Sexy Thomas Cromwell - Sunday Roast (On A Friday) With Yorkshire Pudding

Been waiting decades for a sexy Thomas Cromwell to come along. I fell in love with the Tudors as a kid watching BBC's tremendous Six Wives and Elizabeth R miniseries. I loved the macabre and the whole Anne Reine sans tete hook plunged deeply. Plus, my Mom was a big Kingston Trio fan and she used to sing With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm, which I adored.

The Six:

Divorced, beheaded, died
Divorced, beheaded, survived

(Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, Katherine Parr)

At latest count, I have read and/or own some 60 books about the Tudors and Stuarts.

That series The Tudors? God awful but I was pulling for it because someone was interested enough to produce it even if they tarted it up to Whore of Babylon levels. Historical accuracy and ratings are not mutually inclusive.

Hillary Mantel's Wolf Hall series became my Harry Potter. I would stand in front of a Barnes and Noble at 11 pm the night before her third book comes out if that was still how we bought books in America.

Anne B. Lost her head.

The Royal Shakespeare Company has produced an adaptation of Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies. The time period takes us from Thomas Cromwell's youth to the downfall of Anne Boleyn. Cromwell is a fascinating character. He became Henry VIII's advisor after Thomas Wolsey failed to deliver Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon so he could marry Anne.

Anne of Cleves by Hans Holbein,
kept her head and outlived Henry.

He managed to keep his head after Anne's downfall until 1540 when he engineered Henry's fourth marriage to shore up the Protestant alliance in Europe against the Catholic powers. Henry was smitten with Anne of Cleves based on a portrait painted by the great Hans Holbein the Younger. 

SCHWING!!!!!

Things went wrong when the couple finally met, which unfortunately was AFTER the marriage treaty was finalized. It is hard from a modern perspective to understand. Her portrait hangs in the Louvre and appears to depict, if not a great beauty, at least a pleasing looking woman. Most historians agree that Anne was horrified when she finally saw her obese, aged groom and didn't have the courtly social skills to hide her reaction.

He has been portrayed on the screen by a variety of fine villain character actors. In the RSC production, he is played by Ben Miles.

So, in honor of this news, we present Sunday Roast with Yorkshire Pudding. And speaking of sexy, I'm going with a recipe from Nigella Lawson, from the original Nigella Bites show, although I have made some modifications. I added grilled asparagus with lemon thyme dressing because it just felt right to have a veggie in addition to salad.

Mangia!

Girlfriend doesn't deny herself. Nothing sexier than a gal
who loves to eat with gusto.

Sunday Roast with Yorkshire Pudding, Grilled Asparagus and Pea, Mint and Avocado Salad

Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson

For the Roast Beef:*

5 pounds beef roast (I went with a 3 pound version. I bought a boneless ribeye roast, but you could go with a more economical cut like sirloin, eye of round or chuck. Talk to the butcher at your grocery store. They'll appreciate it!)

4 tablespoons olive oil

Ready for the oven

5 sprigs rosemary leaves, chopped (scaled down to three with smaller roast)
Salt and pepper (surprisingly, Nigella leaves this step out. As Emeril Lagasse used to say, I don't know where you buy your meat, but mine doesn't come seasoned)

For the Grilled Asparagus

1 lb. thin asparagus, ends broken off where they break easily
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
Juice of 2 lemons
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil (you could use more. I like acid in my dressings to be dominant)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Yorkshire Pudding (12 puddings):

1 1/4 cups milk

4 eggs

Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 tablespoon beef drippings or vegetable oil

For the Pea, Mint, and Avocado Salad:

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more, if needed (Nigella called for 9. NINE. Yikes)

4 tablespoons good white wine vinegar (I upped her recipe from 1 1/2 tablespoons, because vinegar!)

Fat pinch superfine sugar
Pinch of salt and good amount of pepper

2 bunches mint leaves, chopped one, leave the other in whole leaves

1 pound shelled peas (about 3 1/2 pounds unshelled)

1 package (10 ounces) mixed salad greens

2 heads Belgian endive, separated into leaves (the store was out this morning. I went with a head of radicchio)

3 ripe avocados, cut into bite-size chunks

Directions

 To make the beef roast, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Place the beef roast on a clean work surface and rub with the olive oil and chopped rosemary. Transfer to roasting pan.

