no sex, no drugs, no wine, no women

sushi etiquette. a video lesson on sushi eating brought to you by me from devour.tv. because etiquette is important. my bet is you’ve been doing most things wrong. watch & learn, baby, watch & learn.

watch sushi etiquette video now.

cuban black bean soup

black bean soup. this recipe comes from a cookbook i had to have, Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka. i don’t even remember why i had to have it. but, i do remember i really like this cuban black bean soup recipe and i refer to her cookbook often. the black beans are not soaked first, which is fab, because i rarely know i want black beans two days before. don’t be afraid of the copious amounts of garlic and olive oil or the added sugar, i was scared at first. the soup is yummy to the tummy and full of flavor. it’s not the standard, boring, black bean soup that many of you have tasted and lead you to believe you don’t like black bean soup. make this one, it will forever change your pea mind on black beans.

1 pound dried black beans
2 bay leaves
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large red bell peppers, cored, seeded deribbed and cut into ¼ inch dice
2 medium shallots, coarsely chopped
2 onions, coarsely chopped
8 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (i used fresh thyme)
1½ tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt

for serving: sliced red onions, sour cream, optional

below is the original recipe from the cookbook Vegetable Love. my notes appear too.

in a medium stockpot, bring 12 cups of water, beans and bay leaves to a boil. lower the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours, until the beans are tender. add more water is necessary to keep the beans covered.

meanwhile, in a medium (i used a large) frying pan, heat the oil over medium beat. stir in the peppers, shallots and onions. cook, stirring frequently, for 8 minutes or until the onions are translucent. (note: more like 15 minutes for translucent onions, don’t up the heat, you have to be patient with this step) stir in the garlic, cumin and dried and fresh oregano (thyme) and cook for 2 minutes. remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. purée in a blender. (see photo for purée in blender)

when the beans are almost done, stir in the purée, sugar and salt. continue to simmer until the beans are very tender, another 20 to 30 minutes. adjust the seasonings.




note: a great reason to have herbs growing indoors. i have thyme & parsley to snip when needed! pictured here, tender thyme.

Around the World Thursday

Morocco. Forty Two at the Clinton Presidential Center (whew, long name), a shape-shifting restaurant located in the basement of the Clinton Library recently held a Moroccan themed dinner/night of entertainment. Around the World Thursday, as the events are called, have been cooking for quite a while. here’s the 411; the third thursday of each month, Forty Two holds a reservation-only, themed dinner night. doors open at 6:30p, dinner is served at 7p. the dinner cost $27.95 and includes; 1 glass of wine or soft beverage, a 5-course meal, live music and perhaps a show. this evening kicked off with mike selig (ex chef/owner of tits-up Vermillion) introducing chef jason peck and describing the evening as a “version” of Morocco. a solo guitarist played throughout the dinner but a grand finale belly dancer stole the show. food and entertainment lasted until nearly 10p. the food was definitely different ~ a culinary adventure, for sure. i could describe each dish, but, since this was one night in morocco, & chances are, you’re not going to be able to order up any of the dishes for yourself, i will just say that the evening’s experiences enticed me to try another Around the World Thursday. go on, do something different. i’ve already reserved my spot for a future 3 thursdays.

Forty Two at the Clinton Presidential Center
1200 President Clinton Avenue



501-537-0042

baby back, baby back, baby back ribs

baby back ribs. this emeril recipe was featured on the martha stewart show and since the ribs were on sale at whole foods, this was the recipe to try. the original recipe is for “wet” ribs. we decided, after we tasted them, they did not need the bbq sauce. we ate ‘em “dry”. these ribs were super easy to prepare, fall off the bone tender, highly seasoned and decidedly better than any restaurant ribs we’ve tried. the spice blend is a good all purpose blend for meats or, do as i did, and add it to potato salad, you’ll definitely have enough spice blend left over to experiment. here’s how to make the spice blend and the ribs;

emeril’s spice blend

combine in a cute container with a lid;
8 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons cayenne,
5 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons onion powder
6 tablespoons salt
2 ½ tablespoons dried oregano
2 ½ tablespoons dried thyme

ribs~you'll need;

2 racks baby back ribs
6 tablespoons emeril's spice blend
1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon celery salt

you’ll do;

