Perfect Old School Risotto

Okay, I'm back. The past few weeks have been fairly - if pleasurably - hectic, what with house guests, visiting family, etc., so I haven't had much time to type things up. Since I'm starting coursework for my PhD (YESSSSS!) in a couple of weeks, there's also the whole "back to school" thing looming on the horizon, which may mean a little less cooking/blogging for awhile. I'm hoping to be sufficiently organized to do a lot of food prep on the weekends, and revert to my wonted once-a-week posting schedule. We'll see how that goes, but it's probably safe to expect lots of vaguely food-related references to Chaucer, British modernism, and gothic fiction; the possibilities seem limitless!

But for today, let's just Be Here Now, shall we? Here we have a simple, classic, saffron-infused risotto, just like Mama used to make. (Of course, my Mama never actually made risotto; she also looked nothing like the fine lady in the picture, who seems to have included shrimp, which would never happen. But you take my point.) This was, without exception, the best damn risotto I have ever made, and is loosely based on a version found while Googling "best classic risotto" or something. I stress the "loosely," because the model I chose to adapt insisted that the magic ingredient for a perfect risotto is - wait for it - bone marrow. Yes, you read that correctly. Now that you've got the old gag reflex back under control, I'll spare you the typically swoony, masturbatory, self-satisfied foodie rhetoric that accompanied this assertion, and just say that a few tablespoons of olive oil accomplished exactly what was required, without anyone's carcass being hacked apart. As my partner put it: "Gee, and to think I never even missed the bone marrow!"

And so, without further ado, I give you:

Perfect Old School Risotto
Ingredients
~ 5 cups stock (I'm addicted to Better Than Bouillon's No Chicken flavor)
~ 1/2 tsp. saffron threads
~ 2 tbsp. olive oil
~ 1 large onion, chopped
~ 2 cups Arborio rice
~ 1 cup dry white wine
~ Salt to taste (depending on the saltiness of your stock)
~ 1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley
~ 2 tbsp. Earth Balance (or other vegan margarine)
~ Fresh black pepper

Directions
~ Pour the stock into a pot and place over medium-high heat. Keep it very hot while you cook the risotto, but be careful to reduce heat if it comes close to a boil.
~ Toast the saffron (NB that this only takes a few seconds, and will make you feel totally cheffy!). Just place it in a metal spoon, and set it over a low flame to toast until fragrant. Add the toasted threads to the simmering broth.
~ In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion over medium heat until softened but not browned, about 7-10 minutes. Depending on how salty your stock is, you may or may not want to add a teaspoon of salt at this point.
~ Add 1/2 cup of stock, and stir until mostly evaporated.
~ Turn the heat to medium-high, and add the rice. Stir constantly for a couple of minutes, until the grains are coated and giving off a toasty aroma.
~ Pour in the wine, stirring constantly until it has been absorbed.
~ Ladle in about a cup of the stock, and stir constantly until the liquid is absorbed. Continue this way until all of the stock has been added and the rice is creamy, but still has a bit of a bite to it.
~ Stir in the chopped parsley, the Earth Balance, and a few grinds of black pepper. Mix thoroughly, remove from heat, and serve immediately. We had ours as an accompaniment to a huge pan of eggplant parm, for the perfect Italian dinner. Abundanza!

Last Minute Baked Beans for the Lazy/Organizationally Challenged Person

This total lazy cheater approach to baked beans came about because I got a last-minute craving for some sweet, smoky legumes to accompany the mac & cheese and garlicky greens I'd made for dinner. Since I hadn't planned ahead for this contingency (see above in re: lazy, last minute, etc.), and it was already almost 7pm, I took a quick look at the available supplies, considered the options, et voila: about an hour later, the idea had become reality! If I say so myself, the addition of mashed sweet potatoes was a stroke of genius. By the time the dish had been baked, they were unidentifiable as sweet potatoes, but they did something really nice to the sauce's flavor and texture, while adding nutritional value to an otherwise seat-of-the-pants, cupboard staple dish.

