Dale's Food

Paris: Having a great meal based on sparse word knowledge

2009-06-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

Somewhere hiding out in one of the ten or twelve boxes of books I have packed away awaiting my forever delayed move back home in Los Angeles is a tiny book called Marling Menu-Master in French.

This tiny pocket guide on my two previous trips, it turns out, had been both a God-send and culinary crutch.

At dinner two, on June 4, 2009, I went to I lovely little place nearby my chambre d’hotes called Chez Casimir. This brightly yellow card and its somewhere-off-Eastern-sounding name made me think I was in for north African fare.

After all, I am always in search for one great north African meal when in Paris. However, as soon as I entered the corner locale I knew it was a typical neighborhood traditional French restaurant. As it turned out, I was going to be the last customer, Casimir took that evening.

The menu was fixed price, which I always prefer in Paris. You know how much up front. That is so much better in Paris as well as in all of life.

Now let me digress. I have a problem with my brain. I cannot, no matter hard I try, remember things in French. I have a few words committed to memory in Russian from many years ago when I took it in college. I have the Hebrew alphabet from the class as well, despite not being Jewish and never able to read the language; and I have perhaps 200 or so words at my grasp in Spanish. However, when it comes to French there is simply a traffic jam in my neural net.

It may be the many accent marks used. It may be that the pronunciation is vastly different to my ears than any other language has been. It may be simply a lack of commitment on my part – no class, no time to study, no true practice and rehearsal.

So, Casimir brings his handwritten black board over to me and begins rattling off the lengthy menu and I need to interrupt because I do not understand. And I say: If you please, English.

This phraseology is particularly offensive I have discovered. But what is worse, is I think I am saying: do you speak English? So, the host reacts badly and I react confused and everything goes down hill very quickly.

Well, Casimir, says, pretty much, this is the menu, huh, its fixed price, and you let me know, ok. And he walks away. I feel terribly because the fifty times I have said parle vous anglaise? In my head throughout the day has failed with the utterance s’il vous plait, aiglaise?

So, I sit there. Me on one side of a bistro table and a giant blackboard in the other chair. I need only a dunce cap.

Then I realize, my Marling Menu-Master in French would have saved the day, but alas the heretofore unforeseen complications of the move from apartment dweller to mortgage prisoner shows itself in a new way.

So, I decide, as all culinary survivors must, to pick words I know.

In course one: Of the seven choices, I know – canard (duck).

In the entrée course: of the seven choices, I know four – joue de beouf (beef cheek), saumon (salmon), poulet (chicken – I think) and something-something asperge (asparagus).

In the dessert course: of the seven choices, I know – chocolat, chocolat chocolat, frambois (raspberry) and rhubarbes (rhubarb).

So, I select: duck, beef cheek, and rhubarb.

Why?

Well, I thought, I was ordering duck and I got pate of duck, though it was amazing. A small, nicely dressed green salad with a ceramic jug of cornichons and a large portion of hunter-style pate. It was yummy to the last morsel on the thick-cut, heavy country brown bread.

With the beef cheeks, I had regretted for a year not trying them since my last visit. So, I was definitely going to have them this time. However, what I learned here was that a beef cheek in one restaurant is very different from the same dish in another. While flavorful and tender, the mashed potato was the star of this hearty dish.

Beef cheeks and my year of regret is why this time around I am trying new things and with this meal, while trying words I knew I ended up trying dishes I never had. Success!

This final dish, dessert, was the most different dessert I have ever had. I am still thinking about it. It is a trip. It is something that has wowed me but also I am not yet quite sold on it. It is an odd experience.

The rhubarb was served as a soup. All the rhubarb was green and stewed either very tender or even very desiccated. Then a series of plump and perfect in appearance and taste raspberries were placed in the soup. Next, a large cannel (ok, Americans a large scoop) of chocolate mousse was placed in the center; however, it was hidden by the fabulous and perfect cookie crisp that gently sit atop it.

I am not sure whether to simply think of this dessert as a religious experience to be remembered or a culinary experience to be copied and tinkered with or a food experience to be reinvented and made into my own.

There is something philosophical about this dish that makes me pause. It’s kind of freaky.

Italian neighborhood food in Paris

2009-06-03T23:36:00.000-07:00

It is my tradition on my first night in Paris to dine close to my hotel. Had I been in the old neighborhood, I would have walked to Alla Biche Au Bois or Chez Paul or maybe tried the Egyptian place I have eyeballing for some time.

However, my hosts and dear friends have moved to the 10th arrondissemont and so I was left to go with neither a favorite or something I have previously desired.

So, I decided on a safe and sure bet: Italian.

It was recommended by my sub-host, the cuddly Bertino. Men are not usually cuddly to me, but he seems very kind and sweet. His broken English, laden with a heavy Portuguese accent. He bore witness to its fair prices and its decent fare. So, I decided it would be the Italian place. One block away.

I readied myself and off I went with my travel materials for reading. In the short block of walking, I realized two things that one forgets about Paris when you separated from it for too long a time: a) the names of streets can change with every single block and some streets name can curve in the most illogical of manners; b) Paris is bright late into the night. At 9:00 it is still fairly light out.

The chilled late spring air tell me I ought to sit inside and once I am seated I know a place outside would have been a tinge better.

I review the menu. The salads are very unusual. Three of them are named for places like Florida, Arizona and the Bahamas. I read each ingredient carefully.

The Florida has grapefruit, avocado, apple, heart of palm, chicken, tomato and corn. The Arizona has carrot, cucumber, artichoke, capers, egg, tuna, anchovies and olives. And the Bahamas has oranges, tomatoes, avocado, heart of palm, corn, ham and fresh pineapple.

However, I remembered that last meal I had in Paris last year. I ordered something I order a lot. My dear friend Peet ordered beef cheeks. I would never order such a thing, but once I tasted his dish – Oh, My God! So, I said to my self: “Self, order different things than you normally would!”

So, I ordered the Rimini salad which has orange slices, crayfish tails, hearts of palm, tomatoes, and kiwi, oops no kiwi showed up on my plate! However, it was great and I have in my head concocted an even better salad of my own making, though inspired by Salade Rimini alla Parisienne.

For the entrée I ordered as the menu says: “green and white pastas with light creams sauces, fresh peas, mushrooms and ham of San Daniel.”

The spinach and durum wheat linguini was served in a large portion. Much larger than I have had in some places in Madrid and Paris, which I was grateful for however, I will have to research what ham San Daniel is. Roughly chopped cold cuts seems like a missed opportunity. Of course, that came out the wrong way. It looked like a roughly chopped cold cut, it tasted like the best ham I have had in a very, very long time. Think Boar’s Head Brand and then a step or two up.

The only downside to this dish was the peas, which were fresh, were also a bit over-soft. It would have been perfect to have a bit of a snap left in them!

I will return to this little eatery, I am sure, a couple of times in my two weeks here. It is very much a homey place. Besides some of the pizzas smelled amazing!

Fried Corn with Thyme, Shallots & Chilies

2006-08-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

Fried Corn with Thyme, Shallots & Chilies (Serves 4-6)

by dale reinert

Ingredients

4 Tbls unsalted butter

4 shallots, finely chopped

1 red chile, finely diced (or 1\4 tsp red chile flake)

1 32-oz package frozen petit, yellow corn (defrosted and drained)

3 Tbls fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Kosher salt

Pepper

Procedure

Melt butter in a heavy frying pan or chef’s pan. When hot, add the shallots and cook until translucent and tender, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the red diced chile and stir for about 2 minutes more.
Add the corn and fry for 10 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Then add the thyme, salt and pepper and continue to stir another 2-3 minutes.

Corn Stuffed Baked Onions

2006-08-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

Corn Stuffed Baked Onions (Serves 6-8)

by dale reinert

Ingredients

6 medium sweet onions

12 oz. frozen corn (and peppers, if possible)

2 Tbls. butter

1 can cream of celery soup

8 oz. cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Cut the top third off of each onion and peel the outer layer. Trim the root end so the onion will sit upright and stable in a baking dish.
Using a paring knife and teaspoon or a melon baler, gauge out the center of the onion, creating a cavity to be filled by the corn stuffing.
In a 2 quart bowl, mix together the corn and peppers, soup, and most of the cheese. Reserve some for topping the onions. Mix together.
Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter and brush the onions inside and out to encourage browning.
Fill the cavities with the stuffing mixture and top with the remaining choose.
Bake at 400 degree until the onion is golden brown on the outside and very tender throughout and the filling is bubbling.

Corn on the Cob Basics, Plus Butter Applications

2006-08-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

Corn on the Cob Basics, Plus Butter Applications

by dale reinert

How to Boil It…

Remove all the husks and silk form the corn. Leave about a 1-2 inch stalk at the end as a holder, if you don’t have corn-on-the-cob holders.

Place corn in a large pot, cover with cold water, add three teaspoons sugar and one teaspoon salt. Place on high heat and bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes.
Turn the heat off. Remove cobs as needed. Corn can remain in water for up to 90 minutes without becoming tough or overcooked.

How to Grill It…

Cut the silky end of the ear with a very sharp knife. Then submerge the ear in a large container of water for at least one hour.

Preheat the grill to medium or medium high. Place the soaked ears on the grill in a single layer, turning a quarter turn every ten minutes.
Using a tongs, remove the ears from the grill to a waiting platter. Peel back the husks and silk with oven mitts or a fork. While silk is often very hard to remove from raw corn, it comes away freely from steamed cobs.
Roll in butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and enjoy.

Compound Butters…

Sometimes, for a change of pace, it’s nice to switch out regular sweet butter for a compound butter – or a butter that has had flavors added to it, like the three the follow and is pictured here from left to right.

Basil Butter
1 stick soft unsalted butter
3 Tbls prepared basil pesto sauce
3 Tbls grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp lemon juice

Chili Compound Butter
1 stick unsalted butter
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1\2 tsp Tabasco sauce
salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Lemon-Thyme Butter
1 stick unsalted butter
10 chives, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Mexican Corn Cake

2006-08-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

Mexican Corn Cake (Serves 12-15)

by dale reinert

Ingredients

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups yellow corn meal

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup of cream style corn

1/4 cup of oil 1 cup of buttermilk

1 medium onion chopped

1 green bell pepper 2

red jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

8 oz. pkg. of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1 tsp kosher salt

Procedure

Mix the ingredients in this order adding half of the cheese in the batter.
Pour the batter into an oiled cast iron skillet or a dark metal 9x13 inch greased and floured baking pan.
Top with the other half of the cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about one hour for the iron skillet and about 50-55 minutes for the baking pan. (This cake is designed to be very moist. For a drier cake, sautee all the veggies to remoe their moisture.)

The Grown Up Taste of Rhubarb

2006-08-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

The Grown Up Taste of Rhubarb

by dale reinert, food editor

I just didn’t understand it. I was nine years old and tears were streaming down my cheeks as the east wall of the garage came crashing down on my first veggie patch. What I did understand was my parents’ care in making sure that not a single shingle or rusty nail land on the southern side of the garage where the rhubarb stalks stood.

Back on the eastside my tomatoes were crushed; my cucumbers smashed, but the southern wall as braced and gently nudged so it would collapse northward.

