Whew! Finn Fest 2008 in Duluth was a huge success! As promised, I am posting two Finnish cheeses here so that you can enjoy them.
The first is:
Leipajuusto or Squeeky Cheese
1 gallon skim milk
1 quart of whipping cream
3 cups instant dry milk (Carnation works the best)
1 tablespoon salt
1 rennet tablet
1/4 cup water
1. In a large pot, mix the milk, cream, dry milk and salt. Heat to 110 to 115 Degrees. Meanwhile disolve the rennet in the water.
2. Stir the dissolved rennet into the warm milk and remove from the heat. With a long spatula or knife, cut through the curds to make squares from the top of the milk to the bottom. Cover.
3. Let stand at least an hour. Line a colander with cheesecloth or a thin gauze. Pour the milk curds and whey into the colander and let drain several hours or overnight.
4. Turn curds out onto a rimmed pizza pan or cookie sheet and pat into a round about 12 to 14 inches in diameter.
5. Place under the broiler and broil until golden brown; during this time the cheese will drain more whey. Pour whey off from the pan. Turn the cheese over (easiest way is to invert the cheese onto another rimmed pan). Return to the broiler until golden brown.
6. To serve, cut into triangles or squares. This can be wrapped and refrigerated to be consumed within a week.
Basic Munajuusto
1 gallon whole milk
1 tablespoon salt
1 quart buttermilk
3 eggs
1. Pour milk into a large pot. Heat to boiling. Meanwhile, mix the salt, buttermilk and eggs.
2. When milk comes to a boil, remove from heat and stirin the buttermilk mixture. Stir until mixed. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand until cooled to room temperature.
3. Line a colander with cheesecloth. Pour curds and when into the colander. Let stand until whey has drained away from the curds, about 1 hour.
4. Line a wooden mold or another mold that has a drain hole with cheesecloth or a thin gauze. Pour the curds into the mold. Place a weight on top. Place into a pan tht can catch the whey that drain away. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
5. Remove from the refrigerator. Invert onto a serving plate and remove the cheesecloth. Serve with fresh fruit or berries.
Garlic and herb Munajuusto: Add 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 5 minced cloves oif garlic, a pinch of tarragon, pinch of oregano and pinch of thyme to the milk in step one. Add the juice of juice of 2 lemons (about 1/3 cup) in the butermilk mixture im step 2, and proceed and proceed as above.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
FINN FEST 2008
Finn Fest 2008 will be in Duluth, Minnesota on July 23rd. It promises to be a wonderful program with everything from cooking demonstrations to lectures on various aspects of Finnish and Finnish-American life to a "tori" if you want to buy things and spend your money. To get more information, log on to www.finnfest.com and get the whole schedule. I will be presenting two talks, one on "viili" the true Finnish culture, and the other on "fusion, confusion and finnish foods."
SALADS FOR SUMMERTIME
SALADS
Even in Minnesota, summer’s the time for quick, cool meals. Who wants to slave in the kitchen all day when there’s sun to be absorbed and outdoor things to enjoy? Just about now we’re seeing a rich display of locally grown vegetables at the farmer’s markets, and maybe even in our own back yards. It’s truly time for salads!
Now is when I turn to the microwave, that magical tool that cooks food quickly without heating up the kitchen. I especially love cooking vegetables in the microwave, their color is better, their flavor is better and you can cook and serve them in the same dish. Most frozen vegetables have microwave instructions on their packages. For fresh vegetables, I start with three minutes on high power for two servings. You can always add time, but you can’t take it away is my theory. The reason for this unspecific timing is because microwave ovens vary in their wattage.
Back in the 70s I wrote a weekly column for the newspaper called “The Liberated Cook,” featuring the microwave and food processor as the liberators. In 1981, we compiled the articles into a book by the same name. As the microwave takes on new interest today, when energy (both personal and plug-in) is at a premium, it is a good time to turn to it again for quick meals.
There were a lot of old favorite recipes in that collection. One that I particularly liked was Harriet’s German Potato Salad. Rather than boiling the potatoes, I cook them in the microwave oven. Because it is so easy to do, I add fresh green beans to the salad, too, also poached in the microwave. Harriet, by the way, is a retired German professor from UMD, and would entertain her students, and serve this salad with German Bratwurst.
Because this potato salad tastes better when it has had a chance to chill, I like to make it in the morning, then let it sit all day, refrigerated. Supper is easy. Heat the barbecue, throw on some brats or burgers –or even a fish. Mmm.
HARRIET’S GERMAN POTATO SALAD REVISED A LITTLE
Makes 6 servings
2 pounds small red skinned potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and cut into eighths
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and sliced, including green tops
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon German-style grainy mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
8 ounces green beans, ends trimmed
Chopped fresh parsley
Rinse and drain the potatoes and place into a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes until potatoes test done. Check once halfway through the cooking time and stir to redistribute. Cook until potatoes test done. Turn into a serving bowl.
Combine the onions, chicken broth, mustard, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a microwave-safe dish and cook on high power for 3 to 5 minutes until mixture boils; stir. Pour hot liquid over the cooked potatoes and stir to blend. Rinse the green beans, place into a microwave-safe dish, cover, and cook for 3 to 6 minutes until beans are tender crisp. Drain. Arrange the beans around the edge of the potato salad. Cover and refrigerate. Before serving, drain the oily marinade and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
QUICK AND EASY, HEALTHFUL AND TASTY SALADS:
Here is a list of quick, easy, healthful, and tasty salads that you can just throw together freehand.
1. Quickly stir-fry broccoli florets, cool and toss with soy sauce and rice vinegar; add arugula, cucumber, red onion and sesame seed.
2. Whisk soy sauce, oil, honey, lemon peel and juice and grated fresh ginger. Spoon over orange and grapefruit segments arranged on lettuce leaves.
3. Dress cooked whole green beans, canned kidney beans and chopped onion with soy sauce, honey, mustard, white vinegar and vegetable oil.
