The Stuff We're Made Of: Recipe

My husband and I once visited New Orleans - long before Hurricane Katrina - and ate our way through the city, as so many people do when they arrive in the Big Easy.  It's an iconic place - so full of life and a richness that you don't find in many other places. Of course, I won't bore you with details about NOLA but bring it up because I have a particular memory from our time there - we ate at a place called Clancey's - and it was famous for its stuffed pork chop, the size of a small child. It was outrageous and I'll never forget that chop or the mmmmm that slid out of my mouth with the first bite.

I've always wanted to stuff a pork chop (weird, I know), but never saw the right chops or had the time to do it, etc.  Today, the stars were aligned and I bought the right sized pork chops and had the right ingredients and even had the time to make it - and the laborious risotto side dish that accompanied it.

When the kids tell me the food is good, I know I've done something right.  But to be honest, they're easy to please - I mean come on, they eat mac n cheese from a box mix! But when I enjoy something I've made, then I know it's good - because I am my own toughest critic.

Make these when you have the time - the pork didn't take too long, actually, but it does require some attention. I made life difficult by adding the risotto but the kids love that so it made "stuffed pork chops" a bit more likable!

The stuffing was a snap and could have been anything, really.  I saw a recipe for a Roquefort stuffed pork chop so stuff it with whatever interests you. This combination just seemed to work in my head as I was thinking it through and fortunately, for me, it worked in actuality.

Apple-Walnut Stuffed Pork Chop with Chorizo
serves 4

4 1 - 1/2" thick pork chops, on the bone
1/2 medium apple, chopped
1/3 cup walnuts
1 slice white bread, torn
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup chorizo
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup Calvados Brandy
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Saute the onion for about 6 minutes, stirring often. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts, apple and chorizo until all small crumbs form. Once the onion is soft, add the bread to the pan and toast the bread - about 2 minutes, stirring often or the bread will stick to the pan. Pour the onion and bread into the food processor and pulse again so the bread is finely chopped.

Meanwhile, make a 1 1/2" incision into the chop's flesh, opposite the bone - on the thick part of the meat. Gather about 3 tablespoons of filling and stuff it into the slit and secure closed with a wooden toothpick. Sprinkle both sides of the meat generously with salt and pepper. Warm the remainder of the oil in an ovenproof pan and sear the chops - about 6 minutes per side - until they are a light shade of brown. Raise the heat slightly and pour the calvados into the pan - firmly shake the pan to full incorporate the brandy into the meat.

Slide the pan into the oven and cook about 25-30 minutes. Let the meat rest in the juices for about 5-6 minutes (I left mine in the oven with the door cracked open and turned off the heat).

The Great India: Recipe

The final stop on this week's tour of International foods was a personal favorite of mine - Indian food. I wouldn't say I have a vast knowledge or experience with this type of cuisine, but I did take an Indian Food cooking class some time ago - a three-session class where I came away with some amazing recipes and some great tips. Tonight's dinner was about simple but flavorful Indian-inspired foods made with relative ease.

The kids were introduced to Indian food about five months ago - it was one night between Christmas and New Year's when I launched into a crusade to try and pursuade everyone that we should go out for Indian food.  My oldest was all for it (she had never eaten this type of cuisine before but she was game) and because she was willing, so was my middle guy. That left my husband who likes Indian food but it isn't his "go-to" food when he wants something interesting but he, too, went along with the idea,  since we were all in agreement.  My daughter and I set about to a place that wasn't too close to home but that I knew had good food and we ordered the entire left side of the menu, as I usually do when ordering take out. We brought it home and once we began to dig in, the kids were actually vocal about how good the food tasted.  So tonight's dinner was an easy sell and in fact, when my oldest only saw the chicken on the table she asked me what had happened to the International theme for this evening...

