blue artichoke

Since returning from east TN, my fridge has been dripping water, then freezing. Today I finally asked my landlord about it and it's much worse than I thought. He's coming back to check it out more thoroughly, but thinks it might be time for a new fridge. He knows a guy with a fridge farm on the outskirts of town, so when the sheets of ice covering the sidewalks and driveways melt, he'll wheel in a new one. In the meantime, items stuffed in my freezer are thawing and refreezing, which is bad for the food and for the freezer. Luckily, it's freezing outside. I just emptied the freezer into two coolers that are now out on the front porch, collecting a dusting of snow. So, we've got to start chowing down on all the leftovers on the porch before they get snowed in.

Dinner tonight: whatever is in the purple and the clear square-blue topped container. In all the reshuffling of items in the freezer, then into the coolers, a lot of the labels came off of the containers. From here on out, it's Mystery Meals!

Getting to Know All About You: How many times do you go to a grocery store per week, on average? And do you shop all at one place, or visit several grocery stores? Based on what criteria?

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 02:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Okay, I'll admit it -- the above statement is simply not true. I'm not a genius. Yes, I can answer a lot of questions on Jeopardy, but I'm not in Mensa.

I was actually referring to my meal tonight. I had to write immediately after eating, before I even clean up, because it was that good. And I'm not a genius as it wasn't my idea. I got it out of a cookbook.

America Cooks Kosher is FULL of extremely appetizing fully Kosher meals. And this one, Cranberry Chicken, was DELICIOUS.

The only thing I would have liked was a chunkier (i.e. more cranberries) cranberry sauce. Mine was kind of thin on the berries.

Cranberry Chicken, from America Cooks Kosher

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Flour
Salt and Pepper (I omitted the salt -- I hardly ever add salt to anything)
1 egg, beaten
Olive oil
3 shallots, minced
1 (16 oz) can whole cranberry sauce
3 Tablespoons soy sauce (no need for salt now, eh?)
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 Tablespoons margarine

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pound chicken breasts until thin. Season flour with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in egg, then in seasoned flour. Shake off excess flour. Brown in olive oil, undercooking to allow for reheating. Set aside.

Brown shallots in a saucepan in olive oil until carmelized. Add cranberry sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, wine, and Worcestershire sauce over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Finish with margarine.

In large baking dish, combine chicken and wine sauce.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until hot.

Things I did:

- I probably browned my shallots too long.
- I made the sauce before cooking my chicken, and then just left it on low (with the margarine in it) until my chicken was done.
- I mashed my chicken into the flour before shaking the excess off.
- I cooked the full forty minutes, which seemed about perfect to me

I had this with a box of wild rice. I normally love wild rice, but it had too much salt for my tastes. Had it been less salty, it would have been just about perfect.

As it was, the chicken was absolutely amazing. I really, really liked it a lot and this recipe will be entering my regular rotation. I can't wait to share this one with my family when I'm home for the holidays in a few weeks.

Posted by Red Momo, aka the Kosher Gentile at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In Tennessee there is a town; in this town there is a house; in this house there is a room; in this room there is a box, and in this box is treasure. Every time I go to my mom's house I empty the box, and by my next visit the box is full again. I never know what will be in it. Often are some food items my mom has discovered (this time flavored and whole-wheat Panko breadcrumbs, some fancy basmati rice, a tin of guava paste and boxes of flavored dried pastas). In the past, the box has been full of drawings and art projects from my childhood, clothes I long-ago discarded but were once again fashionable and new short-cut cleaning products. This time, the box was full of cooking magazines and panties. I have no idea where the magazines came from, but they ranged in dates back about five years (Editor's Note: Whoops! Did I say five years? Try 12!). I have trouble keeping up with my current subscriptions, but I'm not about to let these go unread, so I toted them back home and put them in the "Magazines To Read" spot on the bookshelf. I had only two left unread from the last time my box was full of magazines (that time a year's worth of Southern Living). The panties were the freebies from the coupons available to those lucky enough to be on the Victoria's Secret mailing list. Now that I've unpacked and put away everything from the box, I can spend the rest of the week lounging in my panties and reading cooking magazines, marking pages with strands of lemon-pepper linguine.

Dinner tonight: Paula Deen's Cheeseburger Meatloaf; peas

Getting to Know All About You: How often do you eat out at a restaurant? For what meal (breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, dessert) do you eat out most often?

