Product Recommendations!

Product Recommendation #1:
I recently watched Bobby Flay, very atypically, get beaten trying to make gnudi, which is a little like a ravioli filling without the pasta around it, or like very light gnocchi. This left me with a profound hankering for gnocchi, and I remembered that I had a package of sweet potato gnocchi from Trader Joe's in the freezer. So I sautéed them in brown butter, chopped onion, and slivers of fresh sage from my garden, and finished the dish with salt and pepper and shredded Parmesan. And honestly, it was one of the best things I've ever had! Put this product on your TJ's shopping list immediately! SO YUMMY!!

Product Recommendation #2:

Cyd was always the grill master--the only cooking I could get her to do most times. But a friend recently commented that I don't seem to grill out much, and that made me stop and think: True enough, I probably haven't grilled out since Cyd passed away. So by the hardest, I managed to fire up my rusty old grill that only lights up on one side, and cooked some jerk pork using Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning that I bought on Amazon. I used country-style pork ribs coated liberally with the seasoning and refrigerated overnight. I must say, I usually make my own jerk marinade, but this stuff was DELICIOUS, without all the cutting and chopping! But I'm sure glad I bought the MILD Walkerswood jerk rub. YIKES! 🔥🔥🔥

Orphan Black Viewing Demands Southern-Style Feast!

Tonight was the first Orphan Black gathering we've had in ages, and we watched three episodes back-to-back! So I decided that the momentous occasion called for a veritable feast--a Southern meat-and-three extravaganza for my soul seestras. I prepared Ham Hock and Fava Bean Soup, Magic Pot Baby Back Ribs with Jamaican BBQ Sauce, Magic Pot Four Cheese Mac and Cheese, and Spicy Sautéed Kale (the kale and hot pepper were from my garden). And of course, we topped it all off with sweet tea pie!

First, I will tell you about the soup, which was an IP experiment that turned into an IP fail...and then into a soupy success. I tried to cook a bag of frozen (thawed) fava beans with onions, garlic, yellow peppers, a can of Rotel, a packet of Sazon, and a ham hock in some chicken stock, on manual for five minutes, but they came out really mushy--very flavorful, but sadly mushy. Plus, they had those awful, tough skins! So I sliced open and squeezed out each one of those darn beans, added another couple of cups of chicken stock, and used a stick blender to purée. Lastly, I stirred in a little heavy cream. It ended up tasting just like split pea with ham soup. Delish!

I bought two racks of frozen, pre-marinated (Kansas City BBQ) ribs, and I thawed them overnight in the fridge. To cook them, put the metal rack into the IP, pour in a cup of apple cider vinegar, then CURL the racks of ribs into the pot. Cook on either meat or manual for 27 minutes, then brush with your favorite BBQ sauce and broil for five to ten minutes in the oven until browned and crispy on top.

Porchmas 2016

I have an amazing group of young friends that used to all live in this two-story house that had a glassed-in sun porch on the upper level. We had so many good times on that porch, that even though everyone has moved out of that residence now, we still refer to ourselves as "Porchlings" when we have our get-togethers. Likewise, our seasonal gift exchange and potluck is dubbed "Porchmas." Tee hee.

For my first culinary contribution, I made Pulled Pork Sliders with Homemade Pickled Green Tomatoes.

For the pulled pork, I marinated about three pounds of boneless ribs in soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vegetable oil, sriracha, garlic powder and black pepper overnight. Then I browned them on all sides in a large skillet, placed them on the trivet along with a sliced onion over a cup of beef broth, and cooked them on "Meat" for 25 minutes. I let them sit for 10 or 15 minutes before releasing, then shredded the meat with two forks. I sprinkled the shredded meat with a couple of tablespoons of cider vinegar, added a few drops of liquid smoke, a big tablespoon of grainy mustard, and a small bottle of spicy honey barbecue sauce. I served the pulled pork on Hawaiian rolls with homemade pickled green tomatoes.

Pickled Green Tomatoes
(Source: Garden Betty)

Bring the following brine (per quart) to a boil:
1 cup white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Place in a washed quart jar:

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon dill seeds

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 cloves garlic, peeled

Slice the tomatoes to desired thickness and pack into the jar. Cover with hot brine, leaving a half inch of head space. Remove bubbles with the end of a wooden spoon or a chopstick, wipe the rim, and add a lid and ring (fingertip tighten only). Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Store in a cool, dark place. Wait 3-4 weeks before tasting.

My second potluck offering was my old standby, potato salad prepared quickly and easily in the magic pot (four minutes!), which I made a little more festive-looking by including some of my homemade red-and-green cucumber relish that I made this summer/fall. (It was the Year of Peppers and Cucumbers!)