I started the chicken last night - and with full disclosure here, I can tell you that I used a packet of garam masala that was brought back to me by my mother on her recent trip to India. So I was thrilled to have the spice blend on hand. If I hadn't had the packet of garam masala, I would have made my own blend of with: ground cumin, ground corriander, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground all-spice, ground cinnamon, ground chili powder and some ground tumeric. You could do any set of proportion with those ingredients and you would have an amazing blend of herbs and spices.  You can purchase garam masala at any Indian Market or at many local supermarkets. The flavors here really worked and I think I surprised myself! I was pleased with the way the chicken came out but even more so with the chick-pea recipe.  If you like chick-peas, make this - really.  And the rice? Please...I used Success brand Basmati Rice (that's rice in a plastic packet that gets boiled for about 10 minutes.). I added frozen petit peas that I simply ran under hot water for 2 minutes to thaw and I thought about adding a whole clove but forgot.  The meal was rounded out with mashed sweet potato that I added 1 tablespoon of butter to, along with 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of low-fat milk. The baby couldn't get enough of that!

I didn't follow any recipe for this - I just gave it the ol' college try and I was really pleased with the results. I was even more pleased that everyone asked for more and that my son announced that I was the best cook he'd ever met!

Tandoori-Style Chicken with Curried Chick-Peas
serves 6-8

2 1/2 lbs chicken thighs and legs, skinless
12 oz. plain, low-fat, yogurt
2 1/2 tablespoons garam masala

Starting the night before you wish to cook the chicken, combine in a small bowl the yogurt and the spices and mix well. Place the chicken into a large zipped bag and pour the yogurt mixture into the bag. Zip the bag, release the air from inside, and gently but purposefully, shake the bag and coat all the pieces of chicken. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

Prepare the barbeque and cook the chicken for about 20-24 minutes.

Curried Chick-Peas
serves 6-8
1 tsp. olive oil
15 oz. can chick-peas, washed and drained
1 small-medium onion, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, smashed and minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
2 medium-large fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup canned tomato sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over high heat and add onion. Saute about 5 minutes, stirring regularly so they don't burn. Lower the heat, if necessary. Sweat the onions a total of about 7-8 minutes or until they are very soft.  Add the garam masala and mix well for about 1 minute. Next, add in the chick-peas and saute about 5 minutes, stirring occassionally.  Next add in the fresh tomatoes and stir again.  Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute and then add in the sauce and stir well.  Next add in the cream and stir.  Allow all the flavors to meld over medium heat for about 5 more minutes and add in the cilantro and stir.  Serve with rice.

International Week - First Up: Asia: Recipe

Recently, I was in California for business and came to the realization that the food there is so vibrant and diverse.  Just to give you an example of what I mean...for lunch one day I had a three-color beet salad;  it's tough to find that here without going on a wild goose chase and paying a fortune at the local "Whole Foods" market, for example. Needless to say, I left the Left Coast..inspired!

So as I gathered my thoughts for this week's menu, fresh fish called to me. This week the kids and I have planned an International Week of food - tonight we had Asian inspired items, tomorrow is Taco Tuesday, of course. Wednesday will be Brazilian or Argentinean Steak followed by Indian-inspired Thursday. Friday, naturally, will be pizza night (a.k.a. Italian Night!). The kids were thrilled for the variety and dinner sounded like fun to them.

We ate Salmon Teriyaki (shrimp for my oldest who doesn't like Salmon) with Mango-Strawberry Salsa, Lime-Infused Jasmine Rice and Pan-Steamed Baby Bok Choy. The plate was colorful and it felt exotic, which made it exciting for the kids and relaxing for my husband and I while the kids ate peacefully. Nothing was difficult or tricky - I just spent a few minutes chopping all the items.  I rounded this out with a salad made of lettuce, cucumber, orange bell pepper, radish and macadamia nuts dressed lightly with olive oil and rice wine vinegar. Even the baby screamed out for more (and I have a picture to prove it!).