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 06:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Red Momo sent me this from McSweeney's, in response to our blog conversation about offensive foods. Nutmeg should be punched in the face.

Q: Cinnamon or nutmeg?

A: Cinnamon is a nice spice people are comfortable consuming throughout the year, sprinkled either on toast or in a delicious coffee beverage. Nutmeg is a nasty, gritty substance that wants nothing to do with us in the spring or summer but demands our favor come November, only to disappear to the back of the shelf for another year. Why do we continue to accommodate this so-called seasoning? Nutmeg is a stupid jerk.

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I eat out a lot in Boston. It's not that I don't want to cook, or that I like eating out (I do, but not all the time), but everyone keeps inviting me. Since I like spending time with these people, I go. It means I've only made a few dishes so far.

Chinese food is typically kosher -- did you know that? Sure, you have to make sure the meat isn't treyf (like pork), but something like chicken or beef can very easily be kosher. And the vegetarian dishes will naturally be kosher. This stems mainly from the fact that Chinese food uses very little (as in just about zero) dairy. For the most part, that is.

Anyway, I made kung pao chicken. I suppose I should say I made a variation of kung pao chicken. The recipe is from All Recipes website, which is a great little treasure chest of recipes for anything you can imagine. However, a warning: always check several recipes before picking one. The mushroom stroganoff from my last post for example -- wasn't as good as I'd hoped.

This kung pao chicken was, however. I was fairly liberal with my spices, so it had good flavour and a fair amount of kick. I would have liked a couple more vegetables, and would have liked a darker dish (I like the dark kung pao one finds in restaurants like PF Changs (not that I'm condoning or even implying that PF Changs is real Chinese food)). But overall it was really good. Recommended for those making dishes they want to be kosher or when inviting friends over that keep kosher.

For Thanksgiving, I just have to add that I went to see Plymouth Rock ('tis but a pebble) and to Plimouth Plantation for Thanksgiving dinner with some pilgrims. I was afraid it would be banquet-like disgusting food (like most wedding receptions), but it was really rather good. A dish I'd never heard of (I'm from the South) was creamed onions. They were good... I missed my grandmother's cornbread dressing, however, and my mom's Greek dressing: yemisi.

Yemesi -- Greek Dressing

1 ½ lbs of ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ cup rice
Parsley - either one bunch of fresh, chopped just the leaves or 1 ½ tablespoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon allspice
pepper to taste
2 small boxes raisins
1 can chicken broth

Brown meat with the onions, add chicken broth, parsley, allspice, pepper, rice and raisins.

Cook until rice is done and most of broth absorbed.

Yemisi is perhaps an acquired taste, but once acquired, it's something you'll want many times. With my family, since we're Greek (well, Greek mom), we've always had it on the table at Thanksgiving. I almost forget that it's not a traditional American dish, since I've seen it every year all my life.

My own question: What special/interesting/different foods does everyone's families have at Thanksgiving that aren't necessarily the "traditional" fixins?

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 06:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Honestly, I didn't mean to start Thanksgiving vacation already. I set out to clean out the fridge. You see, in the Blue Artichoke fridge, the top shelf is reserved for beverages. There is always, in various stages of depletion, a gallon of skim milk, a carton of chocolate soymilk, a gallon pitcher of iced tea, a case of Diet Dr. Pepper Berries & Cream and a Britta. Often there are a few stray bottles of beer, in this case left over from our Halloween party, and an opened bottle of wine to use for cooking. But wait, there are three bottles of wine in the fridge! One is for cooking, the other two have been opened recently, and are still good for drinking. So I drank one. Last night, while waiting for Gentleman Caller's band practice to end so we could eat dinner. It was the Two-Buck Chuck Sauvignon Blanc from Trader Joe's, and it was full but for 1/4 cup I used in a recipe last week. And because it was so full, and I drank it before dinner, I got a wee bit drunk, thus kicking off the Thanksgiving vacation a few days early. Tonight? The rest of the Argenta Malbec from Sunday's Wandering Gullet meal.

Dinner last night: Sausage, Artichoke and Mushroom Casserole

Getting to Know All About You: I'm still curious about your dental hygiene. Do you brush your teeth right after waking up, or wait until after breakfast/your first meal of the day?

