finding that I cannot stop drawing this shell - the interplay of geometric and organic forms is fascinating. So thought I'd share some of what I'm working on:.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAJ4_7UCYTo4AP_kH0Ca5Gyzw0SeoG5Rbzpya66Hc2eV3XaHR4YBl67NCjnQgEFfO0epfsdipogU1Dw8GTO5HicmYEYYMCSMMj3NiSZCxjN5tQY3wEfBJAKQyTn7T9fhw5WqlFaftQDw/s1600/conch-study-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAJ4_7UCYTo4AP_kH0Ca5Gyzw0SeoG5Rbzpya66Hc2eV3XaHR4YBl67NCjnQgEFfO0epfsdipogU1Dw8GTO5HicmYEYYMCSMMj3NiSZCxjN5tQY3wEfBJAKQyTn7T9fhw5WqlFaftQDw/s400/conch-study-1.gif" width="305" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTcErq2hlzquqKQCk30Q_uo5aC1hd-QEFbw1P406xusxe-e-Sl_zPu1mtRyFAavvMmli83nrV5LtzmRzmtSMa6A4MX68Z8iddPSIoT_cAciwM5aEeNN_KT0XQkGELvqWZhHeVKTiMx-k/s1600/conch-study-2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTcErq2hlzquqKQCk30Q_uo5aC1hd-QEFbw1P406xusxe-e-Sl_zPu1mtRyFAavvMmli83nrV5LtzmRzmtSMa6A4MX68Z8iddPSIoT_cAciwM5aEeNN_KT0XQkGELvqWZhHeVKTiMx-k/s400/conch-study-2.gif" width="313" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kgeigIraORBk461F7dKZ8j-nI-e0217t2w0WC6rc_nX95S95WngOoQGVLwrFc4I9czAmO90NowIziq2IpD3NBmMvKsKriNXzbQmpqqc92qjIuUdD-vwiEBRg3adS-JI38ZcLav6YK_4/s1600/conch-study-3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kgeigIraORBk461F7dKZ8j-nI-e0217t2w0WC6rc_nX95S95WngOoQGVLwrFc4I9czAmO90NowIziq2IpD3NBmMvKsKriNXzbQmpqqc92qjIuUdD-vwiEBRg3adS-JI38ZcLav6YK_4/s400/conch-study-3.gif" width="327" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK3lt0m5K7btMkRXz42v3y_jfwZavVGVSLkGp2NqtBNVo35DZfX5LtzmgWBZ_YP81Uw5U53ZlfKYi1TSqbL_5urJDEjGOA6KIpA_OIavLXQJelgWkQyjWD4MMqZObPJ6w5UvrdTvGYpg/s1600/conch-study-4.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK3lt0m5K7btMkRXz42v3y_jfwZavVGVSLkGp2NqtBNVo35DZfX5LtzmgWBZ_YP81Uw5U53ZlfKYi1TSqbL_5urJDEjGOA6KIpA_OIavLXQJelgWkQyjWD4MMqZObPJ6w5UvrdTvGYpg/s400/conch-study-4.gif" width="307" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> I also have a couple more detailed and refined pieces that I'm still working on, and hoping to make prints from. I have one more week to work with my lovely stinky shell before I have to dispose of it - we are expecting house guests, and I cannot force them to tolerate the stench. </div>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-89220525855747313862011-03-15T18:09:00.000-04:002011-03-15T18:09:42.817-04:00Corned Beef and Tongue | Charcutepalooza, challenge no. 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6InR7_PstWsOQV3PzN34mOdWbAIiC3SAsOZLtJPJo_SYb_Z5n5PoLy1v_1sAeDvlUWrnxRCMRDOvmNToLiRhbCto7MANMJt2RaHMPfK3k1tj144umEXzTBFa2mmo234RvRRJe1vlDA5M/s1600/sliced-corned-beef.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="259" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6InR7_PstWsOQV3PzN34mOdWbAIiC3SAsOZLtJPJo_SYb_Z5n5PoLy1v_1sAeDvlUWrnxRCMRDOvmNToLiRhbCto7MANMJt2RaHMPfK3k1tj144umEXzTBFa2mmo234RvRRJe1vlDA5M/s400/sliced-corned-beef.gif" /></a></div><br />
Growing up in new york city, my childhood was punctuated with outings to the second avenue deli. Although my family is half chinese and half eastern european jewish, chinese food was disproportionately prominent in my diet. So trips to the deli were where I first became familiar with and learned to love the cuisine of my other half. When the deli closed down in 2006, after surviving the still unsolved murder of the long time owner, and having been in business for just over half a century, it was somewhat devastating. Even though it has since reopened in Murray Hill, I still feel a little sick every time I pass the shiny new chase bank now located in its original location on second Ave and 10th street. There is a brief history of the deli on the restaurants <a href="http://www.2ndavedeli.com/about/deli-history/">website</a>, but for a more in depth and fascinating look at the man behind the deli, check out <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/21/magazine/21deli-t.html">this article</a>. <br />
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Much as I loved the food, these visits were also the source of anxiety for me. I was terrified of one waitress, who was visibly irritated and impatient with any kind of indecision, something that always plagued my meals there. The sandwiches, thinly sliced fatty meats towering between two thin slices of rye bread, are of course the star of the deli experience. But I’ve always been a soup lover, and the chicken in the pot - clear flavorful broth, seasoned with dill and full of small square noodles, ladled over half a chicken and a matzoh ball, was also a huge temptation to me. So usually I’d waiver between the soup and a corned beef sandwich until the last possible minute, when under her withering glare, I’d panic and order whichever I happened to look at first on the menu. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdcl1zd_2YhwhdA1JN9TsNkcTT7OlP0gK_HawZjLZHihTwBZB3wVf7KXA4uHxFjf2rGjTS3ivMIMgC_Rog5vvOmE5k3Z6qvrUjo3YzSkR4yK8rEHTNsAK-UZ_niSrTL8843zfvpEq4ww/s1600/sandwich_xsection.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdcl1zd_2YhwhdA1JN9TsNkcTT7OlP0gK_HawZjLZHihTwBZB3wVf7KXA4uHxFjf2rGjTS3ivMIMgC_Rog5vvOmE5k3Z6qvrUjo3YzSkR4yK8rEHTNsAK-UZ_niSrTL8843zfvpEq4ww/s320/sandwich_xsection.gif" /></a></div><br />