Salmon Teriyaki With Mango-Strawberry Salsa
serves 5

1 1/2 lb. Organic Salmon fillet
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground coriander

Mango-Strawberry Salsa
2/3 large, ripe, mango - peeled and diced 1/3 large cucumber, peeled and diced
4 large ripe strawberries, hulled and diced
1 tablespoon fresh mint chiffonade
1/4 scallion, minced
juice of 1/2 lime

In a medium bowl, combine barbeque and soy sauces with sesame oil and two spices - whisk well.  Place salmon, skin side down, in a large glass dish. Pour the well-mixed sauce over the fish and allow to stand at room temperature for about an hour. Prepare the barbeque with coals on one side and spray the grill grate with non-stick spray (do this away from the fire!). Cook the salmon on the side without the coal underneath it - skin side down - for about 10 minutes (place cover on the grill). Carefully flip the fish and cook again another 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish (again, cover the grill).

For the Salsa - combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and gently mix together.

Pan-Steamed Baby Bok Choy
3 large bunches, baby bok choy - root end snipped, leaves separated and washed well
1 large garlic clove, smashed but not separated
1 teaspoon, fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
2 oz. water

In a large pan, heat oil well over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and swirl around in the hot oil so the flavor releases - do not allow it to burn (about 1 minute or so). Next, add the ginger and shake the pan lightly so the flavor and the pieces of ginger are all over the pan. Add the bok choy - as long as it's still slightly wet, you'll hear a hiss when the leaves hit the oil. Cover quickly and allow the leaves to wilt - stirring once or twice - about 5 minutes. Remove the cover and add the water. Raise the heat and cook another 7 minutes or so, until the bok choy is truly wilted and limp. Serve hot.

Lime-Infused Jasmine Rice
Serves 4-5
* I used "Success Rice" in a bag for this (I know...) so once the rice was finished cooking and had been drained well, I squeezed a half a lime over the rice and mixed well.

Grilled Snow White Peaches from the South: Recipe

On our way back from vacation we drove up US13 from the Chesapeake-Bay Bridge and Tunnel. While I was excited to get home I could not help but be captivated by the numerous farm stands that dotted the pretty landscape. As we passed stand after stand, I cringed - first in silence and then audibly and finally I begged enough that I convinced my husband to stop. There were giant watermelons, amazing tomatoes, nectarines, squash, and snow white peaches.  They were giant, fuzzy, and gorgeous.  We left with bags of fruit.

Admittedly, the peaches were not soft...though the woman at the stand informed me that there is, indeed, a difference between "ripe" and "soft."  So by her way of thinking, these were ripe just not soft. And in fact, they smelled sweet but tasted a bit like a potato.

Today I felt two of the larger ones and they were softer so I decided to try something I've never done before - grilled peaches.  My husband said they smelled like roasted marshmallows as he cooked them but more importantly they were unbelievable delicious.  They made a nice presentation and they were very easy to do. We ate them after a steak dinner...they just needed a port wine to go with them!

Grilled Peaches Bathed in Brown Sugar and Calvados
2 large ripe snow white peaches, sliced
2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons Calvados
1/4 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary

In a bowl, mix all ingredients except for the peaches. Slice by slice, dip the peaches into the syrup and set aside on a plate.  Grill, skin side first, about a total of 4 minutes, turning halfway through.

Italian Cooking and Shopping: Resource

Check out: Alta Cucina's new "store." Become a member at http://www.altacucinastore.com and receive 10% discount on your purchases.

Enjoy your food!

Traveling for Great Meals

My husband and I took off on Sunday for a much needed (and twice postponed) three night get-away. This time we managed to actually make it to our destination but we were called back after two nights - our daughter was sick, again...Nothing serious, but important that we make it back early.

Regardless of the disappointment at cutting our trip short, we had a wonderful time -we did exactly what we set out to do...relax and reconnect. We went to West Dover, VT. and stayed at a truly terrific inn - The Deerhill Inn. (http://www.deerhillinn.com/) It was so beautiful and truly lived up to our expectations. We stayed in the Garden Suite - a two bedroom, one bathroom, space with a fireplace, a couch and cozy chairs and an over-sized whirlpool tub fit for two. The view of Mt. Snow (where I learned to ski, incidentally!) was unreal. We arrived after a quick four hour drive and relaxed with a complimentary bottle of champagne and Lake Champlain chocolates, as well as a lovely basket of water, fruit, and homemade cookies. Soon we were both refreshed and ready for dinner.