4, Toss cubes of jicama with sliced radishes and cucumbers with a mixture of lime juice, and thai style chili sauce and cilantro. Garnish with cucumber strips, cut lengthwise using a potato peeler.
5. Mix hoisin sauce with ranch dressing and drizzle over avocado and ruby grapefruit segments.
6. Mix soy sauce, a drop of truffle oil and balsamic vinegar and toss with watercress and roasted beets, top with crumbled fresh goat cheese.
7. Layer slices of orange and shaved fennel with arugula, red onions and black olives. Dress with olive oil, orange and lemon juice and soy sauce.
8. Waldorf salad, made with celery apples, golden raisins and walnuts mixed with mayonnaise, grainy mustard and soy sauce.
9. Bake pecans until toasted, tossed with teriyaki marinade and toss over endive and arugula with vinaigrette and top with sliced pears, shaved Parmesan; sprinkle pecans over the top.
Even in Minnesota, summer’s the time for quick, cool meals. Who wants to slave in the kitchen all day when there’s sun to be absorbed and outdoor things to enjoy? Just about now we’re seeing a rich display of locally grown vegetables at the farmer’s markets, and maybe even in our own back yards. It’s truly time for salads!
Now is when I turn to the microwave, that magical tool that cooks food quickly without heating up the kitchen. I especially love cooking vegetables in the microwave, their color is better, their flavor is better and you can cook and serve them in the same dish. Most frozen vegetables have microwave instructions on their packages. For fresh vegetables, I start with three minutes on high power for two servings. You can always add time, but you can’t take it away is my theory. The reason for this unspecific timing is because microwave ovens vary in their wattage.
Back in the 70s I wrote a weekly column for the newspaper called “The Liberated Cook,” featuring the microwave and food processor as the liberators. In 1981, we compiled the articles into a book by the same name. As the microwave takes on new interest today, when energy (both personal and plug-in) is at a premium, it is a good time to turn to it again for quick meals.
There were a lot of old favorite recipes in that collection. One that I particularly liked was Harriet’s German Potato Salad. Rather than boiling the potatoes, I cook them in the microwave oven. Because it is so easy to do, I add fresh green beans to the salad, too, also poached in the microwave. Harriet, by the way, is a retired German professor from UMD, and would entertain her students, and serve this salad with German Bratwurst.
Because this potato salad tastes better when it has had a chance to chill, I like to make it in the morning, then let it sit all day, refrigerated. Supper is easy. Heat the barbecue, throw on some brats or burgers –or even a fish. Mmm.
HARRIET’S GERMAN POTATO SALAD REVISED A LITTLE
Makes 6 servings
2 pounds small red skinned potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and cut into eighths
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and sliced, including green tops
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon German-style grainy mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
8 ounces green beans, ends trimmed
Chopped fresh parsley
Rinse and drain the potatoes and place into a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes until potatoes test done. Check once halfway through the cooking time and stir to redistribute. Cook until potatoes test done. Turn into a serving bowl.
Combine the onions, chicken broth, mustard, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a microwave-safe dish and cook on high power for 3 to 5 minutes until mixture boils; stir. Pour hot liquid over the cooked potatoes and stir to blend. Rinse the green beans, place into a microwave-safe dish, cover, and cook for 3 to 6 minutes until beans are tender crisp. Drain. Arrange the beans around the edge of the potato salad. Cover and refrigerate. Before serving, drain the oily marinade and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
QUICK AND EASY, HEALTHFUL AND TASTY SALADS:
Here is a list of quick, easy, healthful, and tasty salads that you can just throw together freehand.
1. Quickly stir-fry broccoli florets, cool and toss with soy sauce and rice vinegar; add arugula, cucumber, red onion and sesame seed.
2. Whisk soy sauce, oil, honey, lemon peel and juice and grated fresh ginger. Spoon over orange and grapefruit segments arranged on lettuce leaves.
3. Dress cooked whole green beans, canned kidney beans and chopped onion with soy sauce, honey, mustard, white vinegar and vegetable oil.
4, Toss cubes of jicama with sliced radishes and cucumbers with a mixture of lime juice, and thai style chili sauce and cilantro. Garnish with cucumber strips, cut lengthwise using a potato peeler.
5. Mix hoisin sauce with ranch dressing and drizzle over avocado and ruby grapefruit segments.
6. Mix soy sauce, a drop of truffle oil and balsamic vinegar and toss with watercress and roasted beets, top with crumbled fresh goat cheese.
7. Layer slices of orange and shaved fennel with arugula, red onions and black olives. Dress with olive oil, orange and lemon juice and soy sauce.
8. Waldorf salad, made with celery apples, golden raisins and walnuts mixed with mayonnaise, grainy mustard and soy sauce.
9. Bake pecans until toasted, tossed with teriyaki marinade and toss over endive and arugula with vinaigrette and top with sliced pears, shaved Parmesan; sprinkle pecans over the top.
SPRINGTIME CELEBRATIONS
SPRINGTIME CELEBRATIONS
April First and May First are two springtime holidays we often don’t have a chance to celebrate. Actually, April Fool’s Day or the “Feast of the Fools” dates back to Medieval times according to some sources. The timing of the holiday seems to be related not only to old and new calendars but with the vernal equinox when nature fooLs us with sudden changes in weather.
May First, on the other hand is a holiday celebrated especially in Northern Europe. We experienced the celebration in Finland, where they celebrate “Vappu”, the eve that marks the first day of summer. Although the day was much longer, it wasn’t much warmer. University students dance through the streets and place a white cap on Havis Amanda, the statue of the goddess of the Baltic Sea on the waterfront in downtown Helsinki. It is a day for picnics, with sparkling “sima” , a home brew varying in alcoholic content, and tippaleipa, a deep fried pastry reminiscent of bird’s nests in shape, being consumed everywhere. Colorful balloons, carried by vendors up and down the streets, beckon to every child.
Growing up in Floodwood, we knew about May Day, but the only association was with the cowslips that sometimes began to bloom about then. We made cone-shaped paper baskets and filled them with wild posies and hung them on the doors of our friends.