Rhubarb is beyond bitter. It’s sour, sour, sour. I am often amazed that humankind ever figured out how to make use of it, like the thistle-like cardoons. As an adult, however, I have come to understand how the sweetness of sugar (or strawberries) plays so wonderful against the backdrop of rhubarb. Here are some of my favorite Midwestern dishes made by some of my Midwestern favorite people.

Rhubarb Crunch (Aunt Glenda's)

2006-08-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

Aunt Glenda's Rhubarb Crunch

by glenda reinert,

sherrill’s mound, iowa

Ingredients

8 cups rhubarb, chopped 1\2-1 inch cubes

2 cups white sugar

2 cups water

4 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup margarine

1 1\3 cup oatmeal

2 teaspoon cinnamon

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Mix the flour, brown sugar, margarine, oatmeal and cinnamon together. Press two thirds of this mixture into the bottom of a 9”x13” cake pan.

In a microwave or a saucepan, bring to a boil until thickened the white sugar, water, cornstarch. Stir thoroughly every couple of minutes. Once thicken, stir in vanilla. Pour over the rhubarb.

Spread the remaining crumb mixture evenly across the pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Cream Cheese Rhubarb Pie (Aunt Jodi's)

2006-08-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

Cream Cheese Rhubarb Pie

by jodi reinert,

dubuque, iowa

Ingredients

4 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1\2-1 inch cubes

1 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1\4 teaspoon salt

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust (see recipe below)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (at room temperature)

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1\2 cup sugar

Almonds (slivered) for garnish

Procedure

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a sauce pan over medium heat, cook rhubarb, 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt. The mixture must boil, so the cornstarch will thicken, but it is not essential that all the rhubarb cook down.

Pour this mixture into the waiting pie crust. Bake 10 minutes and remove form oven. Reduce the oven’s setting to 350 degrees.

In a mixer’s bowl, on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, eggs, and a 1\2 cup sugar until smooth. Pour over the rhubarb mixture and spread evenly.

Bake the pie for another 30-35 minutes until set. Allow to cool and serve chilled. Garnish with sour cream and toasted almonds to serve.

Rhubarb Cake (Mom's)

2006-08-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

Mom's Rhubarb Cake

by betty reinert

hazel green, wisconsin

Ingredients

3 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1\2-1 inch cubes

1 1\2 cups brown sugar

1\2 cup butter flavored shortening

2 eggs

1\2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk soured by 1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons vanilla

Topping

1\2 cup sugar

2 tablespoon cinnamon

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour a 9”x13” inch cake pan.

Cream the sugar and shortening. Add the eggs and salt. Stir in the soured milk, soda, vanilla and flour. Pour the batter into the bake.

Even spread the rhubarb across the top of batter and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar topping. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife can be inserted and removed cleanly.

Dale's Veggie Burgers

2006-08-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

Dale's Veggie Burgers

Serves about 12

Ingredient
2 large portabello mushrooms, chopped and sauteed
1 can black beans, divided

1 medium potato, boiled, cooled (about 1 cup by volume)

1 cup carrots, grated

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup diced onion

2 eggs plus 1 egg white

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cup quick cooking oatmeal

1\2 cup sour cream

1\4 cup ketchup

1 Tablespoon Steak or BBQ Sauce

2 Tablespoons Canola oil

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

4 Tablespoons Italian parsley chopped

1 Tablespoon Cilantro, chopped

1\4 Jalapeno pepper, finely diced

1 teaspoon salt

3\4 teaspoon pepper

Healthy pinch of cayenne

Procedure:
1. In a food processor, blend together the cooked mushrooms, 1 cup of the black beans,
potatoes, eggs and egg white, and onions until thoroughly blended.

2. Place the rest of the bean and all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer the blended the mixture from the food processor to the bowl and stir well until all the ingredients are moistened and combined.

3. Heat a large, deep-sided chef’s pan over medium high heat with 1\2 cup of canola oil. Using a large serving spoon or a 3\4 cup measure, drop the veggie burgers onto the heated pan. A spatula can be used to shape and flatten the burgers into rounds for traditional hamburger buns or narrow ovals, like hoagies. Flatten the burgers to make sure they cook through. (For mini-burgers, use a #20 food disher.) Cook on each side for 3 minutes.

4. Serve with your favorite condiments. Instead of ketchup and mustard, I use peppercorn ranch dressing and barbecue sauce for veggie burgers.

Outdoor Burgers -- Hamburgers for the Grill

2006-08-15T22:58:00.000-07:00

Outdoor Burgers

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

1 package 85% lean ground chuck, about 16-20 ounces

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon granulated onion

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

3-4 buns, toasted and prepared

Procedure

Preheat the grill on high heat. When it is thoroughly heated, scrap the grates clean and lubricated lightly with oil. Keep the lid open for a few minutes and reduce the burner heat to medium high.

In a large bowl, using your hands gently but thoroughly combine the meat and all the seasonings. This must be done both quickly and thoroughly as you do not want the heat of your hands to start to chemically change or physically alter the characteristics of the meat.

On pieces of wax paper or parchment, trace a circle around the bun bottom. Repeat three or four times, depending on the number of burgers. Turn each piece over.

Using two dinner forks, shape the burgers into round about 3\4” high and 1\4” bigger than the drawn circles. This accounts for shrinkage. Do not use the forks to press and push down on the burgers. Use them to shape, sculpt, and nudge.

Spray vegetable oil on the burgers, invert onto the hot grill, spray the top side with vegetable oil for 1 second, and leave alone for about 4 minutes. Turn the burgers over and cook for 3-4 minutes more.

Add pre-buttered – I prefer mayo – buns to the grill. When the burgers reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees, remove to a platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove the buns to a plate. Keep an eye on the buns, they toast very quickly.

Apartment Burgers -- Hamburgers for the Stovetop

2006-08-15T22:48:00.000-07:00

Apartment Burgers

Makes 2 Dale-sized Burgers.

Ingredients

16 ounces chuck, trimmed, cut into 1-inch cubes
1\2 teaspoon garlic powder

1\2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1\2 teaspoon ground white pepper

1\4 teaspoon cinnamon

Procedure

In separate batches of about 4 ounces, pulse the cubed chuck roast in a food processor 10 times. Each pulse must be a purposeful pulse, not a quick pulse. At the end of ten pulses, if the meat does not look like hamburger, then keep pulsing.
Combine the meat and seasonings in a large bowl. Form the mixture into an 8-ounce patty about 3\4 of an inch thick. Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Oil the pan with 1 tablespoon of canola oil.
Place the hamburger patties in the pan. For medium-rare burgers, cook the patties for 4 minutes on each side. For medium burgers, cook the patties for 5 minutes on each side. After two minutes, loosen the burgers with a spatula, but flip the burgers only once during cooking process.

Why grind your own burger meat?

With all the concerns of e.coli bacteria, eating rare ground beef is a luxury many of us avoid. Well, e.coli exists only on the surface of meat and buying pre-ground meat means there is a lot of surface area. Grinding meat in your food processor minimizes the risk and provides a great food experience in the home.

Spaghetti Rigati with Curly Endive, Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar

2006-08-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

Spaghetti Rigati with Curly Endive,
Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients:
1\2 lb Spaghetti
4 Garlic cloves, sliced

3 Tbls. Butter
3 Tbls. Olive oil
4 heads of curly endive, tops trimmed into bite-sized pieces, discard the rest
2 Tbls. Balsamic vinegar

1\2 tsp. of each Salt & pepper

Red Pepper flakes, if desired

Procedure:

Boil one gallon of heavily salted water. Cook the spaghetti until it is “al dente.” (It will cook more again in Step 4.)
Once a large chef’s pan has been heated, add the olive oil, then garlic and finally the butter. This is the time to add the red pepper flakes, if you want.
Toss the curly endive tops in the heated oil, the vinegar, salt, and black pepper, cook for a moment, and then remove from the heat.
Drain the pasta; add to the chef’s pan. Stir to combine. If it is too dry, then, add a ladle of water from the pasta pot. Divide in to 2 portions and serve.

Escarole Chicken Soup

2006-08-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

Escarole Chicken Soup

Ingredients

2 cans chicken stock, 41 ozs. each

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

2 medium onions, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 lb. escarole coarsely chopped (about 4 small heads)

8 cloves garlic, chopped

2\3 cup rice

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thoroughly salt and pepper chicken breasts and place on a baking sheet in the center rack for 40 minutes. Allow to cool 30 minutes, discard bones and skin. Pull chicken apart into bite size pieces and set aside.

Chop onions, celery, carrots and garlic. In a heavy bottomed soup pot, heat oil. Sautee garlic, onion, carrots, and celery until tender.

Wash escarole making sure to remove all dirt and sand, and then chop coarsely. Add oregano, stock, bay leaf and escarole to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Add the rice and cook for 20 minutes or until done.

Add the chicken, tomatoes and garbanzo beans. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Bring up to heat.

Endive Boats with Black Pepper Bacon, Whole Grain Mustard Gouda and Port-fortified Cranberries

2006-08-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

Endive Boats with Black Pepper Bacon, Whole Grain Mustard Gouda and Port-fortified Cranberries

Ingredients

8 slices thick black peppercorn bacon, fried, drained and cut into 1\2 inch pieces

4 Belgian Endives, root-end trimmed, leaves separated and cleaned

8 oz. whole grain mustard Gouda cheese, sliced into long, thin strips

1\2 cup dried cranberries

5 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

1 cup port wine

Procedure

Place port wine, cranberries and honey in a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer allowing the cranberries to plump for about 10 minutes. Remove the cranberries with a slotted spoon, then reduce the fortified wine to a syrup.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the bacon on a baking sheet with 1-inch sides. Bake the bacon until golden brown. Remove from the sheets, drain on paper towels and cut into 1\2 inch pieces.
Cut about 1\2 inch of the root end of the endive. Gently separate the leaves. Using a damp cloth wipe clean the leaves large enough to hold all the other ingredients.
Slice the cheese into at least as many pieces as leaves you cleaned.
On a serving platter, placed shredded curly endive or baby mixed greens as a garnish and then nestle endive boats. On top of each boat, place bite size piece of cheese and bacon, 2-3 cranberries, and a light drizzle of the reduced wine syrup.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2006-08-13T08:07:00.000-07:00

(This article originally appeared in the April 2006 issue of La Brea Living Magazine.)

Chewy Unboxed
by dale reinert, food editor

The early April afternoon on my way home from school was the first time that spring the warm sun truly foretold that spring could no longer be held at bay.

It was turning out to be as a momentous a semester as my teacher had promised. Flight Four, the fourth grade field program, had started with a tour of the Hamm House Museum and Log Cabin, which was way cool to me – boring to most other fourth graders. The week previous, my first hospital stay meant being absent from my own first communion party. My ogling, over-perfumed aunts couldn’t squeeze my cheeks; I wouldn’t have to be the center of attention (which I hated more that almost anything); and I didn’t have to deal with being nice in a big crowd.

Nope, just sitting in a hospital room, watching TV and eating endless Jell-O and ice cream was fine by me.