 Place into the preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes and then turn the heat down to 350 degrees F. Cook for about 15 minutes per pound for rare meat, about 1 hour and 15 minutes (another 40 or 45 minutes for a 3 pounder). Remove from the oven and let rest, covered, for about 15 minutes before slicing.

To make the asparagus: heat a stove top grill pan or a regular grill to very hot. If using an outdoor grill, you may want to use a grill top basket of some type to prevent thin stalks from falling through, or just be careful to keep the spears perpendicular to the grates when you turn them. Put the asparagus in a single layer in the pan and turn them a few times until brown char marks appear. They won't need more than a few minutes; you want them toothsome. Make the dressing by combining garlic, thyme leaves, oil and lemon juice. Put them on a platter and pour dressing over them.

To make the pea, mint and avocado salad, first make the dressing: put the oil, vinegar, and sugar into a large bowl and then put in the chopped mint. Stir well so all is amalgamated. Cook the peas for 2 minutes or so in salted boiling water, just so that they're ready, but not soft. Taste after 2 minutes and keep tasting. Drain the peas in a colander, put them straightaway into the bowl of dressing, and let steep for 1 hour or up to a day. Just before serving, stir in the mixed greens, whole leaf mint, the endive, and the avocado. You may need to drizzle a bit more oil after tossing. Serve this on a big plate. Sprinkle with some more of the chopped mint.

To make the Yorkshire Pudding, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Mix the milk, eggs, and salt, and add pepper, beating all well together. I use my freestanding mixer but a hand-held electric mixer, rotary, or balloon whisk would do. Let these ingredient stand for 15 minutes and then whisk in the flour. Meanwhile, add the drippings to a heat-proof muffin pan and put it in the oven to heat for about 10 minutes. Into this intensely hot pan you should pour in the batter and cook for 20 minutes, or until well puffed and golden. Bring it, triumphant, to the table.

Triumphant!

Eat large portions and collapse in a beef coma for the rest of the afternoon and evening and thank

heaven for Nigella Lawson.

*According to David at the office, the best sandwich recipe is simple.  Roast sirloin or eye of round sliced thin and piled about 1 inch high between two slices of bread.  He highly recommends it. That's not a sandwich; that's a magnum opus on bread.

Fun little video about The Six:

Food God Mark Bittman Covers Pickles

12 Recipes for Pickles,

No Canning Required

By MARK BITTMAN NOV. 5, 2014, New York Times Magazine

As long as they’re eaten within a week or two, there are countless pickles that you can make quickly and easily.

  

I remember when pickles were either something that you bought from a barrel on the street or — if you were crafty — canned in your kitchen. But somehow they’ve become the emblem of all things hipster-artisanal-twee, as much a joke (we can pickle that!) as they are a food.

The reason so many of us have outsourced our pickle making to the waxed-mustache set is that canning is sufficiently daunting; the thought of boiling jars, with its mysterious science and prospect of imminent disaster, is enough to send most home cooks running to the store. Fortunately, canning is not a prerequisite for pickling. In fact, as long as you can commit to eating them within a week or two, there are countless pickles that you can make quickly and store in your fridge.

All the recipes here fall into that category. Some — relishes and marinated vegetables — use heat to soften the pickles and impart the flavor of the brine, while others — miso-smothered and saltwater-soaked — rely on time to do the work. The various brines pull double duty, preserving whatever you’re pickling while at the same time introducing new flavors and coaxing out inherent ones. Think of the recipes as templates: Swap in different vegetables as you like.

My favorite pickles are a bit more subtle than the vinegar-smacked versions that taste more like acid than like vegetables. Of the four categories here, the two that use vinegar do so mostly for balance, cutting through the sugar in the relishes and the oil in the marinated vegetables. The others are less tangy and more salty, using saltwater brine, which is classic, and miso, which is both surprising and delicious.

All these methods require minimal effort and limited active time, making it easy enough to finally reclaim pickles as the humble, homespun food that they are. The trendiness is incidental.

MISO

DAIKON WITH WHITE MISO

Peel 1 pound daikon; slice crosswise ¼-inch thick. Spread 2 cups white miso into a bowl, top with the daikon and press down; add enough miso to bury. Cover, and rest at room temperature for 24 hours, or longer for more intense flavor. Rinse, and refrigerate before serving (save the miso for another batch).