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Last night's dinner started with a bottle of Argentine Malbec wine that I picked up at Trader Joe's some time ago. I tend to pick up new wines, and then save them for a special occasion. Why not make Sunday dinner at home a special occasion? I found a recipe for an Argentinean meal to serve along with the wine, and away I went. Unfortunately, I didn't read through the recipe before I went shopping for ingredients. The recipe was for a beef stew baked inside a pumpkin. Neat, I thought, a pumpkin! I looked all over town for pie pumpkins, which have pretty much disappeared from the shelves after Halloween. The recipe called for a 10-12# pumpkin; I found two 5# pumpkins. When it was time to start cooking, I read through the recipe and discovered that the pumpkin is only for show. The stew is to be brought to the table inside the baked pumpkin, then ladled into bowls. You don't actually eat the pumpkin. I spent way too much time looking for these guys to go to the trouble of baking them, only to fill them and then throw them away. I guess if I were serving this meal for guests, it might look nice to have a pumpkin bowl, but for just the two of us? No, by God I was going to eat that pumpkin!

Have you ever tried to cut up a raw pumpkin? It requires a thick, sharp, serrated (preferably) knife, muscles, an indomitable will and a foul mouth. I had never cooked a pumpkin before, but I decided it was like any other squash, so I would scoop out the innards, peel it, cut it into chunks and roast it in the oven. I worked up a lather of sweat hacking the thing up and would have sliced off a finger if I had tried to peel it so I put the hacked up pieces into a 13x9" pan, peel-side-down, in a half-inch of water and into a 400 degree oven. After 20 minutes, the peels had softened enough that I could remove them (cantaloupe-style) and cut the pumpkin flesh into chunks, which I returned to the pan of water and to the oven. After 30 minutes more, they hadn't softened much. In hindsight, covering the pan with foil would have sped things along. But I put the whole thing in the microwave for 10 minutes, and that did the trick. I tasted a chunk; tasteless and bland! Hmmm.... I drained the water, sprinkled the pumpkin chunks with salt and brown sugar and dotted the top with butter, threw the pan back into the oven for 10 minutes more. I had first planned to put the pumpkin chunks into the soup, but now that I had sweetened them, I didn't know if they'd make the soup too sweet. So, I served them as a side. With the leftover cooked pumpkin, I might mash it and try to make a pie, or I might add it to the soup, or just eat the chunks as is. I used only one pumpkin in this ordeal; for the second pumpkin, I think I'll look up an easier way to cook a pumpkin.

The stew part was just OK. The idea of putting corn-on-the-cob in a stew doesn't agree with me. You can't eat it with a spoon and it's messy to stick your fingers in the stew to fish it out, stew juices dripping down your fingers while you try to eat the corn off the cob. I did it anyway, and it was messy, yes, but also fun. Here's the recipe:

Carbonada Criolla (Baked Pumpkin with Beef, Vegetable and Peach Filling)

Foods of the World: Latin American Cooking, Time-Life Books, 1968
I used canned beef stock, canned tomatoes and canned peaches, because I don't make my own beef stock and tomatoes and peaches aren't in season. I added maybe 1 T. of salt, which I thought was enough, but I think more would have been better, as the brothy part of the stew was sort of bland. This serves way more than six; I probably have 6-8 servings left over. I'll happily eat the leftovers, but doubt I'll ever make this stew again.

10-12# pumpkin or other large winter squash
½ c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 T. olive oil
2# lean beef chuck, cut into 1” cubes
1 c. coarsely chopped onions
½ c. coarsely chopped green peppers
½ t. finely chopped garlic
4 c. fresh beef stock, or 2 c. canned + 2 c. water
3 med tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped, or 1 c. chopped, drained, canned
Italian plum tomatoes
½ t. dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 t. salt
Fresh pepper
1 ½# sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½” cubes
1 ½# white potatoes, peeled and cut into ½” cubes
½# zucchini, scrubbed but not peeled, and cut into ¼” slices
3 ears corn, shucked and cut into rounds 1” wide
4 fresh peaches, peeled, halved and pitted or sub 8 canned white peach halves, drained
and rinsed in cold water

Preheat oven to 375. Scrub the outside of the pumpkin under cold running water with a stiff brush. With a large, sharp knife, cut down into the top of the pumpkin to create a lid 6-7” in diameter. Leave the stem intact as a handle. Lift out the lid and, with a large metal spoon, scrape the seeds and stringy fibers from the lid and from the pumpkin shell.

Brush the inside of pumpkin with soft butter and sprinkle the cup of sugar into the opening. Tip to make the sugar adhere to the butter. Turn pumpkin over and shake out excess sugar. Put the lid back in place.