But, today I was, my mom had said, going to be special. She had forewarned warned us my father’s return to work some weeks previous meant a real paycheck today and that we would be having something other than government block cheese, bologna, and Wonder bread for dinner. I couldn’t wait.

So, I walked along the playground fence and slapping my hand along the steel diamonds of the hurricane fence, thinking tonight’s dinner might be steak. I passed the three big stone houses that shared the block with the schools and figured dinner is likely to chicken, one paycheck in seven months likely won’t go far after bills are paid.

Rounding the corner at Old Man Alba’s Store, I remembered mom’s fondness for bananas – he always kept a bin filled out front -- and figured she’d make some banana bread or at least buy a bunch of them to cut up on top of ice cream before we stirred heaping teaspoons of Nestlé’s Chocolate Quick Mix into it. We love to do that when we would squeeze that out of the grocery dollars.

Just one more long block and a corner. And I thought I could smell something. But what was it? Hamburgers? Big old messy homemade whoppers like that made over at the Lange’s – with slices of tomatoes and onions and crunchy lettuce? Sniff. SNIFF. Nope. No scent.

I walked up the three steps of the back porch leading to the kitchen, opened the door and before my eyes was spread across the table boxes and boxes of baked goods from the outlet store – Archway cookies and Little Debbie cakes. In 1974, these were fine eats, especially to a nine year-old who had been told that they’re too expensive every time he saw them in the grocery store.

Dad simply said, “Go ahead, sit down, pick a box, enjoy. This ain’t never gonna happen again. Everything was half price.”

I grab a box of Archway molasses cookies. Chewy, earthy and nutty. The next day I ate another kind of chewy cookie. Another day, another variety. I fell in love with chewy cookies. Up to that date I had only had crunchy cookies and since then I have only loved chewy cookies.

Why were all the cookies in the whole universe crunchy, except the cookies made by Archway, I wondered? Below is a basic chewy cookie recipe with some simple additive and some extra tips. Enjoy!

Chewy Cookie Dough

The Dry Ingredients:

2 1\4 cups bread flour or flour of bread machines
1 teaspoon fine grain salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

The Wet Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 1\2 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla (please use high quality)

Flavor Options:
Equivalent of 2 cups of the following flavor combinations:

Semisweet chocolate chips with or without walnuts

Macadamia nuts with white chocolate chips

Chopped Andie’s Mint Candies

Chocolate\Caramel chips with pecans

Peanut butter chips rolled in cinnamon and sugar

Procedure
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom small saucepan over low heat. Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugar on low speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons whole milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

3. Sift together the bread flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined.

4. Stir in the 2 cups of flavor options you decided on.

5. Chill the dough for at least one hour or (preferably) overnight, and then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, about six cookies on each sheet. I use about 2 or 2 1\2 heaping kitchen (not measuring) tablespoons per cookies – these are big cookies – just shy of a quarter of a cup measure.

6. Bake on the middle rake of the preheated oven 11-13 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after ten minutes. It helps with most ovens to rotate the baking sheet to ensure even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Tips and Hints:

A. The length of time you chill the dough and the size of the cookies impacts how long you will bake the cookies.

B. The flavor options you decide on will impact how much the cookies spread when they cook. This is true for a variety of reasons, like the amount of edible wax manufacturer’s use in their product and how some ingredients interact with others.

C. Half of all the cookies made and consumed in America are chocolate chips, so start with that and expand there.

Chocolate: If you want to make the chocolate-chocolate chip cookies pictured here, then reduce the amount of flour by 1\4 cup and stir 1\2 cup of Dutch-processed cocoa and 1 tablespoon instant coffee into melted butter. Roll the dough into powdered sugar before baking.

Dublin Coddle (A St. Patrick's Day Alternative)

2006-08-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

(This article was intended for March's La Brea Living Magazine but production difficulties prevented it from appearing.)

Coddle-ing Up to a New Tradition

My columns are often focused on reliving old family traditions or on comforting myself through the rollercoaster ups and downs life tosses my way. But, like each person in every generation, I discover new traditions.

With St. Patrick’s Day fast upon us, I thought I would share one of my traditions. Made every year on St. Patrick’s Day since my first trip to Dublin, I have spent this traditionally heavy drinking night at home cuddled up with one Guinness, several slices of buttered, hot Irish soda bread, and a generous bowl of Dublin Coddle.

Coddle is a baked dish of ham, sausage, red potatoes, and onions. Since the sausages are baked, their texture is similar to having been poached, rather than fried.

When you travel to Ireland you will have a hard time finding this dish outside of Dublin, and inside Dublin you will find versions of it catering to tourists who wouldn’t know the difference between something cheap served to tourists and something hearty served to locals.

Quite frankly – I am not sure I have ever learned the difference between the authentic and the tourist versions of this dish. Here’s what logic tells me: (1) I am not a fan of the flavor of things corned, e. g. corned beef and cabbage; (2) the finer the grind of the sausage meat, the less likely it is true to the original dish; and (3) American cured ham contains more salt than Irish, so avoid salting the coddle until the very last moment.

Dale’s Dublin Coddle (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

2 large English Bangers (sausages)

1 package large link pork breakfast sausages

1 pound ham shank with skin and fat, cubed into 2 inch pieces

2 white onions cut into eighths still attached at the root end

1 pound red new potatoes cut to one inch diameter

Parsley

Salt

Pepper

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Fill a one gallon pot with two quarts of water and place on high heat. Puncture the casing on the Bangers and sausages. Place in water.
Cut a pound chunk of ham, including skin and fat, of the shank end of cured ham. Dice the chunk into two-inch cubes. Add the cubes to the pot of sausages.
Allow the meats to simmer for 10 minutes and then remove from the water.
Pick over the potatoes and cut the large ones down to one-inch diameters. Cut the onions into eighths, leaving the sections attached at the root end.
In a large casserole with a fitted lid, place all the ingredients alternating between meat, potatoes and onions. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
When all the ingredients are in the casserole, ladle the hot water over the ingredients just to cover. Place in the oven, leaving the lid askew. Bake for 60 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Spoon into soup bowls and sprinkle generously with chopped parsley. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warm Irish soda bread.

Brown Irish Soda Bread (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

2 1\4 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour, 1\4 cup more reserved

1\2 cup quick cook rolled oats

1\4 cup wheat germ

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

4 Tbls. Unsalted butter

1 1\2 cups plain, low fat yogurt

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a heavy baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper on the center rack.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, rolled oats, wheat germ, baking soda and salt. Whisk together until even distributed.
Measure 1 1\2 cups of yogurt and set aside.
Using one hand, mix the 4 tablespoons of room temperature unsalted butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is well incorporated.
Scoop the yogurt out of the measuring cup with your mixing hand and mix it into the batter, which is very sticky.
Once all the ingredients have been mixed together, knead the dough with your mixing hand while adding a sprinkling from the 1\4 cup of reserved flour. Knead for at least three minutes or until the stickiness disappears from the dough.
Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface, shape into a ball, using a knife cut an “X” into the ball and place on the heated baking sheet.
Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden brown and hollow to the knock. Serve with room temperature unsalted butter.

Chocolate - Chestnut Mousse

2006-08-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

(This article originally appeared in the February 2006

issue of LaBrea Living Magazine.)

It’s Name Threatens Hell,
but this Dessert is Heavenly

by dale reinert,
food editor

December 30th, 2005 – I had never been to Paris before. But I had a plan. After reading two tour books and having traveled to many other European cities, it was going to be simple. I was not going to take a tour bus ride to orientate myself to the city. I was not going to go to the restaurants highlighted in books and noted by friends.

Determined to discover this timeless city in a way that made it my own, I went out and walked and walked. I was seeking Paris on my own terms. I would tour the city’s sights from noon till 5 in the afternoon, then nap, shower and head out to an early dinner around 7:00 p.m. – well ahead of the crowds of Parisians who typically arrive closer to 8:30 p.m.

I left the bed and breakfast and walk north along the rue de Lyon. Circling the Place de Bastille, I marveled at the giant opera with its partial round design echoing the famed prison that once stood in this spot.

I headed east along the rue du Rivoli, which if Paris has an old style main street, it is definitely Rivoli. Long, narrow and cramped, Rivoli was crowded in the snowy, off-season and I couldn’t imagine the tight quarters people experienced along Rivoli on a warm, summer night.

I wandered through the Marais, and was stunned by the pipe-skinned modern Pompidou Center and was caught by the contrast between its soaring size on one end of a fountain and the soaring spires of St. Merri’s Church at the opposite end.

On the narrow cobblestone pathways that lace through the Marais, I walk past many restaurants. I read menus, noted interior decors, and let each eatery speak to me. This night the voice of El Pavé spoke clearest.

I enjoyed the appetizer of simmered baby leeks garnished with a sauce of beet and mint as well as the French peasant main dish of pot-au-feu, with creamy marrow and melted connective tissue, the dish was pure flavor and way too much for me to eat.

For dessert, I order L’Damnation, described as chestnut mousse topped with crème fraiche and covered in hot, dark chocolate sauce. Its name seemed naughty and I am always intrigued by the melding of chocolate and nut flavors. The roundness of the flavors stunned me. I ate and ate and couldn’t stop eating. Immediately upon finishing it, I looked up wanting more, longing for more. Here is my interpretation of L’Damnation, which really is quite heavenly.

Chocolate - Chestnut Mousse

Ingredients
1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 15 ½-ounce can of chestnut puree
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream, beaten to stiff peaks
4 egg whites, beaten to form soft peaks
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbls of water

Procedure
1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over very low heat. When the chocolate is completely melted, remove the top pan from the heat.

2. In a bowl, mash the chestnut puree into little bits. Once it is broken up, use a wooden spoon to incorporate into the melted chocolate and butter. Stir in the vanilla and kosher salt. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

3. In a metal bowl that has been made cold by sitting in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 30 minutes, beat the heavy cream until stiff and fold into the chocolate-butter mixture.

4. Heat the sugar and 3 tbsp water to boiling, stirring until it reaches 240oF degrees. The color should be a light golden brown caramel.

5. Using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, begin to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar while slowly incorporating the hot syrup into the egg whites. Continue beating the mixture until soft peaks form.

6. Gently fold in the chocolate mixture into the sugar-egg whites. Spoon into individual dessert dishes. Remember to leave room for the crème fraiche and hot dark chocolate sauce.

7. Cover and refrigerate until completely set – at least 4 hours. Hints and Tips: To finish the mousse, top it with either sweetened whipped cream or the tart, tangy flavor of mascarpone cheese, crème fraiche, or even homemade yogurt cheese. These tangy flavors will round out the deep sweetness of the mousse.

Chili Con Carne

2006-08-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

(This article originally appeared in the January 2006

issue of LaBrea Living Magazine. )

Chili Individuation

by dale reinert, food editor

I am emotionally connected to my dad. For many years, he had estranged himself from the family. He kept his distance through beer and sleeping in the lazy boy.

But over the years he and I found common ground through sharing differing opinions on what may be the most American of all foods -- chili.