Preheat oven 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the pan twice. Line the aluminum foil with an equal sized piece of parchment paper. (You will be folding this over the ribs and sealing it.)
Place ribs, meat side up, in an even layer on prepared baking sheet; set aside. In a small bowl, combine emeril's spice blend, salt, pepper, and celery salt; stir to combine. Divide seasoning evenly between both slabs of ribs, coating well on each side. Fold the extra length of parchment paper-lined aluminum foil over ribs and seal tightly on all sides. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until ribs are very tender, 2 ½ to 3 hours.

set out a roll of paper towels & eat.

eggcellent!

farm fresh eggs. i just got back from an egg run. raymond & reba keep 70 chickens in roland. reba tells me the eggs i just purchased for $2 a dozen, were laid yesterday & today. i like it and you should too. why buy eggs laid by a tortured chicken from a chain supermarket when you can buy fresh, local, eggs from someone that really appreciates your business? here’s the drill; call raymond and reba and place your egg order a day before you would like to pick ‘em up. reba (and maybe raymond) will meet you at the walmart on hwy 10, near the garden center. pay her cash and she’ll hand over the eggs. in my case, all in a sturdy reusable bag. reba tells me to return the bag on my next order pick up ~ she’s that sure i’ll be a return customer. don’t forget to save and return your egg cartons too, that’s how reba keeps prices low. are you up for an adventure, some fresh eggs and a nice conversation that’s sure to put a smile on your face? good, call raymond & reba and place your egg order. now.

Farm Fresh Eggs
Roland, AR
868-9832

souper delicious!

cream of broccoli soup. believe it or not, this was my maiden voyage into cream of broccoli soupdom. somewhat surprised by the amount of milk & cream some recipes required, i adapted my own recipe and added a bit of veggie stock. don't get loco with the queso, the soup doesn't need it. sweet with my signature snap of cayenne, this soup was soul warming and, i am pretty sure, the best c.o.b.s. that you’ll ever eat. here’s how;

you’ll need:

2 pounds fresh broccoli (i bought broccoli crowns b/c they were on sale)
4 tablespoons butter
2-3 cloves of fresh garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon white pepper
3 cups milk, divided (use what you have on hand)
1 medium egg yolk, beaten
¼ cup flour
2 pinches of cardamom, ground
2 pinches of cayenne pepper, ground
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup veggie stock
⅓ cup Gruyere cheese (fresh, finely grated)

you’ll do:

1. cut broccoli into bite-size pieces. use tender leaves and stems. 
2. place broccoli and ½ cup of water in a casserole type dish, cover w lid or plastic wrap. steam the cut broccoli for 6-8 minutes in a microwave, checking every 2 minutes, just until bright green in color. do not overcook. 
3. cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for another 10 minutes or until the broccoli becomes AL DENTE.
   
   
4. mash the broccoli right in the dutch oven until no large pieces remain. use a potato masher. you will be met with some resistance. use your muscles, that is why you have them. mash until there are no pieces remaining that are too big to fit on a soup spoon. remove from dutch oven & place back into container you steamed it in. set aside.
5. while broccoli is cooking, add beaten egg yolk to 2 cups of milk.
6. put 3 tablespoons butter into the same used/dirty dutch oven, no need to wash it. melt butter and add flour. stir. as the flour begins to cook, add the egg/milk mixture into the saucepan. add the cardamom & white pepper. stir contents of saucepan constantly with wooden spoon until thick. lower the cooking heat.
7. empty the mashed broccoli mixture into the saucepan. stir until well-mixed. slowly stir in the remaining milk, cream & veggie stock. as the soup becomes warm, add the grated cheeses. taste, add salt and a pinch of cayenne.  
8. turn the heat to low and simmer for about 5 more minutes. do not allow to boil.

CB&G or keep your pants on anonymous

capital bar & grill. a great lunch spot. a fab dessert spot and wed-sat evenings, you get ted. i posted my cb&g dessert experience last october but since anonymous wanted more, here it is; m-f the cb&g offers a substantial lunch menu and one $8 plate lunch special that is not on the menu. i opted for the off the menu lunch special of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and green beans all covered with a white gravy. i started it all off with an iced tea that cb&g serves with a tiny pitcher of simple syrup. that took care of the never dissolving sugar saga. yes, i am a real sugar girl. next up a mesclun greens with roasted beets, blue cheese and sorghum vinaigrette salad. a steal of a deal for $4. & if you weren’t told the vinaigrette contained sorghum, you wouldn’t know it. the chicken fried steak was large, super crispy and not at all greasy. the steak was tender, not tough, nor gristly, nor fatty, nor stringy. a nice cut of meat, perfectly seasoned and scrumptious. so scrumptious that i forgot to take a photo. a nice fellow working the floor went to the kitchen and snapped one for me. the potatoes were skin-on and a chunky, yet creamy, mash; all served up with a square of rice flour bread, which was a light-as-air and refined piece of cornbread. mmm. the service is impeccable. it’s the kind of service that can go unnoticed because nothing happened that you can complain about. here’s my advice, go to the capital bar & grill. notice the wonderful food, notice the near perfect wait staff and if you go when ted’s there, notice your foot  tapping under the table. Lee Richardson is the chef of both Ashley’s and Capital Bar & Grill. he participates in local Farm to Table dinners and is a staple at the CAFM (argenta farmers market) foodie fests. he can do no wrong. now, get off your ass & go to cb&g. thanks.