Place the pumpkin in a large shallow roasting pan and bake in the oven for 45m, or until tender, but somewhat resistant when pierced. The pumpkin shell should remain firm enough to hold the filling without danger of collapsing.

Meanwhile, heat the oil over moderate heat in a heavy 6-8-qt. casserole or Dutch oven until a light haze forms above it. Add the cubes of meat and brown them on all sides, turning frequently with a large spoon. Regulate the heat so the meat browns quickly without burning. Then with a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a platter.

To the fat remaining in the pan, add the onions, green pepper and garlic; cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, for 5m or until veggies are soft but not brown. Pour in the beef stock and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up any sucs. Return the meat and juices to the pan and stir in tomatoes, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer undisturbed for 15m. Then add the sweet and white potatoes; cover the pan and cook 15m. Add the zucchini; cover and cook 10m. Finally add the corn rounds and peach halves; cook, still covered, for 5m.

Pour the contents of the pan carefully into the baked pumpkin, cover the pumpkin with its lid and bake 15m at 37. To serve, place the pumpkin on a large serving platter and, at the table, ladle the carbonada from the pumpkin onto heated, individual serving plates.

Serves 6.

Getting to Know All About You: When you brush your teeth, as I assume all of you do, do you close your eyes or keep them open? If you keep them open, do you stand in front of the sink and watch yourself in the mirror or wander around?

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Where have all the pushy car salesmen gone? When I bought Njiri, I had the stereotypical cheesy sales guy. He tried to establish a buddy relationship with me, and when I was taking too long to decide, actually called me to tell me (on the down-low) that he was leaving to work for a competitor and wanted to complete my deal before he left. Which was bullshit, of course; he never left that dealership. I told him I didn't care who sold me the car. I like to think that I saw through his other manipulations, but I probably fell for some. The whole transaction left me feeling dirty, but I ended up happy with the car and the price I paid for it.

In my more recent dealings with car salesmen (all have been men), I haven't experienced any of these sorts of manipulations. Maybe I'm older and look less naive, or maybe the Internet has changed the way people buy cars, and therefore the jobs of sales people. Mack, the jerkface from Honda, pretty much left me alone and answered questions with obtuse metaphors. That's OK, though, because I can find out the answers on the Internet. Armando with the long, thick, beautiful eyelashes spent more time with me, but was really quiet. He just stood back while I circled cars, climbed in, over seats, through the trunks, pushed every button and stuck my fingers in every well and cranny. When I asked to drive one, he retrieved the key and accompanied me. He answered questions to my satisfaction, and sat quietly while I thumped, sniffed and manhandled the cars. I dismissed the Corolla without driving it; it felt really small and light. I want a hefty car, but not a monstrous boat like the 2007 Camry. Those things look and feel enormous. I drove a 2004 Mazda 3. I didn't like it so much. It might have been that particular car, but the brakes were whiplashy hypersensitive, and the engine was so loud I had to shout my questions at poor Armando. Then I drove a 2003 Camry; it was immediately comfortable and familiar, with a smooth, quiet ride. I still have to drive a Mazda 6, but so far I'm leaning toward another Camry. I'm a bit hesitant, though, to commit to being a Camry-person. "They" say the car you drive reflects your personality. What does a Camry say about me? I'm practical, thrifty, comfortable, smooth and cautious. All are correct, I think, but sometimes I'd like to think of myself as more daring and flashy. Maybe the Mazda 6 will step up for me.

I like to think I'm a fairly observant person, but recently I've been finding out ways that people are different from me. You guys learn things about me all the time. Wouldn't you like to learn more about your fellow readers & commenters? Indeed!

Getting to Know All About You: What are your favorite seasonal (spring, summer, fall, winter) foods?

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 01:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

GC had band practice on Tuesday night; our Wednesday night show (Lost) has ended, so we went to see Borat in the theater last night. What a great, funny movie that made me a bit ashamed to share a nationality with idiotic Americans. Dinner was movie theater popcorn.

Speaking of idiotic Americans, I've narrowed down the possible replacements for Njiri to 6 cars. I went to the Honda dealership and test-drove Civics and Accords. The salesman was a condescending jerk. I'm smart. I didn't ask stupid questions, but he acted as if I were a moron and kept answering my questions with unrelated metaphors. Example: BA: "Is the 2006 Accord much different from the 2005 Accord?"
Salesman: "Yes, just as you and I are different people."
Huh? So one is a fat, grumpy jerkface and the other is a smart, quiet girl. I hope I can tell which is which. For the record, I didn't like the Civics; the 2006 Accord has some aesthetic differences inside, has an exterior brake light, different rear and headlights and a different trunk shape. I prefer the 2006 Accord, but there are still 5 more cars in the running. I keep procrastinating test-driving them because I don't want to deal with the salespeople.

