Extra Schmaltz!

This recipe comes from the illustrious and Finnish-American Natalie Johnson of Twin City Barbell. While protein is important for building muscle, carbs are essential for powering your workout--so what better than some tasty, home-made bread? This is essentially challah, a rich egg bread, with the added deliciousness of cardamom. Don't fret about the braiding--it will look and taste delicious no matter what. Well, except if you accidentally use salt instead of sugar, which Natalie can tell you all about ;) The best flavor is achieved by using whole cardamom pods. Remove the green husks and save the brown, irregularly shaped seeds from inside. Crush with a mortar and pestle (or in a ziploc with something heavy). 4 ½ to 5 ½ cups unsifted flour ½ cup sugar ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons lemon zest 1 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds 1 package active dry yeast 2/3 cup milk ¼ cup water ½ cup (1 stick) butter 4 eggs (reserve the white of one egg for egg wash later) 2 Tbsp mi

My original tonkatsu recipe has been tested many times, and I've learned a few things. Mainly I have improved the salad dressing. Also I include a more detailed description of how to make the cutlet. Not pictured: mochi ice cream. Ganbatte! Improved Salad Dressing The key to the improved salad dressing is the miso. Hint: even if you are using the pre-packaged instant miso soup, you can repurpose one of the packets for the salad dressing. 2 Tbsp. white miso 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger 1 dash roasted sesame oil 1 Tbsp. roasted sesame seeds Combine all ingredients and toss with lettuce and finely julienned carrots, daikon, and red onion. Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds. I like to let it rest while I'm cooking the other things so that the veggies marinate a bit. Grated Daikon This forms the bed for the cutlet. I have found that if you grate the daikon, then squeeze out the water, sprinkle

To be honest, I was inspired to make this based on a menu item I didn't actually order at an Afghani restaurant - something called a Kaddo Bouarani, sweetened pumpkin with Afghani meat sauce. Since Lillian already has a wonderful recipe for the latter , I decided to try making the pumpkin half, especially since pie pumpkins are easy to find in the store these days (and cheap - my 3# pumpkin was $1). There are various recipes online - some call for more of a candying process , but I wanted something a little faster and less indulgent, so I based my recipe on the one here . The actual cooking of the pumpkin is easy, but skinning is kind of a PITA, so you might save this for company. However, the flavors mix fabulously well, so it is worth it to make, and I think that the pumpkin might also go well with a more Italian meaty marinara sauce. Afghani Pumpkin 1 medium pie pumpkin 2 Tsp oil 1/3 c. sugar A couple pinches/shakes cinnamon Preheat oven to 350. Remove

I adapted this recipe from Hazans' "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking." I got the cookbook a couple months ago, expecting to find more warm-weather food, but she tends towards comfort foods so I've been waiting for it to get cool enough to make this recipe. It turned out extremely well - the flavor is much deeper than you expect to be, and the chicken picks up the sweetness of the cabbage splendidly. I highly recommend serving it with something with a bit of mouth feel - it was brilliant with homemade egg noodles , and I imagine it would be good with roasted brown rice also. Ingredients 1 onion, sliced very thin 2-4 cloves garlic, quartered 1/4 c. olive oil + 1 Tbsp. 1/2 head red cabbage, shredded 1 Tbsp kosher salt 1 cut up chicken 1/2 c. dry red wine 1 Tbsp. dry sherry (optional) Preparation Combine onion, garlic and 1/4 c. olive oil in a heavy bottomed high sided pan, like a dutch oven, or in a very large saute pan, like the one y

This really is essentially a variation of Lillian's recipe for green enchilada sauce , though not developed as such. Tomatillos and green peppers are simply delicious. This takes a little bit of time to prepare in the morning (or you could do it the night before and leave everything in the crockpot in the fridge) 1.5 lbs (6-7) tomatillos 1 large onion, cut into "wings" 2-4 chiles verdes (Anaheim or Hatch are good) 3 cloves garlic 1 lime, juiced 1/3-1/2 bunch cilantro 2 tsp. salt, or to taste 1 Tbl. sugar, or to taste 2-3 pounds meat (beef or pork roast, though chicken would probably be fine) Remove tomatillo husks and their stems. Place them end up along with the peppers (stems trimmed to reduce burning) in the broiler. Cook until the tomatillos are getting mushy, while rotating the peppers so that they get evenly blackened. Peel the peppers and remove their stems. Remove the more burnt parts of the tomatillos. Throw everything into the crockpot, and have i

