A Dessert that’s Easier than Pie

Published February 27, 2011 Cakes and Breads , Desserts , Entrees , Special Ingredients Leave a Comment
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The leftover baguette sat on the kitchen counter getting drier and harder; I was busy at work so I just left it there. When the weekend arrived, and I was contemplating what I would be making to fill the fridge and freezer for the week to come, I thought about grating the stale bread for crumbs, until I remembered I had some baby spinach that was about to enter the toddler stage unless I did something with it fast. Spinach salad with homemade croutons, I thought, and proceeded to make large, rough cubes from the rock-hard bread. Then I heated up 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter and in a medium frying pan tossed the bread cubes and let them toast over medium heat. At the last minute, I sprinkled them with sea salt, then spread them on a plate to cool and went about my business.

The spinach salad itself was unremarkable…the greens; a hardboiled egg, chopped; sliced mushrooms and red onion; a sprinkle of dry roasted sunflower seeds, and some hot bacon crumbles…topped with a sweet-and-sour dressing right out of the bottle. Tasty and healthy to be sure, but not a meal to warm the soul on a cold and blustery Saturday night.

And then there was the problem of what to do with the leftover leftovers. A cup of the homemade croutons remained, buttery with just a hint if saltiness. Although I occasionally add a clove of garlic when I sauté croutons, I left it out for these, so they retained greater versatility. Wish I could say I did that on purpose, but the truth is I was out of garlic. It is also true that I was hungry for something warm and for dessert.

Stale bread awaits its tranformation.

So was born post-modern trifle, punk bread pudding, or no-dip fondue. I haven’t decided what to call this quick and utterly luscious dessert:

1 cup large homemade croutons
2 oz. brie, cut in cubes roughly the same size as the croutons
2 TB craisins
2 TB raspberry jam

Young and mild brie is right for this dessert.

Toss the croutons, brie, and the craisins in a small gratin dish. Microwave on high for 35 seconds, or until the brie melts but does not brown. Remove from the microwave and blob the jam across the top. Serves two, and is delicious with hot coffee.

I hope you can see that there are endless varieties on this theme. The fruit and jam are to your taste. A drizzle of liqueur or some bittersweet chocolate shavings would gild this lily.

The finishing touch...and a great brand, too!

I suppose this could be baked, but that might dry the croutons too much. A quick nuke in the microwave melts the brie, slightly warms the bread and takes no time at all.

The next time you think your cupboard is bare—think again. A dessert fit for a king and queen could be hiding in plain sight.

I Get All Mushy for Polenta!

Published January 30, 2011 Entrees , Special Ingredients Leave a Comment
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This winter punishing snow and ice have enveloped the Northeast. It’s the kind of weather that makes you want to curl up with your Kindle and let your mind wander to thoughts of something warm and filling to keep off the chill. Which is exactly how I came to find a terrific cookbook to add to my collection. The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone has actually made me look forward to blustery days, because the comfort food—some of it quite elegant—therein is just the thing to combat the cold of a dark and stormy night.

In my view the star of Scicolone’s book is her recipe for simple, but heretofore time-consuming, polenta. Polenta from a crockpot. I never imagined this was possible. But it is, and it is easy and delicious.

Heaven in a bag!

Perhaps I should back up and explain that polenta is cornmeal mush. Creamy and enriched with butter and shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese, polenta makes anything it accompanies—short ribs, lamb shanks, pot roast—taste heavenly. A traditional Italian dish, polenta requires the cook to stir cornmeal and water constantly for a long enough time that she usually decides to skip it and make something else less labor intensive. There is such a thing as instant polenta, but it’s 1) not really instant and 2) not really very good. You can find polenta in the Italian section of your grocery store, but you should wheel your cart right past it and stop instead at the Mexican or Portuguese foods, where “masa,” exactly the same as its Mediterranean cousin, can be had for a quarter of the price.

