Substitute Teaching

Back in the dark pre-digital days I was in school, girls were required in fifth grade to take Home Economics, the euphemism for housekeeping and cooking. (Boys had to take shop and build things.) The very first lesson Mrs Myers gave us was: Never start a recipe until you have all the necessary ingredients.  Well, that rule is so easy to break, I'm a serial offender.  I've been known to get halfway through cooking a dish, discover I don't have a key ingredient, turn the stove off and run out to a store. Sad but true. 

I confess because we're moving into very busy and acquisitive months (Halloween costumes and candy, Thanksgiving ingredients, Christmas presents), and we're all bound to forget something on the shopping list.  So it's good news that there are a few equivalents you can substitute in a pinch.  Here are a few of the most likely:   

If you don't have             use   
1c butter                        2/3 c  oil  OR
                                      1c+2 tbsp shortening + 1/2 tsp salt

1 c buttermilk                  1 cup loose yogurt or kefir

1 c light cream                2/3c milk + 1/3c melted butter

1 c whole milk                 1c skim milk + 2 tsp melted butter 

1 tbsp flour to thicken     1 1/2tsp cornstarch or arrowroot

1c cake flour                   1c- 2 tbsp sifted all purpose flour

1c all purpose flour         1 1/8c cake flour OR 1 1/4c rye flour

1 tsp baking powder       1/4tsp baking soda + 1/2tsp cream of tartar
                                        OR 1/4tsp baking soda + 1/2c yogurt*
                                     *reduce other liquids slightly 

1 c  brown sugar              7/8c granulated sugar + 1 1/2tbsp molasses

1 c maple syrup              1/2 c maple sugar

1 c molasses                   3/4 c dark brown sugar OR white sugar*   
                                     *white sugar will leave a flavor deficit  

1 c sugar                       3/4c maple syrup
1 c honey                        1 1/4 c granulated sugar   

 Hope this helps in a pinch.                     
                   
   

Gratins: more hot potatoes, more comfort

Gratins are creamy, cheesy presentations slow baked into comfort food. Many of the more traditional ones feature potatoes. These likely originated in the Swiss Alps or French Jura mountains as soul warming comfort after a day in the snow --as well as kitchen warming comfort as they baked. You could think of them in today's terms as the original sheet pan, one pot to clean, meal. Hearty is the best way to describe them.  They are siblings of all those recipes "au gratin."  The origin of those French words is to bake a dish to get a golden brown topping. Breadcrumbs and cheese do that.  In these recipes, I have eliminated the breadcrumbs so those terrified of gluten can indulge. (I 'm not including many photos because all gratins can look alike from the top.)   
Gratin Savoyard 

Savoyard means from or of the Savoy, not the famous hotel but the Alpine region of France where the idea of cheesy gratin probably started.  It's the basic recipe to which much as been added: ham, bacon, rutabaga, winter squash... .  So don't feel you have to be rigorously orthodox. Make changes. You won't be the first.  Just remember: gratins rely on dairy products. 
serves 4

 4 lg baking potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin disks
2 med yellow onions, sliced into thin disks
 1/2 tsp dried rosemary   
 Freshly ground black pepper                  
2 cups whole milk or light cream (for a richer taste)
3 tbsp all purpose flour 
 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt to your taste    
 4 oz  Gruyere cheese, shredded
Garnish: fresh flat leaf parsley or dill, finely chopped  

Optional: 2 c baked smoked ham, diced

Heat oven to 350º. 
Warm the milk over med/low heat but do not scald or boil it.