Some argue that Chili -- a stew of chile pods, onions and peppers -- was created in Mexico. Other say Texas is its birthplace. And most forget that Los Angeles was once commonly accepted as the chili capital of the world. Giant Fiberglas chili pots sat atop a chain of chili joints during LA's architecture-reflects-product period, the 1950s when burgers, fries and hotdogs were often finished with a ladle chili.

Even Tommy of Tommy Burgers fame is credited with introducing "chili-size" and a "chili straight" into the American vernacular.

Cincinnati's Skyline Chili introduced America to the terms such as 3-way, 4-way and 5-way chili. Straight chili in Cincinnati is a tomatoey gravy over spaghetti. Adding beans or onions or cheese is picking a "way" to have your chili customized.

The chili upon which I was raised was absent the spaghetti of Cincinnati or the rice of New Mexico or the bread bowls that seem popular in some are eateries.

The chili I was raised on was a hearty simmer of fried ground beef, diced tomatoes, red kidney beans, onions, green bell peppers and a sprinkling of chili powder, happily served with a heap of crumbled saltines stirred in to absorb all the broth. In adolescence, my dad discovered V-8 juice and soon the chili was fortified with it.

As I moved around the country working for a school district here and there and as I vacationed in varying parts of the south central and western states, my own variation of chili emerged.

I shifted from solely using chili powder to using both chili powder and ground New Mexico Chiles. I added Pasilla Peppers to the Bell Peppers. Caramelizing the onions, instead of briefly sweating them, as my dad had done, brings sweetness to the spice of chiles. And switching from ground beef to cubed chuck roast became my signature within the family. Each individual has their own chili expression.

Dale's Chili Con Carne

Ingredients:
2 pounds Chuck roast cubed into bite-size pieces
1 half Green bell pepper, medium dice
1 half Red bell pepper, medium dice
1 half Yellow bell pepper, medium dice
4 large Pasilla Chiles, fine dice
1 large Onion, medium dice
1 can 28 ounce can of tomato puree
1 can Beef broth or stock, low sodium
4 cans Beans (see note below)
2 Tbls. Chili powder
2 Tbls. New Mexico Chiles, ground
2 Tbls. Cumin powder, ground
1\8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Salt
Black pepper

Procedure:
Prepare the peppers, onion, chiles and beef by cubing or dicing them and placing them into separate bowls. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Mix together the chili and cumin powders, the cayenne pepper and the ground New Mexico chiles in a small prep bowl and set aside.

Heat a heavy-bottomed soup pot or LeCrueset Casserole. Coat the heated pan's bottom with Canola oil. Add the peppers and saute on medium high heat until translucent. Place in a large bowl and repeat with the diced Pasilla Chiles. This will take about 10 minutes.

Saute the onions next, but turn the flame down to medium and brown the onions until a good dark caramel color develops. This may take up to 20 minutes. Remove to the same bowl as the peppers and chiles.

Add more oil to the pan and saute the cubed chuck roast in small batches. The small batches encourage additional caramelization. When the meat is browned on both sides, remove and reserve with the onions, peppers and chiles.

Once all the meat is browned and removed from the pan. Add the spice mixture. Stirring constantly, move the spices around the pan. This "heat treatment" will awaken the ground spices' flavors and adds a layer of subtle smokiness.

After a minute or so, add the tomato puree and can of beef broth. Stir again to scrap free the spices and tiny pieces of beef, onion and vegetables that have been caramelized to the pan.
Add back the meat, onion, peppers and chiles and stir to incorporate. Cover with a heavy lid and place in the oven for 2-3 hours.

Remove the pan from the oven and add the beans. Because everything is cooked, you only need to warm the beans through. The residual heat can do that or place the pan of chili atop a low flame. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

Tips:
Chuck roast is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat. Cooking it long and slow allows it to gain flavor from the melting connective tissues and become tender.

Wait to add the beans until the very end because the salt used to sweat, saute and brown the meat and vegetables will toughen the skin of the beans the longer the beans cook in the chili.
Use beans, like Bush's Best Beans for Chili in Mild Sauce, or your favorite beans. I stay away from red kidney beans because of their already-tough exterior skin.

Serve over white or seasoned rice and with a variety of accompaniments, like shredded cheese, Salsa, slivered scallions, chopped onions, hot sauce, biscuits, corn bread, saltine crackers, or even Fritos corn chips.

Pasilla chiles are typically mild but can easily have some heat to them as well. So, taste them raw to see exactly how many you want to add to your chili.

In prepping for this article, I spoke with my younger brother Wayne, a certifiable "chili head." He says he places one large, peeled carrot in the bottom of the chili pot. He says the carrot prevents gas. I am more than a little skeptical at this.

Egg Nog Cake

2006-08-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

(This article originally appeared in the December 2005

issue of LaBrea Living Magazine.)

Egg Nog Cake: The Gift Mary Gave Me

by dale reinert, food editor

Christmas eve went something like this: gather together, share a meal, play Canasta, lay around or nap till 11:00p.m., rush to get ready for midnight Mass, then go to midnight mass, return home, watch the last 30 or so minutes of the Pope’s Midnight Mass pre-recorded in Rome, and then finally head to bed.

It was somewhere around age 10 when watching the Pope was paired with drinking a large, cold glass of Egg Nog. The creamy, thickness of this seasonal drink made me feel like I was drinking liquid bubble gum. (To this day, I have not been able to describe the sensations experienced when drinking Egg Nog any more clearly then as “liquid bubble gum,” yet I feel it is an inadequate description.)

This little personal tradition, which may be my first, went on for 10 years. Then, the Egg Nog became harder and harder to digest.

This difficulty settled into a pattern of another ten years where I longed for the one flavor which had become inseparable in my mind and heart from Christmas. But tasting a small sip would confirm the need for me to avoid it.

Then at 30 years old, I told my story to my school secretary at the time. Mary, an energetic mom of 4, knew a hundred million things about cooking. And while I also knew an equal number of things, she knew one that I did not.

On the last day of school before the long Holiday break, I entered my office to find a bundt cake and a Christmas card. I opened the card, read the seasonal well wishes from Mary and unfolded a piece of paper she had inserted into the card. I opened it and there in dark, black ink was a recipe called: Egg Nog Cake.

I dug into the cake. I ate a second piece. I lifted it to my nose and inhaled the amazing flavor I longed for for a decade. I looked up and Mary stood in the doorway. Her arms crossed, wearing a big smile, and she simply said, “You’re crazy but I am glad to see you like it. Merry Christmas.”

Each Christmastime, I make the following recipe:

Egg Nog Cake

Ingredients:
l package of yellow cake mix
l cup egg nog
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
l/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Frosting:
l (8 ounce) package softened cream cheese
2 cups icing or powdered sugar
l-l/2 teaspoon egg nog
yellow food coloring

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Hand beat with a balloon whisk for at least one minute or more if lumps remain visible.

3. Pour into a well greased and floured bundt cake pan. Bake 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.

4. Cool 10 minutes, then invert on plate or cake stand. Cool completely, frost with icing or evenly shift with powdered sugar.

Tips and Hints:
A. Take your time when buttering the pan. Bundt pans have a hundred nooks and crannies and only patience will make sure they are all coated.

B. If a recipe calls for you to butter and sugar the bundt pan, then ignore that direction. In my experience, unless you have a perfectly new pan, you are inviting the cake to stick. Always thoroughly butter and flour bundt pans.

C. Use a thermometer to make sure the oven is at the right temperature, and place the bundt pan on a cookie sheet. Its uneven bottom increases the likelihood the cake will fall if you drag it across an oven rack.

A Midwestern Thanksgiving (Pics)

2006-08-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

November 2005 cover of LaBrea Living Magazine.

Table decorated with a Midwestern Thanksgiving for the Nov. 2005 issue of LaBrea Living.

Pumpkin Pie from the Midwestern Thanksgiving feature in the November 2005 issue of LaBrea Living magazine. Held by my friend Rosanne Irizarry, photo by Rick Eisenlord, cream piping by Dave Teuschler, crust and filling by me.

A Midwestern Thanksgiving (Recipes)

2006-08-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

A Midwestern Thanksgiving

When La Brea Living Editor Rick Eisenlord asked me to make entire Thanksgiving feast based on our common Midwestern upbringing, I leaped at the chance. Thanksgiving is, was and will forever be my favorite holiday.

I started to ruminate over the aromas, the platters of food, the warm espirit de corps of family on the one fight-free feast of the year.

Then, Rick and I spoke about what "traditional, Midwestern" Thanksgiving tables bore. His Michigan roots and my Upper Mississippi River Valley roots seemed to share few common elements: A roast turkey, a cranberry dish, mashed potatoes, stuffing or dressing, and pumpkin pie.

Sides -- now that was a different story. There were dishes that had wild rice, sweet potatoes, corn seven ways and corn bread, green bean casseroles, green beans almandine, and green beans with bacon. There cheese breads from Wisconsin, prairie rolls from the Dakotas, and diner rolls of every variety from any and every mega-mart.

Perhaps our grandparents shared a complete meal, but our childhoods were clearly divergent. Did food television, which was first widely broadcast in the time of our childhood, influence changes in tradition? Did the increasingly mobile nature of American work and families result in some sort of cross-regional, cross-cultural pollination? Had there simply never been a singular, traditional Midwestern Thanksgiving table? Or did individuals seek out changes to tradition to align the food served with their own tastes.

This is how I figure the Southern classic whipped sweet potatoes with a pecan and marshmallow topping made it into my family's turkey day tradition. Or how cherry pie -- a major Michigan crop -- was not part of Rick's family feast.

When preparing for this article, my mom reminded me that we always had some sort of Jell-O-eee thing each Thanksgiving. I think the evolution went something like: strawberry Jell-O with fruit cocktail then a pistachio pudding-Dream Whip-pecan-apple salad; followed by Jell-O free of all fruit but in carefully prepared layers of varying color and flavor. As I was writing the previous sentence I regrettably remembered there was also at some point an orange-flavored Jell-O with suspended shredded carrots. Yes, you read that correctly. And yes, I should be seeing a culinary therapist weekly in an effort to recover from the trauma.

Below are good Midwestern-style recipes for the core of my favorite holiday of the year: Roast Turkey, Cranberry-Orange Relish, Mashed Potatoes, Giblet Gravy, Mom's Dressing, and Pumpkin Pie.

You will not see a recipe for Minnesota Wild Rice, or Iowa Corn Bread, or Cheese Bread from Wisconsin. Undoubtedly, there are dozens of traditional Midwestern Thanksgivings, but here we emphasize the commonalities that bind us to family and re-awaken comforting memories on a day when many of us in Los Angeles long to be home.

Roast Turkey

Ingredients
1 Un-stuffed turkey (16-18 lbs.)
8 Oz Melted butter
2 T Finely chopped fresh sage
1 T Finely chopped fresh thyme
2 T Maple syrup or honey

Procedure
1. Defrost the turkey safely. Remove the neck from the cavity and the package of giblets. Rinse the turkey inside and out. Pat thoroughly dry with a paper towels.

2. Discard the liver (it makes things taste bitter) but reserve the neck, heart and gizzard for gravy-making as detailed below.

3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the un-stuffed turkey on a roasting rack or on top of crumpled rows of aluminum foil or coarsely chopped celery, carrots and onions.