Ingredients
~ 2 large yams or sweet potatoes
~ 1 tbsp. oil
~ 1 large onion, chopped
~ 1 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 tsp. chili powder
~ 1/2 tsp. each: salt, marjoram, thyme
~ A few grinds of black pepper
~ 2-3 tsp. Liquid Smoke (or to taste)
~ 1/4 cup maple syrup
~ 2 tsp. hot sauce (or to taste)
~ 1 tbsp. each: prepared mustard, vegan Worcestershire sauce
~ 2 cans Heinz (or other brand) Baked Beans

Directions
~ Bake the sweet potatoes in the oven or microwave until soft. When cool enough to handle, peel and mash.
~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
~ Saute the onion and garlic in the oil over medium heat until the onions are quite soft; about 10 minutes.
~ Stir in the mashed sweet potatoes, then add all the remaining ingredients.
~ Combine thoroughly and pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish.
~ Bake, uncovered, at 350 for an hour, stirring every 20 minutes or so.
~ Serve hot!

Nigella-Inspired Boozy New Potatoes

I'm currently in the midst of a passionate love affair with new potatoes; they're so tiny, so versatile, so delicious, and - let's face it - so damned cute. One recent, steamy evening, the only thing that sounded good was salad, but it needed to be substantial enough to count as dinner; enter the wee, adorable, darling new potato.

My affection for the über-posh, bawdy, and unapologetically buxom Nigella Lawson is well-documented, and I remembered seeing some "boozy potatoes" on her blog. This seemed the most felicitous word pairing that might be wished, and a quick Google search led me to the recipe, which I altered to suit personal taste and the contents of our larder. The results were so good that I can easily see this becoming a go-to preparation; along with some falafel, shaved carrot, plum tomatoes, and a simple tahini dressing, these little beauties turned a simple plate of greens into a Proper Dinner.

Of course, the primary virtue of a method like this one is that the sky is pretty much the limit; you could change up the spices, omit the lemon juice and/or mustard for less tanginess, add chopped onions or scallions, and really do whatever suits your potato-based fancy. That said, I do suggest you make them (at least) once as written; you won't be sorry!

Nigella-Inspired Boozy New Potatoes
Ingredients
~ 2 lbs. tiny new or fingerling potatoes
~ 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
~ 1 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 2 tsp. prepared mustard
~ Juice of one lemon
~ 3/4 cup white wine
~ 1/2 tsp. each: salt, chili powder, marjoram
~ A few grinds of fresh black pepper

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit, and coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
~ Wash the potatoes, and halve some (if not all, depending on their size). Add to the baking dish in a single layer.
~ Mix together the remaining ingredients, and pour over the potatoes. Combine to make sure they are all thoroughly coated (I like to do this with my hands; it's not only fun, but moisturizing!).
~ Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil, and bake in the center of the oven for about 35-40 minutes.
~ Remove the foil, stir the potatoes, and continue baking another 15-20 minutes, until they are golden brown and glazed with the (by now somewhat reduced) liquid.
~ Serve hot or at room temperature, as a side dish, or for a perfect hot weather dinner, atop a beautiful salad with some added beans, falafel, or baked tofu/tempeh for protein.

Peanuty Noodles with Tempeh Croutons

Iwis it is not halfway to her heart.
But if it were, doubt not her wish should be
To eat some noodles with a peanuty sauce,
And twirl her fork and use it as a tool.
~ The Taming of the Shrew, 1.1.61–65 (sort of)

At this time of the rolling year here in central New England, the idea of hot - in the temperature sense - food seems pretty unappealing, so meals that can be prepared ahead and eaten later are a welcome option for those of us whom the heat makes a bit...well...shrewish. Cook these peanuty, slightly spicy noodles early on a warm day, and you can be assured of a great dinner in the evening, without having to turn the accursed stove back on. Better yet, they are delicious when eaten at room temperature, and make excellent straight-from-the-refrigerator leftovers the next day. Of course, if you're in a more temperate zone (or blessed with a less fiery temperament), go ahead and eat them hot; Iwis they'll taste just as good!

The Tempeh
Ingredients
~ 2 tbsp. soy sauce
~ 1 tbsp. each: toasted sesame oil, hot sauce, agave nectar
~ 1 tbsp. each: minced garlic, grated ginger
~ Juice of 1 lime
~ 8 oz. tempeh, cut into crouton-sized cubes

Directions
~ Combine all the marinade ingredients, then add the tempeh cubes and mix to coat. Set aside to marinade for at least an hour.
~ Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, arrange the tempeh cubes (reserve any remaining marinade), and bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure they don't burn.
~ Remove from oven and set aside.