In a small skillet or frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Gradually whisk in the flour and continue whisking to clear any lumps . Lower heat and while whisking vigorously gradually add the hot milk in a steady stream. This should produce the basic white sauce  that slowly thickens. Remove from heat. Season with nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
    Lightly butter a 9" x 13" baking dish. Put a layer of potato slices over the bottom, covering as much of it as possible without overlapping the potatoes. Put a layer of onion on top and if you are using ham, sprinkle half of it over the onion.  Repeat the layers one more time to use up all ingredients. Pour the white sauce over the layers  and lightly shake the pan to distribute it evenly.  Season with some freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle the cheese evenly around the top. 
   Bake at 350º  50-60 minutes until the gratin is bubbling and the potatoes are tender.  Cool 5 minutes. Then garnish and serve.                              
Potato Rutabaga Gratin        
The yellow tart rutabaga, aka Swedish turnip or Swede, adds mesmerizing taste and a hint of color to the basic gratin. This dish would be a fine accompaniment to Thanksgiving's roast turkey instead of, say, the usual mashed potatoes and mashed rutabaga sometimes served as turnip. It's also a good partner for pork chops. if you're vegetarian, try it with some fried polenta squares. I included this recipe in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking.   

Serves 6-8

1 tbsp olive oil (you can use butter if you prefer)

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 cups heavy cream (you can substitute one cup of evaporated milk for one cup of cream but the final dish will be soupy)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp dried rosemary leaves

1 star anise, crushed (if you don’t have star anise, substitute ½ tsp dried tarragon or 1/8 tsp ground cloves)

1 ¼ lb baking potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin disks

1 large rutabaga (1lb), peeled and sliced into thin disks

1 large leek, sliced into thin disks and washed

½ lb. Gruyere cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375º and get out a baking pan approximately 11” x 7”. 

Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan.  Add the garlic and onion and sauté over medium heat about 3 minutes, until the onion starts to soften.  Remove from heat and add the salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Stir in the cream.

Spread the leeks evenly around the bottom of the baking dish. Don’t worry if there are gaps, just be sure they are uniform.  Cover the leeks with a layer of potatoes (half the potatoes). Sprinkle the rosemary over the potatoes, then sprinkle ½ cup of cheese.

Add a layer of rutabaga, using half of what you have. Sprinkle the crushed star anise around this layer and then ½ cup cheese too. Repeat a layer of potatoes and cheese, then a layer of rutabaga.

Pour the creamy onion mixture over everything as evenly as you can and bake for 30 minutes in convection or 35 minutes in a regular oven.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and continue to bake another 12-15 minutes, or until the rutabaga is tender and the cream seems to be solid. (It won’t be if you used evaporated milk.) 

Remove from the oven and let it cool at least 5 minutes before serving.  You can now  sparingly add freshly chopped flat leaf parsley for color if you wish.

Winter Squash Gratin
This party/potluck size recipe downplays potatoes and mashes the squash instead of layering slices.       

serves 8–10
 

1 large butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1½" chunks
1 acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1½" chunks
Salt
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thickly sliced

3 tbsp unsalted butter

½ tsp dried rosemary leaves

8 cloves garlic, chopped

1 sm red onion, sliced into thin rings
Freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp ground cardamom
1 c whole milk
2 c grated Gruyère

½ tsp paprika
 

Preheat oven to 400°. Put the cut squashes into a large pot, cover with salted water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until squash are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well, pressing out any excess water.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tbsp butter in a med skillet over med heat. Add potatoes and sauté over low heat 5 min to soften. Lightly salt.  Remove from the skillet and arrange on the bottom of a medium, deep baking dish. Sprinkle with rosemary. Melt the other tbsp. butter in the skillet over med/low heat.  Add the onion slices and sauté 3-5 min until they’re soft. Put them on top of the potatoes along with any butter left in the skillet.
 

Put squash in a large bowl and mash coarsely with a potato masher. Add the garlic, cardamom, salt and pepper to taste and blend. Arrange the mashed squash evenly on top of the potatoes and onions. Pour milk evenly over top and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Sprinkle the paprika on top.

Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

     
Gratin of Potato and Winter Greens

not my photo

This recipe also downplays potatoes, just using them to form a bottom layer that makes this easier to serve. 
  serves 6-8
                  
1 lg baking potato, peeled   
1  tbsp butter, melted       

Enough extra-virgin olive or butter to generously cover the bottom of a large pan
3 medium onions, halved and sliced thin

1 bunch of kale

1 bunch of chard

1 bunch of collards*

4 cloves of garlic, smashed, peeled, and minced

pinch red chili pepper flakes
Sea salt
1 pint heavy cream
4 ounces grated cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Gruyère
Plenty of freshly ground black pepper 

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

*if you can’t find collards use two bunches of kale or different chards

Slice the potato into thin disks and brush them on both sides with butter.  Line the bottom of a casserole dish or medium baking pan with them and season with salt.
Place a large heavy-bottom pot over low-medium heat, add the onions, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft, 5-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, prep the greens. Remove the stems that run down the center by holding the leaf in one left hand and slicing down each side of the stem with a knife. By the time you're done, you'll have two piles: one of stems and one of leaves. Bunch the stems in a pile and slice them finely, crosswise. Set aside. Chop the greens and set them aside.
Heat the oven to 350º.
Add the chopped garlic to the softened onions in the pot and stir for a minute or so, until the garlic has released its fragrance. Add the chopped stems, chili pepper flakes and a pinch of salt, stir to mix them with the onions and garlic, and cover the pot. Let them cook about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the greens and another pinch of salt, using tongs to carefully mix in with the sautéed veggies in the pan. Add ½ c water (or stock) to the pan, and turn heat to high until the water begins to boil. When it does, turn heat down to low, and let the greens simmer, covered, stirring occasionally until they're nearly tender but still a little al dente. Uncover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated.  Turn off the heat, taste, and add a little salt if necessary. 
  Arrange the cooked greens evenly over the potatoes . Pour the cream over. Sprinkle the cheese all over the top.  Season heavily with black pepper. Sprinkle the nutmeg evenly around the top.       Bake until that top is browned (30-45 minutes). Serve hot.  
 This dish can be made a day or two in advance and reheated in a 350º just before serving


Potato and Celeriac Gratin
This is a French down from the mountains variation on the theme, notable not so much for the celeriac which adds a sweet flavor, but the tomatoes which bring vivid color.  There are several steps but each one is very easy.
serves 8

 4 baking potatoes     
  Salt to your taste
 1 3/4 lb celeriac bulb (aka celery root)
 2 tbsp, lemon juice, freshly squeezed 
 1 tbsp olive oil 
 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
4 ripe tomatoes (1 lb) , peeled and cut into small cubes
Freshly ground black pepper 
 1 tsp dried thyme leaves  
 1/2 tsp celery seed
  3/4 c heavy cream    
1/ 8 tsp ground nutmeg      
  1 tbsp butter to grease the dish   
1/4 lb Gruyere cheese, grated

 Clean the potatoes and put them in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover them. Add some salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and once they are cool enough to touch, peel and cut them into 1/2" thick slices.
  
Pare or peel the skin off the celery root, wash and dry it. Cut it into 1/4" thick slices. Put these in a saucepan with enough water to cover them and a fat pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cook 10 minutes.  Drain but reserve 1/2 c of the cooking water.  

Heat oven to 375º.  
In a medium skillet, warm the olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic, tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme and celery seed. Stir to blend and cook 1 minute, stirring.    Add the cream, reserved celeriac cooking water   , nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer  2 minutes. 
   With the 1 tbsp butter, grease an oval  8 x 10" gratin dish. Cover the bottom with the potatoes. Sprinkle half the grated cheese on top. Now make a layer of the celeriac slices. Pour the tomato mixture over everything, then sprinkle the remaining grated cheese all over the top. 
  Place on the bottom rack of the hot oven and bake 40 minutes until everything is browned and bubbly.                        

 


   

Hot Potato

Potatoes, the Incas gift to humanity worth more than all the gold Christopher Columbus never found, have been humanity's saving grace (think: Irish famine) and have become humanity's go-to comfort food. They're coming out of the ground now in copious quantities, in heirloom colors-- purple, red, yellow, and white, Yukon Gold being a hybrid-- and in various shapes and sizes from the delightful "babies" you can roast and munch to the large bakers, usually known as Russets or Idahos. Years ago one Maine farmer devoted himself to research and grew about 16 different kinds. There's a starch and waxiness difference among them, meaning some potatoes are best boiled, others mashed, some roasted or baked, some fried. Here are a few easy, tasty ways to welcome soul warming hot potatoes back to the table. Dress them up, wolf them down.     