So, I offer two recipes here. One is an “April Fresh Strawberry Fool” and the other for “Tippaleipa”, the Finnish May Day Pastry. Both are really easy to make and if you want to make the strawberry dessert ahead – I mean, way ahead, freeze it to make a Fresh Strawberry Fool. Just be sure to wrap it well and use it within a week or so.
April Fresh Strawberry Fool
Here’s a simple dessert that can be made in minutes, but needs to be chilled for at least 4 hours using sweet, juicy strawberries. Use this as a basic recipe throughout the summer months with raspberries, blueberries, peaches and other soft fruits.
Makes 4 servings
3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream
Combine the berries, sugar and lemon juice in the food processor with the steel blade in place. Process until berries are pureed.
Whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks. Stir the puree into the cream until blended. Taste and add sugar if needed. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.
Fresh Strawberry Frango: Just spread the April Fresh Strawberry Fool into an 8-inch cake pan, cover well, and freeze. Scoop out like ice cream when you want to serve it.
Finnish May Day Tippaleipa
Tippaleipa, the crispy, curled nest of pastries can be found in bakeries through out Finland on May Day. They are not difficult to make, though. Similar to the Pennsylvania Dutch funnel cakes, the thin batter is drizzled into hot oil to cook.
Makes about 36 pastries
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil for frying
Powdered sugar
In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, salt and milk. Blend in the flour until batter is smooth.
Heat three to four inches of oil in a heavy kettle or deep-fat fryer to 370 to 380 degrees F.
Pour about half of the batter into a heavy-duty zipper-lock plastic bag*. Clip 1/4 inch off one corner. Press the batter through the hole in the bag into the hot fat, twirling it to make a bird’s nest-type shape. Cook until golden brown, about 30 seconds on each side. With a slotted spoon, remove pastry from the oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat until all the batter is used. Dust with powdered sugar.
*It’s best to work with only half the batter at a time even if it seems like the whole amount would fit into the bag to prevent the bag from bursting.
April First and May First are two springtime holidays we often don’t have a chance to celebrate. Actually, April Fool’s Day or the “Feast of the Fools” dates back to Medieval times according to some sources. The timing of the holiday seems to be related not only to old and new calendars but with the vernal equinox when nature fooLs us with sudden changes in weather.
May First, on the other hand is a holiday celebrated especially in Northern Europe. We experienced the celebration in Finland, where they celebrate “Vappu”, the eve that marks the first day of summer. Although the day was much longer, it wasn’t much warmer. University students dance through the streets and place a white cap on Havis Amanda, the statue of the goddess of the Baltic Sea on the waterfront in downtown Helsinki. It is a day for picnics, with sparkling “sima” , a home brew varying in alcoholic content, and tippaleipa, a deep fried pastry reminiscent of bird’s nests in shape, being consumed everywhere. Colorful balloons, carried by vendors up and down the streets, beckon to every child.
Growing up in Floodwood, we knew about May Day, but the only association was with the cowslips that sometimes began to bloom about then. We made cone-shaped paper baskets and filled them with wild posies and hung them on the doors of our friends.
So, I offer two recipes here. One is an “April Fresh Strawberry Fool” and the other for “Tippaleipa”, the Finnish May Day Pastry. Both are really easy to make and if you want to make the strawberry dessert ahead – I mean, way ahead, freeze it to make a Fresh Strawberry Fool. Just be sure to wrap it well and use it within a week or so.
April Fresh Strawberry Fool
Here’s a simple dessert that can be made in minutes, but needs to be chilled for at least 4 hours using sweet, juicy strawberries. Use this as a basic recipe throughout the summer months with raspberries, blueberries, peaches and other soft fruits.
Makes 4 servings
3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream
Combine the berries, sugar and lemon juice in the food processor with the steel blade in place. Process until berries are pureed.
Whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks. Stir the puree into the cream until blended. Taste and add sugar if needed. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.
Fresh Strawberry Frango: Just spread the April Fresh Strawberry Fool into an 8-inch cake pan, cover well, and freeze. Scoop out like ice cream when you want to serve it.
Finnish May Day Tippaleipa
Tippaleipa, the crispy, curled nest of pastries can be found in bakeries through out Finland on May Day. They are not difficult to make, though. Similar to the Pennsylvania Dutch funnel cakes, the thin batter is drizzled into hot oil to cook.
Makes about 36 pastries
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil for frying
Powdered sugar
In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, salt and milk. Blend in the flour until batter is smooth.
Heat three to four inches of oil in a heavy kettle or deep-fat fryer to 370 to 380 degrees F.
Pour about half of the batter into a heavy-duty zipper-lock plastic bag*. Clip 1/4 inch off one corner. Press the batter through the hole in the bag into the hot fat, twirling it to make a bird’s nest-type shape. Cook until golden brown, about 30 seconds on each side. With a slotted spoon, remove pastry from the oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat until all the batter is used. Dust with powdered sugar.
*It’s best to work with only half the batter at a time even if it seems like the whole amount would fit into the bag to prevent the bag from bursting.
Visiting India
VISITING INDIA
When we left Duluth, it was just about 32 degrees F. but wondered if I’d need my coat in the tropical weather of south India. I decided I’d take it anyway. Detroit was cold, Paris was chilly, but when we stepped off the plane (30 hours later) onto the tarmac in Bangalore, in the middle of the night it was about 80 degrees. Off came the coat!
India has the reputation of “exciting all the senses” you know, of sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. It’s true. But if fright could be one of the “senses”, I would put it right on top of the list. The feel of warm air, the smell of exhaust, the lights, were all topped off by the traffic: Three-wheelers and motorcycles wove through cars, busses, trucks, a tractor pulling a wagon, oxen pulling a cart, sometimes six abreast on a two-lane street with no traffic signals. They drive on the left side of the road and the pace was not slow. It was a game of “chicken!”
But the warm cooking aromas of spices – ginger, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, peppers and chilies permeated the guest house we entered as well as the homes we visited. These are the flavors and aromas I was the most interested in.