4. Melt one stick of butter on very low heat. Chop the thyme and sage very finely and warm it in the butter. Add the honey to incorporate. Baste the turkey thoroughly before placing in the oven. Baste every 20 minutes for the first hour. Then turn the heat down to 275.

5. Cover the breast portion with a triangular aluminum shaped protector. Roasting this un-stuffed bird that started at room temperature should take 4 hours. But use temperature as the final determiner of doneness. An instant read thermometer should register at 160 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh meat in order for the turkey to be truly done.

Hints and Tips
A. Brining poultry, roasts and even seafood is becoming more and more commonplace. Soaking the turkey for 12-24 hours in a heavily salted and evenly flavored liquid allows the turkeyÂs proteins to relax and take in more liquid. This results in a moister and more flavor-filled bird.

B. When roasting a large piece of meat, like a turkey, start the roasting after the meat has come to room temperature. This allows for even roasting and a shorter cooking time.

C. To encourage brown skin try any, some or all of the following: rinse and then dry the turkey because dry skin promotes browning; brush with a mixture of melted butter and honey (or brown sugar) before and during the roasting; brush with liquid smoke; roast at a high temperature to turn the skin brown, then reduce the heat and cover the breast with a triangular shaped piece of heavy aluminum foil.

Cranberry-Orange Relish

Ingredients
2 bags of fresh cranberries, cleaned and picked over (12 oz. each)
2 1\2 c sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 cup water
1\2 t ground allspice
1\2 t ground ginger
1\2 t ground cloves
1 large orange, zested
2 small cans of mandarin oranges, thoroughly drained and broken into pieces
2 packets of clear gelatin
1 cup toasted walnuts, whole and in pieces

Procedure
1. Toast the walnuts on a nonstick baking sheet until golden brown and fragrant.

2. Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water, allspice, cloves and ginger in a medium-sized, non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the cranberries begin to pop and the mixture thickens slightly.

3. Remove from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Use a stick blender to combine about two thirds of the berries, leaving some whole and some pieces.

4. Then stir in orange pieces, orange zest, gelatin and chopped walnuts.

5. Cover and refrigerate. This dish can be made up to three days ahead of time. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Hints and Tips
A. If you do not want your cranberry sauce to solidify into a jelled consistency, then simply omit the gelatin. It will remain much more sauce-like.

B. Leave the walnuts in large pieces. If your guests do not like nuts, then they are much easier to remove.

C. Using a flavored gelatin will further soften the tartness of the cranberries. But then again, tartness paired with the round, savory flavors of the roast turkey is a natural match.

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
8 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 2\3 c Milk or sour cream, heated
8 T Unsalted or sweet butter
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Chopped fresh parsley or sweet paprika for garnish

Procedure
1. Peel and quarter lengthwise all the potatoes. Be sure to remove any dark spots and any deep eyes. Please in a large soup or stock pot with cold water.

2. Once all the potatoes are peeled, change out the water, please on a burner set to high. After 10-15 minutes when the water has warmed, then add salt so it dissolves upon hitting the water. (This will prevent scarring of your stainless steel.)

3. Boil the potatoes. Test for doneness by using a table knife. If you can insert the knife into the potatoes and remove it with little, then the potatoes are done.

4. Strain the potatoes and set them back on the stove in the same pot. Meanwhile heat the milk and 6 tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pan.

5. Using a hand masher begin to push down on the potatoes. Remember to mash from side-to-side as well as up-and-down. Once most or all of the potatoes have been smashed, pour half of the mil and butter mixture into the potatoes. Fold to incorporate. Add more liquid as needed until potatoes are mashed to desired consistency. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

6. Garnish with chopped parsley or sweet paprika and two set two tablespoons of butter atop the bowl of mashed potatoes.

Hints and Tips
A. I like a few lumps in my mashed tater to remind me they are homemade. But using a potato ricer eliminates all lumps. If using a ricer, then fold in the wet ingredients gently. Do not mix them in.

B. Do not use a handheld or standing mixer to whip the potatoes. You are just inviting the starched to become gluey. Gluey is not now nor will it ever been good for potatoes.

C. Use Yukon or some other golden potato variety. They're the best par none.

Giblet Gravy

Ingredients for Turkey Giblet Stock
4 C chopped onions
3 C chopped carrots
1 C chopped celery
1 T chopped fresh marjoram
1 t dried thyme
2 bay leaves (Turkish), broken into thirds
2 bunches fresh parsley, stems only
8 C canned low-sodium chicken broth
3 C filtered water or white or port drinking wine
Vegetable oil for browning
Reserved neck, gizzard and heart from turkey or chicken backs

Ingredients for Giblet Gravy
6 T Unsalted butter
2 T Olive oil
10 Shallots, finely minced
1 T Poultry seasoning
1 T Fresh thyme leaves
1 T Dried thyme leaves
1\2 t Ground ginger
8-10 C Stock yielded from the above, defatted
Liquid from inside the roasted turkey's cavity and pan drippings
1\3 C Flour or 1\4 C arrowroot or cornstarch

Procedure
1. To make the stock for the gravy, heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Pat dry the neck, heart and gizzard. Chop them each into several pieces and then add to the pan. Brown, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Do not cover -- this will steam the meat parts instead of brown them.

2. Add onions, carrots, celery, marjoram, thyme, and bay leaf. Tie the parsley stems together and add to the pot. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender Â about sauteinutes. Uncover and sautÃ© until vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes.

3. Add broth and water or wine; bring to simmer. Partially cover pan; simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Never boil! Boiling makes stock taste bitter. Bitter is bad.

4. Strain mixture into a heat resistant bowl, pressing on solids with back of spoon.

5. Reserve the liquid for the gravy. If placed in a refrigerator overnight, the stock's fat will congeal in a layer on the top and it can be skimmed off before being used to make the gravy.

6. To make the gravy, melt 2 tablespoons of both olive oil and unsalted butter on medium in a heavy bottomed stock pot. Add the ten shallots to the food processor fitted with a steel blade. Mince very finely and add to the hot butter and oil. Sweat until the shallots caramelize to a medium brown.

7. Remove the shallots to a bowl, then add and melt the 6 remaining tablespoons of unsalted butter on medium heat. Once the bubbling of the butter subsides, whisk in a half cup of flour or a quarter cup of arrowroot or cornstarch. (Dissolve both of these in water first.) Continue to stir the flour and fat mixture cooking it to a medium brown color.

8. Slowly whisk in the stock until all of it has been added to the pot. Next, whisk in all the seasonings and then taste for salt. Adjust salt and pepper to desired levels. Gravy will thicken when the gravy mixture reaches a full boil.

9. Re-incorporate the shallots. Check seasonings a final time. Pour into gravy boats.

Hints and Tips
A. Whatever color the roux is when stock is added will determine the color the gravy will end up being. Be patient. Let heat slowly works its magic.

B. This gravy can be made in the roasting pan to take advantage of the pan drippings or the pan drippings can be incorporated into the gravy pot.

C. Leave the ginger and flour out of this recipe and thicken the gravy with 30 gingersnap cookies ground into a fine powder in a food processor.

D. To reduce the carb level, leave out the flour and thicken the gravy with ground almonds or almond flour.

E. Marjoram is one those herbs that help the house smell like Thanksgiving, but when using it in this gravy recipe, do not use ground marjoram which will turn your gravy olive, drab green. Use chopped fresh or whole leaf dried.

Mom's Dressing with Sausage, Apples & Raisins

Ingredients
2 T Butter
2 T Olive oil
2 C Yellow onions, diced to a medium chop
2 C Celery ribs, ends trimmed and cut to a medium chop
2 Apples, peeled, deseeded and cubed to a medium size
2\3 C Raisins
1 t Fennel seed
4 T Poultry Seasoning
1\2 C Chopped fresh parsley
1\2 C Chopped fresh sage
1 Package of 5 or 6 mild Italian sausages
1 (one-pound) package of prepared stuffing mix, like Cubbison's
8 C Chicken broth (low sodium)
3 Eggs, lightly beaten
Additional filtered water (see below)
Kosher salt and black pepper, roughly ground, to taste

Procedure
1. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the Italian sausage after it is removed from its casings. Break it into bit size pieces using the back of a wooden spoon. Drain the excess oil and then place the sausage into a very large bowl.

2. Heat oil over moderate heat in the same pan. Add half the onions, apples, celery seed aSauteelery, and fennel seed. Saute until tender and add to the sausage.

3. Deglaze the pan with wine, cook down 2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Stir in the cream, check seasoning. Pour into the large bowl.

4. sautedd the other half of the sauted items to the large bowl. Sprinkle in orange zest and the parsley and sage.

5. Add the stuffing croutons and low-sodium chick stock. Mix with your hands until softened and incorporated. Lightly beat the eggs and add to the stuffing mixture.

6. For a more loose or moist stuffing, simply add water until it is the texture anticipated. (My mom likes stuffing that is as wet as stew and I like stuffing that can be sliced.)

7. Place the stuffing in a large casserole dish. As it cooks it will expand and as it cools it will shrink. Make sure it has room to expand. The stuffing is fully cooked when it reached at least 140 degrees for at least 10 minutes. This will guarantee the eggs are cooked.

Hints and Tips
A. Stuffing can be made a head and refrigerated until it is time to bake it off.

B. Be creative with your flavor agents -- pair things that you know you already like: dried fruit and cognac; oysters and cornbsaute; or sundried tomatoes and sauted, wild mushrooms.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients for 8-inch Pie
Crust:
1 1\4 C All-purpose flour
2 t Dark brown sugar
1\2 t Cinnamon
1\8 t Ground cloves
4 T Frozen butter, cut in pieces
4 T Butter-flavored Crisco shortening, frozen in pieces
1\2 Egg, lightly beaten
3 T Ice cold water
Tiny pinch of ground ginger
Pinch of kosher salt

Filling:
1 can Pumpkin (15-oz.)1 can Evaporated milk (12-oz.)
3\4 C Light brown sugar
2 Eggs, size large and beaten well
1 t Cinnamon
1\2 t Ground ginger
1\2 t Ground cloves
Healthy pinch of kosher salt

Procedure
Crust:
1. In a food processor with the steel blade, process the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt until combined. Add the frozen butter and process until it is the size of peas. Add the frozen shortening and pulse twice. In a measuring cup, combine half of the beaten egg and 3 tablespoons of the reserved water. Add egg mixture and process to the count of five. If the dough is pulling away from the sides of the processor bowl, then empty the dough onto the counter and incorporate all contents into a single mass. Do not overwork the dough. Let rest 2 hours. If the dough does not pull away from the bowl, add another tablespoon. Do not add more than 4 tablespoons in all.

2. In medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs then add the sugar, salt and spices, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Pour into 8-inch pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 and bake for an additional 45 minutes.

3. Begin checking for doneness after first 25 minutes of the 45 minute block of time. When about a four inch disk in the center of the pie can still jiggle, then turn the oven off, leave the door open for a minute or two, close the door and leave the pie sit in the oven for one hour.

Hints and Tips
A. Adding sugar to the pie crust encourages browning. If you fear the crust is getting too dark, then cover the edges with strips of aluminum foil.