Instant Pot Potato Salad

3 lbs. red potatoes (I peel mine, but you can leave the peels on if you prefer), cut into one-inch chunks
4 large eggs
about 1/2 cup chopped green onions (four large, ends removed)
2 tablespoons sweet relish (I use homemade piccallili or cucumber or pepper relish)
1 large dill pickle, chopped (and about a tablespoon of juice)
about 3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons mustard (I like to use one yellow and one Dijon)
1 teaspoon ground celery
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
salt and pepper, to taste (I like to use Cajun seasoning for more "zip")

In a steamer basket over 1 1/2 cups water (I like to use 1 1/4 cups water plus 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar to infuse the potatoes with some tanginess) put in the potato chunks with the whole eggs on top. Cook on manual/high for four minutes, then immediately release. Spread the potato pieces out on a cookie sheet to cool, and dunk the eggs into cold water until cool enough to handle.

Peel and chop the eggs. Mix together green onions, relish, chopped dill pickle and pickle juice, mayo, mustard, ground celery and granulated garlic. Toss in the slightly warm potatoes, using a potato masher or pastry cutter to create a texture like very chunky mashed potatoes, then fold in the chopped eggs. Season to taste. Chill thoroughly, then serve.

Cucumber Pickle Relish
(Source: Ball Blue Book)

4 cups chopped cucumbers
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped sweet red peppers (or hot peppers)
1/4 cup salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 cups cider vinegar
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Combine cucumbers, onions, red peppers in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water. Let stand two hours. Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly

Combine sugar, spices and vinegar in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Add drained vegetables; simmer ten minutes. Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes (15 for pints) in a boiling-water canner.

Yield: About four pints 

Lastly, for Christmukkah treats, I made three batches of the beloved matzoh toffee, so that I could bag it up as little gifts. And as we are going through a very early cold snap, I was able to use my own porch as a blast chiller for both the potato salad and the matzoh toffee before the party. Ha ha.

I Want My Baby Back, Baby Back, Baby Backs...in the Instant Pot!

I can't believe it's taken me this long to make baby back ribs in the Instant Pot! They are SO easy and yummy! Now, protesters, I can already hear you: Yes, ribs are better smoked for hours low and slow, but I think IP ribs are perfect for weeknights and especially for the winter, when one might die standing outside manning the smoker.  

Instant Pot Ribs

Put a cup of apple cider vinegar in the IP, then curl a rack of ribs in there (with the membrane removed, then seasoned with granulated garlic and black pepper), and pour a small bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce over the meat (I used Lawry's Sweet Asian BBQ Marinade). Cook them on the Meat setting for 32 minutes. Then carefully transfer the rack to a sheet pan lined with foil. Broil them in the oven for a few minutes until browned and crispy. Meanwhile, reduce the sauce in the pot on high Saute mode until syrupy. Glaze the ribs three times with the reduced sauce, each time returning them to the broiler for a minute or two to set the glaze. Finish them with one more baste of glaze, et VOILA! 

Bow Down Before This QUEENLY Salmon!

Dear readers, I may not be rich in material possessions, but I am extremely wealthy when it comes to friendships. One of my favorite people on the planet is my colleague and friend, Chris Ford. Chris teaches computer science at my school, but he is a man of many talents, including kiteboarding, jump-roping (earning him an appearance on The Gong Show in his youth!), filmmaking, cooking, and fortunately for me, fishing! Last week, he brought in some extra-smoky salmon to work to share with me that he had caught and smoked himself. It was SO delicious--savory and salty, not unlike bacon. I used it on a wonderful entrée salad for dinner one night.

As if that weren't enough, Chris showed up at pub trivia at a bar in Peru, NY called Pasquale's where my team was playing Tuesday night, and hand-delivered the amusing cooler pictured below which contained fresh salmon (already cleaned and filleted!), a little baggie of wood-smoking chips, and two recipes. One was for the extra-smoky fish that I used on the salad, and the other was for a preparation called Kingly Salmon, from Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.

So tonight, in perhaps the last firing of the R2D2 smoker unit for the season, I prepared a QUEENLY salmon that literally had my roommate and I groaning in pleasure as we ate it. It is CRAZY good! So now I am going to have to work out a bartering system, baked goods for salmon, while they are still running and Chris is still fishing. And I also want to try creating a stovetop smoker to do it inside during the colder months. (I will report back on that.)

If the salmon are running where you are (or even if you find some nice fillets from your local fishmonger), you MUST try this recipe! By the bye, I used only half of the recipe as written, and that was perfect for four fillets.

 

Kingly Salmon
(Source: Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)

Pacific king salmon butterflied tail section (or use coho or silver salmon)

Alder wood for smoking

Rub:

1/4 cup dill, dried

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons fresh-ground black pepper
*I added 2 teaspoons granulated garlic, optional

 

Optional Mop:

Remaining rub

1 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup oil (canola or corn)

The night before you plan to barbecue, combine dill, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Open the salmon flat and massage it well with about 2/3 of the rub, reserving the rest of the mixture. Fold the salmon back into its original shape, place it in a plastic bag, and refrigerate it overnight.