The innkeepers, Stan and Michael, were warm and accommodating. We enjoyed talking to them both and Michael is the Inn's chef. His creations were delicious. Sunday night we stumbled back to our room a little giddy with too much wine and very full.

Michael baked rolls that were so perfect I had to eat more than one. We started with a rabbit and pistachio terrine followed by our appetizers. I had an olive oil braised artichoke heart served with fresh tomato and mozzarella - it was delicious. My husband ate a crab cake that was so delicate and fresh we could barely believe it was actually crab! Then we each had a simple salad that we raved about - and my husband doesn't often rave about salad! It was Boston Bibb lettuce with shavings of Pecorino Romano, pieces of Ricotta Salata and pignoli nuts served with sea salt, fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Ohh man!

Next I had a breast of veal that was so unreal - but I could not eat the whole thing...I thought I was going to pop! My husband had lamb that was equally as delicious.

The next morning we were served breakfast in bed (when was the last time you did that???) The homemade muffins were perfect and still warm when we got them! I snagged the only chocolate chip one in the basket.

We explored the area, enjoyed lunch at a local sandwich shop in Manchester Village and then made our way back toward Brattleboro to scope out the Grafton Cheese Shop (http://www.graftonvillagecheese.com). We watched them make cheddar from the viewing windows and we purchased gifts and cheese, of course! I'm anxious to eat it all tomorrow for dinner with a loaf of very crusty bread.

And our last night at the Inn was just as perfect as the first. As we ate, we sat overlooking the mountain and watched birds and little red squirrels playing on a tree. Our meal was a 6-course tasting menu that was included in the package we obtained from Luxury Link (http://www.luxurylink.com/). We had cream of cauliflower soup with chives, asparagus wrapped in prosciutto - roasted with a cream sauce, lamb carpaccio - unreal! - followed by another delicious salad of greens and goat cheese, walnuts, and a creamy vinaigrette. Next we had the best salmon I've ever had. It was wrapped in pancetta and roasted with a sherry-vinegar sauce and accompanied by roasted ribbons of yellow and green zucchini. It was out of this world - I asked for the "recipe" which I knew I was not likely to get but I did get a visit from the Chef who gave me a quick "how-to," which will have to suffice. Finally we finished our savory part of the meal with a Long Island duck in a cherry sauce, stuffed with portobello mushrooms and wrapped with chard and served over lentils. Very creative and the flavors were delightful together.

Desserts on both nights were elegant and delicious. The second night appealed to me more - it was mint ice cream! How could the chef have know how much I LOVE mint ice cream??

This was a very romantic inn with food and rooms that created just such an atmosphere. If you're searching for a hide-away, I would recommend the Deerhill Inn over and above any place we've stayed in a very long time.

Thanks Stan and Michael!

Road Food and Other Food Thoughts: Musings

It's hard to believe that it's been so long since I've posted something on Meredith's Food for Life. But those who know me well, know that I've been under the weather for the past few weeks...I'm now almost back to normal (is there such a thing?). Regardless, I have been cooking - certainly not every night (last night we had pizza) and certainly not anything exotic (two nights before we ate frozen ravioli with red-sauce), but I have been in the kitchen.

During the past few weeks, I have decided to reengaged my more parsimonious side (really, I swear!). Call it an experiment, but it feels great to set a dollar amount ahead of time and then actually stick to it - or better yet...come out under budget! My girlfriend laughed at me when I told her this (secretly I know she appreciated the tip) but I walked through the grocery store with my calculator and every item - each one - was tallied up to ensure I was going to walk out of there under budget. I was so excited that I did it again today at Costco - and it works! I had items I didn't really need and when I was reaching the limit I set without the things I actually needed, I started to put things back. I felt victorious!