Now that I’m older, I’m not any more decisive. Therefore my first thought when the March charcutepalooza brining challenge was announced was that I would make deli sandwiches and serve them alongside bowls of matzoh ball soup, waistline be damned. Fortunately I had the good sense to scrap that idea after seeing the amount of meat we procured from the butcher - close to six and a half pounds all together (four lbs of brisket, two and a half of tongue). That seemed like more than enough to feed a party of four, even after taking into account the very healthy appetites of all involved. If common sense hadn’t stepped in, practicality would have put an end to my soup plans, as the tubs of brining meat left so little free space in the fridge that any additional cooking would be near impossible. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuQsiMR4aa_g1jo0nyISX6zsEXpC-aeXKKpRb2ldZBSAX2XAJjlN4o8ycqeu5_VIBB_QWqBqww4anVmUO2vUC3jgG-TofTBHcFT7zwA7VqeVPtz_ZXg61bVNa9BTMgsJwUmuofz_YJn0/s1600/brisket.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="219" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuQsiMR4aa_g1jo0nyISX6zsEXpC-aeXKKpRb2ldZBSAX2XAJjlN4o8ycqeu5_VIBB_QWqBqww4anVmUO2vUC3jgG-TofTBHcFT7zwA7VqeVPtz_ZXg61bVNa9BTMgsJwUmuofz_YJn0/s320/brisket.gif" /></a></div><br />
(I'm afraid I need to apologize in advance for the following picture. There's really no way to photograph a raw tongue without making it look obscene:)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraT5GxOHVmi7r52LBbaSNtEdD73im5SsjrdTxfdjl_D_zGog0B99pPukobdyDa3OGP3s_dZ6eCOktRCCfP-yIlBZVzC3bmK82cvvxvB8TmA2VWsJGRlELGpqA5Obf8SJ0nOeECN6DdXE/s1600/tongue.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="162" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraT5GxOHVmi7r52LBbaSNtEdD73im5SsjrdTxfdjl_D_zGog0B99pPukobdyDa3OGP3s_dZ6eCOktRCCfP-yIlBZVzC3bmK82cvvxvB8TmA2VWsJGRlELGpqA5Obf8SJ0nOeECN6DdXE/s320/tongue.gif" /></a></div><br />
After brining for four days, followed by a slow simmer which made me salivate all day, the brisket came out beautifully, fatty and flavorful. My complaints with the tongue are minimal. Based on the coloring, I believe it should have brined for more time. Also, it was a little bit too chewy, and should have been cooked longer. The next day though, after a couple more hours of cooking, the tongue was perfectly tender. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhA5rUUXjQ9cxi9LwXUCThy3RRY4nmZz-VUe-n_kTaAJNBsGYSgraC28mSFLg2Bt05CWQqP1-sMDhYhT4n-jmudGaVB3s-W_mrzZeJQed7qEirgO5NWy3p8nIZFSPVWRwMnLPshH2RzDU/s1600/corned-beef.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="210" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhA5rUUXjQ9cxi9LwXUCThy3RRY4nmZz-VUe-n_kTaAJNBsGYSgraC28mSFLg2Bt05CWQqP1-sMDhYhT4n-jmudGaVB3s-W_mrzZeJQed7qEirgO5NWy3p8nIZFSPVWRwMnLPshH2RzDU/s320/corned-beef.gif" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumpuxRvVdN2O6cageZdflJu4IiL9ql3TDx-kroLx3zCdr2vMnfRCtTM1OTUdLUCILLL9xHYK4Ft4dEm0djmz8FlO3L3k0RkTtMn5l8FHmwpNfhPTkccOTZmD0AFttp90c1wokOzpiMow/s1600/tongue_xsection.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="232" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumpuxRvVdN2O6cageZdflJu4IiL9ql3TDx-kroLx3zCdr2vMnfRCtTM1OTUdLUCILLL9xHYK4Ft4dEm0djmz8FlO3L3k0RkTtMn5l8FHmwpNfhPTkccOTZmD0AFttp90c1wokOzpiMow/s320/tongue_xsection.gif" /></a></div><br />
To accompany the meat, we made mustard following Hank Shaw's <a href="http://honest-food.net/veggie-recipes/pickle-recipes/basic-country-mustard/">recipe </a>from his blog <a href="http://honest-food.net/">Hunter Angler Gardener Cook</a>, and russian dressing. All between two slices of Ken’s freshly baked rye bread, these sandwiches were top notch. The soup wasn’t even missed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OuboelHWTivluZRwvuNgkgmvBqTK79inbUpxWrkFeIN_PRhU1U1zVjGJPshbvJUIORPyD0bCrXGadIaYzMFFlLPWHmQ32jbOO_ie3u9UYtWCXh5YWlnZUE4NYUHysgM2sJ6pQu4r7ng/s1600/sandwich-board.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="192" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OuboelHWTivluZRwvuNgkgmvBqTK79inbUpxWrkFeIN_PRhU1U1zVjGJPshbvJUIORPyD0bCrXGadIaYzMFFlLPWHmQ32jbOO_ie3u9UYtWCXh5YWlnZUE4NYUHysgM2sJ6pQu4r7ng/s320/sandwich-board.gif" /></a></div><br />
One added bonus of our family trips to the deli was that this was one of the few times I was allowed to drink soda. On each visit I would savor a can of Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry soda, while eyeing the similar green cans - the Cel-Ray soda with revulsion. Celery flavored soda would probably seem a little odd to most people, but to the celery-hater I once was, the idea seemed particularly vile. <br />
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Since then, my feelings towards celery have changed drastically. Ironically it was another self-proclaimed celery hater who instigated my conversion. Long before I “read” food blogs, I was reading <a href="http://alineaathome.typepad.com/">Carol Blymire’s</a>. In fact her former blog, <a href=" http://carolcookskeller.blogspot.com/">French Laundry at Home</a> is probably the start of what has since become an obsession with online food writing. It was this particular <a href=" http://carolcookskeller.blogspot.com/2007/06/clam-chowder-sauted-cod-with-cod-cakes.html">post</a>, regarding peeling celery which caused my 100% reversal on the subject. After reading the post, I knew I had to try it out myself. The first thing I noticed was the smell which becomes more distinct during the peeling process. Celery has a light, refreshing, and almost floral scent which lingers on your fingers long after the celery has been prepped and put aside. And the celery itself, usually just a watery stringy stem which made me gag, suddenly became crisp and refreshing if still somewhat bland. <br />
