Brandon Eats

Eggsactly How I Would Do It, If I'd Thought of It

According to the good folks at Cook's Illustrated, if you'd like silky smooth deviled egg filling, run the yolks through a Mouli grater (for small batches) or a fine sieve (for large batches) before mixing with the other ingredients. Consider yourself informed.

Spain, Chicken, and Bouillabaisse

Sometimes imagination fails me and I'm forced to fall back on an old stand-by. Not a bad thing really, especially if it's been a while since I've made it, but disappointing at the same time since I love to try my hand at new dishes. Nevertheless, the following recipe is one that my family loves and will eat (if I haven't served it the week before).

My husband's family is originally from Spain and since we've been together, I've been inspired by family gatherings, trips to Spain, and most of all, Penelope Casas to infuse a Spanish sensibility in my cooking. As an average American WASP, I crave ethnicity and cultural differences. Green bean casserole and mushroom soup-based cuisine are my only authentic heritage, so I've had to make it up as I go along. Trying on my husband's heritage for size, I found it fit nicely--garlic, olive oil, fabulous wine, chorizo, what's not to like?

Over the years, the following chicken recipe has slowly evolved. Its original inspiration was a Martha Rose Schulman recipe in Mediterranean Light, which in turn, was inspired by bouillabaisse. To transport it south of the Pyrenees, I decreased the wine and chicken broth, increased the garlic and added smoked paprika to the mix. The original recipe was a little finicky about cooking technique; I found that just plunking all the ingredients together in a pot or large covered saucepan and simmering for 45-60 minutes was far easier and just as tasty.

My only problem with the dish--actually all chicken dishes--is the gradual erosion of bone-in, organic chicken pieces available in this town. I really don't understand why the groceries around here think I want pallid boneless breasts and thighs. I can still get a whole chicken, no problem, but butchering a chicken is a real pain. I mean, I have a nice (Wusthof) knife, a great knife sharpener, yet no matter how sharp my knife is, I still have to brutally hack off the wings and legs, while the slippery chicken slides around the counter and befouls me with its slimy juices. I didn't go to culinary school, I admit, so technique may play a part in my ineptitude. Nevertheless, the whole business just seems needlessly time-consuming and unnecessarily nasty. Why can't a real butcher at the store or the chicken packaging place do this for me, like they used to? I believe in organic farming fervently and love the superior taste of happy chickens--I just can't let myself succumb to the easy convenience of Purdue although I'm sorely tempted at times. The nearest Whole Foods Market is 75 miles away and besides, I live in a semi-major metropolitan city and shouldn't have to drive to a far smaller town to get the variety I want (although I have). What's going on?

Enough ranting--onto the (did I mention it's child-friendly?) recipe:

Chicken with Saffron, Smoked Paprika and Garlic

1 organic chicken brutally butchered by hand in Richmond or professionally cut into 8 pieces if you're out of town
2 TB. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 t. dried orange peel
1 bay leaf
1/2t. dried thyme
1 t. smoked paprika
2 large pinches saffron (toasted lightly in a small skillet beforehand to bring out the flavor)
salt and pepper to taste

Remove skin from chicken and lightly salt with coarse salt. Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a dutch oven or large saucepan, and sauté the garlic and onion until soft and fragrant. Add the tomatoes, chicken, white wine, chicken broth, dried orange peel, and spices. Stir gently and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 45-60 minutes or until chicken is tender. Serve with small new potatoes or couscous (my favorite, but not my family's), a large green salad, and a crisp and flavorful Albariño. Serves 4.

Is My Blog Burning No. 16: Eggs!