The Sauce
Ingredients
~ 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
~ 1 tbsp. each: minced garlic, grated ginger
~ 1 tbsp. each: soy sauce, hot sauce, tomato paste
~ 1 cup smooth peanut butter
~ 1 cup vegetable broth
~ 1 10 oz. package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed

Directions
~ In a saucepan, heat the oil and saute the garlic and ginger over medium-low for about a minute.
~ Stir in the soy sauce, hot sauce, the tomato paste, and any leftover tempeh marinade.
~ Add the peanut butter bit by bit, stirring constantly. As it begins to thicken, add the broth until you have a smooth, creamy sauce.
~ Stir in the spinach and cook a minute or two more, until it is well incorporated.

You will also need...
~ 1 lb. noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed (lomein are nice, but linguine works just as well)
~ 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
~ 4-5 cups stir-fried veggies of your choice (I happened to have scallions, red bell peppers, broccoli, and mushrooms)

The Assembly
~ Transfer the cooked, drained noodles to a large pot or serving bowl.
~ Add the stir-fried vegetables, the tempeh, and the sauce; mix thoroughly. (If it looks too thick, you can add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to thin it to the consistency you want.)
~ Serve hot or cold, or at room temperature ("...not hot, but temperate as the morn"). Sprinkle with some extra chopped scallions, peanuts, and/or hot sauce, as you like it.

There and back again

We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures.
Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!
I can't think what anybody sees in them.

Well, here we are, back from three lovely weeks in England, and my feelings are the usual bittersweet mix: happiness at being home, and reunited with my beloved furry friends, combined with the sadness that comes with leaving a place I love so well. This particular trip took us to a flat in Bloomsbury, a farm in Yorkshire, and a strange, three-story townhouse in Witney (a market town near Oxford, where my partner was looking at some manuscripts). Overall, it was a combination of work and play, with a couple of conference papers thrown in for that added soupçon of virtue. We visited loads of museums, saw a few plays, took walks, hung out with friends and family, visited some wonderful churches, ruins, and pubs, and drank a lot of excellent beer and cider. One of the best things about being away is the break it imposes on our usual routines - not just what we do, but what we read, see, and think about. For three solid weeks, hardly a thought was bestowed upon American politics, current events, or popular culture. During that brief time, we were dimly aware of, yet somehow separated from the good (NY legalizing gay marriage: W00T!), the bad (the already-looming specter of the 2012 presidential race), and the tawdry (the horrendously sordid and sensationalized Casey Anthony trial) events taking place in the USA. On the other hand, we had front-row seats for the breaking shitstorm of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, heard about red-top paparazzi favorite/victim Amy Winehouse's death as it was first reported, and spent hours each morning reading newspaper articles filled with information about people, places, and things that don't necessarily get much space on this side of the Atlantic. (We also managed to miss what was by all accounts some filthy, record-breaking heat and humidity, which suits me just fine; there's a reason I spend my summer holidays in a place famous for cool, damp weather.)

So now we're home, which is nice, but still feels a bit...weird. It's a sort of liminal state of mind in which I'm not really here or there; this seems particularly true in the domestic sphere. I have thrown a few meals together, but don't feel that I've quite reconnected with the kitchen. When we're away, my culinary horizons are determined by the random vicissitudes of rented kitchen; I adjust my expectations accordingly, and tend to cook very simple things. Being back on my own turf means that the sky is - in theory - the limit, but those vague ideas I stowed away for future exploration have yet to find expression in any edible form. That said, I did have some ideas (all based on classic, podgy British comfort food, so be forewarned), and I'd be happy to entertain any thoughts, opinions, and/or suggestions. The first thing I'd like to do is a proper "fish" and chips, inspired by a really great version we had in a pub in London. At the time I was too jetlagged/overwhelmed by the medieval reliquary exhibit at the British Museum to ask how they did it, but damn, was that some good fake fish; any and all suggestions as to how this might best be achieved are welcome. The next thing is the replication of a proper, raised crust "pork" pie (for the cognoscenti, think Melton Mowbray, without the grossness). I've got a pretty good idea about the filling, but it's the hot water pastry that has me stymied at present; again, any and all advice would be most appreciated. The last thing is sausages; one of the things I lament as an Anglophile vegan in America is the utter dearth of proper, English-style veggie sausages, and whenever we're there, one of our chief pleasures is exploring the variety of available commercial renditions. Having tried several types of Fry's, Redwood, and Linda McCartney on this trip, we found LM's the best (albeit a bit salty) for flavor, and Redwood's the best for texture. Alas, since I despair of ever being able to purchase such products in this benighted former colony, we have no choice but to make our own; my partner and his daughters have made seitan sausages with excellent texture, so that's sorted, but what I seek now is the seasoning combinations for Cumberland, Lincolnshire, and Glamorgan varieties. So - please feel free to share whatever knowledge you may possess pertaining to this Very Important Matter.