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I have the tendency to get obsessed with things, and this discovery was no exception. I hopped on the celery peeling bandwagon with near evangelical enthusiasm. During that time I could not be in the same room as celery without looking for a peeler. I preached over crudite, was indignant at every bloody mary garnished with its signature stalk of (unpeeled!) celery. I was completely insufferable, and am pretty thankful to have any friends left - one in particular (you know who you are...). So my obsession since then has cooled, but my fondness for celery has remained. Therefore, when I decided to come up with an accompaniment for my deli sandwiches, my thoughts immediately turned to that increasingly appealing lime green can of Dr. Brown's soda.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQap69Zo9ikvAXcJ6O0qqR_ReLqCohrQV8Mmjcs8_oY9yxpvGV5589RaEo9hgSKuV1VwVQIkZJ5LZRQ-dO-xhgRHOeK0UWPixY7II7o7-_M7kohxkfMzBvs0kNzWr-rNStKWYoLLchdg/s1600/celray_soda.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQap69Zo9ikvAXcJ6O0qqR_ReLqCohrQV8Mmjcs8_oY9yxpvGV5589RaEo9hgSKuV1VwVQIkZJ5LZRQ-dO-xhgRHOeK0UWPixY7II7o7-_M7kohxkfMzBvs0kNzWr-rNStKWYoLLchdg/s320/celray_soda.gif" /></a></div><br />
I decided to make my own celery soda, by slightly adapting this Alton Brown <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/celery-soda-recipe/index.html">recipe</a>. The primary change being the addition of fresh celery in order to get more of the lovely fresh celery fragrance I became so infatuated with. The result had a startlingly distinct celery flavor, refreshing if a little odd to an unfamiliar palate. However, everyone who tried it found the syrup to be overly sweet and so the recipe below is adjusted accordingly. We use the same ratio: equal parts sugar to water, for ginger syrup to make homemade ginger ale and cocktails, and find that the proportion allows you to add enough syrup to get a strong flavor without too much sweetness. I can see this celery syrup working well in a light summery cocktails as well. <br />
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Homemade Celery Soda<br />
adapted from Alton Brown’s <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/celery-soda-recipe/index.html">recipe on Food Network<br />
</a><br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1 cup water<br />
2 tablespoon ground celery seed<br />
3-4 stalks of celery, roughly chopped (peeling not necessary!)<br />
seltzer<br />
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1. In a saucepan, over medium heat, dissolve the sugar into the water.<br />
2. Once fully dissolved, remove from heat, and add celery seed and celery chunks. Muddle the celery lightly to release their juices. Allow to steep for an hour.<br />
3. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer. If you have the patience and the inclination, strain again through a coffee filter (while still hot) to ensure no grainy celery seeds in your final product.<br />
4. Put a couple tablespoons of celery syrup in a glass with ice. Fill with seltzer, and stir. Adjust syrup according to your own taste.<br />
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Note: make sure the seltzer you use is highly carbonated. The one we bought initially wasn’t nearly fizzy enough, and it made a huge difference to the final product.Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-79447302923367435702011-03-15T08:18:00.001-04:002011-05-25T19:20:41.827-04:00Brussel Sprout EtchingSomething I'm working in my printmaking class:<br />
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Occasionally I get things done outside the kitchen too!Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-87763847032410438782011-03-03T13:58:00.000-05:002011-03-03T13:58:08.287-05:00Valentines Day 2011 | Why I love pasta and my pasta maker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieobnCfUzYx_BQCdDdvC6XJPfBICXlpfYxUeh431YlnocG0vpQ4PcxCabgyKxFnWgCbaVAyOjin8L6oIAkkGOPdsmgt2wQJYv5SeV3gF8gP3aLfK74R2opaVNdTyAH3505eJXPj4O8S4/s1600/ravioli-complete-2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="305" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieobnCfUzYx_BQCdDdvC6XJPfBICXlpfYxUeh431YlnocG0vpQ4PcxCabgyKxFnWgCbaVAyOjin8L6oIAkkGOPdsmgt2wQJYv5SeV3gF8gP3aLfK74R2opaVNdTyAH3505eJXPj4O8S4/s320/ravioli-complete-2.gif" /></a></div><br />
This past valentines days, I had a terrible idea. Probably the worst food related idea I’ve ever had. To give myself a little credit, I can honestly say that some of the fault lies with ken. Not only did he supply the kernel of inspiration on which I built this idea, but he was also complicit in allowing it to be brought to fruition. Our plan for that night was to make a pasta, because, well, because we like pasta. But it wasn’t going to be just any pasta, it would be the ultimate valentines day pasta. The idea was to make chocolate ravioli with a pretty pink beet and ricotta filling. With the benefit of hindsight I now see how bad this combination sounds, but at the time I was seduced by the idea of chocolate and picture perfect pink valentines day noodles.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8BoPJwWPB54RPXzXAfx9Oeq3QC2QM6fE0vXJeystPJYqV9qeCiJ0AioFxs-wdTyeSLHuJZ-PxZK9gWwWL78zasZnWRR5bucPNukkAiUHugK7M5DWtmopI04RSNvRvcyT-KfC6acHx7I/s1600/ravioli-in-progress.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8BoPJwWPB54RPXzXAfx9Oeq3QC2QM6fE0vXJeystPJYqV9qeCiJ0AioFxs-wdTyeSLHuJZ-PxZK9gWwWL78zasZnWRR5bucPNukkAiUHugK7M5DWtmopI04RSNvRvcyT-KfC6acHx7I/s320/ravioli-in-progress.gif" /></a></div><br />