EGGPLANT WITH MISO AND MIRIN

Trim 1 pound eggplant, and cut half-moons about ¾-inch thick. Stir 1 tablespoon mirin into the miso, submerging the pieces as with the daikon. Let stand for 12 hours, then rinse; serve immediately, or refrigerate.

 

CORN COINS WITH YELLOW MISO

Husk 3 ears corn, and cut them crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Use yellow miso instead of white, submerging the pieces as with the daikon.

MARINATED

GIARDINIERA

In a pot, boil ½ cup red-wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 bay leaf, 1 smashed garlic clove, ⅓ cup olive oil and 2 cups water. Add 1½ cups broccoli florets; cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup each chopped carrot, celery and bell pepper, and ¼ cup chopped green olives; turn off the heat. Cover, let cool, refrigerate.

BAGNA CAUDA IN A JAR

Use balsamic vinegar. Substitute 6 mashed anchovy fillets for the salt and ½ teaspoon crushed red chiles for the oregano and bay leaf; up the garlic. Cook 2 pounds mixed sturdy vegetables — thin asparagus, green beans, fennel, radishes, parsnips, celery — in the brine for 1 minute.

 

CURRIED CAULIFLOWER

Use sherry vinegar, and decrease salt to ¼ teaspoon. Use 2 tablespoons curry powder in place of oregano and bay leaf. Cut 1 cauliflower head into florets; chop 1 small red onion, then cook in the brine until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, cool and chill.

RELISH

 

CHOWCHOW

Trim and finely chop 1½ pounds zucchini, 1 small onion, 1 red bell pepper and 1 (or more) small hot chile. Combine 1 cup white balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and ½ teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Add the vegetables, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, 5 to 10 minutes. Cool, and chill before serving.

WATERMELON RINDS

Peel the green skin off a small watermelon, and chop the rind. Substitute apple-cider vinegar for the balsamic, and increase the brown sugar to ¼ cup; boil with ½ cup lime juice and 2 tablespoons minced ginger. Cook until the rind is tender, 10 to 20 minutes, then cool.

 

PEACH CHUTNEY

Peel, pit and chop 2 pounds peaches. Use ½ cup apple-cider vinegar; substitute ¼ cup honey for the sugar. Use ¼ teaspoon salt; add 4 smashed cardamom pods and ½ a vanilla bean. Bring to a boil, add peaches and cook, stirring occasionally until they soften. Cool, remove seasonings and refrigerate.

SALTWATER

KOSHER CUKES

Scrub 2 pounds Kirby cucumbers, and halve or quarter lengthwise. Stir ⅓ cup kosher salt into 1 cup boiling water until dissolved; add ice cubes to cool, followed by the cucumbers, 5 crushed garlic cloves and 1 bunch fresh dill. Cover with cold water; use a weighted plate to keep cukes submerged. Let sit at room temperature for 12 to 48 hours; the longer they sit, the saltier they will be. Refrigerate when they taste right.

CARROTS WITH CUMIN AND CORIANDER

Trim and peel 2 pounds carrots; cut them into ½-inch-thick sticks. Omit the garlic. Instead of the dill, toast 2 tablespoons each coriander and cumin seeds, and add them to the brine.

SORTA SAUERKRAUT

Trim, core and thickly shred 2 pounds green cabbage. Keep the garlic, but swap 2 tablespoons caraway seeds for the dill.

Yield for each: 8 servings. (Miso pickles are intense, so serving sizes are much smaller.)

Colonel Mustard In The Library With A Lead Pipe - Barefoot Contessa Mustard-roasted Chicken

Yeah, it's not a pith helmet, but - DAMN!

Colonel Mustard is the best character in Clue. He gets to wear the pith helmet and the safari jacket. I can't look at a pith helmet and safari jacket without thinking of H. Rider Haggard's great character Allan Quartermain from King Solomon's Mines. In the only cinematic version I acknowledge, he was portrayed by the delicious Stewart Granger. Granger is one of my all time heart throbs. 

KSM was a fave flick of my Dad's and he turned me onto it at an early age. In the 80s, they did a remake with Richard Chamberlain and Sharon Stone. Dad and I were all excited and went to see it when it came out. Within mere minutes, we were staring at each other in dismay. By 15 minutes into it, we left so that we had a better chance of erasing the images from our minds for all time. 

Mustard and chicken are so darn good together. Here's a couple of Ina Garten recipes in honor of Colonel Mustard. You could choose to go with roasted root veggies instead of the sprouts.