So here I have attempted to offer simplified Indian recipes to complete one meal. As a guest in Indian homes, I quickly discovered that a full meal took just a few minutes to prepare because the efficient cook toasts and grinds her own favorite spice combinations ready to use. so that cooking can be quick (they need to conserve on fuel), and food brought to the table is really fresh.
Spiced Cauliflower appetizer (Gobi Manchurian)
We had this several times, an example of Indo-Chinese fusion cooking. This is especially popular in southern India and Bangalore.
Serves 4
4 cups fresh cauliflower florets, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Oil for deep frying
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
5 to 6 fresh chopped basil leaves (optional)
Rinse the cauliflower in cold water; set aside. Combine the flour, cornstarch, chili powder and salt. Mix the ginger, and garlic and add half to the flour mixture. Toss florets in the seasoned flour. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a small pan or skillet. Add the florets and fry in batches until golden brown. Drain and set aside.
Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the oil and add the onions, bell pepper and chilies. Saute over medium heat until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Mix the remaining ginger-garlic mixture with the tomato paste and soy sauce and add to the pan. Stir-fry for 2 minutes over medium heat. Toss the fried cauliflower into the mixture and cook until heated through. Turn into a serving bowl and garnish with basil leaves.
Carrot, Spinach, and Coconut Soup (Gaajar Palak Rasam)
This is a creamy, smooth soup infused with Indian spices. To make removal of the spices easy, either wrap them in a piece of cheesecloth or put them into a tea diffuser.
Serves 4
8 cups vegetable stock or water
1/2 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
8 green cardamom pods, crushed (include pods in the mix)
4 whole cloves
1-inch stick cinnamon
2 bay leaves, crushed
1 1/2 cups peeled, chopped carrots
1 package (5-ounces) baby spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Salt to taste
1/4 cup coconut milk or cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Heat the stock in a large saucepan. Tie the peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves in a piece of cheesecloth. Place into the boiling stock along with the carrots, spinach, cayenne pepper, lime juice and salt to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove from the heat and discard the spice bag. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Turn into a saucepan and add the coconut milk or cream; heat to simmering and serve garnished with chopped cilantro.
Lentils with Cumin and Chilies (Dal)
I think we had lentils at each and every meal for two weeks. Normally, all foods are eaten with a torn off piece of chapatti, or flat bread. Utensils are not usually offered, and you use your right hand to tear off a piece of the bread. You use this piece to pick up your food in the fold of the bread, Dal varies from simple to complex. This is a simple version.
Serves 4
1 cup lentils, preferably pink, washed and drained
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
4 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/4 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 whole dried red chilies
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Juice of 1/2 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, turmeric,salt, and water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until the lentils are soft, about 25 minutes. Add more water if necessary.
Ladle about 1/2 cup of the lentils into a small bowl and mash them with a spoon. Return to the pot and stir. Continue cooking 5 minutes to thicken.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring until they turn a light brown color 1 to 2 minutes. Add the whole chilies and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and add the cayenne.
Stir half of the oil mixture and all of the lime juice into the dal and simmer gently, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and pour remaining oil mixture over the top. Serve hot.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Although we mainly ate vegetarian, this is one of the more delightful chicken dishes, aromatic with spices, and quick to prepare.
Serves 4
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1 pound
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 whole cardamom pods
1 3-inch stick cinnamon
1 1/2 onions, chopped
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk or 1 cup plain yogurt.
Hot Basmati rice for serving.
Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes; set aside. In a large, shallow skillet, heat the oil and add the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick; heat for a few seconds until aromatic, remove and discard the cardamom and cinnamon.
Add the onions, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, Garam Masala, paprika, turmeric and pepper to the pan. Cook over medium-low heat until onions are tender. Add the tomato and tomato paste along with the water. Simmer and stir until blended, then add the chicken cubes and cook, stirring, about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the coconut milk or yogurt and stir until blended. Serve hot with Basmati Rice.
When we left Duluth, it was just about 32 degrees F. but wondered if I’d need my coat in the tropical weather of south India. I decided I’d take it anyway. Detroit was cold, Paris was chilly, but when we stepped off the plane (30 hours later) onto the tarmac in Bangalore, in the middle of the night it was about 80 degrees. Off came the coat!
India has the reputation of “exciting all the senses” you know, of sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. It’s true. But if fright could be one of the “senses”, I would put it right on top of the list. The feel of warm air, the smell of exhaust, the lights, were all topped off by the traffic: Three-wheelers and motorcycles wove through cars, busses, trucks, a tractor pulling a wagon, oxen pulling a cart, sometimes six abreast on a two-lane street with no traffic signals. They drive on the left side of the road and the pace was not slow. It was a game of “chicken!”
But the warm cooking aromas of spices – ginger, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, peppers and chilies permeated the guest house we entered as well as the homes we visited. These are the flavors and aromas I was the most interested in.
So here I have attempted to offer simplified Indian recipes to complete one meal. As a guest in Indian homes, I quickly discovered that a full meal took just a few minutes to prepare because the efficient cook toasts and grinds her own favorite spice combinations ready to use. so that cooking can be quick (they need to conserve on fuel), and food brought to the table is really fresh.
Spiced Cauliflower appetizer (Gobi Manchurian)
We had this several times, an example of Indo-Chinese fusion cooking. This is especially popular in southern India and Bangalore.
Serves 4
4 cups fresh cauliflower florets, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Oil for deep frying
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
5 to 6 fresh chopped basil leaves (optional)
Rinse the cauliflower in cold water; set aside. Combine the flour, cornstarch, chili powder and salt. Mix the ginger, and garlic and add half to the flour mixture. Toss florets in the seasoned flour. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a small pan or skillet. Add the florets and fry in batches until golden brown. Drain and set aside.
Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the oil and add the onions, bell pepper and chilies. Saute over medium heat until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Mix the remaining ginger-garlic mixture with the tomato paste and soy sauce and add to the pan. Stir-fry for 2 minutes over medium heat. Toss the fried cauliflower into the mixture and cook until heated through. Turn into a serving bowl and garnish with basil leaves.
