|
We are
now entering February
and legend has it if the
chef’s groundhog sees
its shadow, we have six
more weeks of comfort
cooking to look forward
to.
What exactly is
comfort cooking? And no
it is not wearing sweats
in the kitchen. Comfort
foods are those old
reliable dishes that hit
the spot when the days
are short and cold.
Also known as peasant
food or grandma's
cooking, these are the
dishes that first drew
me to the stove.
Good chicken noodle soup
in a rich broth and
thick chewy homemade
noodles with crunchy
chunks of irregularly
cut vegetables. Creamy
and very
 cheesy
macaroni and cheese, not
the poor relation that
comes out of a box and
is more closely related
to a chemistry set than
real food. Roasted
chicken pungent with
herbs whose smell
invades every corner of
the house on a wintry
Sunday afternoon.
Thick rich beef stew
brimming with
onions and mushrooms with a sharp bite from a
little extra red wine
that begs to be sopped
up with a crust of good
fresh bread.
Now I know what you
are thinking -
who bakes bread anymore
- but with the
invention of the
counter-top bread maker,
lots of people do and
its easy and
delicious, plus most
decent grocery stores
have wonderful fresh-baked, rustic style
breads that are
very good.
What makes comfort
food so comfortable?
Good ingredients and
time, not lots of time in
preparation but slow
long cookin’ that
transforms that sad dead
chicken into a golden
browned crunchy skin
roasted chicken that
makes you want to savor
every juicy morsel.
Time? Who has
time to cook like that?
Make time! We buy all
sorts of gadgets and
devices to save us time,
cell phones, computers,
we pay our
 bills
online, shop online,
read quirky food columns
online all to save time.
So what do we do with
all that time we save, besides sit back and
grumble that we have no
time? So let’s make a
pledge in the new year
and cook one honest to
goodness grandma
inspired meal a week.
Too much hassle? O.K.
One a month. Just step
away from the blackberry
and the cell phone and
step into the kitchen.
You know - the place in
your house with that
thing that has burners
and turns raw food into
moments to savor. Yeah,
that room. The one with
the big box that’s
covered with the
schedule of where
everyone in your house
needs to be, and also
keeps food cold.
Put aside your worries
and cook.
Relax and enjoy food at
a table and enjoy a slow
meal, cooked slowly with
love and care. Why take
the time? Because food
is more than just fuel
for the body it also
nourishes the soul and
creates memories. How
often does a smell
transport you back in
time to a simpler slower
place? That twinge you
get when you smell fresh
chocolate chip cookies
coming out of the oven?
That’s a food memory -
the kind that just
relaxes you and
rejuvenates you.
Being able to cook and
create with food is what
separates us from
animals. I doubt that
there are packs of
wolves sitting in their
dens going, “You know,
that antelope was good
but what it really
needed was a little more
garlic and some kosher
salt.” They don’t do
that. We humans are
gifted with those senses
and abilities, so let’s
not waste them.
Put aside your
busy schedule and cook
some comfort food. I’ll
make it simple for you
Here’s a menu and
recipes for a simple
winter’s meal which will
nourish the body and
soul. Plus, for those
who have been waiting
and writing me
threatening e-mails - a
recipe for crab cakes.
I leave
you with these
inspirational words:
S l o w d o w n .
Enjoy your food.
After all, we left the
cave thousands of years
ago.
A February Sunday
Dinner
|
Potato
Leek soup
Herb roasted chicken
with garlic mashed
potatoes
Sautéed green beans
with
bacon and shallots
Chocolate cherry bread
pudding |
 |
 |
Potato
leek soup |
|
Sautee
leeks and garlic in
butter in medium sauce
pot over medium heat.
Dust lightly with flour add white wine. Cook 2-3
minutes add potatoes.
Sautee 3-5 minutes add
stock. Cook over medium
heat add thyme, salt
and pepper to taste.
Cook until potatoes are
tender puree (use a hand
blender) finish with
heavy cream ½ or more
depending on richness
desired. Cook 10-15
minutes serve and enjoy.
|
|
|
|
Herb
roasted chicken |
 |
-
1lg
chicken
-
Kosher salt
-
Black
pepper
-
Chopped fresh thyme
-
Chopped fresh
parsley
-
Chopped fresh
rosemary
-
Olive
oil
-
Lemon
juice
Mix all
ingredients plus some
chopped shallots to form
a loose paste. Rub over
chicken inside and out.
Cook in 350-degrees oven
for 45 minutes to 1
hour. Depending on size
of bird, cook until it
reaches internal temp of
165-degrees. Add 2 cups
of chicken stock to pan
drippings cook till
reduced by ½. Serve with
chicken.
|
|
|
|
|
Roasted garlic mash
potatoes |
|
Cook
potatoes starting in
cold water till tender
but not mushy.
Drain, put in mixing bowl
on low speed add garlic,
salt, pepper, slowly
adding butter and cream
until smooth and creamy.
|
|
|
|
Sautéed
Green Beans |
|
-
1lb
blanched green beans
-
2
shallots chopped
-
Salt
-
Pepper
-
6-8
slices bacon diced
-
Olive
oil
Sauté
bacon and shallots in
olive oil over medium
heat until bacon becomes
crispy. Add green beans
salt and pepper. Cook
until beans are warm
through.
|
|
|
|
|
Chocolate cherry bread pudding |
-
8
cups diced stale
French bread
-
6
whole eggs plus 2
yolks
-
2 cups
heavy cream
-
1 cup
sugar
-
½ cup
chopped bittersweet
chocolate
-
8 oz
dark sweet pitted
cherries
-
Butter casserole
dish lightly
In
separate bowl put bread
mix. Cream sugar, eggs and
yolks. Toss with bread.
Add chocolate Ann
cherries. Put in
casserole dish. Bake in
345-degrees oven for 1
hour. If top gets too
brown, cover with foil.
Serve warm with vanilla
ice cream.
|
|
|
And now...
What you
have all
been waiting
for... |
|
The Persnickety Chef's
FAMOUS Crab
Cakes |
|
|
In a bowl
place crabmeat. Do not
break up. Add all
ingredients except panko.
Mix lightly keeping
lumps intact. Add panko
to bind. Form into
desired sized cakes bake
in oven at 375-degrees
for 12-14 minutes until
golden brown. |
|
|