Baby Potatoes

These minis are usually sold in bags but you can pick market bins and pull them out too. Round or oval, they average an inch in size.  I like to use varied colors for the eye catching effect. 
   These are the easiest way to get potatoes on the table and maybe the most fun way to eat them.  All you have to do is spread them on a baking sheet, then sprinkle on olive oil and salt (just enough to get the heat into the potatoes not to drown them). For variety you can toss in a few peeled garlic cloves and/or a pinch of dried rosemary for flavor. Roast/bake them in a preheated 425º oven 12-15 minutes until the skin is very crisp and the potato very soft.  (Test with a toothpick or small paring knife.)  Taste and adjust salt. 
   Now you and kids can just munch on these as they are, put them on the dinner plate with steak instead of frites, garnish a frittata or omelet, or you can fancy them up for a party by putting out a display of dips: zhoug, pesto, onion, tsatsiki, red pepper, aioli. 
 
Green bean and mashed potato cake

This is an Italian recipe. It looks elegant but it's very easy, goes with everything and is perfect for children. I have posted it before but this one's a keeper to use over and again. 

Serves 4 –6
1¼ lbs potatoes, ideally 3 the same size
1 lb green beans

1 tsp ground thyme
100g parmesan cheese, grated
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and black pepper
¼ tsp ground nutmeg  

1 tbsp olive oil
Fine breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350º. Scrub, but don’t peel, the potatoes. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil,  reduce heat to simmer and cook until tender. Drain and cool. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add the beans and thyme and cook about 8-10 minutes or until the beans are starting to feel soft but remain firm. Drain well and chop into small, rough pieces. You can use a scissors as well as a knife.

Once the potatoes are cool, peel and mash them. Mix the mash with the cooked beans, cheese, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Oil the cake tin, using more olive oil if you need to, then dust it with fine breadcrumbs. Scrape the mixture in, level out the top, sprinkle with more breadcrumbs and zigzag the top with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake 50-60 minutes, until the cake is slightly puffed up and golden on top.

 Let it cool 20 minutes before running a blade around the edge and then turning it out on to a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 Melt in your mouth potatoes 

This recipe alone has caused at least two other people to buy the book it was in, a voyage through the kitchens of the Caucuses and Stans. The butter braised potatoes are immensely flavorful, comforting and simple to make. The original recipe was actually called "melting potatoes." 
 

serves 4

3 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp olive oil

2 med onions, sliced into thin rings

1 1/4 lbs small(1-1 1/4" wide) waxy potatoes*, cut into 1/2" thick disks

3 garlic cloves, sliced into very thin strips

salt to your taste

1 tsp freshly ground/cracked black pepper

1/4 c chopped dill fronds

 *Yukon golds are waxy potatoes.

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add onions and cook slowly until they are soft and golden, maybe 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and garlic. Carefully blend them into the onions so they glisten from the buttery oil. Season with salt and cover tightly (a lid or tin foil). Reduce heat to lowest simmer and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks.  Add the black pepper and dill and serve immediately. 

   Potato tart

 not my photo

This pretty presentation, sometimes known as potatoes Anna, is in the book How to Fix a Leek ...because I couldn't find a better way to show off what potatoes can do. It works best with boiling potatoes that have at least medium starch, like Kennebec, Pontiac red, Green Mountain.
 serves 4

 4 med/lg round red skin potatoes, peeled
 5 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp paprika 
1/4 tsp dried rosemary leaves 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful fresh chives, finely chopped

Slice potatoes into very thin disks. In a 7 1/2" (small) frying pan, melt 1 1/2 tbsp butter and paprika over medium heat. Start layering potatoes around the bottom, overlapping each one slightly, and keep going to make concentric circles that overlap slightly too. Before you start another layer, season the one you've just finished with salt, pepper, rosemary and pinches of butter (aka butter bits). On the final layer spread small bits of butter. 
   Cover the potatoes entirely with a heavy weight. A pot full of water works just fine.  Cook over med/low (don't burn anything) heat, 10 minutes. And while they cook heat up the broiler.  Take the weight off the potatoes and put the uncovered pan in the broiler  5-7 minutes until the top's light brown. Immediately invert onto a plate to serve. Sprinkle the chopped chives on top.  (It looks special if you put a wreath of herbs like dill and flat leaf parsley around it.)         