The Seattle Bon Vivant is hosting Is My Blog Burning? No. 16 and the theme this time around is eggs. It's not hard to think of literally dozens of recipes that would showcase the lovely farm eggs of Brookview Farm I buy every week--you know, the ones I've been exhorting you to go down to the Farmers' Market and buy? Wherever you might get them, farm eggs are worth seeking out and paying a premium for--consider yourself lucky if you have access to them at all. In a previous post I mentioned living on a farm and not being allowed to touch a single one of the many, many eggs the chickens there laid every day. In fact, I had to listen to the farm manager complain about all of the eggs she was forcing herself to eat and how monotonous she found it. All the while I fumed inwardly, cursing this woman and her lack of imagination. I had to drive 25 miles into town to buy pricey organic eggs on a grad student's salary! I knew what I would do with all of those extra eggs if I had a chance.

As I thought about eggs in the here and now however, the infinite possibilities dazzled me. Should I bake something (I'm always looking for an excuse), should I scramble a few with chorizo (now that's breakfast), or should I just highlight the intrinsic goodness of the egg itself? Deviled eggs are a minimally gussied-up hard-boiled egg and seemed to fit the bill the more I thought about them. Besides, they sustained me through pregnancy. Afterwards, post-partum, post-nursing, I began adding horseradish to the predictable mix and serving them to unsuspecting guests (that's a great face to see). Although they were good, it wasn't until I traded in my boring old jarred horseradish for wasabi that these babies began to sing. You've just got to have the best eggs available for this recipe to make it work, and when you do, you've got a recipe that bites back. Without further ado . . .

Wasabi Eggs

6 eggs (if you let them sit in the refrigerator for a few days or even a week after purchasing, the whites will gel a bit more and the egg will be easier to peel)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 t. Dijon mustard
1/2-1 t. wasabi paste (brands vary in strength, so taste it before adding more)
salt and pepper to taste

Hard-boil eggs (I wouldn't even presume to tell you how to do this--everyone is convinced their way is the best way). Peel and slice in half those six now chilled and newly hard-boiled eggs. Plunk the yolks in a medium bowl and mash thoroughly with a fork. Add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and wasabi. Stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste and fill whites with yolk mixture. Serve proudly and refrain from mentioning your little variation on the traditional deviled egg. richmond

Party at My House

Bob Blumer (aka The Surreal Gourmet) is always an inspiration to me--primarily because he takes some of the sting out of entertaining. You know how it is, you make a great dish one night you want to share with your friends and so a week or so later, you invite them all over. After a hellish day shopping and cleaning your house, by the time evening rolls around and your guests start arriving, your supposedly fun dinner party has transformed itself into an excruciating chore you can't imagine why you wished upon yourself. Instead of cooking, you're ready to chuck it all in the trash and go out for dinner. Even the carefully planned cocktails are just an ineffective balm to take the edge off the stress. Or is this just me?

In all of his books (and particularly The Surreal Gourmet Entertains), Blumer plots a strategy to calm even the most neurotic of host(esses)s like me. He clearly outlines the steps for a successful dinner party for each dish, including not only tips for what can be made ahead, but also wine and music suggestions (and as the former manager of Canadian singer/songwriter Jane Siberry, his advice is both informed and broad, not to mention, ultra-cool). Couple that with flavorful and unusual dishes (Dishwasher Salmon? Don't knock it till you've tried it), I find myself turning to his books almost every time I (foolishly) entertain.

His "Build-Your-Own Burrrito Fiesta" on p. 70 of The Surreal Gourmet Entertains last night inspired me to try the dinner party thing once again. Marinated and grilled pork tenderloin provided the base for the burritos with guacamole and salsa recipes following. His marinade is fine but really can be stepped up to a full-fledged adobo with the addition of garlic and a little oregano (recipe to follow). Since I had guests bring guacamole and salsa, I can't attest to those particular recipes, although I've had such good luck with Blumer's books, I wouldn't hesitate to make and serve them without reservation. Nonetheless, besides the pork and the recommended condiments (things like sour cream, green onions, cilantro--obvious really, but I love having it spelled out for me in list form), I felt compelled to put my own spin on the whole burrito theme. It occurred to me that the fresh peaches I had ripening away on the counter might make an interesting salsa--if you can do it with mangoes, why not peaches? The sweet and spicy chunks complemented the smoky meat perfectly (if I do say so myself) and my only recommendation is to serve it with a slotted spoon because it was a little too juicy after sitting for an hour at room temperature (the peaches, not the pork).