I must have been too embarrassed of its humble provenance from the Campbell's Soup Label ( and website ) to post this recipe yet, but I make it all the time. I've classed it up a bit, as I tend to do. Try to find Cream of Onion instead of Cream of Mushroom or Celery...it's not as common, but much more delicious. Preheat oven to 375°F 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 can Campbell's Cream of Onion soup 1 c. milk or cream 3/4 c. basmati or jasmine rice 2 Tbsp. vermouth or sherry 1 Tbsp. dried onion flakes 1 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. thyme (or several fresh sprigs) 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1 pinch cayenne Grease an appropriately sized baking dish. Whisk together the soup mix, milk, vermouth, and spices. If necessary, butterfly the chicken breasts so that they are uniformly thick. Place the rice on the bottom of the dish.  Pour half of the liquid over the rice. Nestle the chicken breasts among the rice. If using thyme sprigs, arrange them around the chicken. Pour

I really like ice cream. When I am trying to remain virtuous, I tend to get pretty creative. Tonight I had an inspiration: I always keep frozen blueberries on hand because they are really delicious. I also usually have one or two sliced bananas in the freezer, because they are great in protein drinks or smoothies. Here is what I came up with: Combine in food processor or blender: 1 cup frozen blueberries 5-6 slices frozen bananas ¾ cup milk 1 TBSP maple syrup (or sweetener of your choice) Blend until smooth and consistent. Serve immediately. Makes two sensible or one awesome portion. Another insane thing to do with frozen blueberries is this: Put berries in deep cup or parfait glass Drizzle with maple syrup or honey (not much) Cover with whipping cream (not whipped) or half & half Wait about 10 minutes (this is the hard part). The berries will freeze the syrup and cream into an unholy blast of deliciousness. Dig in.  If this doesn't keep you from runnin

Typical potluck bean salad is an affront to the senses: bland yet pungent, mushy, tin-can-flavored filler. This recipe is none of those things. It's a simple and quick preparation that highlights fresh herbs and ever-delicious olive oil. I recommend using white wine vinegar (NOT all-purpose distilled white or cider vinegar), but you could also use lemon juice or verjuice . 1 can cannellini (white kidney) beans 1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped 1/4 c. celery, finely chopped 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar 1 small handle fresh parsley, chopped 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped salt and black pepper to taste 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional) Drain and rinse the beans. Rinse the onions in cold water for ~ 30 seconds to reduce their pungency. Place the beans, onions, and celery in a bowl and add the oil, vinegar, and seasonings to taste. Stir in the egg right before serving, if desired. Also good with a pungent cheese, such as feta. Feel free

I'm adding this by request, although it's very simple and I don't have a photo of it yet. It's great for using up whatever you have in the kitchen, and offers a wholesome, hearty, and warming meal. I like to serve a green vegetable on the side as well. Ingredients onion mushrooms pearl barley (I use about 2 cups.) red pepper broccoli chicken broth milk  flour cheese - cheddar, parmesan, or whatever is on hand Directions Cook barley in chicken broth (for about an hour). Sauté diced veggies.  Add sautéed veggies to barley, and pour in some milk and a tablespoon of flour. Add some grated cheese (I use 1/2 cup or more). Grease baking dish, and pour mix into dish. Top with parmesan or other cheese. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.

These could be made with any berry, or even rhubarb. They yield a tender, moist muffin with medium sweetness and a tender crumb. I used raspberries and blackberries for the ones in the picture. Instead of lemon and vanilla you could go with a cinnamon spice approach instead, and add a streusel topping. 1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar 3/4 c. buttermilk + 1/4 c. heavy cream OR 1 c. sour cream 2 eggs 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. Meyer lemon zest 1 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 c. flour 1/2 c. granulated sugar 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1 1/2-2 c. berries or rhubarb cut into 1/4" pieces Preheat oven to 375. Place 12 paper liners into a muffin tray. Spray the top surface with non-cook spray for easy muffin removal. Cream together the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix together the buttermilk, cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Mix into the butter and sugar mixture until well combined. Stir together the flour, 1/2 c.