Double baked potatoes with cauliflower 
Here's how to gussy up the basic baked potato. Remember a baking potato is the large ovoid one, usually the Russet or Idaho. 
   serves 4      

4 large baking potatoes

1 teaspoon olive oil

 Kosher salt

1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets

3 cups milk

2 bay leaves

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

12 cup grated cheddar      

     

Preheat oven to 450º.

Scrub potatoes under running water; dry them, and rub the skin of each with the oil and a little salt. Pierce the skin of each in three or four places with the tines of a fork.

Place the potatoes in the oven, and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the potatoes, until they offer no resistance when a knife is inserted in their centers.

While the potatoes are baking, put the cauliflower into a saucepan set over medium-high heat, and add the milk and bay leaves. Heat until almost boiling, then reduce flame to low, and simmer until tender, approximately 20 minutes.

When the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven, slice them open down the middle and use a spoon to scrape out their flesh into a bowl. Add the butter, the cauliflower, a healthy splash of the milk, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mash to combine. Spoon the mixture back into the empty jackets, place on a baking sheet and shower with cheese. Return to the oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.
  
Double baked potatoes with chicken
  This makes potatoes a meal in themselves. Just add salad.  
serves 6

 
6 baking potatoes
6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 lg chicken breasts, boiled, skinned, boned and minced (you can use 6 thighs if you prefer darker meat)
6 oz fresh button mushrooms, washed and dry, chopped
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley leaves, minced
1 c half'n'half or low fat yogurt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp celery seed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves

2 tbsp pimiento, diced
1 c fresh or frozen green peas
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into six pieces
1 c low fat plain yogurt

Bake the potatoes until they are soft enough to eat. Cool. Butter an 8 or 9" square baking dish. Slice a thin piece off one narrow end of each potato so they stand upright and place them in the buttered baking pan. Now cut 1 1/2" off the top of each potato and carefully scoop out the insides, leaving a shell 1/2" thick.
Heat oven to 450º.

Put the potato insides into a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken, mushrooms, parsley, nutmeg, celery seed, rosemary, pimiento, salt and pepper. Stir to blend adding the half'n'half as you go to make a smooth, creamy paste. Fill and pack each standing potato with this mixture. Put a small pat of butter on top of each one. Bake at 450º 15-20 minutes.
While they bake, steam the peas in salted water until just tender. Drain.

To serve: spoon some yogurt over each potato, then some peas and perhaps a little more chopped parsley.
                            
Darjeeling Aloo Dum  

This recipe from my Himalayan collection makes a beloved snack, breakfast, side dish. Everybody has their own recipe so mine is a compendium.

Serves 4-6

2 lb boiling potatoes (waxy ones like Yukon gold don’t work well)

5 lg garlic cloves, smashed and minced

2” fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin seed

1/4 tsp yellow mustard seed

¼ tsp ground turmeric

1 sm green chili, diced

optional (if you like hot potatoes!)1/2 tsp chili powder

½ cup chopped tomatoes

salt to your taste

fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Scrub the potatoes and put them in a large pot. Cover with water, add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium, partly cover the pot and gently boil until the potatoes are tender but not mushy. This may take 20-25 minutes depending on size of potatoes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain well. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.

Try to mash the garlic and ginger together into a paste.  (You can now buy a tube of this paste at Trader Joe’s.)

In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium flame. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and fry 30-60 seconds until they begin to “jump.” Stir in the garlic/ginger paste. Sauté 30 seconds until it’s aromatic. Stir in the tomatoes, then the turmeric, chili and salt. Once this mix is boiling, add the potatoes and 2 tbsp water. Carefully stir to coat the potatoes with the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and cook 3-5 minutes until everything is thoroughly heated.  Garnish with chopped cilantro to serve.

 NOTE: I have more recipes including mashed potato/salami cakes, carrot potato cake and potato curry. I'm saving them for midwinter to brighten the blahs.