These ravioli were indescribably bad. When I came up with the idea to make these, I convinced myself that the sugar in the beets would be enough to compensate for the otherwise bitter chocolate in the pasta. I was horribly mistaken. The pasta was so bitter that it overwhelmed all sweetness from the beets (and richness from the ricotta), leaving only the earthy dirty beet taste, a taste which had caused me to despise beets for the first 22 years of my life. There was absolutely nothing appealing about this dish.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1HYRPsDoJYWdUTU9Lr9vKsOEuNCeSiGrU0QRBt_Gmh9hJkMzvW0G9b4NdRH_roPGNdTwoNEMaIEumkbbRkhKXO95zfNKwESOYcdHZ5xbwCTzDkVxb4PT8KQhI5dsGiHea1Fbp6TTtEc/s1600/ravioli-open.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1HYRPsDoJYWdUTU9Lr9vKsOEuNCeSiGrU0QRBt_Gmh9hJkMzvW0G9b4NdRH_roPGNdTwoNEMaIEumkbbRkhKXO95zfNKwESOYcdHZ5xbwCTzDkVxb4PT8KQhI5dsGiHea1Fbp6TTtEc/s320/ravioli-open.gif" /></a></div><br />
So why am I writing about my horrible failure of a pasta? Well, because the experience made me realize just how amazing pasta really is. Consider this: there are a huge variety of noodles from around the world, and all are made using the same basic ingredients: flour, water, and the optional egg. Of course there are slight differences between them, but the foundation of each is the same. And if you are as lucky as I am to live with someone who can take those basic ingredients, and turn them into a pasta without the need of a recipe, then any failed pasta dish can be salvaged. Using his amazing pasta making skills ken managed to do just that by adding flour and eggs to the leftover filling, and making a delicious beet ricotta gnocchi. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxfIgaDDKu-KK7WqwNlCPUvNDVLkZRr-KbgxqF8uVe7OUJbvsMcSLkgI3XUaq182tWvz1Pr6mCIPA2KjbEoqLsNiGlFSlIx_UM-AF5Ty3IWvVsysNWYVr2db8ICmAxZYGmqTLFcNPiCQ/s1600/gnocchi.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxfIgaDDKu-KK7WqwNlCPUvNDVLkZRr-KbgxqF8uVe7OUJbvsMcSLkgI3XUaq182tWvz1Pr6mCIPA2KjbEoqLsNiGlFSlIx_UM-AF5Ty3IWvVsysNWYVr2db8ICmAxZYGmqTLFcNPiCQ/s320/gnocchi.gif" /></a></div><br />
Tossed with butter, grated cheese and a little lemon zest, this dish made a tasty (if not the prettiest) accompaniment to the rest of our valentine’s night meal of scallops, leeks and romanesco. The meal was a success and the experience, a perfect valentines day reminder of why I love pasta and my pasta making boyfriend.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJd3FwGt_pfm2C8I19vyGtzsRnXowpPw5c5XncBT7tufaP5JtdvGQdVXpZh1nqEyB7rnlDpoajUgt1QdtRkBh6hD00-j_gHJz2fVJlVn5QCnpFAfLMF-eSBIb0hngI1_n6mXM2Fto-YoM/s1600/final-dish.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJd3FwGt_pfm2C8I19vyGtzsRnXowpPw5c5XncBT7tufaP5JtdvGQdVXpZh1nqEyB7rnlDpoajUgt1QdtRkBh6hD00-j_gHJz2fVJlVn5QCnpFAfLMF-eSBIb0hngI1_n6mXM2Fto-YoM/s320/final-dish.gif" /></a></div>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-74973244777660270782011-02-15T16:32:00.000-05:002011-02-15T16:32:42.712-05:00Pancetta | Charcutepalooza, challenge no. 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6AP6Gc5QCyZBlGTk4k4SX8s92KIYVVn4hg5tup9ORMgZ53e5POBkiDcfomS730xMQ7aY9Jkj36FxUwuUgeGK0ewax8SQNZK7F_692rQ8ZZLEVWOXmFQk2NBz2atWeEh1JbDZY4i_8N8/s1600/pancetta_xsection.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="258" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6AP6Gc5QCyZBlGTk4k4SX8s92KIYVVn4hg5tup9ORMgZ53e5POBkiDcfomS730xMQ7aY9Jkj36FxUwuUgeGK0ewax8SQNZK7F_692rQ8ZZLEVWOXmFQk2NBz2atWeEh1JbDZY4i_8N8/s320/pancetta_xsection.gif" /></a></div>When ken and I first purchased the Charcuterie cookbook several years ago, we made an ill-fated attempt at the pancetta, which turned out to be a complete disaster. We were both living in Boston at the time, a city neither of us knew well enough to source good ingredients. Unable to find a decent butcher to obtain an entire belly, we turned to a nearby Asian grocery store where we did a lot of our student budget shopping, for smaller slabs of pork belly. The meat we got there in the past was of questionable quality, so to compensate, we cured the belly for much longer than suggested (despite the small size), and probably used much more pink salt than necessary. When the “pancetta” finally emerged from its cure, it was firm, beautifully pink, but had an overwhelming chemical-saltiness. Even after blanching the belly in an attempt to flush out some of the salt, the meat was irreparable.<br />