Now, let's hear from an American who isn't an idiot, as far as I know: Red Momo, as the Kosher Gentile.

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

So, after a couple of weeks of eating out, I decided to make a meal -- a vegetarian meal -- in the kosher kitchen. It's a simple mushroom stroganoff. It's described as "rich and meaty," but it's not.

It wasn't a bad meal, I'll be honest. But it was rather bland. Perhaps I'm just not adept at cooking mushrooms, and perhaps I'm not good at creating cream sauces... but one thing I can say is that I cannot stand is margarine.

Margarine.

I really can't stand it. I don't think it tastes good. I think it looks unnatural. And I don't care for the way it cooks. I'm a proponent of butter. The REAL DEAL. It will be a problem when I want to make meat dishes, as butter is dairy... but for this meal I could have used butter and that would have helped slightly.

I will say that my upcoming Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Bourbon Sauce (courtesy of Blue Artichoke last year) will be made with real butter. Can't wait to cook it now that I'm back at sea level! Recipes no longer require high altitude adjustments! Yay!!!!

Editor's Note:
As Red Momo pointed out in the comment section, the pumpkin cheesecake recipe link above leads to the wrong cheesecake. That is the recipe for the front runner in the Snackdown battle, but is not the cheesecake to which RM referred. The recipe for that one was discussed here and here, but never posted. It's great, but was edged aside. Here's the recipe:

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake With Caramel-Bourbon Sauce

Crust
1-1/2 cups pecans, toasted, cooled
3 tablespoons golden brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Filling
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
4 large eggs
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Large pinch of salt
Sauce
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons bourbon
1-1/2 cups pecans, toasted, cooled

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Grind first 4 ingredients in processor until nut mixture sticks together. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake crust until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely. Wrap outside of pan in triple layer of heavy-duty foil.
For filling:
Using mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and lemon peel in large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then pumpkin, yogurt, flour, vanilla, spices, and salt. Pour into pan.
Set springform pan in roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cheesecake. Place in oven. Bake until outer 3 inches puff slightly and center is softly set, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool in water bath 30 minutes. Remove from water. Cut around sides of cake to loosen. Refrigerate in pan until cold, about 4 hours. Cover and chill overnight.
For sauce:
Bring sugar, cream, butter, corn syrup, and salt to boil in deep medium saucepan, whisking until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium; boil 1 minute without stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in bourbon, then pecans. Cool, stirring occasionally.
Remove foil. Cut around pan sides; remove sides. Cut cheesecake into wedges; spoon sauce over.

Makes 12 servings.

Bon Appétit, November 2005

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Bright, green and stupid
Cilantro: the herb I'd like
to punch in the face

Do you hate cilantro? You're not alone! While I may not join the rank of haters, I'll agree that cilantro is an inferior herb that is too often overused. Like nutmeg, a little cilantro goes a long way. I guess I'm a cilantro-moderate.

If you liked my haiku, check out these other anti-cilantro haikus.

*The title statement reflects the opinion of those intolerant folks at ihatecilantro.com, not the views of the Blue Artichoke staff or its affiliates.

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 06:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Again, no real Wandering Gullet this week, because GC and I are on the go. We spent last weekend in the Nashville area, hanging out with his family and attending his twin nieces' baptisms. We ate at the Burger King at the Kansas City airport, and it was rather disappointing. Usually, fast food is a nice treat around here, but the fries were soggy and lukewarm and my burger was also lukewarm and drowning in mustard. I couldn't even eat it all; it was just too gross. GC's chicken sandwich was also uninspired.

Because I have no ethnic recipes to share with you this week, and because Leza Roasted Roma Tomato (what color is a leza?) requested the recipe for my Kickass Cornbread, and because I'm a good sharer, here it is:

Sweet Cornbread

Bon Appétit, November 2005
I halved recipe and used one 9" square glass pan. Great! Good texture, light but firm. Not crumbly. And good, sweet flavor. The best cornbread recipe ever. I didn't add anything to this one, but I usually like to add canned, drained (or frozen and thawed) corn, diced onion and/or jalapeno to my corn bread. I'll probably try that next time.