Now freed from the endless stirring necessary to keep polenta from scorching, I am using Scicolone’s fabulous recipe as a basis for all manner of winter meals. Here is Scicolone’s polenta in all its glorious simplicity: to your medium-sized crockpot, add one cup polenta (corn meal) and five cups water. Stir. Set to high and leave alone for two hours. After two hours, stir then walk away for another hour. That’s it! Scicolone adds quite a bit of salt at the beginning, but I skip this step for a specific reason. I also turn the crock pot to low after the first two hours. When the polenta is done, I stir in 3 TB unsalted butter and ¾ cup shredded Parmesan or Asiago. The addition of the cheese reduces the amount of salt you’ll need, so I prefer to add the salt after I’ve stirred in the cheese so that by tasting I can judge how much I need. I also add lots of freshly ground pepper at this point. The polenta can sit in the crock pot until you are ready to serve. You can even turn off the heat if you keep the lid on.

The housewife's little helper. No kitchen should be without one.

Here’s what I made last night…

Polenta with Vegetables, serves 6
1 recipe Michele Scicolone’s slow cooker polenta (with added butter and cheese)
3 TB olive oil
1 TB butter
3 bell peppers, assorted colors, cut into long thin strips
1 medium onion, cut into rings then strips
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 leftover pork or lamb chop, or short rib, cut or torn into small pieces (optional)
Seasonings: salt, pepper, mixed dried Italian seasonings, garlic powder
2 Tb dry vermouth
½ cup dry red wine
¼ cup water
2 TB butter to finish

In a large frying pan, heat 2 TB of the olive; add the pepper and onions and seasonings then sauté until limp and the onions start to brown. Set aside. In the same pan, add the 1 TB butter and the remaining olive oil. Sauté the mushrooms with the seasonings (except the salt) until they are golden brown. Then add the salt. Return the pepper mixture to the pan; add the chopped meat, and the dry vermouth. Let the vermouth cook away, then add the wine and water and let it bubble away, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by half. Swirl in the 2TB butter. Correct seasoning, if necessary.

Divide the polenta among six wide, shallow bowls. Top each with vegetable sauté, and pass more shredded cheese. Serve with a light mixed green salad and a good red wine. I would serve either Irish coffee or a chocolate martini for dessert.

This recipe is totally flexible. Don’t like peppers? Substitute spinach or broccoli rabe. Wonder where the tomatoes are? Add a 14 oz. can of chopped ones, if you like. It can also be served family style, of course. And leftovers can be frozen for reheating the next time it snows.

Pretty peppers all in a row.

Lamb Chops!

Published April 28, 2010 Entrees Leave a Comment
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Want to lift your spirits on a gloomy day, when the calendar says “spring” but the thermometer begs to disagree? Just ask yourself, “what would Shari Lewis do?” and you’ll have your answer. Lamb chops!

When I was a kid, I dreaded those dinners when my mother would broil chops into submission; that dread carried over to my adult years when at swish events I’d be served lamb so rare you’d swear its only visit to the kitchen was to sit on the counter to reach room temperature. It wasn’t until a few years ago, heeding St. Julia’s advice of moderation in all things, that I realized, for lamb, there was a happy and delicious medium.

The first thing I do when I bring lamb chops home is to give them a good soak in a tub of red wine, olive oil and seasonings. Overnight in the fridge is always best, but even as little as four hours, the last two on the counter, will do the trick. Then I let the oven preheat to 425F while I mix up a tasty pasty embellishment for the little darlings. All that’s left then is to let them bake for 25-35 minutes. Serve the chops with steamed asparagus that you’ve squirted with lemon juice and drizzled with melted butter for the veg and any one of three starches—new potatoes you place in the oven 14-20 minutes before the chops to give them a head start or creamy, cheesy polenta or pilaf.

Family Dinner or Impress Your Friends: Lamb Chops Can Do It All!

One of the wonderful characteristics of lamb is that it pairs perfectly with practically any wine. Last night I served it with a Grand Cru Burgundy, but it would have gone just as well with a perky Riesling.

Marinated Lamb Chops
Serves 3
6 rib lamb chops
1 c good but not great red wine
¼ c extra virgin olive oil (I’m very partial to Australian olive oil for its fresh, grassy taste)
1 tsp. each onion and garlic powder
10 grinds fresh black pepper
4-inch sprig of fresh rosemary
Juice of ½ lemon

Mix the marinade ingredients and submerge the lamb chops. Refrigerate for two hours to overnight, but in either case let the chops in the marinade come to room temperature for two hours before cooking.