So, get out your pith helmet and safari jacket, pop KSM into the Blueray and enjoy! Mangia!

Barefoot Contessa Crispy Mustard-roasted Chicken

Courtesy: Ina Garten

4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups panko (Japanese bread flakes)

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

2 tablespoons good olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup Dijon mustard, such as Grey Poupon

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chicken, cut in eighths

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the garlic, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until the garlic is finely minced. Add the panko, lemon zest, olive oil, and butter and pulse a few times to moisten the bread flakes. Pour the mixture onto a large plate. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the mustard and wine.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle generously all over with salt and pepper. Dip each piece in the mustard mixture to coat on all sides, and then place skin-side down only into the crumb mixture, pressing gently to make the crumbs adhere. Place the chicken on a sheet pan crumb-side up. Press the remaining crumbs on the chicken pieces.

Bake the chicken for 40 minutes. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F and bake for another 10 minutes, until the crumbs are browned and the chicken is cooked through. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts (and Butternut Squash) with Pancetta

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half through the core

4 ounces pancetta, 1/4-inch-diced

1/4 cup good olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon syrupy balsamic vinegar
Ina's original recipe is just for Brussels sprouts. I like to add 1 pound of Butternut squash, cut into 1 1/2 pieces.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan, including some of the loose leaves, which get crispy when they're roasted. Add the pancetta, olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, toss with your hands, and spread out in a single layer. Roast the Brussels sprouts for 20 to 30 minutes, until they're tender and nicely browned and the pancetta is cooked. Toss once during roasting. Remove from the oven, drizzle immediately with the balsamic vinegar, and toss again. Taste for seasonings, and serve hot.

Hunan Chicken with General Yen - No Bitter Tea Required

I have been without Internet, except via smartphone, for two days. My advice to you is that you should avoid dropping a full glass of water on anything electronic. Killed my poor, sad, outdated (wait for it) DSL modem. Yes, DSL modem. Ten years old, actually, as per original box which I was baffled to discover I had kept. Anyone can tell from this extremely rudimentary blog format that yours truly is not the smartest microchip in the processor when it comes to technology.

So in celebration for being ALIVE, SHE’S ALIVE again and connected, posting a mid-week recipe.

Colonel Mustard* and I were chatting last night, about movies from the 30s and 40s. Seems he has a bit of a, ahem, yen for The Stanwyck. Who doesn’t? I’m hetero and I would have done her.

Double Indemnity was a high watermark, but the Colonel had never heard of The Bitter Tea of General Yen. It’s a fab pre-code movie, directed by Frank Capra. The General is Nils Asther, a Dane who played in yellowface. The times were different: couldn’t have a real Asian touching a white woman on the silver screen. Stanwyck plays a missionary who is kidnapped by the General. She eventually warms to him, helped down that path by an erotic dream sequence. Post-code, it would have taken decades for that scene to play to audiences. Plus, she gets to call him a yellow bastard at one point. Fun!

Thanks to La Torpille Rose, I have a DVD transferred from VHS that I guard like it’s the Crown Jewels.

It’s Asian night! Hunan cuisine is among the hottest in China. My Petal and I are chiliheads, and I make this for her when we have girlfriend mice time when her husband cat is away. Hunan Chicken isn’t traditional; it’s just something I throw together with my Go To hot marinade. It’s simple, spicy and tasty. I have toned it down here so feel free to have a free hand with the chile garlic sauce. Grilled baby bok choy are given a brush with some black bean garlic sauce, sesame oil and lime juice, and served three or four bok choy halves to a person. I serve it with brown rice.

Mangia!

*You can call me Miss Scarlett

Hunan Chicken

(You can substitute pork or shrimp. Pork will cook in about the same amount of time, but the shrimp won’t need more than a few minutes)

1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2” pieces (I usually go with thighs rather than breasts. More chickeny)

2 bunches green onions, reserve a couple for sprinkling on top of finished dish and three to go in marinade, slice the remaining onions on an angle into 2” pieces, use almost all the green

I bunch cilantro, chopped finely, divided in half, reserve for sprinkling on top (I don’t bother taking the leaves off the stems. The stems have good flavor too, and it’s a pain)

2” long piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup Chili garlic sauce (like Sriracha but with garlic also. You can increase this to taste if you'd like. I usually add a spoonful or two more when I make it for Petal)

1/3 cup Tamari (you could use regular soy sauce)

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp sesame oil (Use 1 for marinade and 1 for cooking)

1 tbsp peanut oil

Sesame seeds, optional

Chop three green onions, and put in a bowl with 1/2 of the cilantro, ginger, garlic and liquid ingredients. Stir to combine. Add the chicken pieces and combine. Marinate for about 2 or 3 hours.