Prepare the smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to 180 to 200 degrees F. Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. If you plan to baste the fish, stir the remaining rub together with cider vinegar and oil in a small saucepan and warm the mixture over low heat.

Transfer the salmon to the smoker skin side down, placing the fish as far from the fire as possible. Cook for 50 to 60 minutes, mopping it after 10 and 30 minutes in a wood-burning pit, or as appropriate for your style of smoker. The salmon should flake easily when done. Have a large spatula and a platter ready when taking the salmon off the smoker, because it can fall apart easily. Serve hot or chilled.

BBQ Tips:
Alder remains the best wood for smoking Pacific salmon. Alder chips are fairly common across the country, but you may have more difficulty finding the wood in chunks or logs. Fruit woods are the best substitute, particularly when mixed with smaller pieces of alder.

Yield: 8 servings

Pinterest Pasta Prompt

This is going to come as a complete shocker, but I was racking my brain, trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight, and I turned in desperation to Pinterest for help. I found this luscious-looking pasta picture that I had pinned ages ago, but there was no recipe because the link was broken (boo hiss). Still, I used the picture and description as a jump-off and an inspiration to whip up my own version of a fabulous dish for din-din, with both chicken and spicy sausage, mascarpone, sundried tomatoes, lemon, onions, garlic, parmesan, and (thanks to my friend, Janice, who has been out of town a lot lately and lets me raid her garden) some homegrown kale. SO GOOD!

Pasta with Chicken, Sausage, Mascarpone, Sundried Tomatoes and Kale

1 lb. large shell pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup finely-chopped sundried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
2 cups (or so) stemmed kale, chopped (you could use fresh spinach)
zest and juice of one lemon
8 oz. mascarpone, room temp.
1/4 cup shredded parmesan, more for garnish
2 cooked, seasoned chicken breasts, sliced*
2 cooked sausages, sliced*

Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then drain.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the onions until tender. Add the garlic, sundried tomatoes, pepper, red pepper flakes, and kale and saute until the kale is wilted and tender. Add the lemon zest and juice, and remove from the heat. Stir in the mascarpone and parmesan until the cheese is no longer lumpy.

Combine the vegetable and cheese mixture with the cooked pasta and the chicken and sausage pieces. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with another sprinkle of parmesan before serving.

 

*I happened to have these things leftover in the fridge that needed to be used up. Throw in whatever extra protein(s) you have from summer grilling. And actually, it tastes fabulous without any meat at all, if you don't have any on hand. Make it for Meatless Monday!

Fiery Goodness on a Stick

My friend Mike is an awesome cook. And when he specifically contacts me to say, "You there! Make this!" I do as he says. Mike has already made the Sambal Chicken Skewers that are on the cover of the latest issue of Bon Appetit several times, and he told me that they are his new favorite thing to grill. In fact, I believe he referred to them as "life-changing." I must concur with my friend--they are a revelation!

Now I enjoy spicy food, but looking at the recipe, I was worried that these chicken skwers might blow my head off! So I cut back on both the sriracha (using a little more than 1/8 cup) and the chili paste (about 1/4 cup total). I also added a generous tablespoon of minced garlic, because it seemed a glaring omission. I marinated the chicken pieces for about four hours in the fridge, and then I did not baste the skewers as they cooked--I simply glazed them with the reduced marinade when they were done grilling. I would do that again, as I think it kept them from burning, and I could decide to go lighter or heavier on the sauce at the end, as desired. Even with cutting back on the fiery stuff and not basting all during cooking, they were still PLENTY hot, but as my roommate put it, "...in a good way." These are definitely a new summer grilling staple!

Sambal Chicken Skewers
(Source: Bon Appetit, July 2013

1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar (I used seasoned) 
1/3 cup hot chili paste, such as sambal oelek (I used 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup fish sauce, such as nam pla or nuoc nam
1/4 cup sriracha (I used 1/8 cup)
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
*I added 1 tablespoon minced (peeled) garlic
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch–2-inch pieces

Prepare grill for medium-high heat.

Whisk brown sugar, vinegar, chili paste, fish sauce, sriracha, ginger, and garlic (if using) in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. (At this point, I let the chicken marinate for a few hours in the fridge.) Thread 4 or 5 chicken pieces onto each skewer.

Transfer marinade to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until reduced by half (about 1 cup), 7–10 minutes. Grill chicken, turning and basting often with reduced marinade, until cooked through, 8–10 minutes. (I grilled the chicken, then glazed the skewers with the reduced marinade.)