Tomorrow my husband and I leave for a short but much needed vacation. We're driving to our destination so naturally we will be hungry at some point. Since it's just the two of us and I'm in the new "habit" of watching what we spend, I thought I would mention to you that packing a picnic lunch for a long car ride is a great idea. It's simple to pack a small cooler with an ice pack and a few odds and ends. And you know how tempting it is to dump everything out of the fridge before you go away so that you don't come home to a nasty science project in the bottom of the fruit drawer! So why not make good use of the things you're going to throw away - and save yourselves some money and some calories along the trip?



Eating fast food on the road can be a "treat" but once you finish the big burger with cheese and bacon along with the fries and coke, don't you feel really unhappy? I know I do...This summer we went on a long trip and in one day ate McDonald's AND Wendy's! Oh I was sick to my stomach. So our next trip we packed food and it was really fun to spread out a blanket at a nice rest stop and eat real food made at home. It saved us probably $50 by the time we were through (incidentally, we had stayed in a hotel with a small fridge and freezer so we were able to keep our stuff from spoiling for the ride home).


So here's what we're packing for our very adult car trip...

Last weekend I made a roast chicken with lemon and dill. I know I've said this before, but really it's hard to imagine Sundays without it. We ate a good portion and then carved up the rest. Tonight I made chicken salad from the left-overs and finished up the chicken and a large jar of mayo (the holidays are upon us and I need all the room in the fridge I can get!). I just chopped up the chicken with some dill before I threw it away - it was ready - and added some celery. I put it into a Ziploc bag and it's ready for the cooler.

Additionally, I had intended to make some chopped liver this past week but never got around to it. So I didn't want it to go to waste, of course (even if it was only $3 for the container), so I made it today and packed it into a disposable container for our trip. In the morning, we'll toast up the remaining slices of bread from the drawer and eat the two like pate! In addition, I'll pack the pears that would surely rot by the time we got home and a few snacks and we're all set for the road! By the way, my recipe for chopped liver is here: http://meredithsfoodforlife.blogspot.com/2008/09/jewish-girl-in-me-recipe.html

I know that we are all paying close attention to what we're spending, so why not take that ideal onto the road when leaving for a trip? I'll bet you all do this already...I'm just late to the game!

...and when we return? EASTER COOKING frenzy begins! Watch for it!

Imitation and Flattery...Something like that: Recipe

I just returned from a business trip to South Florida and had lunch one day at a wonderful place in Miami called "Michael's Genuine." It was very busy and very good. My lunch-date and I did not consume a great deal (though I could have!) but what we did eat was simple food made fabulous. An heirloom tomato surrounded by cheese, olives, onion, cucumber and topped with awesome oil - that was the "Greek Salad" that I ate. It was unreal. So, of course, I made a version for dinner tonight.

If you can find heirlooms now, use them. But here in New York you'll need to wait for the summer. However, this was very good with the substitute - just be sure you use the ripest ones you can find.

I found a terrific new feta cheese in the supermarket - it was a feta made with sheep and goat's milk and it was patted with herbs - it was very creamy, very tangy, and super delicious.

Greek Salad
3 medium very ripe tomatoes from the vine, sliced
1 medium cucumber, sliced
1/4 cup Kalamata Olives, pits removed
1/4 cup Goat-Sheep Feta with herbs
2 Tsp. Lemon Oil

Slice the tomatoes and cucumber and arrange on a plate. Add the olives and the feta and drizzle with oil. Serve at room temperature.

What I learned in PA: Recipe

There are very few times when I eat fried food. Don't get me wrong; I love fried food - who doesn't? But I feel a bit sick after eating an abundance of it - who doesn't?

Recently we were in Pennsylvania and ate dinner at a restaurant called Good 'N Plenty http://www.goodnplenty.com (which my mom tells me I've been to several times in my lifetime - uhm, it's that old, I guess!) serving "family-style dining." We ate at long tables with other folks we had never met before and ate like kings for very little money. We had relishes and homemade apple sauce and homemade bread to start. What came next was so abundant it was laughable: meat loaf, roast turkey, Lima beans, corn, whipped potatoes, and unbelievable fried chicken.