B. Cooking on a lower-than-usual temperature helps prevent the pie from cracking. Cracks can be covered up my mounds of whipped, sweetened cream.

C. For a real Midwest flavor, use two teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice in place of the spices listed in the filling ingredients.

2 Soups: Butternut Squash & Cream of Mushroom

2006-08-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

(This article originally appeared in the October 2005 issue of LaBrea Living Magazine.)

by dale reinert, food editor

A Tale of Two Soups

I sat on the couch. I had been sitting on that couch for some ten years now. As it ages, it became a lot more worn and a lot less springy, the couch had been the place where my ideas of soups suitable for autumn sprang forth.

The hunter green couch offered itself every autumn for self-snuggling. In my Wisconsin memories, all autumn days seemed crisp and chilly. This was just the sort of weather that conjured up images of soup.

My best friend in those Wisconsin days was Anne. Her husband Tom was convinced that soup in all its forms was the only food group Â remember that was back in the days when schools taught food groups instead of the often maligned food pyramid.

I remembered that Tom had once said that he would walk a hundred miles in a blizzard for a good soup. I wanted two autumns and no winters. I wanted to lay in that crumpled, rumpled couch for months.

So, there I lay sunken deep into the slim cushions and all curled up in the afghan mom had crocheted. With my nose tingling from the crisp autumn air breezing through the window, an idea grew.

Tom was right. Soup was the perfect autumn meal. Here are two of my favorite autumnal soups. Serve with crusty bread and room temperature, unsalted butter.

Butternut Squash Soup
This is a simple recipe that calls for one of each of the ingredients.

Ingredients
1 large, heavy-for-its-size butternut squash, peeled, cored and chunked
1 very large brown or yellow onion, sliced very thinly
1 clove garlic, minced
1 32 oz. container of vegetarian vegetable stock
1 big pinch of cayenne pepper
Olive oil to coat the bottom of a heavy soup pot
Salt and white pepper to taste

Procedure
1. Heat a heavy bottom soup pot on medium. Once hot, coat the bottom with olive oil. Peel and then very thinly slice the largest brown or yellow onion you can find. Slice it paper thin, so as it is sauteed it will melt away. After 10 minutes add the minced garlic clove, salt and white pepper, then saute for an additional 10 minutes. Cooking on medium heat allows the onion to caramelize and, therefore, become sweet.

2. Peel, de-seed and cut in 2-inch chunks a large butternut squash that is heavy for its size. The heaviness is one sign of freshness.

3. Place the squash, stock and a healthy pinch of cayenne pepper in pot. Stir with a wooden spoon, scrapping the bottom of the pot to release the delicious food bits that have become stuck there.

4. Simmer until the squash is tender about 20-30 minutes. Then, using a stick blender, puree the soup into a smooth and thick mixture. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.

5. For a smoother texture and a less intense squash flavor, add heavy cream or a dollop of sour cream spiced with cumin.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Ingredients
1 very large brown or yellow onion, cut into a small dice
36 ounces of fresh mushrooms (crimi, shiitake and\or white buttons in any combination you prefer)
1\2 ounce dried morel mushrooms reconstituted in heated chicken stock
1 cup pearled barley, picked over and rinsed
1 48 oz. can of chicken stock
1 beef bullion cube
1 pint heavy cream
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Procedure
1. Heat 2 cups of the chicken stock. When hot, submerge the dried morels for about 20 minutes. Reserve the fortified liquid.

2. Take a very large onion and dice it into small pieces. In a medium hot, heavy bottomed soup pot that has been coated with olive oil, gently saute the onion until browned and caramelized. Place in a bowl.

3. In batches about the size of a handful or two saute the mushrooms. Adding salt at this point will encourage the mushrooms to release their moisture. Saute until most of the moisture has evaporated, then push them to the sides and add another handful or two. Repeat until all the mushrooms have been sauted.

4. Pick over the barley to make sure there are no broken grains or stones. Rinse the barley to wash away the excess starch.

5. Add the onions, barley, reconstituted morels, reserved and remaining stock, the cube of beef bullion and simmer for 30 minutes or until the barley has doubled in size.

6. If the barley has not released enough starch to naturally thicken the soup, then add the heavy cream and continue to simmer until thickened.

7. Before serving, adjust the seasoning. The stock and bullion cube may have added enough salt.

Brownies 01

2006-08-04T05:23:00.000-07:00

(This article orignally appeared in the September 2005 issue of LaBrea Living Magazine.)

The Brownies that Ina Inspired and I Imagined
by dale reinert, food editor

There are certain TV chefs that I watch religiously. After all, as a self-proclaimed foodie, I would need to be a follower of selected perspectives on food and cooking: the do’s and the don’ts, the rights and the wrongs. My favorites include Alton Brown and Ina Garten, though there are many others that I admire.

Brownies as a food is something that I have always thought I should like and know about and be able make at the drop of a hat. Yet, as a child or an even as an adult, I avoided eating brownies because they just weren’t good.

Brownies seem like a quintessential American food. In fact, there is some animated discussion among foodies as to the origin of the brownie. Is it descended from scones, hard candies, or cake?

So, one early Saturday morning I found myself sitting in the recliner and trying to wake up to the Food Network (www.foodtv.com). Watching one show after another, I passively took in info, techniques and recipes ideas. Then, on the screen, for the first time in my life, was a brownie recipe that spoke to me.

Without a thought, immediately after the show, I jumped up and bought the finest of ingredients and set to baking.

I made Garten’s “Outrageous Brownies” and they look nothing like what mesmerized me that morning. Re-reading the recipe revealed that I had not followed her recipe. (The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten is available in most bookstores.)

So I tried again. Still not right. So, again and again I baked. Still they were not what I had hoped for. And, by the way, I had lost the image and idea of those amazingly looking and sounding brownies Ina had made those many Saturday mornings ago on TV.

Now, I was engaged in a journey trying to figure out what the brownie was to me and to my imagination. I was wrestling with cocoa powder versus melted chocolate; chips versus chopped one ounce chunks; and nuts or no nuts. I even experimented with leavening agents.

My coworkers smiled and gladly gobbled up all my attempts. Rave reviews poured in each time, but I was not satisfied.

After 36 pans of brownies, I had struck on what I had imagined. Brownies with a deep, dark chocolate flavor whose shiny crust gives way to a dense and nearly-gooey cake. These were the brownies that allowed my teeth to sink in and my mouth to water. So, here’s my version of “Outrageous Brownies.”

My Brownies as Imagined

Ingredients
1 pound unsalted butter
28 ounces semisweet chocolate chips plus 6 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
4 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1\4 cups sugar
1 1\4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the corners of a half sheet pan, and then place parchment paper so the bottom and sides are completely covered.

2. Melt together in a double boiler the butter, 16 ounces of the chocolate chips, and all the bitter chocolate. The water should never go above a decent simmer. Whisk together to incorporate. Then allow the chocolate mixture to cool for at least 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl large enough to hold both the following mixture and the chocolate mixture, stir together with a wooden spoon the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla, and sugar. Now incorporate the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Let this combine batter cool to room temperature – about another 40minutes.

4. In a second medium bowl, sift together the 1 ¼ cup flour and the baking powder, and then stir in the kosher salt. Add the dry ingredients to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the remaining chocolate chips with a ¼ cup of flour, and then fold them to the chocolate batter. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet.

5. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn the oven off and let sit in the oven for another 20 minutes.

6. After cooled to room temperature, slide the brownies out of the pan by loosening the corners and then tilting the pan. The parchment allows everything to slide out easily. Using a serrated bread knife, cut into 24 pieces (6 columns by 4 rows) and stack on your favorite plate.

Notes:
A. By tossing the chocolate chips in flour, you will create a starch coating that allows the chips to “float” within the batter without sinking to the bottom and forming a layer of melted chips and it enables the chips to keep their shapes within the batter.

B. I have used nuts both mixed into the batter as well as being pressed into the top of the batter just before baking. After all my trials and errors, I think nut-free brownies are better. But you should take this recipe and make it your own.

Quinoa Tabouleh (pic)

2006-08-03T22:56:00.000-07:00

Quinoa Seeds. Always thoroughly rinse seeds prior to cooking.

Quinoa Tabouleh Salad.

Quinoa Tabouleh

2006-08-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

(This article originally appeared in the August 2005 issue of LaBrea Living Magazine.)

Quinoa: A stressful date leads to a super seed discovery

by dale reinert, food editor

I was on a date and I wanted to impress. Leading a busy professional life and maintaining friendship and family connections easily leaves little time for romance – at least for me.

My date was pretty intent on spending time with me. Even grocery shopping sounded great! But in the midst of picking my staples off the shelves, it dawned on me what grocery shopping with a date likely meant. Sweat rolled past my receding hairline, down my very tall forehead, and bubbled together on my brow.

I started to grab stuff off the shelves no longer in an effort to impress but out of feeling the walls closed in around me. I was breathing heavily. I was panting in anxious desperation for clarity and distance.

In theory, I wasn’t opposed to a serious relationship, I just hadn’t thought beyond anything other than dating. I needed to get out of that store and end that date. I needed to think.

As I unpacked the groceries, thinking about how I could have been unaware that my date was so into me, while I was just thinking that our times together had been friendly and casual. I put away the tomato paste, the pastas, the meats, fruits and green vegetables. I reached into the bottom of the last bag and pulled out a box. A box which did not seem familiar. The box was labeled “Quinoa.” I pondered how to best pronounce it. Kee-no-ah, keen-no-ah, quin-oh-ah, quin-o-aye?

Some week later, after having moved the box around my cupboard several dozens time – it always seemed to be in my way – I decided to figure out what it was and how I could use it.
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a miracle grain that has sustained the indigenous people of the Andes Mountains for the last 6,000 years at least. They use it as a breakfast cereal, like we might use oatmeal, but they also use it for a wide variety of other dishes. Because it can grow in high elevations (up to 12,000 feet above sea level) and under arid climate conditions, Quinoa is a dietary staple of the Andean peoples.

I have used it in recipes to replace buckwheat, rice, orzo pasta, and barley. Typically, only the white variety is available in the U.S., but there are also red, orange/yellow, and black.
Quinoa is a seed from a broad-leafed, annual herb. It is high in protein, calcium, fiber, Vitamins A, B and E, and rich with Iysine, an amino acid. I prefer it much of the time to grains and pastas because it is unusual to the American eye, has the chewy pop of barley, and mimics the nuttiness of well-prepared rice.

Quinoa Tabouleh

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked, prepared Quinoa
2 cups liquid (see Tips below)
3 large Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 large English (seedless) or American cucumber (peeled and de-seeded), diced
1 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
1\2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and half the green parts
1\3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about one large lemon)
1\2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher or Sea Salt

Procedure
1. Measure one cup of Quinoa and pour into a fine mesh colander. Submerge into a bowl of water. Thoroughly rub between your hands to rinse of the bitterness. Rinse again under running water and then drain.

2. While the Quinoa is draining, dice the tomatoes and cucumber into similar sizes. Remember to remove the “jelly” and seeds of the tomato. Place in a large bowl.