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When this month’s Charcutepalooza challenge: the salt cure, was announced one month ago, I was ecstatic - this was our chance to redeem ourselves. Keeping in mind our earlier mistakes, we were much more careful in weighing out the cure ingredients. Back on my home turf of new york city, procuring a larger (and better quality) piece of pork belly was not a problem. After 7 days of curing in the fridge, parts of the belly were still quite squishy so we left it for another couple days. After nine days the pancetta was still slightly squishy, but haunted with memories of our first over-salted failure, we declared it sufficiently cured, and moved on to the next stage: rolling the belly, and tying it tightly to avoid air pockets where bacteria might grow. I had practiced the tying process on a paper towel roll, and with helpful twitter advice from @BobdelGrosso and @KatedeCamont (of <a href="http://ahungerartist.bobdelgrosso.com/">A Hunger Artist</a> and <a href="http://kitchen-at-camont.com/">Camont a culinary retreat in Gascony</a>, respectively) became fairly competent. I discovered however that working with actual meat is a whole new ball game - a difficult project even for two people. The meat was slippery, greasy, and certainly did not want to stay rolled up. Plus as the twine got wet, it become fragile, often tearing when we pulled too hard in our attempt to tighten the roll. After a lot of cursing, re-rolling, and wasting of twine, we finally had a pancetta roll we were reasonably happy with. <br />
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For the next step, air drying, I was determined to find a better solution than I had for the duck prosciutto, which I hung in the fridge. The problems of before (apartment (small very dry one bedroom) and boyfriend (low tolerance for cold temperatures)) were equally applicable now. The compromise solution I came up with, was to turn the bedroom into a meat curing chamber by day (while ken was at work). Each morning, we would put a steaming tray of salt water into a small bookshelf near the window, which we had loosely covered with a shower curtain (to preserve the humidity). As ken was about to leave for the day, we’d open the windows until the temperature dropped low enough to hang the pancetta in the bookshelf, where it remained for the rest of the day. Each night we’d return the pancetta to the fridge, where it spent the night on a rack over a tray of salted water (again to avoid overdrying). Although our meat drying solution was laborious and far from elegant, it was entirely worth it! There were days (20 degree days, when I needed a winter coat just to grab something out of the bedroom) when I had my doubts. But after tasting the final product (compared to a sliver we had cut and fried up immediately after taking the belly out of the cure) it was clear that it was worth the effort. After our taste test, even ken wanted to extend the drying process as long as possible. The difference in flavor was drastic. The meat was denser, porkier, and had some of that funk you get from a good cheese or a dry aged steak.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7jijHtJsb9nSaaKu6N989D1PqTncOl2H2Gz0_tgG-ksOLY1V5t5ImNb2quGxhyphenhyphenIrYKXNaG-ab77Kq4FpwN46WgzuC_Lu2rV6BsgcY60TjbxhcQsPXV9hIqUEVfo_G_sz-oD3PSPcuzs/s1600/pancetta_roll.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7jijHtJsb9nSaaKu6N989D1PqTncOl2H2Gz0_tgG-ksOLY1V5t5ImNb2quGxhyphenhyphenIrYKXNaG-ab77Kq4FpwN46WgzuC_Lu2rV6BsgcY60TjbxhcQsPXV9hIqUEVfo_G_sz-oD3PSPcuzs/s320/pancetta_roll.gif" /></a></div>I am a little ashamed to say how much of the pancetta our two person household has already managed to consume. The very first dish we made with our homemade pancetta was an English pork pie from one of our favorite cookbooks, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/River-Cottage-Meat-Book/dp/1580088430/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297801086&sr=1-2">The River Cottage Meat Book</a>. We followed the recipe pretty closely with a few small changes in the flavor profile. Although pancetta only played a small role in the recipe, I wanted to mention it here for a couple reasons. First, because it was our very first use of our newly cured pancetta. Second, because it felt like a nice precursor to potential charcutepalooza adventures in the future (a meat pie is really just a rustic - and round - pate en croute, after all). And lastly, because I’m particularly proud of the charcutepalooza inspired decorations!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTCn1nxClV8FMEpDVROMc5HTH5jrcdYnRQLzdpj8ZD3SLXhfHrU19YZo-0omRBv0vdlz77hJekBfQqYn-C2opg3hmgfxCRHocKBnvgrq1KiYzo2b_PohPngJQkeL__TymslwzaGDCXEc/s1600/pie_baked.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="243" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTCn1nxClV8FMEpDVROMc5HTH5jrcdYnRQLzdpj8ZD3SLXhfHrU19YZo-0omRBv0vdlz77hJekBfQqYn-C2opg3hmgfxCRHocKBnvgrq1KiYzo2b_PohPngJQkeL__TymslwzaGDCXEc/s320/pie_baked.gif" /></a></div>The biggest failing of this dish was the result of a lack of patience on our part - a common theme for us. We cut into the pie before the jellied stock filling the space between the meat and the crust had a chance to set, causing a huge mess reminiscent of the gulf oil spill. Despite the mess, the meat pie tasted wonderful with a little mustard and cornichon, paired with a light radish salad. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNHspdbA7TispyvRB9qskohf1JM2x1iBOMRGUjRE9i7CQtf4SZqhRxDvCvWleqR8cHZZA5DwsJ9_5Do9y1LbgcsR8fIpFUoknNhZ3NmSV0MM8wYTTEDmptlghMnu6bzU1v72PcODcX_4/s1600/pie_sliced.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="281" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNHspdbA7TispyvRB9qskohf1JM2x1iBOMRGUjRE9i7CQtf4SZqhRxDvCvWleqR8cHZZA5DwsJ9_5Do9y1LbgcsR8fIpFUoknNhZ3NmSV0MM8wYTTEDmptlghMnu6bzU1v72PcODcX_4/s320/pie_sliced.gif" /></a></div>And, we have a couple jars of jellied stock leftover in the freezer which I have big plans for!<br />
