ABOUT

Archive for July, 2010

27 Jul Thymed Parsnip and Carrot Fries

Have I already mentioned that ever since I found Trader Joe’s Organic Ketchup (no sugar!), I’ve been obsessed with making fries? First, I was baking batch after batch of sweet potato fries, but recently I’ve moved on to less traditional ingredients: parsnips and carrots. I was turned on to parsnips by one of my favorite foodie blogs, Oh She Glows. This isn’t exactly Angela’s recipe. Actually, with the exception of using parsnips, cutting them into fry-like shapes and baking, it’s pretty much nothing like hers, but she was the source of inspiration and I give credit whenever/where ever it’s due (you should try her recipe too, it’s a wonderfully decadent dish). Sunday, while I was spending some quality time at home cleaning, weeding, organizing and luxuriating in the feeling of sweet freedom that comes when you don’t have to be anywhere in particular, I got a hankering for something sweet and baked that I could dip into TJ’s ketchup. I whipped these up and took a well-deserved break (with some delightful company who stopped by to chat — hi, Melissa!), licking my fingers as I plowed through the plate (poor Melissa only managed to grab a few. Oops).

Thymed Parsnip and Carrot Fries

one handful of thick carrots

one handful of thick parsnips (or one gigantic parsnip, like the behemoth I found at Whole Foods)

olive oil

handful fresh thyme (~ 1 T)

salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment if you want to minimize clean up. Sadly, I was out and still need to scrub the pan.

Cut carrots and parsnips into fry-like shapes. I like them long and thick to keep them substantial enough to dip into dips – this is especially important for the carrots, which, no matter what you do, tend to be on the softer side, even with a pretty good crisping from the oven, but I like the contrasting color and the change up from sweet potatoes (maybe next time I’ll use some of the purple potatoes I brought home from this weekend’s farmers market). Place fries in a large bowl. Drizzle with 3 or 4 turns of olive oil, sprinkle with some good quality salt (I’ve been LOVING Trader Joe’s Himalayan Pink Salt Crystals) and pepper and then add the fresh thyme.

(Note about using fresh thyme: I think I’ve already established that I’m a fairly lazy cook. I’m not about to take the time to pluck every leaf off a bunch of thyme. I’ve tried it before and it made me crazy. Life’s hard enough, why create more struggle? Instead, I hold each major thyme “branch” by the top cluster of leaves and then use my other hand to strip the remaining leaves off in one quick swipe, pinching off the top cluster when I’m done and tossing that into the mix. On more mature “branches” with leaf clusters that have their own tiny stems, this means I also swipe off those tender stems. For something like fries, where I can pick off anything too woody before I pop it into my mouth, I don’t care. I’m just saying, you don’t have to make yourself crazy over these little tiny leaves. It’ll be alright.)

Anyway… toss with tongs, mix with your hands or shake the bowl around until all the carrot and parsnip pieces are well-coated (but no need to make them soaking wet with oil).

Spread fries out on a large baking sheet (large enough so you can give them a toss with a spatula or a strong shake halfway through baking). Pop in the oven for ~40 minutes (check after 20 minutes and mix them around so they don’t just crisp up on one side).

Viola, done! Now, just try to restrain yourself and share a little with your guests.

22 Jul One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish ….

Fish. I love fish. The past two years – since I stopped being a vegetarian and welcomed seafood back into my life – have been so. much. fun! Eating fish I’d forgotten about, tasting the butteriness of real, fresh crab and tuna again for the first time, learning to cook fish myself (I’ve got cioppino down and am working up to a whole fish, with the head on and everything) – I’ve been having a blast and it’s been interesting to see how my body responds to this source of protein (but that’s another topic altogether).

There are many, many reasons to eat fish, including, but not limited to (1) it’s tasty, (2) there are so many varieties and endless ways to cook it, (3) it’s a leaner form of animal protein and (4) it’s nutritionally rich, especially in Omega 3 fatty acids. But, if you’re paying attention at all to the news, you know there are health issues (e.g. mercury levels, polluted waters) and sustainability issues (e.g. farm or wild) that make eating fish a little more complicated than picking up whatever is on sale at Whole Foods or choosing the seafood special when you go to dinner.

If you’re like me, you carry a little print out of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s safe/not safe fish list in your wallet. If not, and you haven’t memorized the toxicity and sustainability ratings of different fish, get it – it’s a great resource, if a little awkward to whip out at a restaurant, less awkward in the supermarket.

If you want to know how to judge the quality of the fish you’re buying, I highly recommend Mark Bitman’s Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking, in which he gives the low-down on a dizzying number of fish (including a several ways to cook each type), as well as great tips for what and how to choose when you’re shopping.

And, if you want to learn more about the four fish that dominate our seafood markets – salmon, cod, sea bass and tuna – and the ins and outs of the commercial fishing industry, I highly recommend listening to Terry Gross’ recent interview with Paul Greenberg, author of Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food. It’s only about 35 minutes long and it’s a really interesting discussion that ranges from the nutritional difference between farmed and wild fish to sustainable polyculture models, to how WWII sonar lead to the ubiquity of fish sticks, and more. (To be honest, I’ve buried the lede in this post – this part about the Fresh Air interview is what got me excited today. So, listen to it and look at your fish counter a little differently the next time you’re there.)

19 Jul Vacation, Part II — Go Bananas and Grill Everything

Is there anything that can’t be grilled, or that people won’t grill? When I was growing up, my grandfather grilled chicken and.., honestly, I think that was it. Chicken marinated in a little olive oil, garlic, rosemary … frankly, I don’t know what he soaked the chicken in, I was a child, but that’s what I smelled while he tended the Weber. As Bobby Flay will attest (there’s a reason I’m throwing in this random Food Network star, which will be clear later), people aren’t just grilling meat but also all kinds of vegetables and fruits, even pizza and lettuce (I love grilled romaine salads!).

While I was on vacation – I’m almost over the vacation recap – we used the grill non-stop, mostly for dinner, but … we didn’t forget dessert! And it was a super easy, absolutely lovely surprise.

Grilled Bananas

5 ripe bananas (or however many you need for your peeps)

1 C greek yogurt

1 1/2-2 t honey

1/2-1 t vanilla

cinnamon

1 orange to zest

Mix yogurt, honey and vanilla in smallish bowl. Adjust honey and vanilla to taste. (I don’t love the intensity of honey, so I went light with it. I would’ve preferred to use maple syrup or brown rice syrup. The bananas will naturally be pretty sweet, so you don’t want to make the yogurt too sweet. Keep some of it’s tanginess alive to contrast with the banana.) Set aside.

Okay, now this is where the recipe gets really hard. Be prepared, brace yourself: you toss some bananas (unpeeled) on a grill and wait. Wait until they are brown, then turn them over. Now, wait until this side is brown, then remove from grill.

Bobby Flay, whose original recipe inspired this dessert, says that you can now slice the banana down its length and push it open like a baked potato. Liar. We tried several times and no dice. A grilled banana is not like a baked potato, the peel is too soft and thick for it to work (at least that’s what I think the problem was), so unless Bobby’s using special bananas you can only find in Brooklyn, I don’t know what he’s talking about.

Anyway, slice the banana down its length and carfully – because it’s going to be hot – pull the sides of the peel away to expose the banana enough that you can drop a healthy dollop of the yogurt mixture on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon and then zest some orange peel on top (two or three slides across your micro-planer). Okay, done. Dig in and marvel that something so simple can be so satisfying.