Carrot, Spinach, and Coconut Soup (Gaajar Palak Rasam)
This is a creamy, smooth soup infused with Indian spices. To make removal of the spices easy, either wrap them in a piece of cheesecloth or put them into a tea diffuser.
Serves 4
8 cups vegetable stock or water
1/2 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
8 green cardamom pods, crushed (include pods in the mix)
4 whole cloves
1-inch stick cinnamon
2 bay leaves, crushed
1 1/2 cups peeled, chopped carrots
1 package (5-ounces) baby spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Salt to taste
1/4 cup coconut milk or cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Heat the stock in a large saucepan. Tie the peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves in a piece of cheesecloth. Place into the boiling stock along with the carrots, spinach, cayenne pepper, lime juice and salt to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove from the heat and discard the spice bag. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Turn into a saucepan and add the coconut milk or cream; heat to simmering and serve garnished with chopped cilantro.
Lentils with Cumin and Chilies (Dal)
I think we had lentils at each and every meal for two weeks. Normally, all foods are eaten with a torn off piece of chapatti, or flat bread. Utensils are not usually offered, and you use your right hand to tear off a piece of the bread. You use this piece to pick up your food in the fold of the bread, Dal varies from simple to complex. This is a simple version.
Serves 4
1 cup lentils, preferably pink, washed and drained
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
4 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/4 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 whole dried red chilies
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Juice of 1/2 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, turmeric,salt, and water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until the lentils are soft, about 25 minutes. Add more water if necessary.
Ladle about 1/2 cup of the lentils into a small bowl and mash them with a spoon. Return to the pot and stir. Continue cooking 5 minutes to thicken.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring until they turn a light brown color 1 to 2 minutes. Add the whole chilies and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and add the cayenne.
Stir half of the oil mixture and all of the lime juice into the dal and simmer gently, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and pour remaining oil mixture over the top. Serve hot.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Although we mainly ate vegetarian, this is one of the more delightful chicken dishes, aromatic with spices, and quick to prepare.
Serves 4
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1 pound
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 whole cardamom pods
1 3-inch stick cinnamon
1 1/2 onions, chopped
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk or 1 cup plain yogurt.
Hot Basmati rice for serving.
Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes; set aside. In a large, shallow skillet, heat the oil and add the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick; heat for a few seconds until aromatic, remove and discard the cardamom and cinnamon.
Add the onions, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, Garam Masala, paprika, turmeric and pepper to the pan. Cook over medium-low heat until onions are tender. Add the tomato and tomato paste along with the water. Simmer and stir until blended, then add the chicken cubes and cook, stirring, about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the coconut milk or yogurt and stir until blended. Serve hot with Basmati Rice.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
autumn desserts
Autumn Desserts
Apples, pears, and pumpkin desserts always taste the best in the fall. I’ve often wondered why that is so. Maybe it is because they blend right in with the spicy aromas of turning leaves piqued by the smell of evergreens about to take over the “green scene” for winter. More likely, it is because this is the time of year when tree-ripened apples and pears show up in great variety in the market and pumpkins – well, they fill huge bins just waiting to be selected.
Thinking of autumn desserts, I couldn’t decide between an old-time Finnish favorite – a simple to make, buttery, apple-sugar cake, and pumpkin cheesecake. So I decided to include them both.
But here’s an idea for seckle pears, too. Seckle pears are those tiny little pears that show up for a brief period of time in the fall. Usually locally grown, they are sweet little fruits, no taller than three inches.
I got this idea also in Finland, when a friend served it for dessert. I asked her for the recipe and she just said, “There’s no recipe,” she replied, “you just wash the pears, stand them up in a pan and bake them for about an hour.” What temperature (anything from 325 to 350 degrees F. depending on what else you are roasting. Try that for a no-fuss dessert when you are really busy! When the pears are soft, just sprinkle them with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream flavored with a little crème de menthe, one pear per person.
This next recipe is a simple Finnish one, too, perfect with any of the fresh apples of fall. It was first published in The Finnish Cookbook in 1964.
FINNISH APPLE SUGAR CAKE (Omenasokerikakku)
Makes 12 servings
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
dash salt
3/4 cup light cream or undiluted evaporated milk
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced about 1/2 inch
Cinnamon sugar: 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch cake pan.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together; add the eggs and beat until light. Stir the flour, baking powder and salt together and add to the cream mixture alternately with the cream. Mix until batter is smooth and spread into the prepared pan.
Insert the apple slices so that the outer edges of the apple slices are up. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean and dry. Serve warm.
Pecan Crusted Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
This needs to chill overnight so that it will cut easily, so plan accordingly.
Makes 16 servings
Pecan Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar.
Filling:
4 packages (8-ounce) cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 can (15-ounce) pumpkin
1 cup whipping cream or undiluted evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
In a food processor with the steel blade in place, combine the flour, butter and pecans. Process until pecans are finely chopped and blend in the brown sugar. Press mixture evenly over the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set pan on top of a rimmed cookie sheet.
Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until well blended. Beat in the eggs, pumpkin, cream, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Pour mixture into the crust in the pan. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until a knife inserted just slightly off center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake the cheesecake. Cool on a rack, then chill overnight before cutting into wedges to serve.
Apples, pears, and pumpkin desserts always taste the best in the fall. I’ve often wondered why that is so. Maybe it is because they blend right in with the spicy aromas of turning leaves piqued by the smell of evergreens about to take over the “green scene” for winter. More likely, it is because this is the time of year when tree-ripened apples and pears show up in great variety in the market and pumpkins – well, they fill huge bins just waiting to be selected.
Thinking of autumn desserts, I couldn’t decide between an old-time Finnish favorite – a simple to make, buttery, apple-sugar cake, and pumpkin cheesecake. So I decided to include them both.
But here’s an idea for seckle pears, too. Seckle pears are those tiny little pears that show up for a brief period of time in the fall. Usually locally grown, they are sweet little fruits, no taller than three inches.