Pushing the theme a little farther, I remembered that summer is the perfect excuse to serve margaritas. In Off the Eaten Path, Blumer has a frozen watermelon margarita recipe I've served before. I recalled though, that it needed a little punching up. It wasn't quite strong enough and I really wanted the watermelon flavor to shine. More watermelon and less ice didn't really do the trick. More tequila and Cointreau instead of triple sec helped but it still wasn't quite enough. Then I remembered my favorite Switch soda--it's a carbonated juice my children adore and are actually allowed to drink--strawberry watermelon. Ah ha! Three or four frozen strawberries added to the mix enhanced the watermelon flavor just enough without the whole thing morphing into the predictable margarita so many restaurants seem to have whirling away in a big slurpee machine behind the bar.

Now, don't think I actually relaxed that evening. Despite the Los Lobos and EL Vez albums playing on shuffle and repeat, I never did calm down completely. Blumer isn't a miracle worker, although, come to think of it, maybe I should have taken his advice and done tequila shots out of the empty lime halves. That might have been his best advice after all. richmond, cocktails, food

Adobo Pork Tenderloin
(inspired by the Surreal Gourmet)

1 1b. pork tenderloin
1/2 c. fresh lime juice
1/2 c. fresh orange juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
1 t. coarse salt
1/2 t. black pepper

Combine the juices, garlic, and spices in a large ziploc bag with the pork. Marinate a minimum of two hours. Pat dry, and grill over indirect heat for 18-25 minutes (turning in 5-6 minute intervals) until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees F. Slice thinly and have guests wrap with warmed flour tortillas, choosing their own condiments.
Serves 4-6.

Peach Salsa

3 ripe (but not mushy) peaches, diced
1 small red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
2 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 Tb. fresh lime juice
1/2 Tb. honey
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingrediants in a small bowl and allow flavors to meld at room temperature for about one hour.

High-Test Watermelon Margaritas
(based on a recipe by the Surreal Gourmet)

3 cups seedless watermelon, cubed and frozen
3-4 frozen strawberries
3 Tb. (or 1 1/2 oz., if measuring with a shot glass) fresh lime juice
6 oz. tequila
2 oz. Cointreau
1 c. ice

Place everything in a blender and whirl away like a slurpee machine until smooth. Serve in salt-rimmed glasses and be prepared for seconds. Serves 4-6, depending on the size of your glasses.

Happy Pigs

Market Report 6/16/05: As the humidity lifted yesterday and the cool breezes blew in overnight, it was not only almost bearable yesterday but downright pleasant first thing in the morning at the Farmer's Market. It was easy to ruminate over the pleasures of pastoral living as I took in the sights and sounds of the decidedly urban landscape around me. I lived on a farm about a hundred years ago, just outside of Charlottesville, but even then, I really was just a tourist. I didn't run the farm (which primarily raised Angus cows and brood mares), wasn't even allowed to collect any eggs from the farm's prolific chickens. I did, however, have a small garden that ran riot with tomatoes and basil; because of its fecundity, I felt like a real farmer. Decidedly delusional, I know, particularly when I realized that the sharp, acrid stench making my nostrils burn as I took my daily walk down our dirt road was chemical fertilizer spread by the small planes I heard periodically. All of my organic efforts in the garden and at the table were negated every time I left my house and breathed in the air.

I could forget about the darker side of farming (not just the chemicals but, you know, all that hard work) yesterday though and concentrate on the food. I wanted to make the strawberry jam I read about on The Amateur Gourmet's site--I love his sense of humor and real, practical advice--and so inspired, I made my way to Amy's Garden. Unfortuantely, no strawberries this week, but she did have her amazing bicolor squash, sugar snap peas, tiny beets, pac choi (baby bok choi) and little, red-skinned potatoes. Most of her greens were sold out by the time I arrived, just after 9 am, and I had to make due with some peppery arugula.

