little pleasures

My Mom and Mor always used a cast iron pan to cook everything, I can always remember them being on the stove.  I don't remember anyone else ever having them in their kitchen.  I can remember thinking that they were so old fashioned.  I did not always like what came out of them, namely liver....yuck I hate liver, I really hate liver, but we had to eat it cause that is what Mommy said.  I can't forget the caterpillars with the Kitchen cut green beans.  I don't remember what the dish was exactly but it looked like caterpillars (I skeeve them) and I don't like fat green beans, so it was a double yuck. 

Those cast iron pans also brought my favorites:  Danish Pancakes and sauteed onions....  Not together.  My Mom and Mor make the most delicious sauteed onions....phew the most delicious.
We called the "black onions" because they were slighty, mostly over sauteed and crunchy and fabulous.  The stuff that makes your stomach growl just thinking of them, oh oh oh.  After they were overcooked to perfection then drained, spread on brown paper bags, then finally put into brown bags and shaken.  You have to get all the grease off of them so they can be crunchy.  Heaven plain and simple, just heaven.

Now that I am older and slightly past grown but by no stretch wiser, I don't think that cast iron is outdated, I marvel at how it helps develop flavors and the flexibility of it's use.  I do tend to borrow Andrew's 15" perfectly seasoned Lodge skillet more often than I use my Staub 11" skillet.  I especially love it for large quantities.

This is my nod to the my Mom and Mor (you have to use fat), wonderfully over sauteed onions.....low and slow to somewhat burnt heaven.

oh my just imagine them on a burger or a perfectly rare NY strip with blackened char fat...now that is perfection.

thistle this thistle that

I am craving artichokes.  Artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs would be ideal, stuffed with cheese and garlic would not be turned down.  I love artichoke seasons, but I especially like when the giant Globe artichokes are available with their magnificent stems.  It is heaven on earth.  They would be on our table every night of the week.  I think they even taste better when the are made for me.  I don't mean go out for them, I am talking about Andrew making them for me.  The Man makes a mean artichoke.  His artichokes are the best I have ever had and I have had my fair share.  When Luna on Mulberry Street was open, they had the best stuffed artichoke by far.  The old lady that cooked had magic in her fingers.  Mrs. Gallo also made a mean artichoke, her's were stuffed with egg, cheese, and garlic.  They were always tender and perfectly perfect.  Artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs rock my world.

 I could really, really, really go for one about now.......


There is another thistle you can't forget cardoon, I could really go for some too.  The cardoon is definitely much more work, oh but so, so, so good.  We have been very lucky the past 4 cardoon seasons, they have had bumper crops.   Wegman's has had really good looking produce and the grocer down almost to Red Bank has been spot on.  Each time we have had it in the cart, we invariably meet either an older man or woman, who comments on it, and says the very same thing, "it's a lot of work to make cardone" and then asks how we make it.  Cardoon preparation is a lot more because first you have to wash it, then derib it to get all the chokey strings off, cut it into smaller pieces, and then steam or boil til tender.  That is where I loose steam.  Usually I put it in the fridge for the next day.  I make both a sweet batter and a savory batter, I dip the cardoon in it, and pan fry it til the batter is golden.  I have even breaded and fried the cardoon.  The best part of the cardoon is that it is all edible, well most of it.  It is like a giant artichoke heart, it is awesome. 

Just looking at these wonderful veggies........yummy, yummy....

a little late

Since I was felled with a most terrible sickness on Holy Thursday, I had no other choice but to cancel Easter.  If you have an upper respiratory infection you generally don't feel the need to be hanging at the stove or having a house full.  It took a weeks' worth of antibiotics, steroids, inhaler, and pills to stop the coughing.  This Sunday was the first day that I felt really better, so I had lots to do.

We decided that we wanted to have leg of lamb.  I think that we have made leg of lamb once or twice, it must not have been all good, it would have been memorable if it was.  I kept going back to Thanksgiving with the deboned stuffed turkey and how incredibly good it was.   I thought that the lamb could be just as wonderful, so I needed it deboned and butterflied.  I was perusing recipes and found a goodly seasoned stuffed leg of lamb.  Done. That is what I wanted to make.  The only extra that I needed get would be the brioche bread for the stuffing. 

Stuffing for the lamb began, as all good things begin, with bacon.  I started with bacon.  I had to toast the bread, in my haste of putting the groceries away, I forgot to leave the bread out to get stale.  Then I thought about when we were kids, Kiki and I would toast the bread and then rip it into pieces for Mom to make stuffing.  I guess you could not buy stuffing bread in the bag back then, or maybe it was more cost effective to buy a stale loaf of bread then toast it.  While they were toasting, I drained the pan almost, then sauteed shallots and garlic til they were tender.  I put rosemary, thyme, sage, cardamon, mint, allspice, fenugreek, clove, cumin, paprika, red pepper, salt, and pepper into the mortal and pestle, then ground it all up.  The flavors were spot on, problem was that when I went to put them into the sauteed shallots, the bowl slipped.  Instead of seasoning til the taste was right, all went into the pan and it was a bit overmuch.  Oh well, lesson learned.  I turned the bread bits in the shallot mix, added a few Pignoli nuts, and let it sit. 

With one very sharp knife, large cutting board, and keen sense Andrew butterflied that lovely piece of lambiness.  He cut it exactly how we needed it done, he should have been a butcher.  By the time he finished it, he had skillfully left fat where it needed to be, and cut out the rest. 

It was a cakewalk to put the stuffing on the lamb, attempting to roll it, not so much.  I cut the string in what I thought was a good length, I was wrong, and I can't tie a knot for shit.  Andrew took over the whole shooting match, he was handed down his Mother's brocciole making skills, and tied that little beauty up.  While it was true that my MIL used enough string to dock the Queen Mary, Andrew is much more reserved with his string, then again she used thread.  Before we put the stuffing on, I just could not help myself, I added quite a few more pignoli nuts.

We then braised the outside on all sides and put into a 400 degree oven for 1.4 hours. 

 It cooked til it was a perfect 140 for medium rare. 

I made a quick gravy with the pan drippings, and well, yeah pretty darn awesome.....

The fun did not stop because it is "Artichoke Time".  almost as good as "Cardone Season" but half, 3/4 less work, maybe 90 percent less.  The artichoke selection has been ok, to me they don't seem very heavy for their size, on the upside they are unbelievably delicious....These were made in a flash with a quick 30 minutes to cook.  They were filled with garlic, cheese, and olive oil drizzled over.  Then steamed in chicken broth.  Yeah, that good....

Some grapes and a snickerdoodle cookie for dessert, a perfect ending to a day well spent.

for all that I have I am truly blessed and thankful.

A gift to you

Some of my most favorite memories have involved food, it could have been the preparation, eating, or even just watching it being eaten, I have enjoyed it all.   I have been racking my brain trying to figure out a most special gift for Kathy.  I kept coming up empty, nothing, nada.  I could come up with nothing, there is nothing on this good green earth that I could possibly get for her.  That is when it hit me, crepes.....Kathy loves crepes and she has enough Lingonberry jam to last her a lifetime.  She is now in dutch, no Danish, in crepes. 

I wasn't finished with her, so I made for her dining pleasure....Risotto Milanese with Peas....(poor Mike, he does not like peas)

You know I love my new label maker, but I can still rock old school......

I was feeling still ambitious so I also made for her my new favorite, Creamy Orzo with peas...it is so easy peasy to make, and so so delicious.

I wish I had had some shrimp to add....

Well Happy Birthday my friend......

xoxoxoxo