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The second dish I wanted to share, arose out of an entirely unexpected and generous gift. Last Wednesday at the greenmarket, I was buying a few clams when the guy working at the fish stand asked me: can you make chowder?<br />
Thinking I misheard him, I answered: no, I’m planning on doing a pasta.<br />
He shook his head: no, you’re not understanding what I’m asking you. Do you know how, and do you have time to make chowder?<br />
I nodded, although to be honest, I’d never done it before but had been wanting to recreate a favorite of ours which we used to eat regularly back in Boston.<br />
He reached under his stand and pulled up a bag full of some of the biggest clams I’d ever seen, and handed it to me: These are for chowder, it has to be made today.<br />
So, what could I do? I lugged the bag home (close to five pounds!), canceled my dinner plans and started looking up chowder recipes. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnNXYpWlVCiSbkerG95WqaARVYsr8GeZrciqDmLvMRseRRvWXz1wmmLbYnYdPFr5spmJW2klDjbZWs2emmyifUBvfKzAlU4_aQOj31Lqa3dSf8aac0_akhOmTpnGxxP-a7mQyiwIVlJE/s1600/clams.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnNXYpWlVCiSbkerG95WqaARVYsr8GeZrciqDmLvMRseRRvWXz1wmmLbYnYdPFr5spmJW2klDjbZWs2emmyifUBvfKzAlU4_aQOj31Lqa3dSf8aac0_akhOmTpnGxxP-a7mQyiwIVlJE/s320/clams.gif" /></a></div>I can’t stand gritty clams, so the first thing I did was scrub them down and put them in cold salted water to soak. Later that evening when we were ready to start preparing dinner, we gave the clams a last scrub, and put them in a pot with about a cup of white wine, to steam them open. I have to confess that I was pretty nervous at this point. I can be pretty cynical at times, and am generally suspicious of anything that looks too good to be true. When offered something for free usually my first thought is, what’s wrong with it? or, what’s the catch? Wary of these free monster clams, I was expecting the worst. But clearly my nervousness was misplaced. Not only did each clam dutifully pop open, but some were so strong they took up to twenty minutes before giving up the ghost. After the last one popped, we strained the liquid out, yielding about four cups of rich salty clam broth. <br />
Once the broth is prepared the rest of process can be done fairly quickly. A couple slices of our pancetta were cut into lardon, sauteed until crispy, and then set aside. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaA4ct9oV2naCxynhgUiGzxO5TOTg70YeFlUv95VNItDUVLXBMvNlyd8qjvEynQ0_ZOmWu_Z4u72NoV_Y1KNCYddSy9xpOOi8W_Eex_yY-UczOECNrqJc5WzWqse5kq2nRY8aqyxQH-U/s1600/lardon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaA4ct9oV2naCxynhgUiGzxO5TOTg70YeFlUv95VNItDUVLXBMvNlyd8qjvEynQ0_ZOmWu_Z4u72NoV_Y1KNCYddSy9xpOOi8W_Eex_yY-UczOECNrqJc5WzWqse5kq2nRY8aqyxQH-U/s320/lardon.gif" /></a></div>Diced onion and russet potato, along with a couple cloves of minced garlic and two stalks of celery, sliced, were added to the pancetta fat, and cooked until slightly browned. About half of the clam broth was then added to the pot (the rest was put away in the freezer for future use). The vegetables and broth simmered together for about 10 minutes, after which time we added about a cup of half and half, and let it continue cooking until the potatoes were tender, and the creamy liquid had thickened somewhat. Once the potatoes were cooked through, we tossed in the clams, which had been extracted from their shell, and roughly chopped. I would normally put the clams in at the very last minute of cooking, just to reheat the meat, but once again, I let my suspicious nature take over. Despite all evidence that the clams were perfectly healthy, I let them simmer another five minutes to ensure they were completely cooked through. Pepper was added to taste. Between the clam broth and the pancetta, additional salt was unnecessary. And finally, each bowl of soup was garnished with chives and the crispy pancetta, and served alongside slices of sourdough bread for mopping. This soup was delicious, despite the fact that I overcooked the clam meat, which was chewier than I’d like. Although less rich and creamy than the version we loved in Boston, this soup certainly satisfied our craving. Next time, assuming we have a little more notice, ken will bake sourdough bread bowls to complete what was otherwise a perfect cold weather meal.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbJqtVnmVEwP4VcSdL6t8IGL0HZ7f5o8WxiHFtUXeZSFucPmbzYXnyyzhBQMoSjpRIAAD7WzCv2SrJJjv4GmirjLBn1LjMi3EtO1DL6lzP6BfeKo2YqQmiSTdq5rZD01dSpmA_4lGH7I/s1600/chowder_closeup.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbJqtVnmVEwP4VcSdL6t8IGL0HZ7f5o8WxiHFtUXeZSFucPmbzYXnyyzhBQMoSjpRIAAD7WzCv2SrJJjv4GmirjLBn1LjMi3EtO1DL6lzP6BfeKo2YqQmiSTdq5rZD01dSpmA_4lGH7I/s320/chowder_closeup.gif" /></a></div>Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-65377742013177029112011-02-08T22:19:00.001-05:002011-03-10T16:28:10.162-05:00Happy Year of the Rabbit | Pun Choi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUgPwpmEAKrEfGKLGpAxsaDEu0kgqxX21gY3s1Oi13Cby_lQpZaPceCk_O5R7Vofy1D7B45SZD7nsa_TK3G6qL7IvCsEmDLYiUHBY74q3yVQcHGF6X7QaekM_dox8aDdzCI9MW1oz-7g/s1600/punchoi_CNY.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUgPwpmEAKrEfGKLGpAxsaDEu0kgqxX21gY3s1Oi13Cby_lQpZaPceCk_O5R7Vofy1D7B45SZD7nsa_TK3G6qL7IvCsEmDLYiUHBY74q3yVQcHGF6X7QaekM_dox8aDdzCI9MW1oz-7g/s320/punchoi_CNY.gif" /></a></div><br />