I baked this bread for a family brunch (to go with a frittata and fruit salad). It was a great success. I got the original recipe from Judy Kivi's book, Myths and Recipes of the Last Frontier: Alaska . Ingredients 1 pound chopped dates 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 cups boiling water 2 tablespoons shortening (I prefer coconut oil) 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 4 cups sifted flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup nuts 1 teaspoon vanilla Directions Sprinkle soda over dates and add boiling water. Let stand. In separate bowl, use mixer to cream shortening, sugar, and eggs. Alternate mixing in flour and salt and date mixture. Add nuts and vanilla. Bake in 2 loaf tins for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

I take great delight in convincing people they like foods they thought they hated. Spam is one of them. I re-examined this ingredient after a trip to the Spam Museum in Albert Lea, which led me to stumble across this recipe. It is also known as spam musubi, and it is native to Hawaii, where the US military bases introduced the locals to the 'wonders' of canned luncheon meat. Since each musubi is made with a cross-section of the whole Spam loaf, they make for a very filling appetizer. You can either season the rice as for sushi or leave it plain. These are a real crowd-pleaser and I've had a number of requests to bring these to parties. 1 can Spam 2 Tbsp. oil 1/3 c. terriyaki sauce 2 sheets nori, cut into 1.5" strips 1-2 qt cooked sushi rice (season with rice vinegar, salt, and sugar if desired) Remove the Spam from the tin--this may take some vigorous shaking. Slice into 1/4" pieces. Brush the pieces with terriyaki sauce. Fry lightly in a small amount o

I've been finding Moroccan style sausage at many different meat shops lately. This was made with goat merguez sausage from Clancey's, which had really good flavor. I used a spice blend, but I'm sure you could use fresh spices and add some more ingredients (like dried fruit), but it turned out tasty when made this simple way. 4 links Merguez sausage, sliced 1 large onion, chopped coarsely 2 carrots, in large chunks 2 c. small cauliflower florets 2 Tbsp. tomato paste 3 Tbsp. Moroccan spice blend (ras al-hanout) 1 Tbsp. minced ginger 1 can chickpeas 1.5 c. chicken broth 6 Tbsp. butter Use a heavy bottomed pot to heat 4 Tbsp. of butter. Add the onions and saute until soft and starting to caramelize. Add the sausage and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes until the liquid cooks off and everything starts to sizzle. Add the tomato paste and stir so it is well distributed. Stir in the spice blend and ginger. Add the carrots and 1 c. chicken broth and cover, simmering for 20

After a recent visit to North Carolina, where strawberries are already ripe, I was inspired to make this simple but wonderful dessert. Makes six. 1 pint strawberries 1 c. heavy whipping cream, divided 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 c. sugar, divided 3/4 c. flour 1 egg 3 Tbsp. cold butter 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the strawberries into a bowl and sprinkle with2-3 Tbsp. sugar. Add a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon, if you have it. Allow to rest for an hour. Use a fork to crush some of the strawberries. Sift the flour together with the baking powder and salt. Stir in 3 Tbsp. of sugar. Cut the butter in with a fork until it is the size of small peas. Whisk the egg in a cup and reserve a couple spoonfuls of it for later. Add 1/4 c. of whipping cream to the cup and stir. Pour into the flour mixture and mix until the dough comes together. Turn onto a flour board and cut into circles or squares. Brush the remaining egg on the cakes and

We made these for a "fictional food" themed party. This makes 10, so you may want to scale it down. Thank you to Clancey's meats for accommodating my cutlet request. The rest I based on Roman flavors and the goal of making everything as green as possible. They turned out delicious and I didn't even get punched in the face by Charlton Heston! 10 pork or veal cutlets 2 leeks 1 head escarole or other leafy green 1 can white beans, drained 1/2 c. frozen green peas 1 handful fresh parsley 1 tsp thyme 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds 1/4 c. shredded Romano cheese 1 Tbsp. fish sauce 1-2 Tbsp. verjus or white wine vinegar Salt and fresh ground black pepper Sprinkle the cutlets with salt and pepper and keep them cold in the refrigerator. Overall the rolls are easier to handle if they are kept cold. Cut the leaks lengthwise and wash each leaf under running water to remove grit. Chop coarsely. Wash the escarole and parsley and chop coarsely. Defrost the peas.