I got this idea also in Finland, when a friend served it for dessert. I asked her for the recipe and she just said, “There’s no recipe,” she replied, “you just wash the pears, stand them up in a pan and bake them for about an hour.” What temperature (anything from 325 to 350 degrees F. depending on what else you are roasting. Try that for a no-fuss dessert when you are really busy! When the pears are soft, just sprinkle them with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream flavored with a little crème de menthe, one pear per person.
This next recipe is a simple Finnish one, too, perfect with any of the fresh apples of fall. It was first published in The Finnish Cookbook in 1964.
FINNISH APPLE SUGAR CAKE (Omenasokerikakku)
Makes 12 servings
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
dash salt
3/4 cup light cream or undiluted evaporated milk
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced about 1/2 inch
Cinnamon sugar: 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch cake pan.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together; add the eggs and beat until light. Stir the flour, baking powder and salt together and add to the cream mixture alternately with the cream. Mix until batter is smooth and spread into the prepared pan.
Insert the apple slices so that the outer edges of the apple slices are up. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean and dry. Serve warm.
Pecan Crusted Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
This needs to chill overnight so that it will cut easily, so plan accordingly.
Makes 16 servings
Pecan Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar.
Filling:
4 packages (8-ounce) cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 can (15-ounce) pumpkin
1 cup whipping cream or undiluted evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
In a food processor with the steel blade in place, combine the flour, butter and pecans. Process until pecans are finely chopped and blend in the brown sugar. Press mixture evenly over the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set pan on top of a rimmed cookie sheet.
Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until well blended. Beat in the eggs, pumpkin, cream, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Pour mixture into the crust in the pan. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until a knife inserted just slightly off center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake the cheesecake. Cool on a rack, then chill overnight before cutting into wedges to serve.
Holiday Favorites
HOLIDAY FAVORITE RECIPES FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Holidays, for many people are laced with a web of memories, and these memories center on “together” times, be they a cookie making session, a coffee party, a family gathering, or just a get-together of friends.
Here, four special friends share their own favorite holiday recipes, each one is connected to family or friends in a special way. I offer, also, my family’s favorite memory.
Kathryn Martin, UMD Chancellor, shares the recipe from her Dutch grandmother. Kathryn writes: “My grandparents, Katrina and John VanZutphen moved to the United States shortly after the First World War, settling first in Kimberly then Little Chute, Wisconsin which was home to a significant number of immigrants from the Netherlands. My grandfather worked in a tannery and my grandmother ran a rooming house, both in an effort to save money to buy their dairy farm in Stanley, Wisconsin. Every Friday my grandmother baked fresh cookies, fresh bread and a variety of kinds of cakes and pies. But only at Christmas time did we have “Grandma Van’s Refrigerator Cookies”. Christmas for me is not complete without my Grandma VanZutphen’s Refrigerator Cookies, both as a recollection of wonderful family events, but also for my memories of helping her and my mother stir the dough and make the cookies.”
Grandma Van’s Refrigerator Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup lard (can substitute Crisco, but do not substitute butter for this)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
5 cups all-purpose flour
Melt the butter and lard together. Add soda to the melted mixture and add the remaining ingredients in the order given. Form dough into sticks, either round or rectangular. (I usually make rectangular blocks about 2 inches high by 2 ½ inches wide). Wrap and chill overnight. Slice 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and bake at 375 degrees F. until light brown. Time depends on how thick the cookies are.
Arlene Coco, restaurant owner, writer, and fellow “foodie” is of Southern heritage She says her mother would always make Jambalaya on Christmas Eve because it fed a crowd and she could keep it warm in the oven to serve when the family came home after Midnight mass.
Louisiana Jambalaya
Serves 12
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
2 cups onions, diced (1 large)
2 cups celery, chopped (2-3 stalks)
1 ½ cups green pepper, chopped (1 large)
2 tablespoons garlic, minced (3 large cloves)
2 pounds of Boneless Chicken Breast, diced
1 can (28 ounce) diced tomatoes in juice
1 Tablespoon Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced thin
3 cups parboiled rice (Uncle Ben’s)
5 cups Chicken stock
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Tabasco to taste
In a large Dutch oven or straight edge saucepan with a lid, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, celery, green peppers and garlic. Cook until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add chicken and cook slightly. Add diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce , Cajun seasoning and salt. Simmer 10 minutes more and add sausage and rice.
Stir until well mixed and add 5 cups of chicken stock. Stir again and heat to a boil. When boiling, turn heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.. Add green onions and parsley. Season to taste with Tabasco.
Lise Lunge Larson, was born and raised in southern Norway, and brings her tradition of food and story telling to Duluth. For many Norwegians, Ribbe, Pork Rib Roast with red sweet cabbage (surkal), mashed potatoes, gravy and green peas is the traditional Christmas meal. Its status is a little like that of the Thanksgiving turkey for Americans. In other words, it’s just not Christmas without it. The fact that the roast should be seasoned and refrigerated for 1 to 3 days makes it very handy for the cook to get a large part of the meal preparation done ahead. And, the cabbage is best made a day ahead of time, too.
Norwegian Pork Rib Roast, “Ribbe”
Serves 6
One 4 pound pork rib roast with the rind and fat. The bones need to be cut every 2-3 inches by the butcher.
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
½ -1 cup water
If you managed to get the pork rib with the rind, place it fat side up and with a very sharp knife, cut through the rind and fat in a crosshatch pattern with 1 inch diamond shaped squares. Rub the meat all over with salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 or 3 days.
Preheat oven to 400degrees F. Place the meat fat side up in a roasting pan. Bring the water to boil and pour over the meat. Cover with aluminum foil and place the roasting pan in the middle of the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Remove the roast from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, remove foil, and place the roast on a wire rack inside the roasting pan. Return to oven, this time in the lower third.
Roast for about 1 hour, basting if needed to keep it moist. It’s a little difficult to say exactly when the ribbe is done as it will depend on how thick the piece is. Use a thermometer to check for internal temperatures.