Last Thursday was the beginning of the year of the rabbit. As a child, Chinese new years was always an exhilarating time of the year. The air was electric, raucous with the sounds of fire crackers and the clanking of mah jong tiles. The loud noises terrified me but were thrilling too in the way a roller coaster, or a scary movie can be - the fear gave everything an exciting edge. Life during that time felt like an adventure. Although still a favorite time of year, the tenor of the holiday has changed for me. I rarely attend the chinatown parades and festivities, so the excitement, the noise, is gone. Now the holiday is all about the gathering: sharing a feast of good food with loved ones. Last Wednesday, we went to my parent’s home to partake in a pun choi with close friends and family.<br />
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Pun Choi, which roughly translates to “basin food,” is a one pot meal. The ingredients, pre-cooked separately, each with its own preparation, are then arranged into one large pot. When you are ready to eat, you pour in a rich pork broth, and heat it on a hot plate in the middle of the table until the broth is simmering and the ingredients are heated through. Unlike most one pot meals like stews or casseroles, here, the components are partitioned and layered within the bowl, the meal feels more like a multicourse banquet which happens to be served in a single vessel. Although pun choi, a Hong Kong specialty, is reputed to have been invented during the Song Dynasty, it only recently regained popularity. This likely explains why, despite my mother’s roots in Hong Kong, I only first learned of this dish last spring when ken and I travelled there to visit family. According to <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123788623683123581.html">this article</a>, the resurgence of this dish was fueled by a desire of the people to reaffirm their Hong Kong identities as separate and distinct from either Britain or China. While I don’t dispute that, I believe another major factor was likely mere practicality. Although apartments in Hong Kong make those here in NYC seem palatial, large family gatherings are still de rigueur. Pun choi provides a celebratory way to feed large gatherings in small spaces. I learned this first hand, when we celebrated my grandmother’s birthday while visiting Hong Kong. Over 15 of us, four generations of Lees, gathered together in her small apartment, where we all comfortably enjoyed pun choi.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4qBmTAf1WP_4bvyKDxFnQQ8yxjP3rE7STMh0aSDX78w8gJMItAyNmM9TFZDDWM75dARU6aKLRcl94kBKoM92FEaj4jTUgY7p0DqygWVn7CkP319KuW_A5XBSnzsoghgfQVALCpuf5VE/s1600/punchoi_HK.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="247" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4qBmTAf1WP_4bvyKDxFnQQ8yxjP3rE7STMh0aSDX78w8gJMItAyNmM9TFZDDWM75dARU6aKLRcl94kBKoM92FEaj4jTUgY7p0DqygWVn7CkP319KuW_A5XBSnzsoghgfQVALCpuf5VE/s320/punchoi_HK.gif" /></a></div>The ingredients in a pun choi can be quite varied (as evidenced by the two photos above). Last weeks’ was chock full of fortuitous foods that are traditional to eat on Chinese new years, many of which are meant to ensure prosperity in the coming year. Some like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_choy">fat choy</a> (a fungus which resembles black hair), lettuce and dried oysters are lucky because their names sound like other Chinese words which happen to have lucky meanings. Others, like abalone, fish maw, sea cucumber and dried scallops indicate prosperity because they are considered rare delicacies. The idea being, I suppose, that if you eat like a rich person on new years eve, then you will actually be a rich person for the remainder of the year. In addition to the traditional new years food, the pun choi also included stuffed fish, roast chicken, pig & duck feet, tofu skins, shrimp, all eaten over long uncut noodles, which symbolize long life. This is the perfect dish for a holiday that epitomizes community and comfort. The simmered meats and vegetables, eaten from a communal vessel, are hearty and belly-warming. Despite the extravagant ingredient list, the best and most coveted part of the pun choi, is the turnip. Turnip is a common ingredient in all pun choi, and is always nestled near the bottom of the pot where it turns sweet and soft from the long slow cooking. The turnip, which absorbs the different flavors of all the other ingredients, is a delicacy to rival even the priciest components of the dish. Lesson learned - I will approach the new year hopeful and expectant of great things, but will celebrate the small things that make the journey worthwhile... and tastier!<br />
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Gong Hay Fat Choy! Have a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2538348062603971058.post-61469133124416600202011-01-31T15:21:00.001-05:002011-02-15T14:58:47.763-05:00New Year, New Blog | Charcutepalooza, challenge no. 1This blog was born from a realization. Despite the fact that my interests in life are for the most part creative pursuits, lately I have failed to create much of anything. Creativity, like all other skills, requires practice, and I have neglected creating anything for too long. This year, I resolved to make more stuff.<br />