Heat a wok or large deep-sided skillet on very high heat. Add the remaining sesame oil and peanut oil. Add the bias-cut green onions and stirfry for a minute or two to flavor the oils. Drain the chicken very well and add it to wok or skillet and stir fry until the chicken is cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes. At the end, add remaining marinade and stir to combine. Serve with chopped green onions and cilantro on top, sesame seeds if you wish and additional chile garlic sauce to taste.

Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Black Bean Garlic Sauce

8 Baby bok choy, sliced in half with core still attached (this helps the halves stay together on the grill)

2 tbsp black bean garlic sauce (you'll find it in any grocery store in the Asian aisle)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp Tamari or soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

Juice of 1 lime

Heat grill or stove top grill pan to medium high heat. Brush bok choy halves lightly on both sides with sauce. Spray the grill with canola or other non-olive oil. Grill until light char marks appear, turning once, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. They should retain some bite in the stalks and not be completely limp although the leaves will be a bit charred.  Yum.

Chile Chile Bo Bile Banana Fanna Fo Fille ...Name Game Version of Chile Verde

That seemed like a funny title until you see that phonetically "Bill-e" reads as "bile". Like the green stuff. And speaking of green, we are proud to bring you Pork Chile Verde with Chile Cheese cornbread and salad to remain nameless until I get to its paragraph. Just don't think about the bile.

Mangia!

Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde*

1 1/2 pounds tomatillos

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Left over from chiles en nogada!), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2 to 3 inch cubes

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

1 large yellow onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, chopped

1 Poblano chile, seeds and ribs removed, chopped

1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned and chopped

1 Tbsp of dried oregano

1 Tbsp cumin

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

Pinch of ground cloves

Garnishes:

Chopped green onions

Chopped cilantro

Sour cream (I use plain Greek yogurt)

Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin. Remove from oven, let cool enough to handle.

Season the pork cubes generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat and brown pork chunks well on all sides. Work in batches so that the pork is not crowded in the pan and has a better chance to brown well. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, lift pork out of pan and place in bowl, set aside.

Pour off excess fat, anything beyond a tablespoon, and place the onions and garlic in the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until limp, about 5 minutes. Add the chiles and the spices and saute for a minute or two to release flavors. 

Transfer the vegetables to the bottom of the slow cooker and place the pork cubes on top. Pour the tomatillos and released juices into the cooker. Add the chicken stock (enough to cover the meat). Add a pinch of ground cloves and cilantro and stir to combine.

Cook on low for 7 or 8 hours. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with warmed corn tortillas.

* To do this without a slow cooker, do all the saute work in a heavy dutch oven or large stockpot, and load everything into it after the saute step. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook uncovered for about 2 to 3 hours.

Chile Cheese Cornbread

1 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 (7 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers, drained

1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 tbsp chile powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in chiles, onions, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, chile powder and salt. Add flour mixture to corn mixture; stir until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into center of the pan comes out clean.

Nameless Pseudo-Mexican Salad with Jicama, Avocado and Tomatoes

6 cups mixed salad greens
3/4 cup peeled chopped jicama (1/2" dice or just whatever)
1 cup yellow and 1 cup red grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 cucumber diced (1/2")
1 bunch green onions chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves chopped
2 avocados, diced (yes, 1/2")
Handful of pomegranate seeds

Garlic Cumin Lime Dressing

Juice of 2 limes
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove minced and mashed (remember the Two Hot Tamales lesson?)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp honey
S and P to taste

Toss veggies with dressing. You could top with some crumbled queso fresco.

Baked Ziti - Winter Love in a Pan When It's a Shivery 62 Degrees Out

Gonna need a detox diet of tabbouleh after this

God we're so spoiled in California. The weather is great. Too bad we don't have any water. Just do what the Medieval English did: drink beer and wine and find a way to bathe in it. Infrequently. Lots of cologne helps.

A make ahead casserole dish. Mangia!