While the chops are coming to room temp, preheat the oven and mix together

1 c dry bread crumbs (store-bought, homemade, seasoned or not; dry is the key)
1TB minced fresh rosemary
2 tsps. Herbs de Provence (preferred) OR Italian seasoning, crushed in your hand
Extra virgin olive oil to moisten

Wipe the chops dry, then pat on generous amounts of the crumb mixture on the fat and the bone. Place each crumbed chop on the rack of a shallow baking pan. Cook at 425 until desired doneness, about 25 minutes for rare, 35 for medium-well. I let them go for 30 minutes, and then give them a brief (5-10 minutes) rest, loosely covered with foil.

This can also be a party dish, simply adjust the amounts proportionately for the number of servings, allowing two chops per person.

Serve this and Shari would be proud!

Light Brown is the New White: Whole Wheat Pastry Flour Rocks!

Published April 23, 2010 Cakes and Breads , Desserts 2 Comments
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My baby sister convinced me to try whole wheat pastry flour for everyday baking. I was skeptical. Memories of leaden loaves of bread and super-gluey sticky buns flitted over my taste buds. All too fresh in my mind were the ghastly, inedible concoctions of the early days of health food coops and natural food stores, back in the dark ages of the 1970’s. But since my sister is an OK cook, I let her talk me into it.

Sometimes little sister knows best. I was amazed at the quality of the brownies, cakes and cookies I’ve been turning out with this miracle ingredient, which has triple the fiber (3 grams per .25 cup) of its traditional white-flour counterpart (1 gram). Unless I have a complete kitchen disaster, I cannot imagine returning to white flour anytime soon.

One of the most delicious discoveries I’ve made comes straight from the label on the Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour bag:
Nola Silver’s carrot cake
(Serves 12)
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup White Sugar
• 1/2 cup Canola Oil
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 cup Carrot, grated
• 1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped
• 3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 8 oz. Pineapple, crushed and drained
Mix together sugars, oil, eggs, salt and cinnamon. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a greased 9″x9″ pan and bake at 350F until toothpick comes out clean (about 40 minutes). While you are waiting for the cake to cool; mix together this simple icing:

3 Tbsp. soft Margarine
3 Tbsp. softened Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp. Vanilla and enough Powdered Sugar to make it just that right consistency.

The only modifications I’ve made in this superb recipe are 1) the substitution of Splenda for the white sugar, 2) the addition of 1/3 cup of raisins and 3) unsalted butter for the margarine in the frosting. I’ve served it with a dusting of powdered sugar instead of the frosting, and I’ve also baked it in a round pan, which makes an attractive presentation. You’ll need to double the recipe if you want a layer cake.

I often make Nola’s carrot cake for my parents, whose appetites are poor and who could use a little more meat on their bones. With the fruit, fiber and healthy fat it provides in a single tasty package, I feel like I’m giving them a nutritious treat. It’s for them that I use Splenda instead of white sugar, because they really don’t need empty calories.

If you haven’t tried whole wheat pastry flour yet, don’t wait like I did for a sibling to get the drop on you: run out and buy some. Whole wheat pasty flour, often several brands, is readily available in the baking aisle of the grocery store.

The Incredible, Edible…Peeps!

Published April 2, 2010 Desserts , Holiday food Leave a Comment
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I am inordinately pleased with the centerpiece I’ve made for my Easter table. Having in the past used flowers, bowls of colored eggs, or fruit, I wanted to try something different this year. And so I turned to that classic Easter basket treat, Peeps!

I am pretty sure my centerpiece will be a conversation starter at dinner, and I am looking forward to both sincere compliments and “sophisticated” eyeball rolling. Which would you do?

Chockfull of Peep-y Goodness


Glamour shot

Did you know that Peeps glow in the dark?


Sweet and delicious

PETA Approved!

You can make a Peeps centerpiece, too. It’s easy and your kids can help. Just be prepared for sticky fingers!

