bostonzest

Tag: technique

  • Soup in Summer Beyond Gazpacho

    If we suggest soup and it’s summertime, you may think of gazpacho.

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    We like our gazpacho garnished with avocado. Learn more about that here.

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    Or, if you’re willing to stretch the meaning of soup a bit, you might think of a cup of clam chowder, lobster bisque, or seafood stew at a clam shack. The one above is a RI Clam Chowder that we posted about here.

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    What happened to all those chilled soups that used to appear as a first course at the finest restaurants? Soups like vichyssoise (leek and potato soup), watercress bisque, chilled borscht, and light and lovely fruit soups with a sour cream or yogurt base?

    Too Much Work?

    Many cold soups are much easier to prepare today thanks to blenders and food processors. If the idea of a fruit soup sounds alien to you, think about that smoothie you had today. What is that but a cold soup by another name served in a cup with a straw rather than a bowl with a spoon?

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    Fast & Economical

    One reason for starting a meal with soup is explained by Trine Hahnemann in her book, “Scandinavian Comfort Food.” “Soup was for years a first course served to make sure people weren't too hungry when the main course arrived and meat was served; meat was very costly and therefore not served in big portions.” That is one page from her "Soup for Every Season" chapter in the photo above.

    Another plus for a soup course is that you can have it ready and serve it quickly to hungry diners. Summer soup tends to be simple and can be fast to make. Just blend ripe fruit cubes with yogurt or sour cream; season it with ginger, mint, fruit vinegars, liquors, spices, or herbs; and it’s ready!

    IMG_9886  IMG_0172

    You can even make soup from food you might otherwise waste. For example, the asparagus peelings and stems left over from one night became a quick soup for another. How? Start by sautéing a bit of onion and garlic in olive oil, add your left over peelings and stems followed by water or chicken stock. Simmer until everything is tender and puree it with a blender. You can do this same thing with other vegetables. If the vegetables are juicy, like tomatoes or summer squash, you could use less broth.

    You can strain the soup or serve it in a more rustic style. You could add some cream or yogurt or keep it a broth-based soup to help you manage your weight.

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2011-2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

     (Adapted for BostonZest from one of our Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

  • Reading Cookbooks Can Be Simply for Pleasure

    One of the great pleasures in writing about food is reading a lot of cookbooks. I’m not talking about choosing a recipe and cooking from a book, but rather sitting in a comfy armchair and letting a great writer and storyteller take me to another place, another time, or another culture through their love of the food.

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    I also read cookbooks to learn more about a particular food, technique, or cuisine. Many of these are stored in my Kindle Fire ebook reader. They offer the perfect alternative reading material when waiting for an appointment or putting in miles on the treadmill on a stormy day. Often essays open chapters or sidebars and tell a story about a recipe’s origin, ingredients, or the person who taught the writer to make the dish.

    CHE_5944 (1)

    Acquiring Great Cookbooks

    My first choice for acquiring a cookbook is the Boston Public Library (BPL). Buying cookbooks is expensive and storing them requires more space than I have. Therefore I audition potential purchases.

    Many times I enjoy the BPL copy and use it to inspire a piece of writing or make notes for future reference. I can borrow it again if I need it.

    However some books are so addicting that I will refer to them often, and so popular that I may have to wait to have the library copy longer or borrow it again.

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    These go onto my wishlist. A recent example is, “My Kitchen in Rome: Recipes and Notes on Italian Cooking” by Rachel Roddy. After reading a few rave reviews by colleagues I respect, I borrowed the ebook from the library. ( I have since purchased the Kindle version)

    I read and reread this book in a weekend. Roddy took me to her neighborhood in the Testaccio quarter of Rome and introduced me to the neighbors, vendors, streets, sights, sounds, and aromas she discovered. She tempted me to make the food she learned to make and to enjoy the culture.

    It went on my wish list. At that time, the ebook price was not much less than the hardcover price. When the price finally dropped, I added it to my Kindle collection.

    More of my favorite cookbooks like this one will be in upcoming posts.

    What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

      

    Details:

    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photos: ©2012-2017 Penny Cherubino  

    (Adapted for BostonZest from one of her Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

    Related articles
    Bun Thit Nuong: A Fresh, Cool Summer Dish from Vietnam
    March 19th Is Zeppole Day!