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One area in which my creativity has lagged is in the kitchen. Ken (the boyfriend) and I cook often and, I’d like to think, fairly well. But I’ve been a little dismayed by how frequently we fall back on the same dishes, the same flavor combos, the same techniques. One idea I had, to challenge us to use more variety when cooking, was to periodically choose a cookbook at random from our extensive collection (many of which I’m ashamed to say we have never cooked from), and cook one new recipe out of it. So at the beginning of January, we randomly picked a cookbook using this handy dandy <a href="http://www.random.org/">random number generator</a> (yes, I’m a dork who assigned numbers to each and every cookbook we own), and came up with Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn's Charcuterie<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296483188&sr=8-1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Ou38lyp5L._SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This was a fortuitous choice, because I had learned through Rulman’s twitter feed about <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/charcutepalooza/the-ruhls-2/">charcutepalooza</a>, a year long charcuterie challenge brilliantly conceived by the two bloggers, <a href="http://www.mrswheelbarrow.com/">Mrs. Wheelbarrow</a> and <a href="http://theyummymummy.blogspot.com/">The Yummy Mummy</a>. I was tempted to join in, as charcuterie is one of the cooking techniques I hoped to improve in my quest to diversify our cooking. However it felt silly to join a blogging challenge when I didn’t even have a blog. I figured, what kind of crazy person would start a blog just to be a charcutepaloozer. It turns out, I am exactly that kind of crazy person. By complete chance and random number generating, the first dish we would take on for our personal cookbook challenge would simultaneously satisfy the first challenge of charcutepalooza. While I’m not generally superstitious, I took that as a sign to move forward with both projects, and here I am today, happy to report that our first attempt at homemade duck prosciutto was not an unqualified failure. For starters, ken and I consumed copious amounts of it, and are still alive and kicking. The flavor, while slightly too salty, had a strong prosciutto taste, but was lacking in duckiness. The reason for this is probably the fact that there was very little duck to begin with. Apparently we purchased a very poorly endowed duck. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsmsw2xtf_e_eIkT_lrqjinC0tvZR5OgN9ETz1XLsylWi8_mWXoo8DPTGaA1BXaFJldoJHN00O77n-4B1OWJeJBaJt0uvb848TTrtH7wApshPCwjXK5QL9QEy3Hy60dxFpoohiegPNPc/s1600/prosciutto_slices.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsmsw2xtf_e_eIkT_lrqjinC0tvZR5OgN9ETz1XLsylWi8_mWXoo8DPTGaA1BXaFJldoJHN00O77n-4B1OWJeJBaJt0uvb848TTrtH7wApshPCwjXK5QL9QEy3Hy60dxFpoohiegPNPc/s320/prosciutto_slices.gif" /></a></div>The second mistake had more to do with bad planning than anything else. In my excitement to get started, I bought my duck before ever figuring out where I was going to hang the breasts. Living in a very dry one bedroom apartment with a guy who is ridiculously cold-adverse for someone who comes from western new york is pretty much the worst possible environment for curing meats. I assumed I’d figure something out by the time the duck breasts were done curing. I assumed wrong, and so for lack of a better option, decided to hang them in the fridge. There were a couple recipes online which called for two weeks in the fridge instead of the usual one week, so I thought I’d give it a try. The extended time unfortunately caused the meaty portion of the prosciutto to over-dry, which gave it a jerky like texture. However, the fat came out beautifully. Slightly translucent, it tasted salty and rich with a texture bordering on creamy - the fat melted over warm bread like duck butter (which is how we ate most of it). <br />
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The rest we ate with a butternut squash risotto. Some fattier pieces of prosciutto were cubed and sauteed with the onions and garlic at the start of the risotto making process. As the rice neared completion we added half a roasted squash and a generous amount of grated parmesan and fontina, and finally, we garnished with additional slices of prosciutto. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhGK9PqnWTCKcL___86-cKXKMl6HTABznZZAPp52f42I_UMDsjBe19m4I9tgVYHYRcoQJzuRfI8_a5Q4Xa_l3l1OVrekDvD8F4_BW0iWvxAr8-cDLdegznjwt7AkXxffyta_JM4dQfaM/s1600/squash_risotto_2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhGK9PqnWTCKcL___86-cKXKMl6HTABznZZAPp52f42I_UMDsjBe19m4I9tgVYHYRcoQJzuRfI8_a5Q4Xa_l3l1OVrekDvD8F4_BW0iWvxAr8-cDLdegznjwt7AkXxffyta_JM4dQfaM/s320/squash_risotto_2.gif" /></a></div>While pretty tasty, the dish was far superior the next day, when ken breaded and fried up the leftovers. These crispy risotto cakes, topped with prosciutto were phenomenal!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIIgmplYW8KmGI3HbFJq5Pn62i3lzHaBOiiyPULyBf1oGZOmEZo8MESmit41EoOh6kxPBuoMdZ8zIfvmc1fhPp6mkME61Q-5g7zWMXoI0QL7mHkO-UXz73t9eZsJETaXQgPC6NBDIB04/s1600/risotto_cakespsd.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIIgmplYW8KmGI3HbFJq5Pn62i3lzHaBOiiyPULyBf1oGZOmEZo8MESmit41EoOh6kxPBuoMdZ8zIfvmc1fhPp6mkME61Q-5g7zWMXoI0QL7mHkO-UXz73t9eZsJETaXQgPC6NBDIB04/s320/risotto_cakespsd.gif" /></a></div>Overall, we are pretty thrilled with our albeit less than perfect prosciutto, and are excited to take on the next charcuterie challenge: Pancetta! Stay tuned for fun with pork belly.Naomi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583435986457746306noreply@blogger.com0