      

 

Old Salt

Last week, The Atlantic featured a story rightly discrediting the pink salt fad. Evidently many of us fall for its pink color...and branding. Although it's marketed as Himalayan Pink Salt, it's actually mined in Pakistan but its commercial handlers assiduously avoid mentioning that.  Additionally despite all the bogus wellness claims to which many are now susceptible, it's just essentially rock salt, same as any other rock salt- - just more pink. Which doesn't mean a thing. 

I've been exposed to Himalayan salt for two decades, seeing it all the time in Kathmandu's buzzing Assan spice market. I actually keep three chunks in the pantry: one white, one pink and one black. The black has a nasty sulfurous odor and is rarely used except for a taste effect similar to asafoetida. There are no rightful claims to be made for pink over white, so no Himalayan resident would try --or believe someone who did.

This sad story of marketing manipulation reminds us how little we know about how important salt is. All we hear is it's bad for you...or that it's pretty in pink.   For starters, salt is probably the most vital, must- have nutrient for the human body. You won't live long without it.  For this reason, wars have been fought, ethnicities cleansed and locations mapped. Did you know British towns ending in "wich" (eg. Sandwich, Norwich, Ipswich...) means they're atop salt deposits?  For this reason too, salt was often used as money, especially to pay soldiers defending or attacking for it. Thus the expression: to be worth your salt. And thus the word: salary (sal for salt).  

So salt requires respect. I learned the hard way when I fell for the marketing manipulating us all to abandon the usual blue paper canister from Morton's and buy nothing but sexy sea salt: what's fancifuflly marketed as grey salt, fleur de sel, Irish sea salt, sea flakes, et alia. It's all raked from edges of the tidal ocean and you can even today from the air see the now defunct flats of San Francisco Bay.

Sea salt has larger particles than Salt Lake salt so it looks prettier. I went for it. Not long after, I started having decreased energy then other problems thyroid related. Which led to my Eureka!: sea salt is not "iodized" and the super necessary nutrient in salt is iodide.  (Iodide is the vital core of iodine.) This is why Himalayan people who lived for centuries on that pink--and white and black--rock salt developed goiters. It wasn't until early in this 21st C that Nepal required salt to be iodized. So I raced out to buy that good ole' blue paper canister of iodized salt. Now I mix it up with my fancy sea salts and the Himalayan pink salt somebody gave me and I'm physically fine. The easiest way to do this is to use it copiously in the water for boiling pasta.        

Lack of iodide is also true for what's called "kosher salt." This is in essence coarse crystal salt used in butchering to pull water, blood and other liquids out of slaughtered animals. It's large crystals make it ideal for preserving and pickling. Rely on it to eat and you will suffer the ravages of iodide deficiency.

 But there's some happy news about kosher and other salt. Because any salt magnetizes water and other liquid like blood, it's a great cooking medium.  If you don't have a grill but want your hamburger or steak or lamb chop to taste as if it's been on open fire, just cover the bottom of a cast iron frying pan or any frying pan actually with a layer of salt. Heat it up, then put then meat on it.  Immediately that hot salt will draw out the meat's juices letting the meat cook in them just as it would on an open fire. It is for this same reason that roasting vegetables requires not just a splash of olive oil to conduct the heat into them but a sprinkle of salt to bring the water out so they crisp up.Soaking up water is why salt is the magical ingredient in fermentation and what makes it a preservative. 

Salt's magical ability to magnetize water is why it's urgent to eat salty foods during summer when you sweat. It helps your body retain water. It's also urgent to eat salty foods at high altitudes when you're forced to drink a lot of water; otherwise you'll be constantly peeing that water out. I did that until I ate half a bag of extra salty potato chips which stabilized my body.

And one more thing. I and other experienced cooks always use only unsalted butter, especially in baking, because salted butter has retained some water which it will release into your baked good, ruining it.  So  I advise to buy the best quality unsalted butter for everything. You can add salt when you slather it on your bagel.

Please accept this wisdom with a grain of salt.                   