  • Reading Cookbooks Can Be Simply for Pleasure

    One of the great pleasures in writing about food is reading a lot of cookbooks. I’m not talking about choosing a recipe and cooking from a book, but rather sitting in a comfy armchair and letting a great writer and storyteller take me to another place, another time, or another culture through their love of the food.

    Unspecified

    I also read cookbooks to learn more about a particular food, technique, or cuisine. Many of these are stored in my Kindle Fire ebook reader. They offer the perfect alternative reading material when waiting for an appointment or putting in miles on the treadmill on a stormy day. Often essays open chapters or sidebars and tell a story about a recipe’s origin, ingredients, or the person who taught the writer to make the dish.

    CHE_5944 (1)

    Acquiring Great Cookbooks

    My first choice for acquiring a cookbook is the Boston Public Library (BPL). Buying cookbooks is expensive and storing them requires more space than I have. Therefore I audition potential purchases.

    Many times I enjoy the BPL copy and use it to inspire a piece of writing or make notes for future reference. I can borrow it again if I need it.

    However some books are so addicting that I will refer to them often, and so popular that I may have to wait to have the library copy longer or borrow it again.

    516z-k8iql-_sx413_bo1204203200_

    These go onto my wishlist. A recent example is, “My Kitchen in Rome: Recipes and Notes on Italian Cooking” by Rachel Roddy. After reading a few rave reviews by colleagues I respect, I borrowed the ebook from the library. ( I have since purchased the Kindle version)

    I read and reread this book in a weekend. Roddy took me to her neighborhood in the Testaccio quarter of Rome and introduced me to the neighbors, vendors, streets, sights, sounds, and aromas she discovered. She tempted me to make the food she learned to make and to enjoy the culture.

    It went on my wish list. At that time, the ebook price was not much less than the hardcover price. When the price finally dropped, I added it to my Kindle collection.

    More of my favorite cookbooks like this one will be in upcoming posts.

    What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

      

    Details:

    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photos: ©2012-2017 Penny Cherubino  

    (Adapted for BostonZest from one of her Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

    Related articles
    Bun Thit Nuong: A Fresh, Cool Summer Dish from Vietnam
    March 19th Is Zeppole Day!

  • Compound Butter Is Sous Vide Cooking’s Best Friend

    As I learn to get the best results from my new Joule Sous Vide circulator, I check a number of sites and recommendations for each new item I cook. Often a writer will recommend marinating or adding oil and herbs to the cooking bag with meat or fish.

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    Sometimes a plan calls for searing with herbs and butter as in this guide for Butter-Basted Sous Vide Halibut from one of my food mentors Kenji Alt-Lopes over on Serious Eats.

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    It dawned on me that a lot of the time I spend preparing a bag of goodies for their sous vide bath includes using a Microplane or chopping ingredients to add to the bag or to use in the final sear in my trusty cast iron skillet.

    Compound Butter is a Sous Vide Winner!

    Kenji's recipe inspired me to make a compound butter of parsley, thyme, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and unsalted butter. I melted a bit in the microwave and mixed it with olive oil to add to the sous vide bag with the halibut. Another chunk was added to the pan when I was searing. As this melted, I tipped the pan and spooned the buttery mélange over the fish. The rest of the batch was popped into the freezer.

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    You can use a food processor to mix the flavor agents into your butter, but unless I'm making a large batch, I just mince my flavors together and use a fork to blend them into the butter right on my cutting board.

    This technique not only allows you to prepare a bunch of small batches with different flavors, but it also makes cleanup a lot easier.

    IMG_6282

    Form a log with the butter you are not going to use.

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    Wrap it, label it, and pop it in the freezer for your next sous vide adventure. With a selection of compound butters in your freezer, your next sous vide dish will take even less prep time. 
     

    What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

    Details:

    Words: Penny Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Compound Butter Is Sous Vide Cooking’s Best Friend

    As I learn to get the best results from my new Joule Sous Vide circulator, I check a number of sites and recommendations for each new item I cook. Often a writer will recommend marinating or adding oil and herbs to the cooking bag with meat or fish.

    IMG_3332 (1)

    Sometimes a plan calls for searing with herbs and butter as in this guide for Butter-Basted Sous Vide Halibut from one of my food mentors Kenji Alt-Lopes over on Serious Eats.

    IMG_6262

    It dawned on me that a lot of the time I spend preparing a bag of goodies for their sous vide bath includes using a Microplane or chopping ingredients to add to the bag or to use in the final sear in my trusty cast iron skillet.