Capital Bar & Grill - inside the Capital Hotel

111 West Markham Street
Little Rock

374-7474

Artichoke & Shrimp Soup!

artichokes. inspiration came by a segment from the Dr. Oz Show where the grandma, mom & daughter were all, uhm, large. footage of the big italian family passing around food gave a glimpse of stuffed artichokes. from that image came the idea of artichoke & shrimp soup. i’ve eaten it once in new orleans and the difference here would be, the n. o. version had more cream. if that’s what you’re into, add more. the recipe may look intimidating, but it’s broken down into two days, allowing the flavors to meld. this is an upscale, restaurant style soup. thick, flavorful and totally company worthy. here’s how: 

Artichoke & Shrimp Soup
 
you’ll need:

1 pound shrimp, peeled & deveined, shells reserved
1 to 1 ½ quarts chicken or veg stock or a combo
4 tablespoons butter
2 bunches green onions, chopped, white & green
4 ribs celery chopped into small cubes
3 cloves garlic pressed
3 boxes frozen artichoke hearts, 9 oz each
3 tablespoons flour
cayenne pepper, a pinch
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
⅓ cup cognac
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Slap Yo Mama cajun seasoning salt
few grinds of freshly cracked pepper 

you’ll do:

1. peel and devein shrimp, keeping shrimp shells
2. pour 3 cups from a 1 quart box of stock into a medium size pot. on medium heat, add shrimp shells to stock to make a shrimp infused stock
3. in a large heavy pot/dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat
4. add celery and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes
5. add green onion & sauté, for about 3 minutes
6. add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds
7. add frozen artichokes
8. cover and let the artichokes defrost and break apart, about 5 minutes
9. sprinkle mixture with flour and stir to coat well
10. strain shrimp shells from stock & gradually add infused stock to pot, stirring constantly
11. add cayenne, salt, worcestershire, thyme and the remainder of the box quart of stock
12. simmer for 1 hour, covered
13. add cognac and simmer for 10 minutes
14. reduce heat, do not allow soup to boil
15. stir in half & half and milk

cool and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, next day do;

1. preheat oven to 400℉ 
2. heat the soup slowly over low heat
3. add up to a ½ quart of stock to desired consistency. do not thin too much!
4. pat dry shrimp and put in a bowl
5. to the shrimp, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, few grinds of pepper, a teaspoon of cajun seasoning (something like Slap Yo Mama) stir to coat & place shrimp on sheet pan. do not let shrimp touch
6. bake 8 minutes
7. when shrimp are cool enough to handle, slice 6-8 of the smallest and most curled shrimp lengthwise, these will be the garnish for the soup bowls
   
8. chop the remaining shrimp in to small pieces for the soup (1 shrimp = 8 cut pieces)
   
9. add the chopped shrimp to soup just before serving 
10. garnish soup with 2-3 slices of shrimp

eat. 
come on, you can do it.
 

say cheese!

cheese cake. today is gorillaman’s 50th birthday so, i did something i normally don’t do...baked. i adapted a recipe from the relish food insert that occasionally comes in our wednesday paper. the recipe was for a light cheese cake. ha. i didn’t purchase the light version of cream cheese nor sour cream but did on the cottage cheese. yes, cottage cheese. the recipe was amazingly simple and didn’t dirty up many items in the kitchen. it’s made primarily in a food processor. yippee. prep is literally 15 minutes. the most difficult part of this recipe is to remember to set out the cream cheese & eggs so they come up to room temp before you begin. first, twirl the graham crackers in the processor to get your crumb crust out of the way, wipe out the processor then start on the filling. OMG! i couldn’t resist licking the spatula after i filling the springform pan. i wanted to keep back some of the raw filling & eat it with a spoon, but i didn’t. gorillaman said this was the "best cheese cake" he's ever eaten & our capital bar & grill waiter took a piece for himself. here’s how:

you’ll need:

for the cake: 

cooking spray
½ cup graham crackers, crumbed in food processor
¾ cup, plus 2 teaspoons, sugar, divided
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 pound 2% reduced-fat cottage cheese
1 (8-ounce) block reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
¾ cup reduced-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 eggs, room temperature
2 egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 

topping:
4 cups strawberries or blackberries (i used blueberries & needed only a handful)
⅓ cup seedless raspberry jam (i used a 10 oz jar of fruits of the forest fruit spread)

you’ll do:

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. (i used a 6”)
2. Combine cracker crumbs, 2 teaspoons sugar and butter. Press evenly on bottom of pan. 
3. Place cheeses in bowl of a food processor; process until smooth. Add 3/4 cup sugar, sour cream, flour, eggs, egg whites and vanilla; process until smooth. Pour into pan and bake 55 minutes or until just set. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate several hours to overnight.
4. For topping, remove outside rim from springform pan and arrange berries on top of cake. Stir jam with a whisk until smooth. Spoon over fruit. Some berries will not be entirely covered.

petites carottes

carved baby carrots. don’t bore your guests with those played out mini carrots that hardly resemble a carrot. these carrots are cute and a handy size for dipping. just watch your guests to ensure no double dipping. these are the whole foods - 365 everyday value store brand. at $2.69 for a pound package, i could not resist. marketed to be steamed, i found a better use. these carrots are sweet & delicious and totally up the style of the snack table. we’ve all had the tasteless mini carrot of yore...don’t buy those, buy these.

Whole Foods

10700 North Rodney Parham Road
(501) 312-2326

deconstructed lasagna

deconstructed lasagna. or baked pasta, you choose, either way, this was super easy, super satisfying and pretty damn good. good luck finding broccoli rabe around little rock, whole foods will order it for you or you can buy some that’s seen better days at fresh (ahem) market. a few changes i would recommend is; use chicken or turkey sausage, reduce the oven temp to 350℉, up the baking time to 20-25 minutes and cover with foil when you bake. & p.s., my liquid never bubbled, because i used 16 ounces of pasta rather than the 8 ounces  called for in the recipe ~ it worked, a tad dry just on the top, you'll want to use 8 ounces. this recipe comes from the Everyday Food series on PBS. here it is;

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 sprigs thyme
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 links spicy Italian sausage (3/4 pound total), casings removed
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
8 ounces medium shell pasta
1 bunch broccoli rabe (about 1 pound), trimmed and coarsely chopped
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden brown, 15 minutes (reduce heat if browning too quickly).

Add garlic and sausage. Cook, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with spoon. Cook sauce until slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 4 minutes less than package instructions. Add broccoli rabe to pot and cook 15 seconds. Drain pasta and broccoli rabe and return to pot. Stir in sausage mixture. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish or divide among four 16-ounce gratin dishes. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until cheese has melted and liquid is bubbling, about 15 minutes.

panino!

panino. i felt the need for a warm sammie on a recent cold day and broke out the george foreman grill & presto; a panino at home. ok, i didn’t have to & maybe shouldn’t have made the cross hatch marks, but, nevertheless, this black forest ham & melted swiss panino was yum. inside a slather of dijonaise. i should have taken the photo after i took a bite, it was picture perfect with the melted swiss making a 10 inch string from the sandwich to my mouth, ok, maybe not. don’t buy a panino, make one!

and now a note from wikipedia: The word panino [pa'ni:no] is Italian for "small bread roll"; its plural form is panini. The word is the diminutive form of pane ("bread"). Outside Italy, panini is often incorrectly used as a singular word and is sometimes even more bastardized and pluralized into paninis.
In Italian, panino refers properly to a bread roll and a panino imbottito (literally "stuffed panino") to a sandwich. A paninoteca is a sandwich bar.

coooooookies

pfeffernüsse cookies. i found these cookies at kroger and had to have ‘em. while they are not the exact delicious treat i indulged on in europe, they are cake-like, spicy, sweet and tasty. odd, because, the ingredient list doesn’t include the spicy and sweet ingredients of ginger, pepper or molasses which are the traditional key ingredients of the cookie. whatever. try ‘em, they’re good & stocked near the deli case.

uh, ok.

