Extra Schmaltz!

For various reasons, Melanie likes ground turkey more than ground beef, and so I've been making turkey meatballs a lot. Obviously the problem with turkey is that it can be really dry since it's so lean, but one day we made a random hippy turkey burger recipe and it taught us the he secret to making ground turkey not be gross: ground mushrooms!  If you grind up the mushrooms and mix them in, they kind of cook away but keep whatever you're cooking moist and give that umami flavor that's also missing from turkey. People who don't like mushrooms won't notice their presence at all unless they're specifically looking for them. This recipe is also designed to cook up really really quickly - you can have these done in the time it takes you to boil the water for the noodles. The spices are loosely based on Lillian's meatball recipe but only use dry spices for convenience. They still come out a little dry, but especially with a wetter sauce (marinara, vodka, etc....

This recipe comes from my friend Marisa, who shares a love of pickled things. It is very simple and does double-duty as hearty, but also somehow refreshing due to the tangy kraut. In my recipe I used some winter savory and chervil from my garden, which I have included on the blog just to annoy Alex, because I know he loves obscure ingredients. The recipe will be just fine without them, though (or try experimenting with other herbs!). 1 ring kielbasa 1 large can or jar of sauerkraut, drained 1 large onion, sliced 2 carrots (optional, for color), peeled and sliced 6-8 small white potatoes 2-3 qts chicken broth 2 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. winter savory, leaves only 1 handful chervil fronds 1 tsp. white pepper 1 pinch of nutmeg Place the kielbasa on the grill (or in a hot frying pan) for a few minutes to get some color around the edges, then slice. Meanwhile, saute the onion in some butter in a Dutch oven until they begin to soften. Rinse the sauerkraut, maybe 30 seconds if you...

Couscous in Morocco is traditionally eaten on Fridays during lunch time, following the Friday mid-day prayers, similar to the idea of a Sunday roast after church. It's usually a family affair, and is eaten off of a giant central platter. If you're good, you can eat it with your hands, forming a ball of veggies, meat and couscous and popping it into your mouth. Otherwise, you can just use a large spoon. Also, it's often served with "rayb" Moroccan buttermilk as an accompanying beverage, but I tend to skip that. This recipe is based on Melanie's Moroccan family's recipe. You can make it with any meat you like, but she prefers chicken. The veggies here are just a suggestion - you can use whatever is in season. The microwave bit is not strictly traditional, but her family in the US really prefers the convenience of it to the more traditional double-boiler. The main 'technique' in this is that you're cooking the meat and veggies first, and usin...

We had this wonderful, hearty dish during a brief stop for lunch in Mulhouse in the Alsace region during our Europe trip this year. Using a recipe from an actual Alsatian, Hubert Keller , we found that our version actually far surpassed the simple fare we had in Mulhouse. The principle of the Baeckeoffe is similar to the Jewish cholent tradition: make a casserole in a earthenware or enameled dish, seal tightly, and allow to cook untouched for several hours (traditionally, by leaving in a baker's oven Friday before sabbath, then retrieve Saturday after sundown, when you are allowed to pick things up again). I opted not to seal the pot with dough because my lid has no vent (see original if you want to try). The heavy cast iron lid provided a plenty good seal. This dish takes some pre-planning because it should marinate overnight, but it is well worth it. Also, amazingly, I was able to find Alsatian Riesling at Total Wine! Protective and delicious layer of potatoes. The fin...

These are meatballs for when your grandmother isn't  coming over. They are garlicky and full of spices, with jolly hard-boiled eggs for added satisfaction, providing a great mess of comfort food for a cold winter night. I got the recipe from Cracking Curries , and added the pressure cooker option, which makes the meatballs oh-so tender. The great thing about this meatball is that you don't need to pre-fry them, saving time and mess. You could also stew them in the crockpot (though the sauce-making takes some advanced prep). Delicious over basmati rice. Orange juice serving suggestion from Dan. 1 lb ground lamb 1 small onion 1/2 bunch cilantro 1 egg, beaten (or less) 1 tsp. cayenne 1 tsp. black pepper 2 tsp. salt 3 Tbsp. butter 1 large onion, sliced 2 medium tomatoes, diced 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 6 cloves garlic, minced 1" knob ginger, minced 2 tsp. ground coriander 1/2 tsp. cayenne (to taste) 2 tsp. salt (to taste) 1 c. boiling water 4 eggs, har...

I wanted to try something different than my usual cooking adventures so I ventured into African cuisine. I already love to make sukuma wiki collard greens, and this recipe makes a great main course with the greens. I got the recipe from Kadirecipes . 2 lb grilling meat, such as tri-tip 1/4 c. raw peanuts 1 Tbsp. paprika  2 tsp. grated ginger 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 bouillon cubes 1 Tbsp salt or to taste Roast the peanuts and allow to cool. Chop in the food processor until fine sandy texture, but not peanut butter. Blend in the remaining seasonings. Cut the meat into chunks or strips. Press the seasoning blend onto the meat and allow it to marinate for at least an hour. Place onto skewers, brush lightly with oil (if you are using lean meat) and grill. I found that my meat needed a bit more flavor pop, so I have increased the seasoning amounts from the original recipe. This meat went perfectly with the sukuma wiki and pap (cornmeal mush) as a side dish. The peanuts adde...