If you managed to get the ribbe with the fat and rind, move it to the middle of the oven when it is done and turn up the heat to 400-425 and roast for about 20 more minutes, checking it frequently. You want to turn the crackling crisp without burning the roast. When the rind is brown and the squares have started to separate, it’s ready.
Cut the meat into 2-rib sections and serve with mashed potatoes, gravy made from the drippings, green peas and a sweet and sour red cabbage (surkal) dish for a colorful and festive meal.
Surkal
1 head of red cabbage
2 apples
2/3 cup water
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. caraway
2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or more to taste
2 tablespoons red currant jelly
2 tablespoons maple syrup or more to taste.
Finely slice cabbage into thin, long strips. Slice apples into sections and layer the cabbage and the apples in a heavy bottomed pot with the caraway, salt, and maple syrup. Pour the water and the vinegar over and bring to a boil. Stir to mix and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for at least one hour, till cabbage is completely tender. Add currant jelly and adjust the sweet and sour ratio to taste.
This dish is actually best when made one day ahead of time and is the perfect accompaniment to ribbe.
The talk at the Continental hair solon often centers on food, and when I mentioned this gathering of recipes for this story, Chuck immediately offered Bill’s recipe for Cranberry Pudding. This favorite of theirs was first served to them at a friend’s home, who shared it with Bill who makes it every holiday season without fail. The recipe, he thought came from an old Betty Crocker cookbook. Bill, however, always makes this steamed pudding in a metal loaf pan rather than a tube-type pan that is commonly used.
Steamed Cranberry Pudding
Serves 10 to 12
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup boiling water
1/2 cup light or dark molasses
Sauce:
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Lightly grease a 2-quart metal pan. Pick over the cranberries, wash and drain.
Sift together the flour and salt; dredge cranberries in the flour mixture. Dissolve soda in the boiling water and add the molasses. Stir and allow to foam up.
Add molasses mixture to the flour and cranberry mixture. Mix until well blended. Spoon into the prepared pan and cover with a double layer of foil. Fasten with a heavy elastic band or string.
Place into a deep saucepan and fill with water up to about half the way up the side of the pudding pan. Cover and place over high heat. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Remove from water and allow to cool. When ready to serve, invert onto a serving plate. Cut into 1/2 inch slices.
To make the sauce, mix together the sugar, butter and cream. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and pour over individual slices of the pudding.
I think my brothers and sisters would agree that Mom’s Raspberry Sauce is our number one Christmas food memory.
Back when our parents lived on Rose road, they had a huge raspberry patch. Every summer they froze ice cream buckets full of these beautiful, juicy, berries. Mom would use them to make Raspberry Sauce for Christmas Eve dessert.
On Christmas Eve we packed into their little house – there must have been a hundred of us, or so it seemed. The buffet was potluck and varied in offerings from hamburger casseroles to wild rice salads, fruit salads, a variety of Christmas breads and cookies.
What we all looked forward to, though, was the Raspberry Sauce Mom made from her frozen berries, and served out of a huge punch bowl. The sauce was a clear red pudding, which she usually thickened with tapioca. Cornstarch would have made it cloudy. We spooned the sauce into clear glass cups or clear plastic glasses and plopped a dollop of whipped cream on top. Even the babies loved this dessert!
Today, without the advantage of having buckets of home-grown raspberries, I make the sauce using raspberries from the supermarket and cranberry raspberry juice.
Mom’s Raspberry Sauce
Makes about 16 servings
2 quarts frozen unsweetened raspberries
2 quarts raspberry cranberry juice
1 cup minute tapiocas
Sugar to taste
Sweetened whipped cream for serving
In a large 6 to 8 quart pot, combine the berries, juice and tapioca. Let stand for at least 15 minutes. Then, place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring at first occasionally, but when the sauce comes to a boil, stir vigorously until it is smooth and thickened. Taste and add sugar.
Cover and set aside to cool. The sauce will thicken even more when it is cold.
Serve with sweetened whipped cream for dessert.
Holidays, for many people are laced with a web of memories, and these memories center on “together” times, be they a cookie making session, a coffee party, a family gathering, or just a get-together of friends.
Here, four special friends share their own favorite holiday recipes, each one is connected to family or friends in a special way. I offer, also, my family’s favorite memory.
Kathryn Martin, UMD Chancellor, shares the recipe from her Dutch grandmother. Kathryn writes: “My grandparents, Katrina and John VanZutphen moved to the United States shortly after the First World War, settling first in Kimberly then Little Chute, Wisconsin which was home to a significant number of immigrants from the Netherlands. My grandfather worked in a tannery and my grandmother ran a rooming house, both in an effort to save money to buy their dairy farm in Stanley, Wisconsin. Every Friday my grandmother baked fresh cookies, fresh bread and a variety of kinds of cakes and pies. But only at Christmas time did we have “Grandma Van’s Refrigerator Cookies”. Christmas for me is not complete without my Grandma VanZutphen’s Refrigerator Cookies, both as a recollection of wonderful family events, but also for my memories of helping her and my mother stir the dough and make the cookies.”
Grandma Van’s Refrigerator Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup lard (can substitute Crisco, but do not substitute butter for this)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
5 cups all-purpose flour
Melt the butter and lard together. Add soda to the melted mixture and add the remaining ingredients in the order given. Form dough into sticks, either round or rectangular. (I usually make rectangular blocks about 2 inches high by 2 ½ inches wide). Wrap and chill overnight. Slice 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and bake at 375 degrees F. until light brown. Time depends on how thick the cookies are.
Arlene Coco, restaurant owner, writer, and fellow “foodie” is of Southern heritage She says her mother would always make Jambalaya on Christmas Eve because it fed a crowd and she could keep it warm in the oven to serve when the family came home after Midnight mass.