3. Slice the scallions and place in the bowl of cucumbers and tomatoes.

4. Bring 2 cups of liquid to a gentle boil. Add the washed and drained Quinoa. Stir, reduce the heat to a low flame, and place a lid on top. Cook for about 15 minutes. Once all the liquid is absorbed, fluff with a fork.

5. While the Quinoa is cooking, mix the dressing. Slowly whisk the olive oil into a medium-sized bowl containing the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Chop the parsley and mint. Place in the bowl of cucumbers, tomatoes and scallions.

7. Once the Quinoa is done and grains separated by fluffing with a fork, combine with the vegetables and chopped herbs. Then toss with the dressing. Again, adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Tips
A. Liquid: You can use water, but why not take the opportunity to add flavor? Try chicken stock or clear vegetable stock.

B. Cucumbers: The difference between an English cucumber (sold in shrink-wrapped plastic) and the typical American cucumber (sold with a light but shiny wax coating) is the thickness of the skin and the size of the seeds. If you use an American cucumber, cut 1\2 an inch of the ends, slice it lengthwise and use a teaspoon to remove all the seeds. Then peel it before dicing. English cucumbers need to have only a 1\2 inch removed from each before proceding with dicing.

Pasta Salad with Italian Flavors

2006-08-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

(This article originally appeared in the July 2005 issue of LaBrea Living Magazine.)

A summer pasta salad with a simple and easy secret (Original Title)
by dale reinert, food editor

My recipes within La Brea Living Magazine thus far have been based on nostalgic recollections and local discoveries. But my "Pasta Salad with Italian Flavors," served at summer cookouts and family barbecues, is a recipe born from a mix of nervousness and self-awareness.

My closest friends -- 4 couples self-termed, The Usual Eight-- are all good cooks. Each couple excels at hosting gorgeous parties with generous meals. Potlucks are feasts for both the eyes and taste buds. Birthdays are almost always made special by tasty restaurant fare and homemade befores and afters.

One such summer celebration some six years ago saw me having the task of bringing some kind of salad, but not greens, since greens had already been assigned. So, I pondered. I thumbed through the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library. Nothing grabbed me. I glanced through Vegetables by Peterson and How to Cook Everything by Bittman. Nada. Zip. No triggers had been tripped. No socks were rolling up and down.

Perplexed, paralyzed, even afraid to make an appearance, I prepared to feign illness. Back then, my best recipes lay in meats, entrees, a handful of desserts, and maybe a few vegetable dishes, especially autumn and winter side dishes. But summer salads, without greens, were beyond alien to me.

The lure of three or four hours of laughing and visiting with the Usual Eight was too tempting and too enjoyable an event to be missed. I needed to go, to laugh, to overcome my inexperience with salads. I had learned that whenever I am fearful of something, the very fear is the reason to push forward, gain the experience and knowledge, and conquer the fear. With every fear conquered, the soul is strengthened.

So, off I went to the grocery seeking inspiration. Though, in my back pocket, I carried the option of copping out and buying something pre-made.

Wandering the aisles, something popped into my head. A pasta salad. A flavorful mix of crunchy, cool vegetables, soft and mild-mannered cheeses, and round, full-flavored meats all bound together by a light and zesty dressing with an al dente pasta.

Suddenly images buzzed past my mind's eye: black olives, sun dried tomatoes, salami, bell peppers. Yes, I would make a pasta salad!

The cart began to fill with all the ingredients: Chucks of meat from the deli counter; fresh and eye-appealing red, green and yellow green peppers; crisp scallions and a red onion that washumungoushumungous. Now all I needed was to make a garlicky, zesty dressing.

Wait! A dressing! I did not know how to make a dressing. But just has panic descended on me, I remembered a food secret that Mary, a school secretary from my Midwestern days, had whispered ever so secretly at her daughter's graduation party. The best dressing for Italian Pasta Salad is a bottle of your favorite Wishbone Italian Dressing.

My mother uses the fat free variety. My sister insists on the low carb flavor. I use the original. Read the label and pick the one best suited for you. Here's the recipe. Oh, and by the way, the Usual Eight loved it.

Pasta Salad with Italian Flavors

Ingredients
1 pound dry multicolor, corkscrew pasta
1 pound of Roma tomatoes, deseeded and cubed
1 can white cannelloni or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly

1 pound chunk of each of the following (cut into a bite-sized cubes):
Genoa-style Salami
Sopprasetta-style Salami
Mozzarella Cheese
Provolone Cheese

Dice each of the following into 1\4 inch pieces:
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red onion

1 bottle Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing
Freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste

Procedure
1. This recipe requires strict adherence to mis en place prepare all ingredients before cooking the pasta. Cut the cheeses and salamis into bite-sized pieces and place in bowl.

2. Bring a large stock pot to a rolling boil. Season the water with kosher salt. Add the pasta and stir frequently. After five minutes, taste a piece to check for doneness. It is of critical importance that the pasta be slightly under cooked, so it retains is shape under the weight of heavier ingredients, like meat and cheese, and so it absorbs the flavors in the dressing.

3. Dice to a 1/4 or 1/3 inch size the green, red, and yellow peppers and the red onion. Slice the scallions and Italian flat leaf parsley. Place all these items in the bowl of cheeses and meats.

4. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise. Squeeze the jelly and seeds out and then quarter or cube each half. Place in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

5. Open the can of beans. Pour into a fine mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly under cold, running water.

6. Drain the pasta. Do not rinse off the excess starch. The following steps are crucial:

a. Pour the pasta into a container or bowl that can hold all the pasta salad ingredients.

b. While the pasta is still steaming, pour one cup of the Italian salad dressing over the pasta and stir to coat. Season liberally with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

c. Next gently stir in the vegetables.

d. Now incorporate the drained and rinsed beans.

e. Finally, after the mixture cools to room temperature, then add the meats and cheeses and stir until well distributed.

7. Use more of the dressing to adjust the moistness to your liking. Add more the day after to re-awaken the flavors in the salad. I typically use one entire bottle in the course of the lifespan of the salad.

Pasta Salad with Italian Flavors (Pic)

2006-08-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

Carrot Cake Pic

2006-08-01T23:38:00.000-07:00

Cake is a walk, easy as pie

2006-08-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

(This article originally appeared in the June 2005 issue of LaBrea Living Magazine.)

by dale reinert, food editor

At Thanksgiving, whether here in sunny SoCal or in the pre-snowy Midwest, pie rules. There is pumpkin, pecan, apple and a berry of some sort.

The crusts are made in a bowl, rolled, gently lifted into tins and crimped with the top crust pierced to release steam. I love pie. My parents still argue about mother’s margarine-based, “no fail” crust and my father’s ice water and Crisco “flaky” crust.

But at some point, I realized my family served Thanksgiving desserts at every holiday. And I was bored. Somehow homemade pies are less special simply because they were over made and over consumed.

The solution I proposed to my friends and relatives? Cakes. The winter holidays wedged between Thanksgiving and the beginning of the year is ideal not for pies that hold an autumn’s harvest but for a cakes.

But (back then) what did I know of cakes – I was born and raised on the American pie. So, I went to tinkering with ideas. I read 40 or 50 or 60 cake recipes online and in books. Some got me excited and some I simply could not identify with.

Then, I started baking. First I made bundts – the signature of my godmother, then different size sheet creations, and, finally, layer cakes. I pondered what flavors would be best for the holiday time and I selected vanilla, almond, chocolate and cherry. I started experimenting and after just 3 attempts, I hit on the right blend of flavored and textures: vanilla bean, dried and cherry extract, almonds and almond extract. And for the frosting, I embraced ganache.
But since we are in June, I thought I would detail the cake recipe for which I receive hugs and kisses from my sister-in-law and nieces whenever I whip it up.

I love my Carrot Cake because of what it is and what it is not. It is flavorful, light, decently healthy and emotionally comforting. I like Midwestern ingredients finding their way into my California pallet. It is not heavy and absent of carrot shreds and flavor. The frosting is creamy and rich without being granular like many diner and restaurant versions found throughout the Southland.

So, here’s my Carrot Cake. Yes, it is light – I promise. Yes, the ginger, carrots and cinnamon plant my soul’s feet squarely at my mother’s side, spatula in-hand. But it is not the cake my mother concocted. She now makes my version. Think of it as enlightened by both this location and by the age in which we live.

Tips for cake walking
Use cake collars to keep your cake level. Since cakes cook from the outside in, it only makes sense that the uncooked batters gets pushed to the center, creating the dome. However, if you keep the outside edges more humid than the center, then the cake will rise equally, dome-less. Collars can be store bought or homemade. Make sure they are soaked with water and tightly secured around the cake pan. This frees you from having to cut the dome off the cake to make the cake level which invariably makes for a lopsided cake.

When buttering and flouring the cake pans, use solid butter. Sprays, liquid fats or melted fats bubble on the pan and parchment paper surfaces make the flour coverage highly imperfect resulting in a cake that sticks. Using your hands is definitely the best way to make sure that ever nook and cranny are buttered.

Use precut parchment rounds or home-cut parchment paper. It is easily worth the investment.
If you choose to layer your cakes, then insert one large bamboo skewer in the very center of the two layers. This is strong enough to hold the cake together for transport and forgiving enough to nudge the cake in place a bit before frosting it. The skewer is also large enough to never be consumed by your hungry hordes of family and friends.

Carrot Cake with Maple Syrup Flavored Cream Cheese Frosting

Dry Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

“Wet” Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 1\4 cups canola oil
4 eggs (large, brown, and organic please)

To finish the batter
3 cups carrots, grated and peeled
1 1\4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
2 Tbls ginger root, finely minced and peeled

Icing
1 1\2 packages of cream cheese, room temperature
5 Tbls sweet butter also at room temperature
2 1\2 cups powdered sugar
1\4 cup pure maple syrup

Garnish
2 cups toasted walnut pieces to garnish the sides or top of the cake

Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-in. cake pans. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper cut into 9-in. rounds. Butter the parchment round as well and then flour the prepared pan. Turn the pan upside down to tap out the extra flour.

2. Shift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl; whisk to blend.

3. Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer beat together the sugar and oil until well blended. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Be patient. The air you incorporate here will make for an overall lighter cake.

4. Now add the flour mixture and beat on low until blended. Stir in the carrots, 1 ¼ cups of the walnut pieces and all the minced ginger. Divide batter equally between prepared pans.

5. Bake cakes until a butter knife comes out clean once inserted – about 45 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off waxed paper and cool cakes completely.

6. For the icing: Using electric mixer with whisk attachment beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. The yellow color of the butter will pale as air is incorporated into it. Using a piece of rolled parchment paper or a pliable plastic cutting sheet, add the powdered sugar and mix at low speed until well blended. No lumps! Then incorporate the real maple syrup.

7. I prefer to frost each layer separately and cut into 6 equal size wedges. The individual pieces end up offering a smaller, and, therefore, healthier portion. It also make storage easier individual container much easier.

Makes 12 servings as two single layer cakes.

In a Pickle, a Glorious Pickle

2006-07-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

(This article originally appeared in the April 2005 issue of LaBrea Living Magazine.)

