Extra Schmaltz!

So, the Chowhound message boards describe Upstate NY as a culinary wasteland, and while that's mostly true, there are a few local jems, like Beef on Weck, Salt Potatoes, Buffalo Wings, and other things I'm probably forgetting or haven't tried. One such tasty treat is the "Spiedie". The spiedie is simply any kind of meat that's been cut into chunks and marinated in a highly seasoned vinaigrette, grilled on a skewer and basted with more of the marinade, and then pulled off the skewer with a slice of Italian bread. There are countless recipes for spiedie, handed down in the Italian communities of Endicott and Binghamton, and every year there's a festival and contest for the best version. In the grocery stores around here they sell pre-marinated meat, and at speidie stands you can buy pre-made sauce. I decided to try my hand at the sauce, so here's what I used: 2 lbs. chicken thighs, cut into 1.5" chunks 1 c. oil, 1/2 oilve and 1/2 whatever 3/4 c. r...

A delicious and simple dinner idea--and with the benefit of requiring no wheat. I bread and fry the fish and serve it with corn tortillas, cabbage, avocado, and pico de gallo. Fish: Allow about 1/2 to 1/3 lbs. white fish per person. Shark or swordfish will be denser, cod or tilapia will be flakier, and halibut will melt in your mouth. 1/4 c. corn starch 1/4 c. yellow corn meal 1 egg adobo seasoning (I get it from Penzey's--one of my favorite spices!) ground cayenne or chipotle salt and pepper oil that gets good and hot (I use corn or grapeseed oil) Cut fish into 3-4" chunks that can easily be moved around in the pan. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle with seasonings to taste. Mix the dry ingredients in a pie pan, and beat the egg smoothly in another pie pan. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture and allow to sit for several minutes, while heating the oil good and hot. Dip the fish chunks in the egg right before frying. Fry 3 pieces at a time until brown and cri...

I don't have a picture to go with this one, but we all know what tabouleh looks like (though I'm not sure how to spell it--Al, is this right?). It's the perfect recipe for late summer, with the hot weather, ripe tomatoes and cukes, and waning kitchen inspiration. Here's how it goes: Soak 3/4 or 1 c. bulgur in the juice of one lemon and enough water to cover generously for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you remember. If you don't have time, then put it in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let it soak for 15 min. You can also use any other pre-cooked grain, like quinoa or spelt berries if you're some kind of hippie ;). Drain and squeeze out the bulgur in a fine sieve or cloth. Chop 1 large tomato, 1 small cucumber (optional), 1/2 red onion or a handful of scallions, all into smallish cubes. If you use red onions, soak the pieces in cold water for a minute before adding. Place in a large serving bowl. Mince at least 1/2 bunch parsley...

It's been a hot coupla weeks here in Lake Wobegon, my hometown, so when the weather cooled down and the rain started, I was ready to stand over the stove a spell. I have been craving risotto and have so many lovely vegetables to add from my garden that I was inspired. I found a recipe that used green beans. You can follow any risotto recipe, which is basically 1 1/2 cups of arborio rice to 6 cups of broth and 1/2 cup of wine . First you saute whatever you want in some olive oil (I used onions, carrots, shallots and garlic ) briefly, add the rice, stir and saute for about 3 minutes, then start adding broth, 1 cup at a time. Stir pretty continuously. You don't want it to stick to the bottom of the pan (I use a large iron skillet). When most of the broth is absorbed, add the next cup and stir more. Keep it on a medium/low flame . The entire process will take about 45 minutes . When you have added 5 cups and it has been absorbed, add the wine and stir. Once that is absorbed, add ...

Oh shit, pictures!? En garde, vagabondress! For my inaugural visit to Costco, I decided to avail myself of their farcical pricing in the form of that most irresistible of commodities, flesh. Porcine, in this case, and plenty of it. A ~7 pound raw loin, to be exact, for just under $15! (forgot to take a picture of this part; imagine your arm, but made of pig meat) So, I hacked off about 1/3rd of it to serve 2 with 1-2 servings worth of leftovers. I blended up a dry rub of fresh black pepper, brown mustard seeds, rosemary, oregano, and a pinch of salt, and coated the piggy nice and good like: This goes in the fridge to set up the crust. Meanwhile, contemplate sides. I happened to have a big bag of fresh-from-Mom's-garden green beans (and some red ones?). Into a heavy pot (this one has a nice thick SS-clad aluminum bottom and cost around $10 at Saver's) with loads of butter, a couple halved cloves of garlic, a diced slice of extra thick, extra yummy, uncured bacon, (from Kramarczu...