I finally figured out the key to good crockpot pulled pork--ignore 90% of the recipes out there and don't add the BBQ sauce until the end. In fact, doing it this way you could go full Southern style and not add BBQ sauce at all. If you add the sauce at the beginning it winds up watery and thin and doesn't let the meat or the sauce really shine. If you wanted it to be smoky & spicy you could substitute canned chipotle peppers for the paprika and cayenne. I used Sweet Baby Ray's on this last batch and it was too sweet for me. Try to find a BBQ sauce that suits your taste. I am a crockpot skeptic, but this recipe really works! Picnics are way more fun as a grown-up...even when it's -11 outside! 1 large 3+ lb. pork shoulder or Boston butt 2 medium onions, sliced 1-2 c. water 1 chicken boullion cube 2 bay leaves 1 Tbsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. allspice 1 pinch cayenne salt and pepper 1 jug BBQ sauce buns Rub the spices onto the pork. You don't actuall...

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...

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. ...

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...

Where better to turn for down-home comfort food than a church cookbook? We had these at Christmas and they were delicious in an old-fashioned way. They're basically like meatloaf in ball form, and can be spiced up according to taste. From Elim Centennial 1883-1983 Cookbook, Elk River MN. Makes about 55 1" balls. Great with mashed potatoes and a veggie side. Preheat oven to 375° Meatballs: 2 lb ground beef 1 c. quick cooking oatmeal or breadcrumbs 1/2 c. milk 2 eggs 1 package onion soup mix Roll into balls and bake on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 375°. Sauce: 1 c. catsup 4 Tbsp. butter 4 Tbsp. light molasses 2 Tbsp. vinegar 4 Tbsp. water Simmer the sauce ingredients for 15 minutes. Mix the meatballs into the sauce.

This is a recipe from Melanie/Melanie's host family here in Rabat. It's pretty easy, and makes a delicious, warm and hearty meal. Ingredients: Kufta balls: 1 # ground beef 1 tsp cumin 1/2-1 tsp tahmiira (Moroccan mild pepper powder, a bit different but replaceable with a mix of mild paprika and cayeanne) 2 Tbsps minced Italian parsley Salt Pepper Sauce: 3-4 medium tomatoes, skinned and seeded, diced (this is how tomatoes are usually prepared for Moroccan recipes, whether cooked or salads) 1/2 tsp tahmiira 1/2 tsp cumin 3 Tbsps minced Italian parsley Salt Pepper 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp salad oil Steps: Before starting on the kufta, get the sauce cooking in a large skillet. Heat the oil on medium heat, then add the tomatoes. When the tomatoes start releasing their juice, add the spices, then turn it down to a simmer. While the sauce is simmering, combine the ingredients for the kufta, then form into balls about 1" in diameter. When the tomatoes have cooked down, you can eith...

Some say beans don't go in chili. I think this guy would eat anything in front of him. We're home on the range tonight, or is it the Donner Pass? Being stuck inside during a historic snowstorm calls for improvisation, or in this case, a return to basics. Meat? Check. Dried chilis? Check. Can o' beans? Check. Chili here we come! 2 lbs. ground or finely chopped beef 1 large onion, chopped 2 Tbsp. bacon grease (you can also add some bacon) 3 dried ancho chilis 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. Mexican oregano 2 Tbsp. salt 1 can of chili beans (optional) or 1 can tomato sauce water Honestly, I was out of chili powder, so I had to make the chili sauce from scratch. I added the beans mainly for liquid, but you could use tomatoes instead (or in addition). Brown the meat in the bacon grease, seasoning it with some salt and black pepper. I like to pressure cook it for 10 minutes to make it more tender. Cut the chilies open (kitchen ...

Herd tu feegoore-a oooot hoo I nefer treeed mekeeng thees clesseec Meennesuta deesh beffure-a. It ceme-a oooot greet! Börk, börk, börk! Ahem....what I mean to say is that this is delicious, especially served over mashed potatoes with lingonberries or cranberries and pickles on the side. It's a fair amount of work, but very worth it in the end. Veal mixed with beef will give the best texture--the velvetiness of the veal combined with the heartiness of the beef. If that's not an option, use pork instead. For two people, halve the recipe or freeze some of the meat for later. 1 lb ground veal (or pork) 1 lb ground beef 1 medium onion 2 slices of white bread, crusts removed ~3 Tbsp. milk 2 egg yolks 2 Tbsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. paprika 1/4 tsp. allspice pinch of nutmeg copious butter and oil for frying This goes best with a food processor. Chop the onions until very fine, almost puree. Mix in the meat and egg. Grind the white bread into breadcrumbs and mix it with the mil...