I've tried my hand at fried chicken and the result from this technique was moist meat and very crispy skin with a little bite to it. Soaking the chicken overnight in buttermilk gives flavor and moisture, protecting it during frying. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken
8 chicken legs, skin on (about 1 1/2 lbs)
6 chicken thighs, skin on (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 cups buttermilk
Salt and pepper

3 cups flour
2 Tbsp. salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano

Vegetable Oil for frying

Place chicken in a large plastic bag and pour buttermilk over it. Allow chicken to soak overnight.

In a large bowl, combine flour and all herbs and spices. Mix well. Heat about 4 inches of oil in a very large pot that can be used for frying. Bring oil up to about 350 degrees (if you don't have a thermometer, allow oil to heat up for about 8 minutes and peel off a small piece of chicken skin and drop into the pan; if it sizzles immediately, it's ready).

Before frying, remove chicken from plastic bag and dry well with paper towels. Drop chicken into the flour and coat well. Shake off any excess flour. Place about 4 pieces of chicken into the pan at one time and allow them to fry about 10 - 14 minutes, turning once. Remove and drain oil onto brown paper lunch bags. Repeat with additional chicken.

New Place stirs up an Old Favorite: Recipe

My husband and I just returned from four days in Block Island where we went to share in the wedding of a close friend of mine. She was simply gorgeous, as was her awesome spouse, but this was the first time we had been to "The Block," as it's affectionately called, and we were stunned and overwhelmed by this great space between Montauk, Long Island and Rhode Island. It was wonderful - laid back and relaxed yet active and busy. I took a photo at a four-way intersection that seemed to describe the Island...organized chaos, I called it. The photo shows cars, bicycles, pedestrians, and motorcycles all in one spot. And that's it - right there! You can bike or walk or ride or drive to wherever you're headed and once you get there the options are abundant. Swimming, surfing, lounging, hiking, running, biking, riding, eating, etc., etc.

The food was great, too. Among others, we had an incredible meal at The Atlantic Inn where we started off with tapas and cocktails on the lawn overlooking the Atlantic. What a site. We moved inside for dinner and had a four-course prix-fix meal for a reasonable $54 per person (of course, as we usually do, we added on and the bill never had a chance to stay at $108 plus tax/tip). I had the most unbelievable monkfish I've ever eaten. The choices were great - something for everyone.

But all of this made me long for an old favorite - New England Clam Chowder. Of course we had it on the Island (my husband ate it twice!) and it was great, for sure. I knew that when I returned I would have to take a crack at it myself. Even though it's desert hot outside here at home, I still needed a bit of soup to rekindle the memories of Block Island.

An Islander's New England Clam Chowder
2 doz. clams, washed and scrubbed well
1 2/3 cup water
1/3 cup sherry
4 oz. prosciutto, cubed into tiny squares
2 onions, chopped fine
2 leeks, sliced thin
3 celery stalks, sliced thin + 1/4 cup celery leaves, chopped
3 carrots, sliced thin
4 cups of potatoes (about 4 or 5 large ones), peeled and diced
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. fresh Thyme leaves + 4 sprigs
1 ear of corn, cooked and removed from the cob
1/4 cup flour
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. salt (more to taste)
1 1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
several grindings of fresh pepper

In a large soup pot, combine clams, water, and sherry. Cover and put on med-high heat for about 15 minutes - until all clams have opened. Remove clams from shells and place in a small bowl to cool completely. Strain liquid and set aside in another bowl. Once cooled, chop the clams.

In the same pot, cook prosciutto over medium heat until fat begins to release about 5 minutes. Add butter and melt and then add onions and leeks. Saute until soft - about 10 minutes. Add thyme leaves, carrots and celery plus celery leaves. Saute another 10 minutes. Add in the flour and mix well for about 5 minutes. Do not let it burn. Then add in the bay leaves, some salt and pepper, the reserved clam liquid, and the potatoes and the thyme sprigs. Simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Stir once.

Then add the corn and the clams and allow to simmer another 15 minutes. Finally add the cream and milk, more salt and pepper, and simmer about 10-15 minutes.