If your chive plant is anything like mine, you need to hack it back so it doesn't compete with the rest of the herb garden. Also, it's going to be months before we have an abundance of basil, so here's a yummy spring pesto! 1 large handful of chives 1 medium handful of parsley 1 small handful of oregano, mint, or other fresh herbs 4 cloves garlic 1/4 c. blanched almonds or pine nuts 1/4 c. olive oil 2 tsp. black pepper 2-3 tsp. Kosher salt 1/4 c. grated Pecorino Romano cheese Wash all herbs thoroughly and remove the thickest stems. Use kitchen scissors to cut them into manageable pieces. Lightly toast the nuts in a dry pan. Remove the nuts and then lightly toast the whole garlic cloves to remove some of their pungency. When the nuts are cool, add them to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the herbs a small handful at a time until well chopped. Add the black pepper and salt and pulse. With the food processor running, drizzle in the o

I highly recommend making this recipe if you fulfill all of the following criteria: 1) You just got a whole mess of new kitchen equipment 2) You live a stones throw from more Asian supermarkets than you can count 3) You took Friday off and have a French-themed dinner party the next day 5) According to the DSM-IV you are at least 80% BONKERS This is definitely food-as-art , not sustenance. Plan way, way ahead. Remember the 'bonkers' part? Must contain the feet of at least 3 animals. 2-3 lbs. pig trotters, ideally split 2-3 lbs. meaty beef stew bones OR 2-3 lbs. veal bones (if you can find them--good luck!) 2 lbs. chicken feet 2 lbs. chicken legs, wings, or backs 2-3 lbs. yellow onions 2 lbs. carrots 1 bunch celery 1 bundle parsley handful of whole thyme stems ~20 black peppercorns 2 bay leaves 4 whole cloves 1 c. vermouth or dry white wine 1 lb. lean ground beef 3 eggs whites AND shells 1 can diced tomatoes 1 tsp. tarragon leaves 1 medium daikon r

Hard to believe we now have 300 posts, but no potato leek soup! This soup is almost elemental in its simplicity, and is unparalleled for winter-time comfort (and thrift). My version includes bacon and omits cream. Cream has a way of killing flavor--but you can stir in a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche at the end for contrast. Delicious with cheesy toast! 1/2 lb. bacon, diced 1 stick butter, divided 4 leeks, washed and chopped 3 russet potatoes, peeled 1 large rutabaga, peeled 6-8 c. chicken stock or water 1/2 c. vermouth, divided fresh ground black pepper pinch of red pepper flakes 1 tsp. rosemary lots of salt 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar fresh parsley, minced Begin by frying the bacon in half the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot (or pressure cooker) with a pinch of red pepper flakes. When it is just starting to crisp, deglaze the bottom of the pot with half of the vermouth and reduce the heat. Meanwhile, clean the leeks by cutting off most of the dark gree

Gotta love Midwestern desserts: easy, delicious, and based on the magic of industrial food science. I combed the internet for a more 'scratch' version of these, but this semi-homemade version would be hard to beat. They are very soft and moist, like muffin tops. Cooooookies 1 box Betty Crocker spice cake mix 1 can pumpkin puree 1 egg 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter at room temp Preheat oven to 350° and place parchment paper on two cookie sheets. Cream the butter until fluffy. Blend in the egg and the pumpkin until smooth. Mix in the cake mix until just combined. Blob the dough (it is fairly runny) onto the cookie sheets at least 1" apart. Bake for 15 minutes until they are set. As soon as you can slide a spatula under half of the cookie and lift it up without it bending and breaking, they are done. Frosting This is made extra special with fancy cinnamon. I used true cinnamon and korintje cassia with vanilla bean syrup. Go easy on the vanilla so it doesn&

This is not exactly the dish from our childhood, since it's a bit more complex than the "quick, we need some food" version that's in the Melting Pot cookbook. However, the freshly roasted poblano pepper really gives it a lot more flavor than if you use canned chilies, and roasting them really doesn't take that long. I recommend gloves for processing the pepper.   Ingredients 2 poblano peppers (or if you're spiciness adverse, 1 poblano and 1 Anaheim pepper), roasted, skinned, and cut into thin 1-2" long strips 1 can black beans, drained 1/4 onion, minced finely 1 c. grated cheddar (for filling) and 1/2 c. for topping 2 Tbsp. minced cilantro 1/4-1/2 c. salsa (depending on desired juiciness) (Optional) 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded 1-2 tsp. salt Corn tortillas Diced tomatoes for garnish   Instructions Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Whomp together everything except 1/2 c. of cheese, which you'll use for the topping. Check the seas