    Compound Butter is a Sous Vide Winner!

    Kenji's recipe inspired me to make a compound butter of parsley, thyme, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and unsalted butter. I melted a bit in the microwave and mixed it with olive oil to add to the sous vide bag with the halibut. Another chunk was added to the pan when I was searing. As this melted, I tipped the pan and spooned the buttery mélange over the fish. The rest of the batch was popped into the freezer.

    IMG_6263

    You can use a food processor to mix the flavor agents into your butter, but unless I'm making a large batch, I just mince my flavors together and use a fork to blend them into the butter right on my cutting board.

    This technique not only allows you to prepare a bunch of small batches with different flavors, but it also makes cleanup a lot easier.

    IMG_6282

    Form a log with the butter you are not going to use.

    IMG_6304

    Wrap it, label it, and pop it in the freezer for your next sous vide adventure. With a selection of compound butters in your freezer, your next sous vide dish will take even less prep time. 
     

    What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

    Details:

    Words: Penny Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Irish Soda Bread Recipe Collection

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    Over the years, I've collected some favorite recipes for Irish Soda Bread. 

    Here from Epicurious is a simple, classic Irish Soda Bread recipe. It ran in Gourmet in 1991 and I think I still have the clipped page somewhere. This one is very close to the one I was taught by my Irish cousins.

    An even simpler version is the one I've seen perpared on Rachel Allen: Bake. Ballymaloe Irish Soda Bread has just 5 ingredients for the basic bread and then dozens of ways to make it your own.

    The real proof that anyone can make this type of bread is the fact that before he could cook anything else, Ed learned to make his favorite "super bread" as he called it. And, he used to make it almost daily! Here's the recipe for Ed's Super Bread also callled Brown Oatmeal Soda Bread.

    Another version of an Oatmeal Soda Bread comes from Simple Recipes. I like the photos with this one because they give you a good idea of how the batter should look. Don't over mix!

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    Technique is a very important part of learning anything in the kitchen. Traditional ways of preparing foods with family recipes used to be handed from generation to generation. I remember my mother's cousin Sally showing me how to make the bread for dinner. 

    Today, we have Youtube and some wonderful people who have had the foresight to capture the way things are done. I went looking for a video to include here and found a gem. It shows how to make a brown soda bread like the one above. But, I picked up some tricks from this lovely woman and I liked her son's commentary. Enjoy!

     

    Related Posts:

    It's Irish Soda Bread Season!

    Greenhills Irish Bakery, Adams Village Dorchester

    Clear Flour Bread– Clearly Artisan, Clearly Charming…

     

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2012 Penny Cherubino 

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Related articles
    Irish,soda bread easy St. Patrick's Day dish
    Walnut and Honey Soda Bread
    Cook's Treasure: Sautéed Onions and Garlic
    Flour Has Sandwiches … I Knew That!
    Blizzards and Irish Soda Bread

  • Irish Soda Bread Recipe Collection

    6a00e54fc42bb88834016763b42979970b

    Over the years, I've collected some favorite recipes for Irish Soda Bread. 

    Here from Epicurious is a simple, classic Irish Soda Bread recipe. It ran in Gourmet in 1991 and I think I still have the clipped page somewhere. This one is very close to the one I was taught by my Irish cousins.

    An even simpler version is the one I've seen perpared on Rachel Allen: Bake. Ballymaloe Irish Soda Bread has just 5 ingredients for the basic bread and then dozens of ways to make it your own.

    The real proof that anyone can make this type of bread is the fact that before he could cook anything else, Ed learned to make his favorite "super bread" as he called it. And, he used to make it almost daily! Here's the recipe for Ed's Super Bread also callled Brown Oatmeal Soda Bread.

    Another version of an Oatmeal Soda Bread comes from Simple Recipes. I like the photos with this one because they give you a good idea of how the batter should look. Don't over mix!

    6a00e54fc42bb88834016302bf8798970d

    Technique is a very important part of learning anything in the kitchen. Traditional ways of preparing foods with family recipes used to be handed from generation to generation. I remember my mother's cousin Sally showing me how to make the bread for dinner. 

    Today, we have Youtube and some wonderful people who have had the foresight to capture the way things are done. I went looking for a video to include here and found a gem. It shows how to make a brown soda bread like the one above. But, I picked up some tricks from this lovely woman and I liked her son's commentary. Enjoy!