Peeps Centerpiece

Small container
Green pipe cleaners
Florist’s foam
Artificial greenery (optional)
One package green PixiStix
Four double packages Peeps, assorted colors

Fit the foam into the container
Double the pipe cleaner, and insert it into one Peep (the doubling is to prevent the Peep flower from “wilting” and toppling over from the weight of the chick)
Insert pipe cleaner Peep into foam
Repeat until you are happy with the result, or have used up all the Peeps
Insert green PixiStix at random intervals into the foam; do likewise for artificial greenery, if you are using it.
And that’s it: couldn’t be easier, and lots of fun.

Happy Easter!

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Crescent Rolls: What Would We Do Without Them?

Published March 19, 2010 Food for Thought , Special Ingredients Leave a Comment
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I used to be a food snob. In much the same way a fashionista falls victim to the latest attempt to bring back the midi-skirt, I’ll try any food fad. I have built architectural Ceasar salads out of whole lettuce leaves, served minimalist main courses delicately flavored by pumpkin-seed broth, and scarfed down chocolates flavored with pepper, thyme and coriander, pretending to enjoy them. European butter turbo-charged with extra fat sits in my fridge. Local heirloom produce fills my vegetable bins. If a diver didn’t personally pluck my scallops from the floor of Nantucket Bay, I won’t touch them.

How then do I explain my passionate love affair with…crescent rolls? You know, those raw, sticky triangles curled up in a tube you buy from the dairy case. One firm slap of that dough-filled cylinder, its contents bursting onto the kitchen counter, and I was a goner.

Appetizers? No problem: there’re pinwheels, mini-turnovers, pastry boats, baby quiches, amuse bouchee by the bushel–and that’s just for starters. Entrees? Slip an overcoat of crescent-roll dough on a meatloaf, and you’ve got instant Wellington. As for dessert: if you can sit it on a crust, wrap it in a crust, or top it with a crust, you’ve got yourself some mighty fine eating.

Good as is...but so much more, too!

My mother isn’t much of a cook but she too loves crescent rolls. For more years than I’ve been alive, my mother has produced meals that get the job done. When I was a girl, she kept her husband—my father—happy and her kids fed, but there were no adventures in eating around our kitchen table. The height of glamour was a lightly browned crescent roll, hot from the oven.

No wonder I grew up to study the ratings in the Zagat guides as if they were the Dow Jones. But now that I am decades older than my mother was the first time she served a crescent roll, I realize a good thing when I taste it. What growing up really means is having the courage to admit to yourself and the world—mom knows best, after all.

Hooray for Maida Heatter

Published March 11, 2010 Cakes and Breads , Desserts Leave a Comment
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Do you love desserts? Are you coo-coo for cookies? Do you bake? If you answered “yes” to all three questions, then you are likely already a member of the Maida Heatter fan club.

Maida Heatter has written cookbooks with staying power…she’s produced Great Desserts, Great Cookies, and Great Chocolate Desserts, among them. Her recipes are clearly written, use easy-to-obtain ingredients and equipment, and demand only that the cook pay close attention to little details that do indeed make desserts and cookies not just good but great.  What luck for all of us that her wonderful books remain in print, their recipes easily accessible.

Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts is a compendium of cakes, pies, cheesecakes, cookies, mousses, Bavarians, puddings and soufflés that I have been mining for confectionary gold for many, many years.  Not a single recipe has ever failed me, but two in particular stand out.

Peace and Plenty pie, in the “Crumb Crust Pie” section of Great Desserts is unlike any other.  Yes, it is a pie—with a chocolate crust—but it is also reminiscent of a cheesecake, a Bavarian, and the silky bottom of a crème brulee, all topped with fresh strawberries.  Heatter’s introductory notes indicate only that it is “from the Bahamas”; I first made Peace and Plenty pie to bring to an outdoor potluck. That it was the star of the show was less a tribute to my novice cooking skills than Heatter’s meticulous instructions.  In the many times since then that I have served this pie, it has never failed to delight my guests.