Louisiana Jambalaya
Serves 12
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
2 cups onions, diced (1 large)
2 cups celery, chopped (2-3 stalks)
1 ½ cups green pepper, chopped (1 large)
2 tablespoons garlic, minced (3 large cloves)
2 pounds of Boneless Chicken Breast, diced
1 can (28 ounce) diced tomatoes in juice
1 Tablespoon Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced thin
3 cups parboiled rice (Uncle Ben’s)
5 cups Chicken stock
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Tabasco to taste
In a large Dutch oven or straight edge saucepan with a lid, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, celery, green peppers and garlic. Cook until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add chicken and cook slightly. Add diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce , Cajun seasoning and salt. Simmer 10 minutes more and add sausage and rice.
Stir until well mixed and add 5 cups of chicken stock. Stir again and heat to a boil. When boiling, turn heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.. Add green onions and parsley. Season to taste with Tabasco.
Lise Lunge Larson, was born and raised in southern Norway, and brings her tradition of food and story telling to Duluth. For many Norwegians, Ribbe, Pork Rib Roast with red sweet cabbage (surkal), mashed potatoes, gravy and green peas is the traditional Christmas meal. Its status is a little like that of the Thanksgiving turkey for Americans. In other words, it’s just not Christmas without it. The fact that the roast should be seasoned and refrigerated for 1 to 3 days makes it very handy for the cook to get a large part of the meal preparation done ahead. And, the cabbage is best made a day ahead of time, too.
Norwegian Pork Rib Roast, “Ribbe”
Serves 6
One 4 pound pork rib roast with the rind and fat. The bones need to be cut every 2-3 inches by the butcher.
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
½ -1 cup water
If you managed to get the pork rib with the rind, place it fat side up and with a very sharp knife, cut through the rind and fat in a crosshatch pattern with 1 inch diamond shaped squares. Rub the meat all over with salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 or 3 days.
Preheat oven to 400degrees F. Place the meat fat side up in a roasting pan. Bring the water to boil and pour over the meat. Cover with aluminum foil and place the roasting pan in the middle of the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Remove the roast from the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, remove foil, and place the roast on a wire rack inside the roasting pan. Return to oven, this time in the lower third.
Roast for about 1 hour, basting if needed to keep it moist. It’s a little difficult to say exactly when the ribbe is done as it will depend on how thick the piece is. Use a thermometer to check for internal temperatures.
If you managed to get the ribbe with the fat and rind, move it to the middle of the oven when it is done and turn up the heat to 400-425 and roast for about 20 more minutes, checking it frequently. You want to turn the crackling crisp without burning the roast. When the rind is brown and the squares have started to separate, it’s ready.
Cut the meat into 2-rib sections and serve with mashed potatoes, gravy made from the drippings, green peas and a sweet and sour red cabbage (surkal) dish for a colorful and festive meal.
Surkal
1 head of red cabbage
2 apples
2/3 cup water
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. caraway
2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or more to taste
2 tablespoons red currant jelly
2 tablespoons maple syrup or more to taste.
Finely slice cabbage into thin, long strips. Slice apples into sections and layer the cabbage and the apples in a heavy bottomed pot with the caraway, salt, and maple syrup. Pour the water and the vinegar over and bring to a boil. Stir to mix and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for at least one hour, till cabbage is completely tender. Add currant jelly and adjust the sweet and sour ratio to taste.
This dish is actually best when made one day ahead of time and is the perfect accompaniment to ribbe.
The talk at the Continental hair solon often centers on food, and when I mentioned this gathering of recipes for this story, Chuck immediately offered Bill’s recipe for Cranberry Pudding. This favorite of theirs was first served to them at a friend’s home, who shared it with Bill who makes it every holiday season without fail. The recipe, he thought came from an old Betty Crocker cookbook. Bill, however, always makes this steamed pudding in a metal loaf pan rather than a tube-type pan that is commonly used.
Steamed Cranberry Pudding
Serves 10 to 12
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup boiling water
1/2 cup light or dark molasses
Sauce:
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Lightly grease a 2-quart metal pan. Pick over the cranberries, wash and drain.
Sift together the flour and salt; dredge cranberries in the flour mixture. Dissolve soda in the boiling water and add the molasses. Stir and allow to foam up.
Add molasses mixture to the flour and cranberry mixture. Mix until well blended. Spoon into the prepared pan and cover with a double layer of foil. Fasten with a heavy elastic band or string.
Place into a deep saucepan and fill with water up to about half the way up the side of the pudding pan. Cover and place over high heat. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Remove from water and allow to cool. When ready to serve, invert onto a serving plate. Cut into 1/2 inch slices.
To make the sauce, mix together the sugar, butter and cream. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and pour over individual slices of the pudding.
I think my brothers and sisters would agree that Mom’s Raspberry Sauce is our number one Christmas food memory.
Back when our parents lived on Rose road, they had a huge raspberry patch. Every summer they froze ice cream buckets full of these beautiful, juicy, berries. Mom would use them to make Raspberry Sauce for Christmas Eve dessert.
On Christmas Eve we packed into their little house – there must have been a hundred of us, or so it seemed. The buffet was potluck and varied in offerings from hamburger casseroles to wild rice salads, fruit salads, a variety of Christmas breads and cookies.
What we all looked forward to, though, was the Raspberry Sauce Mom made from her frozen berries, and served out of a huge punch bowl. The sauce was a clear red pudding, which she usually thickened with tapioca. Cornstarch would have made it cloudy. We spooned the sauce into clear glass cups or clear plastic glasses and plopped a dollop of whipped cream on top. Even the babies loved this dessert!
Today, without the advantage of having buckets of home-grown raspberries, I make the sauce using raspberries from the supermarket and cranberry raspberry juice.
Mom’s Raspberry Sauce
Makes about 16 servings
2 quarts frozen unsweetened raspberries
2 quarts raspberry cranberry juice
1 cup minute tapiocas
Sugar to taste
Sweetened whipped cream for serving
In a large 6 to 8 quart pot, combine the berries, juice and tapioca. Let stand for at least 15 minutes. Then, place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring at first occasionally, but when the sauce comes to a boil, stir vigorously until it is smooth and thickened. Taste and add sugar.
Cover and set aside to cool. The sauce will thicken even more when it is cold.
Serve with sweetened whipped cream for dessert.
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