For my final performance of the weekend, I made stuffed green bell peppers. The farm share included the most tender, juicy little peppers, so I knew this would be a good choice (since the grocery store peppers are often oversized and leathery). I combined a few recipes (using the one in almostturkish as the backbone) to arrive at my own, and they turned out adorable and delicious. You will need: 7-8 small peppers, stems carefully removed to make little 'lids' and hollowed out 1 lb. ground beef (or lamb if you can find it) 1.5 plain white or jasmine rice (soak this in water while you core the peppers) 3 medium onions 4 cloves garlic 1/2 bunch parsley 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 Tbsp. fresh or dried dill + 1 tsp. for sauce 2 tsp. fresh or dried mint + 1/2 tsp. for sauce 1 tsp. oregano 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 tsp. ground black pepper 1 Tbsp. salt 2 c. chicken broth 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 3 Tbsp. butter 1/2 c. heavy cream (optional) Chop the onions and garlic very fine using a ...

Ok, for those not obsessed by pickling, here's a tasty recipe my housemate, Liliana made with the remaining eggplants. Oh and did I mention that she's Italian and loves cooking? Yes, we are lucky here at the Byway. I don't have a picture, but it's basically pasta with a reddish sauce. You will need: One box of linguine 2-3 small eggplants, diced 2 bell peppers of various colors, diced One large can of plum tomatoes, diced One medium onion, diced 1/2 c. kalamata olives (pits removed), and chopped coarsely 3 cloves garlic, minced An armload of fresh basil, washed and chopped 1/4-1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese + more to taste Set a pot of water to boil for the pasta, and salt well. Saute the onions for 2 minutes, then add the eggplant and peppers. Cook on medium until eggplant is mostly tender, then add the tomatoes and their liquid and the olives. Continue to cook until the eggplant is completely tender. (Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente). Add the garlic to the eggplant ...

I cooked up a storm this weekend! I got a nasty cough/cold last week and even though I probably should have been taking it easy, I got bored and decided to mix up watching The Sopranos and hacking my lungs out with cooking. Also, I picked up the farm share on Saturday and had a ton of raw materials to work with. First, I made Lebanese Pickled Eggplant Stuffed with Garlic, from The Joy of Pickling. These little guys were just so cute at the farm that I took home a huge bag of them, knowing I'd find a way to use them. These ones are white with purple streaks and are smaller and more tender and mild than the ones we're used to. Also, the fresh garlic I've been getting from the farm is killer. It's a pretty simple recipe (makes one quart): Fresh and steamed eggplants 1) Wash and trim 1.25 pounds small (4-5") eggplants (about one quart) 2) Crush the cloves of one bulb of garlic into a dish, add 1 tsp. cayenne pepper and one Tbsp. of pickling salt. 3) Steam the eggplants...

Here's a recipe that Alex sent me since he's not able to post to the site easily. Alex: we miss you!!! Heya Lily, Here's a recipe for y'all's blog, which you'll have to post for me since blogspot seems to be banned at the moment. It's called "Mujaddara" and I'm not totally clear on the origin. I feel like someone said it's Palestinian, but seeing as everyone makes it that doesn't seem to be a terribly convincing statement. This is how I was taught to make it by an Allepan girl who's friends with my roommate Elizabeth: 1 smallish glass of brown lentils(probably 1/2-3/4 c.) 1.5 smallish glasses of rice. Onions (the more the merrier) Olive Oil Optional: Arabic spice mix (called "baharat" - available at your local Arab grocery, or there are probably recipes online. Should involve allspice, and have a sort of darker brown color.) Cook lentils in water until soft. Add rice, and 1.5x of water(Leaving the water from the lentils in...