Peace and Plenty is an amalgam of cream cheese, sour cream, and heavy cream, held in suspension by unflavored gelatin. The flavoring is subtle—vanilla and a little Grand Marnier—as is the sweetness, so as not to interfere with the lushness of the pure dairy richness.  The pie is completely topped with whole strawberries and finished with a simple glaze. There is no better summer dessert when you are looking to show off.

In contrast to the flamboyance of Peace and Plenty pie, Heatter’s Date-Nut Cake Squares mix up in a minute, bake almost as quickly, and are great with coffee, in lunchboxes, or for dessert.  Like the pie, this cake contains relatively little sugar, which lets the natural sweetness of the dates shine through.  Over the years I have taken a number of liberties with the recipe, so I will share my version of Heatter’s original.

Date-walnut cake a la Maida: try it with a hot cup of coffee

Date-Walnut Cake a la Maida

1 8-oz package chopped dates

4 tb butter or ½ c canola oil

1 c water

1 tsp baking soda

1 ½  c whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

¼ c white sugar or Splenda

¼ c light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 c roughly chopped walnuts

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

A date for Saturday night!

Preheat oven to 400. Grease well an 8 or 9 inch square pan.  Combine the dates, water, baking soda and butter or oil in a small sauce pan; heat to boiling and stir until the butter melts; mix well and let cool completely.  Sift the flour and baking powder; set aside.  Mix together the egg, sugars, and vanilla; when the date mixture, which will be very thick, is cool, combine it with the egg and sugars.  Slowly add the flour and mix until combined.  Stir in the nuts.  Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake 25-30 minutes, or until well browned and firm to the touch.  NOTE:  If you are using a glass pan, check the cake at 20 minutes.  Cool on rack for 10 minutes; then remove from pan and continue to cool on rack.  Before serving, dust with confectioner’s sugar and cut into small squares.  Keeps well covered at room temp, and is in truth better the next day.

I hope you will investigate Maida Heatter’s oeuvre. Her recipes will be a great addition to your repertoire.

More Chicken Thighs, Please!

Published March 5, 2010 Entrees Leave a Comment
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I had no idea that there is a secret society, a loose confederation, really, of chicken-thigh fanatics out there until I wrote my previous post.  I thought that I’d just inherited my mother’s thrifty fondness for these meaty morsels, but now I realize that I am part of a much larger movement, one that is forever on the prowl for new ways to prepare chicken thighs.  What follows is a real charmer, easy to prepare and a showcase for the luscious rich thigh meat.

This dish gets its name from the shape of the vegetable in it, and also to signal its Italian flavors.  Whatever you call it, it’s delicious in any language.

Ready to slow cook for four hours.

Chicken Thighs Mezzaluna

Serves 4 to 6

6 meaty chicken thighs, with skin and bones

1 each Italian sweet sausage and Italian hot sausage, preferably chicken sausages, sliced thickly

2 large zucchini, halved lengthwise then sliced into thick half–moons

2 large summer squash, halved lengthwise then sliced into thick half–moons

12 small white (boiling) onions, trimmed and peeled, a deep “X” cut into the root end

8 oz white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

1 14 oz can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes

1/3 bottle dry and drinkable red wine (suggestion: California Shiraz)

3 tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp Kosher or sea salt

1 cracked garlic clove

Olive Oil

Optional: 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

Waiting for the tomatoes to be added.

Film a frying pan with olive oil, brown the sausage; when brown, drain the sausages but not the pan and set aside.  In the same pan, sauté the veggies with 1 tsp of the Italian seasoning; add oil as necessary.  When nicely brown, remove from pan and reserve; do not drain the pan.  Brown the chicken thighs skin side down; sprinkle ½ tsp Italian seasoning on thighs; turn when skin is golden brown and sprinkle with remaining ½ tsp of seasoning.

In the slow cooker, make a bed of the sautéed vegetables; sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and remaining 1 tsp of Italian seasoning; add the garlic clove and sausages and arrange chicken thighs, skin side up, on top.

Add 1/3 bottle red wine to the frying pan to deglaze it; scrape up all the sticky bits and let the wine reduce by half. It should look very dark.  Pour over the chicken thighs, and top with the diced tomatoes.