     

    Related Posts:

    It's Irish Soda Bread Season!

    Greenhills Irish Bakery, Adams Village Dorchester

    Clear Flour Bread– Clearly Artisan, Clearly Charming…

     

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2012 Penny Cherubino 

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Related articles
    Irish,soda bread easy St. Patrick's Day dish
    Walnut and Honey Soda Bread
    Cook's Treasure: Sautéed Onions and Garlic
    Flour Has Sandwiches … I Knew That!
    Blizzards and Irish Soda Bread

  • Irish Soda Bread Recipe Collection

    6a00e54fc42bb88834016763b42979970b

    Over the years, I've collected some favorite recipes for Irish Soda Bread. 

    Here from Epicurious is a simple, classic Irish Soda Bread recipe. It ran in Gourmet in 1991 and I think I still have the clipped page somewhere. This one is very close to the one I was taught by my Irish cousins.

    An even simpler version is the one I've seen perpared on Rachel Allen: Bake. Ballymaloe Irish Soda Bread has just 5 ingredients for the basic bread and then dozens of ways to make it your own.

    The real proof that anyone can make this type of bread is the fact that before he could cook anything else, Ed learned to make his favorite "super bread" as he called it. And, he used to make it almost daily! Here's the recipe for Ed's Super Bread also callled Brown Oatmeal Soda Bread.

    Another version of an Oatmeal Soda Bread comes from Simple Recipes. I like the photos with this one because they give you a good idea of how the batter should look. Don't over mix!

    6a00e54fc42bb88834016302bf8798970d

    Technique is a very important part of learning anything in the kitchen. Traditional ways of preparing foods with family recipes used to be handed from generation to generation. I remember my mother's cousin Sally showing me how to make the bread for dinner. 

    Today, we have Youtube and some wonderful people who have had the foresight to capture the way things are done. I went looking for a video to include here and found a gem. It shows how to make a brown soda bread like the one above. But, I picked up some tricks from this lovely woman and I liked her son's commentary. Enjoy!

     

    Related Posts:

    It's Irish Soda Bread Season!

    Greenhills Irish Bakery, Adams Village Dorchester

    Clear Flour Bread– Clearly Artisan, Clearly Charming…

     

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2012 Penny Cherubino 

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Related articles
    Irish,soda bread easy St. Patrick's Day dish
    Walnut and Honey Soda Bread
    Cook's Treasure: Sautéed Onions and Garlic
    Flour Has Sandwiches … I Knew That!
    Blizzards and Irish Soda Bread

  • Cabbage & Kielbasa Stir-Fry: Keep it Simple in the Kitchen

    IMG_4414 - Version 22011-12-28-kielbasa-cabbage-stir-fry-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Once you master the stir-fry technique, you can take it out of Asia and transport classic combinations from other cultures to the land of delicious in a wok or large skillet. How about Eastern European Cabbage & Kielbasa as a stir-fry with some apples and onions tossed in for accents?

    That's a new favorite around here. And, in keeping with my attempt to get some of you cooking without exact recipes, I'll tell you how I made it and you can ad lib around my theme.

    • I sliced up a big, sweet onion and sautéed it in olive oil in my All-Clad Nonstick 12-Inch Fry Pan. 
    • I cut a ring of kielbasa into slices and added those to the onions to brown a bit and give off its fat and garlicky flavor to the pan. (I used a pork kielbasa but you can buy what you like: lite, low fat, turkey, etc.)
    • As the onion and kielbasa started to color a bit, I added a sliced apple. (Use what you have– I had Granny Smith. Peel it or not, that's up to you.)
    • Finally, I chopped and added a small head of cabbage (from the Prudential Winter Farmers' Market) to the pan, added some white wine, a few turns of black pepper, and stirred up the whole thing. I covered it and waited a few minutes for the cabbage to become wilted but still toothsome in places. 

    We had it with a hearty multi-grain bread. 

    Sometimes I substitute gin for the wine and add four or five crushed juniper berries to the dish. You could also add a can of crushed or diced tomatoes.

    What changes will you make to this basic recipe? Let us know if you try it and how it turned out for you.

    Related Posts:

    Here are more of my non-recipe recipes and a few with traditional details.

    Need some Valentine's Day gift ideas? Click over to Amazon and do some planning, and if you do buy something there, they'll put a few coins in our tip cup.  

    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photos: © 2012 Penny Cherubino