2 2/3 c. flour
2 2/3 c. yellow cornmeal
1 c. sugar
2 T. + 2 t. baking powder
2 t. salt
2 2/3 c. whole milk
4 large eggs
¾ c. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375. Butter and flour two 9” square metal baking pans.

Whisk first 5 in large bowl to blend. Whisk milk, eggs and butter in med bowl to blend. Add milk mixture to dry, stirring until just moistened. Divide batter between pans.

Bake until loaves test done, ~30 minutes. Cool completely in pans. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with foil and store at room temp.

Makes 2 loaves.

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Yesterday GC stayed home sick from work. Though he had a fever, he thought he could stay awake and alert enough to carry on with our new Tuesday night D&aM tradition. What a trouper. We watched The Matador and marveled at how much we like Greg Kinnear, though we never expect to. It was a good movie with a bit of an unexpected (well, to us) ending. For dinner I made soup (for the invalid) with a Spanish bent (for the matador, even though the bullfighting scene wasn't in Spain, but in Mexico. Who knew?). It was a traditional Basque white bean and cabbage soup. It seems that the ham hocks I used in the soup had splinters that broke off into the soup; all ended up in my bowl. Luckily, I am a savvy eater and spit out the shards before they caused any damage. I also made black pepper cornbread, which was thin and crispy and interesting enough to keep as the best savory cornbread so far in my informal Cornbread Snackdown. I tend to like sweet cornbreads; this one doesn't even compare to my Kickass Cornbread, but I'll keep the recipe for those rare occasions when sweet cornbread won't do.

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This is sort of cheating, because our ethnic meal was actually leftover Iraqi Braised Lamb from Rosh Hashanah. I didn't have a chance to go to the grocery store after our return from Vegas. I love having a freezer full of leftovers, except that I've run out of my Rock 'N Serve tupperware containers. These things rock. Put them on your Christmas wish list. You deserve it.

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

GC and I are back from Vegas. What a great city... gambling, hooker trading cards, smoking allowed indoors!, free booze and all-you-can-eat buffets. All that, plus a 24-hour Krispy Kreme in the lobby of our hotel. Oh, yes, a city of excess surely is a nice place to visit. GC learned that he is a blackjack man, coming out a winner. I, on the other hand, did not take lady luck with me to the slot machines, but I'm not much of a gambler anyway.

I am, however, somewhat of a risk taker. I took through airport security a 5.5-oz. bottle of facial cleanser and an 8-oz. bottle of moisturizer. Both were almost empty, but fit into a quart-sized plastic bag, so were allowed through, after many consultations with security personnel and rearranging of the contents of my plastic bag of liquids, gels and creams. The whole plane was at risk for clean, smooth faces! They were both confiscated on the return trip. I am a healthy skin terrorist.

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Several weeks ago, Magenta Green Goddess asked about food traditions for Dia de los Muertos. I’ve done a bit more research since then, and have more information for you. The Day of the Dead (which actually lasts several days) is an Aztec celebration of the memory of deceased ancestors. The soul lived on after death, they believed, and returned for one day of remembrance each year, seeking nourishment and community. It is a popular holiday in many Latin American countries, particularly Mexico. It is a bright and joyful occasion to honor the lives of the deceased and celebrate the continuation of life. As with many holidays, food plays a leading role in the celebration. Flowers, toys (for children), alcohol (for adults), foods and candies are offered to help lead the dead back home. Often foods will be tailored to the traditional favorites of the departed spirit; this may include the finest ears of the harvest corn, tamales, rich mole chicken, chili adobe sauce, red rice, hand rolled enchiladas, fresh tortillas and seasonal fruits. A dish of salt, to symbolize purification, is always included. Other foods are laid out on alters at or near doors to welcome the deceased. These include candied pumpkin, coconut candy, sugar cane, pan de muerto (a sweet eggy bread made in plain rounds or elaborate skulls or rabbits decorated with frosting to look like twisted bones) or sugar skulls with the names of the deceased. It is believed that the soul can taste the food through the smells; when the spirit has had its fill, the feast is shared with relatives and visiting friends.