           

More warming up to winter recipes for late October

As chill creeps in and summer veggies fade from the market, here are a few more nourishing and easy recipe suggestions to fire up your soul and kitchen. They feature vegetables at high tide and lowest of the season prices at your farmers' market right now         

Potato pumpkin frittata

This one's for vegetarians and everyone who needs a good brunch, lunchbox, potluck or buffet recipe right now.  Easy on the budget, easy on time, easy to please.

Serves 4
 

1 white onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
1 large potato (just under 1 lb)
1¼ lb sugar (pie) pumpkin or butternut squash
¼ c olive oil
1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped, or 1 tsp dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 extra large eggs

unsalted butter

¼ c grated cheese (Parmesan, Asiago, Gruyere, Jack—your choice)

Peel the pumpkin or squash and cut it into thin rings or half rings or failing that, strips.This is the hardest part.  Peel then slice the potato into thin disks.          

        

In a medium frying pan with a lid, heat olive oil and sauté onion for 2 minutes. Add the potato and pumpkin, stirring until each slice is glistening with oil. Cover the pan, lower the heat to simmer and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally-- if sticking occurs, add a little water -- until the vegetables are very soft.  Add sage, salt and pepper and cook uncovered another minute. Scrape the pan contents into a bowl.

Heat oven to 375º.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with salt and pepper. Melt enough butter to fully cover the bottom of the pan you cooked the potatoes in. Pour the vegetables pack into the pan and pour the eggs in with them. Stir until the eggs begin to coagulate. Cook the frittata over      low heat about 10 minutes. As the edges start to set, use a spatula to ease them away from the pan sides back into the frittata. Once the frittata is almost entirely set and still has a wobbly top, toss on the grated cheese. Remove from stove top and plunge into the oven for 3-5 minutes, until cheese melts and egg top is firm.  

Cut in wedges to serve, warm or at room temperature.

Pork fillets with creamy leek sauce

This British recipe is from Nigel Slater who many people admire for  fast, easy finesse with getting food on the table. You can also do this with chicken breasts. 
serves 4

4  3 oz pork fillets           

1 egg 

 ½ c breadcrumbs or panko    

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 med leeks, split lengthwise, cleaned, then cut in half again then diced   

4   tbsp butter

5 tbsp olive oil                                   

3-4 gherkins, chopped into thick disks   

½ c heavy cream

2 tsp capers plus 1 tsp  brine

Using a rolling pin or a cutlet bat, thin the pork fillets to 1/4" or less.

Break an egg into a shallow bowl, scatter the breadcrumbs thickly on a plate at least as large as the pork fillets and season them with salt and pepper to your taste.

In a small or medium frying pan, melt the butter with 2 tbsp olive oil  on low heat. Add the diced leeks and sauté on low heat 5 minutes, stirring regularly until they're soft. Do not try to brown or color them. 

Stir in the chopped gherkins, then slowly add the cream, capers and brine.   

 

Dip each flattened pork fillet first into the egg, then

into the seasoned bread crumbs, pressing firmly so the crumbs stick to them. In a large shallow frying pan, melt 2 tbsp butter with 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Then arrange the coated pork in a single layer in the hot pan. Let the meat cook 3-4 minutes until the crumbs below are golden, then using tongs turn each one over and cook the other side 3-4 minutes. Arrange them on a serving platter and top with the leek sauce.

 

Tuscan kale chickpea soup

not my photo

This is from my 100 ways to use a can of chickpeas collection. It's a beloved chilly weather favorite in Italy, perfect for vegetarians.. 

Serves 4-6

 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp fennel seeds

1-2 tsp chili flakes

3-4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 c chopped tomatoes (fresh or boxed)

Zest of ½ lemon

2 c cooked/canned chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

1 1/4 lbs kale, shredded

1/4 c orzo pasta (or other small pasta shape)

4 c vegetable/chicken broth

Salt and black pepper

 To serve

Extra lemon zest

Extra virgin olive oil

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add fennel seeds, chili flakes, garlic and ginger. Cook gently a few minutes until fragrant. Add chopped tomatoes and lemon zest and continue to cook until tomatoes have softened, about 5 minutes. Add chickpeas, kale and orzo, stirring to blend. Pour in the broth. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and cook until the kale and orzo are soft, 8-10 minutes. Check for seasoning, adding salt and black pepper to taste.