Cook on high for one hour; then low for three more.  About 20 minutes before serving, sauté the mushrooms until golden brown, then add them and the optional olives to the pot and give them a few minutes to blend in.

I serve this one of two ways: over chicken tortellini tossed with butter and freshly grated parmesan or over soft polenta.  I use the quick cooking polenta and have a heavy hand with the butter and grated parmesan.  The “sauce” will be juicy and thin, but the soft veggies and the fall-off-the-bone chicken pair well with both the pasta or the polenta.  I have not tried with rice, but I imagine that would be great, too.

There are a variety of simple garnishes for this dish:  chopped parsley,  fresh shredded basil, garlic-butter toasted bread crumbs.  And on the side, freshly grated parmesan.

Add crusty garlic bread, a simple green salad, the wine and this is a family meal with an earthy glamour that also makes it just right for company.  For dessert, gelato and amaretti cookies and espresso.  You won’t be disappointed.

If you are in a hurry, you can shorten the prep for this dish by substituting one large onion roughly chopped for the boiling onions (or you could use frozen pearl onions, in which case, skip the saute and add frozen onions directly to the slow cooker.)  You could also use pre-sliced mushrooms (a favorite time-saver of mine), although the quartered mushrooms help maintain the rustic quality of this dish, I think.

Chicken Thighs Are Yummy

Published February 26, 2010 Entrees Leave a Comment
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This best way to survive this snowy February is to fix hearty stick-to-your rib dishes that fill your house with irresistible aromas as they slowly cook.  But if you are watching your wallet contract every time the delivery man fills your tank with heating oil, or looking for ways to pinch pennies to save for summer vacation, then like me you’re also trying to find low-cost alternatives for those warming meals.

No better option exists than chicken thighs. These delicious morsels make a wonderful crock-pot dinner than yields the makings of a bonus next-day chicken noodle soup. But before we get down to the recipes, a few more praises to be sung for chicken thighs: they are almost always on sale, and even if they’re not, their meatiness and flavor make them a good buy.  They are great on the grill—self-basting!—and marry well with any barbeque sauce.  And eaten cold, they are a terrific, right-sized, protein-packed snack.  Hooray for chicken thighs!

Chicken Thighs in the Crock Pot

Serves 6, with leftovers for soup

4 lbs. chicken thighs with skin and bones

3-4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced in ¾” to 1” slices

2-3 stalks celery, with leaves, in ¾” to 1” slices

1 very large onion, roughly chopped

10-12 grinds fresh black pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 tb. poultry seasoning

1 bay leaf

1 c. low sodium chicken broth

1 c. dry and drinkable white wine

Olive oil

Preheat frying pan with a film of olive oil; sear the chicken thighs, skin side down, until golden brown; set aside and drain fat from the pan.  Deglaze the pan with the broth and wine; scrape up the clingy bits and reduce slightly.  Set aside.

Make a bed of the vegetables in the bottom of the crock pot.  Season them with the salt and pepper, and add the bay leaf.  Place chicken thighs on top, skin side up.  Pat or sprinkle the poultry seasoning on the thighs.  Add the broth/wine reduction.  Cover and cook on high for four hours; remove chicken thighs and strain the liquid into a bowl.  Place the veggies back in the crock pot and top them with the chicken.  Set the pot to warm.  When the liquid has cooled, skim the fat. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.  Heat to boiling; stir in a slurry of cornstarch and cold water and stir until thickened.

When ready to serve, place chicken thighs on a platter; reserve the vegetables.  Serve the chicken with the gravy, oven-roasted small Yukon gold potatoes (half or leave whole; shake in a plastic bag with salt, pepper, onion powder, rosemary and olive oil; place on baking sheet and roast  for 40 minutes at 425 and a green vegetable or salad—and of course the rest of the white wine.

The next day, try this quick soup:

Next Day Chicken Noodle Soup

Next Day Chicken Noodle Soup

Serves 6

Left over chicken thighs, cut or torn into large pieces, skin and bones removed and discarded

Leftover onion-carrot-celery mixture

3-4 cups broad noodles, cooked al dente and drained

4 quarts low-sodium chicken broth (best is Whole Foods 365 brand)

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 2 tb. finely chopped fresh parsley

In a large pot, combine all ingredients, except parsley; heat to boiling and boil until noodles are done.  Turn to simmer until ready to serve.  At the last minute, stir in the parsley for a bright green accent color and a fresh taste.