Baked Ziti from Cooks Illustrated

1 lb 1% fat cottage cheese

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 ounces parmesan cheese, grated

salt

1 lb ziti pasta

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

black pepper

3/4 teaspoon cornstarch

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F Whisk cottage cheese, eggs and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 Tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander.

  

Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12 inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in 1/2 cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.

Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl, transfer mixture to Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce and 3/4 cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat.

Transfer pasta mixture to 13 x 9 inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 3 Tablespoons basil and serve.

Dias De Los Muertos and Pomegranate Season Means....

A fiesta dish! Chiles en nogada (Stuffed Chiles with Walnut Sauce and Pomegranate Seeds) is more traditionally prepared for September 16, Mexican Independence Day, because the colors of the dish mimic the colors of the Mexican flag: the green of the chiles, the white of the walnut/queso fresco sauce and the red of the pomegranate seeds.

And just because it goes so well with the chiles, Mexican Flag Rice is the side, which is basically red, green and white rice, exquisitely seasoned and laid out in thirds on a platter so it looks like the Mexican flag without the eagle. Kind of. Sort of. Not really.

I first learned of CEN from the book Como Agua Para Chocolate. Tita prepares them for Rosaura's wedding feast and the guests are transported to heaven by the dish and Tita's genius execution of it. They will later be transported to the outhouse and any available bush by the wedding cake, into the batter of which Tita cried the night before, knowing that the next day her love is marrying her sister simply to be able to have the chance to be close to her. Her Mami (Wicked Witch of Brownsville) accuses her of putting an emetic into the batter, but it's just the magical properties of a truly broken heart at play.

You should try to wear your Dias de los Muertos sugar skull apron while preparing this. Optional for boys.

One of my Catrinas!

I started the pork the night before, as well as the green rice. My place smelled fab! Headed down this morning to check out the Catrinas and decorations down at Old Town, and came back to start on the rest in the early afternoon.

I'll take one of the chiles to Fort Rosecrans National cemetery tomorrow and violate their grave memorials policy by leaving it with Dad. He did like to try new things and I never made this for him. Plus, the caretakers there will think it's those Goose and Pops people. Goose and Pops are in the same columbarium row as Dad, and their family always leaves outrageous, rule-skirting tributes (and one permanent stone that reads Goose and Pops!). They'll take the hit and enjoy it. They sound like they were fun folks.

I think this is an old Gourmet Magazine receta, I can no longer read the margins of the paper. Mangia!

Chiles en Nogada

For pork
1 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2" pieces (make your butcher happy: ask for a whole shoulder roast, have him bone it and save 1/2 for another day. Toss the bone in with water. Nothing like a bone in stock to make everybody happy)
1 tsp salt
1 onion, cut in quarters
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 spring fresh thyme

Filling
1 cup onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 28 oz. can tomatoes (I use San Marzano tomatoes, crush with your fingers as you add them)
1 spring fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 4" cinnamon stick (go ahead and use ground, I won't tell anyone, just make sure it's not old and still fragrant, go 1/2 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg (yes, I am the owner of a nutmeg grater. Having said that, I really don't use it. Please try whole nutmeg. You can use the fine holes from a four-sided grater. It really does make a HUGE difference. Your creamed spinach will thank you.This is like the arguments against other specialized gadgets, like a garlic press. Hard to get all the good pieces out and hard to clean. The Two Hot Tamales taught me this trick way, way back: chop up the garlic, then sprinkle salt on it and use the edge of your knife to mash and drag against the cutting board surface toward you, mash and drag until it's a lovely smooth - and seasoned! - paste. Where were we? Oh, yes, Nogada)
1 tbsp. sherry vinegar, or to taste (I like vinegar...So, set 'em up, Joe)
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 small peach
1/3 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup raisins (I use golden, but you could use regular raisins)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup diced peeled green apple
1/2 cup diced peeled very firm banana

Sauce
1 1/2 cup walnut halves
3/4 cup slivered almonds, plus additional if you need to thicken the sauce
1 1/2 cups whole milk, plus additional if you need to thin the sauce (this isn't an exact science here if you hadn't noticed)
6 oz. queso fresco, crumbled
1 tbsp. sugar, or to taste
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste

Chiles
8 large fresh poblano chiles, roasted and peeled * (At the store, they will be mislabeled as pasillas)
1 cup fresh pomegranate seed (1 pomegranate)

1 very cold bottle of good Sauvignon Blanc (doesn't go into the dish, this is to get you through the dish. Feel free to substitute whatever booze floats your boat)

Drink a big glass of wine. Put pork in a 3 quart. heavy saucepan with next 4 ingredients and cold water to cover by 1/2 inch. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, skin foam and simmer partially covered until pork is tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cool pork in liquid uncovered, 15 or 20 minutes. Drain and shred. Discard remaining ingredients, reserving about 1 cup broth. Can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.