This holiday lasts several days: October 27th is the Day of the Orphaned Souls, to honor those with no living relatives to welcome them. October 28th is the Day of the Accidentados, those souls that died in accidents or violent deaths. October 30th is the day to welcome the souls of children who died in childbirth before being baptized. October 31st is the day of the Angelitos, souls of infants who died after being baptized and thus are free from sin. The Angelitos enter the earth at noon and must depart by noon the following day, November 1st. November 1st, All Saints Day, is for the Faithful Dead, the elder traveling spirits. November 2nd is All Souls Day.

So, to celebrate Dia de los Muertos Anglo-style, cook the favorite dish of your deceased, or your own favorite dish. There are lots of recipes out there for pan de muerto. Here’s one of them:

Pan de Muerto

El Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is coming up on November 1st and 2nd. During this holiday the families decorate an altar to celebrate the lives of family members who have passed. It is considered a time to remember the dead and celebrate the memories they have left behind. The belief is that the dead will return during the 24-hour period to revisit the family to share in the celebrations, laughter and stories. The families spare no expense decorating an altar for the return of their loved ones. The altars usually contain water, salt and bread and other decorative items such as candles, incense, flowers and more. The bread called Pan de Muerto or "bread of the dead," is usually sweet with decorations resembling bones. Even if you don’t celebrate Las Dias de las Muertas yourself, you can still enjoy this delicious sweet bread.

½ cup butter
1-¼ cup water
6 cups flour
2 packets dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons whole anise seed
2 tablespoons orange zest
¾ cup sugar
4 large eggs
Glaze (see below)

Bring all ingredients to room temperature (except for the water which should be very warm) before beginning.

In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugar, anise, salt and 1/2 cup of the flour. In a separate bowl combine the eggs and the water.

Add the egg/water mixture to the first mixture and add in another 1/2 cup of the flour.

Add in the yeast and another 1/2 cup of flour. Continue to add the flour 1 cup at a time until a dough forms.

Knead on a floured surface for about 1 minute. Cover with a slightly damp dishcloth and let rise in a warm area for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Bring out dough and punch it down. Remove about ¼ of it and use it to make bone shapes to drape across the loaf (see below.) Or divide the dough into smaller pieces to create other bone shapes. Let the shaped dough rise for 1 more hour.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes for smaller loaves and up to 45 minutes for larger loaves.

Glazes (After glaze is applied you may decorate with additional colored sugar.)
Bring to a boil- ¾ cup sugar and ½ cup fresh orange juice. Brush on bread and then sift some additional sugar over the top.

Mix 3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate and 1/3 cup sugar with 2 egg whites. Brush on bread during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Bring to a boil- ¼ cup piloncillo** (see note at bottom and scale down to ¼ cup), ¼ cup sugar, 2/3 cup cranberry juice and 2 tablespoons orange zest. Brush on bread after bread has cooled.

Bones The most common bone decorations are very simple. Sometimes it's just a matter of forming ball shapes and pressing them into the loaf in a line. You could also take a piece of dough, roll it into a long cylinder and place a ball at each end. You can get much more detailed if you like, but even a slightly "knobby" looking loaf will get the idea across.

Calabaza En Tacha- Candied Pumpkin

This recipe is similar to candied yams, and is a great use for pumpkin. In Mexico, candied pumpkins are often used on the family altars during Los Dias de los Muertos. And after Halloween, all of the leftover pumpkins go on sale and it is the perfect time to enjoy the fall harvest. This recipe is also non-fat.

5 lb pumpkin (approx.)
4 cinnamon sticks
zest of one orange
juice of orange
2 lb piloncillo** (see note at bottom)
4 cups of water

Cut off the stem off of the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin in half and scrape out the seeds and stringy parts. Cut each piece in half lengthwise again and again until you have 8-10 long pieces of pumpkin. Cut the skin off of each piece and then cut the flesh into approximately 1 to 2-inch pieces. (You may leave the skin on the pumpkin).

Place into a large saucepan and bring piloncillo, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon sticks and water to a boil. Carefully add in pumpkin pieces and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for approximately 2 hours or until pumpkin is fork tender and the rest of the ingredients have reduced to a thick glaze. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before serving.

**If you don't have piloncillo, substitute 1 ¾ cup dark brown sugar and ¼ cup molasses.

There’s even a step-by-step guide to making candy skulls!

P.S. Blue Artichoke blog will be quiet for the rest of the week. Blue Grilled Cheese is going to Las Vegas to turn 30; Gentleman caller and I are going to Vegas to watch her age. You won't hear anything about Vegas here, because, you know, what happens in Vegas...

Posted by Blue Artichoke at 09:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)