In Praise of Peanut Butter

Published February 19, 2010 Breakfast , Food for Thought , Special Ingredients 1 Comment
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I adore peanut butter, and always have.  The thought of giving it up when I embark on one or another diet that frowns on its fat content always fills me with sadness, so it is with particular joy when after losing a pound or two I can return a jar to my pantry.

Who, except for desolate allergics, can resist peanut butter’s unctuous charms?  Certainly not I. First, there is its purity: “peanuts and salt, that’s all,” as the Laura Scudder label used to say.  And if you opt for a salt-free variety, then it’s purer still.  Then there is its wholesomeness…high quality protein, healthy fats and not a high-glycemic carb in sight. But who am I kidding? It’s peanut butter’s taste and versatility that make it a winner.

Think, for instance, about the endless sandwich possibilities from that one jar.  Without venturing into Elvis territory it’s possible to put together delicious combinations.  My favorite is an open-faced breakfast sandwich: toast two slices of whole wheat sour dough bread or one whole wheat English muffin; top immediately with peanut butter; sprinkle lightly with Kosher or sea salt; top with well-ripened sliced bananas.  There’s tang from the sour dough, creaminess from the peanut butter, and salt and sweet from the salt and bananas. This is a filling and nourishing breakfast that will more than carry you through the morning.

Until lunch, that is, when you may want to break out the jar again for a peanut butter and bacon sandwich—toast the bread of your choice, spread immediately with peanut butter and 2-3 slices of hot, crisp, bacon.  This is not exactly health food, I admit, but it sure does taste good and is fine for an occasional treat.

Perhaps my most outlandish peanut butter sandwich is one that my mother learned from the housekeeper of my brother’s best friend.  “Aunt Libby” spread peanut butter on one slice of toast and mustard and sweet pickle relish on another and slapped them together.  This somewhat unconventional pairing is surprisingly delicious.

Just about the only kind of peanut butter sandwich I am not crazy about is everybody else’s default pb&j.  I didn’t like peanut-butter-and-jelly as a kid, and I still don’t.  And if you’ve read the above “recipes,” you may have gathered that I prefer my peanut butter melting on hot bread.  That is true in all instances except the classic Fluffernutter, which really does require spongy supermarket white bread to surround the marshmallow fluff and peanut butter.

There’s so much more to peanut butter than sandwiches, though: it’s great on crackers, apple slices, and cheddar cheese.  A spoonful straight from the jar is a great pick-me-up, an instant snack.  The cafeteria at my grammar school would occasionally have a divine brownie-like confection, “raisin-peanut-butter bars,” on its menu.  I have searched in vain for a recipe that would recreate these gems, and I will keep looking until I do because even XX years later I still savor the memory of this irresistible dessert.

One of the Silver Palate cookbooks has a great recipe for peanut butter-pumpkin soup, which makes a terrific starter to an autumn dinner.  And thinning peanut butter with a little rice vinegar makes an instant if ersatz dipping sauce for chicken strips.

I haven’t touched on the cookies, candies or savory sauces that have peanut butter as their star ingredient…but I hope I have encouraged you to think anew about a homely kitchen staple.  So let me end with an entreaty: buy the real stuff.  Forget about Skippy or Jif or those other brands larded with extraneous fats and sugar, and stick with the “natural” stuff.  If you are lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s, you’ll find its house brand is much cheaper than what the supermarkets sell and it’s great quality. You can, as I do, pour off the liquid fat that rises to the top of the jar, or you can stir it back into the butter.  The taste is pure peanuts, and the nutrition uncompromised.  Once you get started on natural peanut butter, you’ll never look back.

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January 2012
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Please come back soon for my upcoming post on eggs, omelets, and quiche. Tips, techniques and recipes for all things eggy, including egg salad, deviled eggs, dessert-for-breakfast omelets, and quiche, quiche, quiche. Yum!
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