LRB took a tapas cooking class from the arkansas extended learning center. while the chef seemed to not have his ducks in a row - his assistant may have been missing some ducks. still, the class was a learning experience. not all the recipes were on the class handout and if they did appear, an ingredient here or an amount there, may have been curiously m.i.a. but, we did come away with recipes for a chipotle compound butter, shrimp ceviche, maryland crab cakes, bacon stuffed mushroom caps and flank steak with a take on chimichurri sauce. most of which i have made on my own at home (except for the ceviche & crab cakes) and all turned out to be yummy. back to the arkansas extended learning center. i am painfully embarrassed to even give you a link to their site. one link is a download for the fall 2009 schedule, while the class calendar page proudly states-> 2008 class calendar coming soon! what the hell is dana doing over there?? again, i’ve been sidetracked. well, i guess there isn’t much more to write. enjoy the photos and let me know if you would like me to post any of the recipes...pictured here is the ceviche.

Dana Venhaus, Director


AR Extended Learning Center


registration@extendedlearning.org


P.O. Box 7507


Little Rock, AR  72217-7507


501.666.0759

mushroom & brown rice stuffed savoy cabbage

stuffed cabbage rolls in tomato sauce. a savoy cabbage caught my eye. i wanted the sweet & sour tomato sauce but wasn’t feeling the grease that meat would give up. so, i decided to wing it with brown rice & mushrooms. the result was just what i wanted. delicious! i should have doubled the recipe. i made my brown rice the day before. here’s how;

filling

1 head savoy cabbage, cored & blanched for 3-5 minutes
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
10 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped to resemble ground meat
1 cup brown rice, just cooked, not mushy
1 onion, diced finely
½ teaspoon allspice
salt & white pepper

sauce

15 oz can of tomato sauce
2 tablespoons honey or sugar or agave nectar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt & white pepper

cook brown rice. i did this the day before.

boil water in a pot large enough for the cabbage head. core the cabbage and when water boils add cabbage, you may have to hold it down, mine wanted to float. you want the leaves to be tender and easy to remove. lift cabbage out of boiling water with chinese wire strainer. let drain over pot, then transfer to a colander to cool. in a skillet add olive oil. when it starts to shimmer add diced onion and stir. start chopping your mushrooms and add to skillet in batches as you chop. cook until tender. add allspice, salt & pepper. stir in cup of cooked rice. done. set aside.

preheat oven to 350℉.

in a sauce pan add tomato sauce, honey, lemon juice. heat through. add salt & pepper to taste. simmer 5 minutes.

in a shallow casserole with a lid, cover bottom with tomato sauce. remove leaves from cabbage and cut the sturdy part of the spine out of the leaf. now the leaf will lie flat. place ⅓ cup or so of mushroom & rice mixture on leaf & roll. place in casserole dish seam side down. cover rolls with sauce. put lid on dish and bake for 30 minutes & sauce is bubbling. let rolls rest, covered, for 15 minutes before serving.

How To Roll Cabbage Leaves:

1. cut sturdy part of spine out of leaf
2. open the leaf & lie flat on the counter.
3. place the mushroom/rice mixture in the center of the leaf.
4. bring the top and bottom of the leaf over the mixture.
5. roll the sides into the center to overlap each other.
6. Place seam side down in the dish to bake.

parmesan rinds

soup. save your parmesan rinds. if this soup doesn’t convince you to bend over & get a freezer bag, nothing will. make a soup using up the fridge/freezer & pantry scraps & give it an italiano flair with a parmesan rind. there is no recipe for this soup. in order for you not to waste time in wonder, here is what i did; i dumped into a crockpot:

½ onion, diced

1 small sweet potato, cubed

3 stalks celery, diced

leftover & frozen tomato paste

leftover frozen pesto

1 frozen parmesan rind

a rosemary branch

chicken stock, enough to top it off. yes, you can use veg stock

when the veggies were almost tender, i threw in

⅓ cup orzo pasta

1 can of cannellini white beans, drained & rinsed

tummy warming & molto bene. you can also use the parmesan rinds in spaghetti sauce! don't try to eat the rind, folks, it's in there for flavor. save those rinds!

black bean dip

black bean dip! this is super easy & super delicious! consider making this for your next party. get your santoku knife out. here’s how;

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
¼ cup red onion, finely diced
¼ cup cilantro, finely diced
2 jalapeños, seeds removed, finely chopped
6 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 avocados, cut into small cubes
juice of 1 lime
garlic powder, a sprinkling
½ teaspoon ground cumin
salt to taste

in a mixing bowl, add ingredients in layers. add beans & cumin, red onion, cilantro, jalapeños, tomatoes and salt, add avocados, more salt, garlic powder then lime juice. stir to combine. break out the chips & eat!