Saffron chicken with carrots 

Here's Halloween black and orange of Halloween on a plate. This Persian recipe is visually stunning, hearty and nourishing  .
serves 4 

8 chicken thighs, bone in skin on
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
6 tbsp unsalted butter
 1 1/2 c hot chicken broth  
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 lbs orange carrots, sliced into thin disks or matchsticks
3 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp saffron threads,crushed and steeped in 2 tbsp hot water 
 1/4 c orange juice
12 pitted prunes

Rinse and dry the chicken.  Sprinkle on both sides with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium heat. Brown the chicken on both sides. This will take about 25 minutes to do it right. Don't wash the skillet.
   Transfer the chicken to a med/lg lidded pot and pour the hot broth over it. Cover the pot and cook on med/low heat 10 minutes.     
   Add remaining 2 tbsp butter to the skillet you browned the chicken in. Sauté the onion over med heat until soft and translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add carrots  and honey and stir to coat the carrots in it. Cook stirring frequently 5 minutes.  Transfer the  skillet contents to the chicken pot.  Pour in the saffron. Cover the pot, reduce heat to simmer and cook 20 minutes. Add orange juice and prunes  and cook another 15 minutes until prunes are plump. Taste for salt and adjust.         
Autumn greens pie

This is my recent company's coming for lunch invention based on decades of making Greek spinach pie.  I like to make jellyrolls out of the phyllo/fillo and filling because the final product is prettier and easier to handle. Now that you can buy "country fillo" which is to say thicker sheets than the very fragile and frustrating traditional ones, it's a cinch. You can use any greens you get (spinach, mustard, dandelion, radish, turnip and cauliflower leaves) and vary the cheeses as well to still get the same final effect, but I confess someone who ate this version said three times: "Did I tell you it was very very delicious."  
 serves 8 

1 bunch Tuscan/lacinto/dark kale (this is the deep dark thin green leaf with no curls)   
1 bunch chard (any version), minus stems
1 bunch beet greens (i made borscht out of the beets)
1 lg handful arugula
1 bunch fresh dill, stems removed
1 med/lg yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled 
 handful fresh mint leaves, chopped or 1 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
6 oz cheeses (I used about 4 oz ricotta salata and 2 parmesan; you can use feta, asiago, pecorino) 
2 tbsp good quality olive oil (plus more later)
3 eggs  (you can lightly beat them in a small bowl)
Salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper
5 sheets thick fillo (packaged as "country fillo")
1/2 c olive oil  
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 
1/2 tsp paprika  

 Heat oven to 350º.
Wash and carefully dry the greens. Remove stems. (It will be hard with the kale so just try to strip the green off the stem.) Using a food processor or large chopper (which will make this whole thing very very easy), in batches, finely chop the greens, onion, garlic, dill, mint, oregano and cheeses (mix up the ingredients in each batch).  Put everything into a large bowl as you go. When everything's in it, stir in the olive oil, then the eggs (I sometimes do not bother pre-beating them and just crack them in and beat away.)                    Blend everything well. Season with salt and pepper. The mixture should not be runny but seemingly dry.

Get out a baking sheet, lightly brush the bottom with olive oil. Lay one fillo sheet on the oiled pan. Brush the entire sheet with olive oil. Lay the second sheet on top of the first as exactly as you can and brush it with olive oil. Repeat this two more times. Now evenly spread the greens mixture over the sheets leaving just under a 1" border on each side. Top this with the last sheet of fillo and brush it with olive oil. 

To make the jellyroll, fold in the long sides over the top fillo sheet and brush with with oil so they stick down. Now  go to one of the shorter ends. Making sure you keep the sides tucked in, slowly roll as tightly as you can, stopping after each turn to oil the fillo on top. When you're finished be sure the open end is well sealed with olive oil and faced down on the baking sheet. Brush the top with olive oil, then sprinkle the nutmeg and paprika on top.  Bake at 375º  35- 40 minutes until the fillo is golden and the filling starts to bubble out. Cool at least five minutes before slicing to serve.