In a sense, the pickle may be the most American of all foods. Amerigo Vespucci, for whom both North and South America are named, was a pickle merchant before he was a mapmaker.

Legend has it that Thomas Jefferson created the dill pickle recipe which, in all its handed-down variants, has become synonymous with American food. Such sliced pickles are front and center on Big Macs, Whoppers and nearly every other favorite American burger.

Pickling as a process was invented as a way of preserving food. Cucumbers lead the industry. The average American consumes nine pounds of pickled cucumbers every year. But, beets, asparagus, carrots, watermelon rind, onions, cauliflower, tomatillos and olives (to name a few) are also pickled.

I remember my mother’s kitchen table nearly collapsing under the weight of dozens and dozens of cucumbers. I remember the stoneware crocks filled with sliced and quartered pickles steeping in their own fermenting juices. Depending on the recipe, it was for 7 or 14 or even 21 days.
To finish the process, jars were sterilized, the lid bands wiped clean and the rubber cap inserts boiled, the pickles were rinsed and packed into the jars, and finally the fuming vinegar, salt, sugar and spice mixture was poured over the fermented pickles. Once sealed and wiped clean with a near-boiling dish towel, the jars were inverted. As the seals set, the family would play cards in the dining room.

Ping! Ping! Each jar would announce it had sealed properly. If it did not seal with a Ping!, then the jars were placed in the refrigerator for first consumption.

Last summer, my sister and brother’s families got together to pickle. My sister had too many cucumbers and my brother had a bountiful crop of dill, onions and red chiles.

A decade ago, when I moved here, making pickles was not something I had done since living at home and it was not something I thought I would start to do. But one night I was watching FoodTV and had some missing-the-Midwest feelings and decided, I needed to get some pickles. So, off I went to a local deli. The pickles were good, but not what I remembered. So, I scoured the shelves at my local grocery store. Yuck! They were too salty, too acidic, and contained no flavors that reminded me of home. So, I started to pickle my own cucumbers using a non-fermenting method.

Finding canning jars, lids and even the pre-mixed pickling spices has become very challenging in LA, so I have taken to making my own mix and that has turned out even better.

So, here are the pickles I still make in my apartment several times a year.

Spices
You can add nearly any spices when pickling. Consider any of the following: garlic, whole cloves, caraway seed, dill or dill seed, celery seed, black peppercorns, chiles or crushed red pepper flakes, bay leavesA, cardamom seed pods, allspice, tumeric or mace, cinnamon, mustard seed, coriander seed, and ginger.

Here are some generalities:

Dill pickles emphasis dill and mustard seeds
“Kosher” dills emphasis garlic, dill and mustard
Sweet flavors include allspice, cinnamon, whole cloves and ginger
Heat comes from red pepper flakes or whole chiles
Middle-of-the-road flavors are bay leaves, caraway, clove and ginger

Main Ingredients
4 lbs. Pickling cucumbers, not coated in wax
1/2 lb. White boiling onions
10 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole

Basic Pickling Blend
2 Tbls yellow mustard seeds
1 Tbls bay leaves1 torn to small pieces
1 Tbls black peppercorns
1 Tbls brown mustard seeds
1 Tbls coriander seeds
1 Tbls dill seed
2 tsp celery seed
1\2 tsp red pepper flakes
10 allspice berries
7 fancy green cardamom seed pods
1\4 inch piece cut from a cinnamon stick
1 Tbls finely minced ginger

Basic Brine
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
2 Tbls sugar
4 Tbls Kosher salt

Procedure
Thoroughly wash the cucumbers. Trim about ¼ in. from each end, stand it on one of the ends, and then slide a table knife through the vertical center. This will help in flavor absorption.
Peel the onions and garlic, removing all the skin but as little of the flesh as possible. Pack the cucumbers, onions and garlic in a large glass jar or wide-mouth jug. Make all three types of items can be viewed from the side.

Combine all the spices in a bowl. Grate the ginger and set it aside.

In a non-reactive pot bring to a boil the water, sugar and vinegar. Once the mixture is at a boil, add the salt.

Next, add the spice mixture to the boiling pot and immediately reduce the heat to medium. Then, add the ginger.

Reduce the heat to simmer letting flavors meld for 10 minutes.

Turn the burner off and let stand for 10 minutes.

Place a stainless steel, wide-mouth funnel over the opening f the jar. Anchor it with a stainless steel table knife.

Pour the spiced brine over the cucumbers, onions and garlic. Remove the funnel and table knife.
Wipe the jar and rim with a wet, hot cloth and place the lid on tightly. Invert the jar and let stand to cool to room temperature.

Once the pickles have cooled to room temp, refrigerate. Ready to eat in 4-7 days.

Notes:
Use Turkish bay leaves whenever possible. Their flavor is much better for cooking than the strong California bay leaves.

Make sure the salt you use does not contain iodine which clouds the brining liquid and may give the pickles a bitter aftertaste.

Using a table knife to secure the metal funnel also helps prevent the jar from cracking, which is a rare possibility when adding near boiling liquid to a cool, glass jar.

Poor Man's Paella

2006-07-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

(This article was originally published in the March 2005 issue of LaBrea Living Magazine.)

Worth the trip, La Espanola brings a singular focus to tradition & flavor

by dale reinert, food editor

I love the searching for flavorful, quality food nearly as much as tasting it. The restorative powers of a flavor-filled meal at home or away cannot be surpassed by any other treat Â at least for me.

But sometimes the journey to find flavor is a bit further than most Angelinos can bring themselves to venture. If our friends are not within a ten minute drive, then we pause to wonder if the journey could possibly be worth the effort.

As a Midwestern by birth, I can vouch that 60 miles each way to any destination is as close and accessible as the neighbor around the corner.

Years ago, I read somewhere about an Artisanal, Spanish-style chorizo maker. My first thought was a self-confession that I lacked all knowledge about things Spanish. Mexican sure, I know about that food. Even Peruvian is not virgin territory. But Spanish -- as in Spain -- I knew nothing. Then I noticed the California address at the bottom of the article. For me, nowhere in the Golden State is too far for flavor-filled foods that hold a restorative promise. But Dona Juana's was within an easy drive and, as I would later learn, definitely worth the field trip.
Dona Juana for decades has shared her passion for her homeland's cuisine with Southlanders. As a camera shy, passionate force behind the burgeoning La Espanola Meats, Dona Juana demands from herself, her family (all of whom work in the business), and her staff of more than 20 that care and attention be given to each and every product that bares her name.

Dona Juana's standards exceed those of the Food & Drug Administration. Instead of conducting random tests, as mandated by law, Dona Juana makes sure that each day's production is tested for both health standards and Artisanal quality as defined by Spanish consortiums.
Her commitment to authenticity can be seen in her insistence on transporting cheeses via air cargo to Los Angeles, instead of having it take the slow boat. This guarantees a stable temperature, critical for maintaining quality. They also test the quality of their ingredients before making their products. Then they test again after production. La Espanola even imports frozen bread dough from Spain and bakes it fresh daily. Dona Juana says it is the only way to get he bread just right. Of course, quality and authenticity comes at a premium, but the family holds costs down as best they can.

The recipe below is inspired by Dona Juana and her family. While not authentic to Spain, it is a one-pot, flavor-filled meal that comforts. I make it a couple of times each month and use either the garlicky Chorizo Riojano or their best-selling Bilbao Chorizo.

La Espanola Meats (www.donajuana.com), located at 25020 Doble Avenue in Harbor City, Calif., is the sole maker of an extensive line of Spanish-style chorizos within the United States. Producers of both semi-cured and dry cured meat products, La Espanola has an extensive selection of homemade and imported items in their retail space.

It's definitely worth the drive -- flavor makes it worth it.

Arroz con Chorizo Riojano

Ingredients
3 Tbls. olive oil
1 medium-sized yellow onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, turned into a paste
1 cup converted rice
1 package Chorizo Riojano
1 cup of your favorite chunky style salsa
1 cup plus 2 Tbls. chicken or vegetable stock
salt, kosher or sea
black pepper, freshly ground

Procedure
Prepare all ingredients before starting to cook. Slice the Chorizo Riojano into 1\4-inch disks. Chop the garlic and then use about a teaspoon of salt and the tip of a sturdy chef's knife to turn the chopped garlic into a paste. Pre-measure the rice, salsa, and stock.

Heat a 2-quart, stainless steel saucepan. When hot, add the oil and swirl to coat. The pan should be hot enough to make the oil easy to swirl but the oil should notsauteke. Add the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Then add thsauterlic and salt paste and saute for an additional two minutes.
Once the onions are translucent and the garlic very fragrant, add the rice, stir until coated with the oil and toasted to a light tan color. This takes about 3 minutes. Stir constantly but gently.
Next, add the sliced Chorizo Riojano and continue to saute while the chorizo begins to release some of its flavor. Once the oil and rice has turned a light orange color from the paprika in the chorizo, add the salsa and stock. Stir to combine.

When the liquid begins to slightly boil, turn the flame to simmer. Place a tight fitting lid on the pan and allow it to simmer undisturbed for 20-25 minutes. Then turn off the flame, remove the lid and let stand for an additional 10minutes uncovered. Serves 3-4 as a main dish. Total time: 40 minutes.

Dale of Dale's Food

2006-07-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

Turning Point?

2006-07-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

In Search of an Outlet

For the past 18 months, I have been writing a monthly food column for a friend who owns a freely-distributed, high impact, full-color magazine. The magazine has been around for a few years, but the food column was a new addition.

Originally, the column started out as a one-page, anything-I-want space. I had no experience with writing a food column, with crafting recipes for publication, with food styling for photography's sake, etc. so, I just jumped in. I picked a topic, told a story (to take up space) and that story led to a recipe, and the recipe was represented by a picture. I was so amateurish that the first article's photo was of the store where I bought the olive oil and not of the salad dressing recipe I made. LOL!!!

In time, the column grew to two full-pages featuring three recipes with a special food issues at Thanksgiving and in Summer. Of course, other issues arose, like there is only so much "work" you can do gratis for a friend.

I feel quite torn. I love writing about, cooking, and photographing food, but I also feel like doing all that work for one magazine is really a partnership. And partnerships go two ways. Since he and I are now at odds over what the real partnership should entail, I created this bloc today.

Hopefully, something terrific will happen from this opportunity.

Here is the first recipe from the first article I published in that freely-distributed magazine I wrote about above:

Balsamic Vinaigrette for Salad Greens

Ingredients
1 cup Nomads Olive Oil
1\2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 Tbs. Good quality Dijon style mustard
1 Tbs. Italian blend seasoning
2 cloves garlic
1 shallot
1 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. Kosher salt

Procedure
In a lidded, quart jar (I use an old pickle jar), pour the Nomads Olive Oil and balsamic vinegar. Finely mince the shallot and add to the jar. Next use the salt and the front tip of a large chef's knife to make a paste out of the garlic cloves. Add to the jar. Add the freshly ground black pepper, mustard and Italian seasonings. Tightly place lid on the jar and shake vigorously until well blended. Repeat as necessary during the first hour so the vinaigrette remains emulsified. Allow flavors to blend for at least one hour before using. Use within two weeks. Serves 5-8. Work Time: 15 minutes.