I call this man meat because it uses ingredients that even the most consummate bachelor would have. Also, I think my step-dad John, who recently passed away, used to make it a lot, and he was truly a man's man. I hope you're taking notes, because it's pretty complex: 1 tri-tip steak 1 bottle or can of beer Lawry's Seasoned Salt Apply the seasoned salt liberally to the meat. Place the meat in a container, such as a zip-lock bag. Add the beer. Wait overnight. Grill the meat to desired done-ness. Eat. Now if you're a pansy, you can get all fancy and overthink the recipe. What beer should I use? What if I don't have tri-tip? What if I have no balls? A real man would figure it out.

I was shocked to see I hadn't posted this soup, which is one of my stand-by favorites. It's similar to 'Italian Wedding Soup', but I leave out the pasta and I call it Roman because it contains ingredients that the Romans would have had before contact with the Americas. A big batch of meat broth, ~6-8 cups A pound of ground meat, I like to combine turkey and beef 1 large onion 1 clove garlic Fresh parsley, ~1/2 c. chopped finely 2 cups blanched kale, chopped (or other greens: see below) Salt and pepper A dash of white wine vinegar Grind 1/2 of the onion and the garlic in a food processor or chop it very finely--almost pureed. Combine it with the meat and parsley and form into tiny meatballs. Bring the broth to a boil and drop the meatballs in, gently making sure they don't stick to the bottom. When they rise to the top, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the onions, kale, and seasonings and simmer 5 more minutes. Go heavy on the black pepper--the Ro...

Grilling season has arrived! Here's a simple and popular rub that has delicious results. Sure, you can just buy the seasoning mix, but when you have a spice cabinet that can't fit one more jar, it's better to just make your own mixtures. Most of the recipes I've seen online called for dill weed, but I used dill seed, which probably has more flavor anyway. No measurements...just use The Force. Kosher salt black pepper garlic powder paprika ground coriander dill seed (or weed) red pepper flakes Pat steaks dry. Sprinkle with rub. Wrap steaks tightly in plastic wrap and allow to season for at least 1 hr. Grill or pan fry on medium high heat until cooked to your liking. These would be great with the fingerling potato recipe below.

This is not a definitive recipe or anything, but it almost always turns out excellently, and so I thought it might be useful to readers of the blog/family members as a good burger recipe. Using a lot of fresh onion in meat is a trick from Lillian. 1# Ground beef (if you use leaner beef, you it won't flame up as much, but it might not be quite as tasty) 1/2 onion (you can mix white and red onion for extra deliciousness) 2-3 cloves garlic 1 egg 1/4c. or so breadcrumbs Several dashes of Worcester Sauce 1 Tbsp Pomegranate Molasses (Dibis rumaan) (optional) S&P Run the onion and garlic through the food processor, or mince very finely. Mix everything together. The role of the breadcrumbs is to reduce the moisture of the burgers so that they're workable, so you'll have to add more or less depending on the size of the egg, the moistness of the meat, etc. When everything is mixed, form into patties - Lillian recommends putting an indentation in the center, which will "pop u...

UPDATE! Here is an improved salad dressing recipe and a detailed description of making the cutlet from scratch. The dressing below is still good, but not quite as good as the miso style! Technically tonkatsu is a breaded pork cutlet, but you can make chicken-katsu or veal-catsu or chickenmcnugget-katsu (as pictured). It's traditionally served as a full meal with rice, shredded cabbage, miso soup, and some pickles. The cutlet is generally sliced so that it can be eaten with chopsticks and dressed with Japanese-style Worcestershire sauce ('sosu'). I forgot to take a picture of rice, so don't forget to include it! For the meal pictured I used salad with ginger vinaigrette instead of the cabbage. Here's how to put together the meal: Make the Sosu: 1/2 c. catsup 1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce 1/4 c. rice wine 3 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. ginger, minced 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced Combine all ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Rice : Make some short-grained w...

This meal is hearty, chock-full-of-nutrients, and fairly quick. The meat recipe is one I picked up along the way and the bulghur recipe is from the Almost Turkish blog. The yogurt sauce on the side is optional but it adds a nice balance to the meat. If you want to make the recipes separately, the meat sauce can be served over rice or macaroni, and the bulghur would make a nice side to any meat dish. Feel free to get creative with spices on the meat sauce--I used a seasoning mix from Morocco last time I made it. Afghani Meat Sauce 1 1/2 lb. ground lamb or beef 1 medium onion, diced 3 Tbsp. tomato paste 1/2-3/4 c. hot water 2 tsp. salt, or to taste 1 Tbsp. ground coriander 1 tsp. black pepper 1 pinch red pepper flakes 1 clove garlic, crushed oil for cooking If you have a pressure cooker, use it to cook the meat. If not, a regular frying pan with a lid will work. Heat a little oil in the pan and add the meat. Break it up thoroughly while browning. Cook until excess moisture is gone. Add t...