Filling: Have another glass of wine. Cook onion and garlic in oil in 12" heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes, Add tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, vinegar, sugar, salt and 1/2 cup reserved pork broth, simmer uncovered stirring occasionally until mixture is slightly thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.

While mixture simmers, skin peach by cutting a small X in bottom of peach and dropping it into boiling water for 10 or 20 seconds. Transfer to cold water in bowl, let cool; skin should slip off. Dice.

Discard whole spices and herbs from sauce; add pork and remaining filling ingredients and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes to soften fruit. Season to taste with salt, pepper and vinegar.

Sauce: Another glass of wine will sound good right about now. Puree walnuts and almonds in blender with remaining sauce ingredients until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add milk or more almonds to thin or thicken. It should coat the back of a spoon easily. Season with S and P.

Stuff and bake chiles: How did you manage to go through that whole bottle? Uncork another, or if you bought Kim Crawford, unscrew another bottle. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a lengthwise slit in chiles being careful to maintain some edge at the bottom and leaving stem intact. Carefully and gently cut out seeds and veins, kitchen shears are good for this, or you could turn the tap on very low and gently rinse the insides of the chile while rubbing the seeds and veins away. Divide pork filling between chiles (I always have leftover filling. Freeze it. It's good later stuffing red bell peppers or squash - mix it with rice). Overlap edges slightly, and spear the center of the seams with a toothpick. Transfer to a 13 by 9 shallow baking pan, cover with foil and bake until heated, 15 to 25 minutes.

Transfer chiles to plate. Pour about 1/3 cup walnut sauce over each chile and yourself another glass of wine, leaving some of the chile visible to see its brilliant green. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Fantasize about that hot renegade soldier Tita's sister Gertrudis runs off with, naked and smelling of rose petals.

*Preheat broiler. Place chiles on a baking sheet. Broil for about 6 to 8 minutes until most of the skin is charred and blistering, then turn the chiles over. Broil for another 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper or plastic bag and seal bag loosely. The steam will help loosen the blackened skins, which should be easy to slip off after you take them out of the bag. Handle them gently because they need to maintain the integrity of the walls of the flesh for stuffing. Don't get hung up if there are bits of skin that are hard to get off. This is cooking. It's not perfect and it's supposed to be fun.

Mexican Flag Rice

Courtesy: Frida's Fiestas

This is basically a green rice, a red one and a white one, arranged on a platter like the Mexican flag.

Green Rice

1 cup long grain white rice
1 small onion, minced
3 poblano chiles and one jalapeno, de-veined and de-seeded, pureed in a blender with about 1/2 cup water
1 good sized bunch cilantro, roughly chopped and pureed with the chiles
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
Juice of 1/2 line

Soak one cup of long grain white rice in hot water for about 15 minutes. You want some of the starch out. Drain, rinse well and drain completely. Saute the rice in a couple of tbsp. neutral oil for a couple of minutes, then add onion and saute for a few minutes. Add chile and cilantro puree, broth and lime juice. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cook about 20 minutes or until tender.


Red Rice (can't help myself: just start chanting "Red Rice, Red Rice, Red Rice" in Danny Torrance's voice from The Shining)

1 cup long grain white rice
2 medium ripe tomatoes, pureed with 1/2 onion and 2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp tomato paste (Buy it in tubes. It keeps better in the fridge than some sad plastic wrap covering a little, lonely 6 oz. can)
1 celery stalk
1 1/3 cups chicken broth
Juice of 1/2 lime

Soak, drain, rinse and saute rice as in green rice recipe. Add tomatoes and stir until thickened. add the remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cook about 20 minutes or until tender. Discard celery.

White Rice
1 cup long grain white rice
1/2 onion grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk
 cups chicken broth
Juice of 1/2 lime

Soak, drain, rinse and saute rice as in green rice recipe. Add onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cook about 20 minutes or until tender.Discard celery.

Arrange the three rices on a platter and garnish with either celery leaves or cilantro (I'm no Martha Stewart. You can skip the garnish. Really.)