And I guess that's it, for the moment. It's kind of hot here, so tonight's dinner is a big salad topped with falafel and some previously roasted potatoes (recipe to follow, b/c I kind of stole it from Nigella and it rocks), after which a bath with some of the wonderful homemade soap from the Kelmscott village crafts fair seems indicated. Thanks in advance for whatever help you may be able/inclined to offer on my upcoming experiments (and for continuing to read my ramblings).

Roads go ever, ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.

Curried Roasted Chickpeas

It's kind of ridiculous to even call this a "recipe," but these chickpeas are so great that I don't care. You could sprinkle these crunchy little darlings on a salad, stir them into soup like croutons, or just eat them all by themselves as the world's greatest snack: think of all the crispy, deliciousness of popcorn with nooch and curry powder, only loaded with protein and B vitamins!

Curried Roasted Chickpeas
Ingredients
~ 1 28 oz. can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
~ 1 tbsp. chaat masala (or curry power, garam masala, or some combination)
~ 2-3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
~ Cooking spray

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with non-stick foil.
~ In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, chaat masala, and nutritional yeast. Mix thoroughly to make sure all of the chickpeas are coated.
~ Place the chickpeas on the baking sheet in a single layer, and coat lightly with cooking spray.
~ Roast for about 30 minutes, shaking the pan every ten minutes or so, until the chickpeas are crisp and golden.
~ Allow to cool for a minute or two, and then serve; these are good hot or at room temperature.

Banana Raisin Muffins

Well. Today marks the first full year since my mother passed away; to say that the past twelve months have been a strange, sad, bittersweet, illuminating, mind-expanding, and soul-searching time would be to say nothing original or particularly insightful. It is enough to mark the occasion, and to reflect upon and appreciate the past, even as we look ahead to the future. So in that spirit, I give you what my mom was always so good at providing: FOOD. This is essentially my take on my mom's classic banana bread, veganized and interpreted as muffins (although you can also bake it in a loaf pan; it will just take another 15 minutes or so in the oven). To those who knew her, such an assertion might be seen as silly and/or impossible, given my mother's belief that all baked goods should include the maximum quantity of butter and/or eggs, as a matter of principle. On the other hand, I am pretty much a professional at this sort of thing by now, and I think the fact that a dozen muffins lasted less than 24 hours amongst my kids (historically, perhaps the greatest fans/consumers of my mother's banana bread) speaks for itself.

Banana Raisin Muffins
Ingredients
~ 2 cups all purpose flour
~ 1/2 cup brown sugar
~ 1 tbsp. baking powder
~ 1/2 tsp. each: baking soda, cinnamon, salt
~ 1/4 tsp. each: allspice, nutmeg
~ 3/4 cup raisins
~ 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
~ 2-3 very ripe bananas, mashed
~ 1/4 cup canola oil
~ 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
~ 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened soy (or other non-dairy) milk

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit, and coat a muffin tin with cooking spray.
~ In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (flour through nutmeg), until thoroughly combined.
~ Add the raisins and walnuts (if using), and toss to coat with the flour mixture.
~ In a separate bowl, mix together the bananas, oil, applesauce, and milk.
~ Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add the wet ingredients.
~ Combine thoroughly, the spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin.
~ Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
~ Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning out. Serve warm or at room temperature.