I was slowly perusing the other stalls, sipping a bubble tea (note to self: not my favorite), when tucked away in the corner, I discovered the wares of the Double A Farm, home of free range pork products. I've been increasingly frustrated with the limited cuts of organic pork, beef, and recently, chicken (!) available in the local grocery stores. Why, I ask, why can't you buy bone-in pork chops? Or ribs? I'm happy to see the bacon and the pork tenderloin but why can't I have variety in my choices? The farmers at Double A Farm have solved at least the pork part of the problem. They have not only nice, thick bone-in chops but ribs, bacon (actually, thick uncured strips of pork belly) and yes, spicy homemade sausage. I can even get fresh rendered lard (don't knock it till you've tried it in your pie crust) if I call ahead (434-535-8406; ask for Linda or Ronnie Beale). I immediately went home and made plans to make Pork Chops with Golden Onions and Wilted Tomatoes with sauteed bicolor squash and garlic. The chops were as I'd hoped, juicy and flavorful, and this recipe was gratifyingly easy, complemented by Amy's outstanding squash. Why are her squash bursting with so much flavor? How does she get them to taste so unexpectedly delicious? How many other ways can I think to serve them? All questions I hope to answer as the summer wears on. Hopefully, everyone else in Richmond will join me as I cook and eat my way through the Farmer's Market this season. richmond, dmblgit, does my blog look good in this

The 17th Street Farmer's Market

I have a hard time making it to the Farmer's Market every week now that I have children and my synapses have somehow derailed. I just can't seem to remember to go until it's too late. All of the local organic (and non-organic) farmers come to 17th and Main every Thursday throughout the summer and early fall between 8:30 am and 2:00 pm to sell their wares. This year, in addition to the lovely fresh produce, eggs, and meats, there seem to be more stalls than ever with vendors selling a plethora of handmade goods. This week proved the exception however, when I actually noticed "Farmer's Market" written on my calendar and retained the information long enough to get into my car. I triumphantly returned home laden with bags full of eggs, greens, peas, and squash.

Although I was drawn to the eclectic jewelry next door, I decided to spend my money at Amy Hicks' stall (Amy's Garden) and splurge on strawberries and flowers. I've been wondering where the local strawberries have been--not in any grocery store (I know of) as in past years. Amy's were beautiful and lushly fragrant, glistening, beckoning to me from beside the brilliantly colored flowers. I had to have them and as Amy warned me that they wouldn't last past today, I couldn't believe I had an excuse to eat them all immediately. They turned out to be a mixed bag; the larger ones, although pleasing to the eye were bland and less pleasing to the palate. The smaller ones, however, were exquisite little flavor bombs, sweet, juicy, and all too easily gobbled up. Even better, I didn't have to drive forever in my car and sweat it out picking in a strawberry field with two cranky children who are too hot to understand why this is supposed to be fun.

I also found lovely bicolor squash and lots of fabulous greens--Asian greens, arugula, mesclun. Always popular, a crush soon developed around Amy's stall and I decided to get out with what I had. Although tempted mightily by the scent wafting from nearby of homemade crepes filled with amazing things like marscapone and rasberries or goat cheese and spinach, I resisted with almost inhuman inner resolve (where did that come from?) and browsed, bought three dozen farm eggs (I really, really love them) from the Brookview farm, and was talked into some freshly picked oyster mushrooms from Dave and Dee's Homegrown Mushrooms that did, in fact, lived up to Dave's hyperbole. Fresh mushrooms, like fresh eggs, really do taste far, far better than what we're all used to getting in the store--their earthy succulence perfectly complimented the organic steak with which I served them. Of course, to truly appreciate the subtleties of the mushrooms flavor, I need to make either a risotto or pasta dish that features them as the main ingredient. Maybe next week. I can only hope the proper sequence of neurons in my maternal brain fire properly on Thursday, reminding me to get there before the market closes. richmond