Extra Schmaltz!

As a kid I loved day trips to the tourist-trap known as Solvang , for one big reason: æbleskiver! These Danish goodies are little eggy puffs of air, made in a specialized cast-iron pan. Lucky me, Alex got me just such a pan! This dough would also make fantastic pancakes or waffles if you don't have the pan. I used this æbleskiver recipe from a Danish enclave in MN at Lutsen, but I cut it in half for two people. They recommend allowing 7 puffs per person, which is handy because that's how many fit in a pan. The recipe below makes ~18 puffs. For the technique, watch this video from Solvang: 1 c. buttermilk 2 eggs, separated 1 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. oil 1 pinch salt 1 c. flour 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda Beat the egg whites until stiff. Whisk together the yolks, sugar, oil, and salt in a large measuring cup with a pour spout. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and then add it to the liquid ingredients. Whisk until very smooth...

Nothing like a beefy hot bowl of noodles on Christmas Eve! I was able to make this with odds and ends I had on hand. You can top it with whatever vegetables and things you have. I had only a small piece of lean beef, but if you have something with more bones and cartilage you'll get more flavor. You could also use pork or chicken. 6-8 oz beef 1/2 yellow onion, with skin 1" knob of ginger 2 garlic cloves 8 black peppercorns 2-3 dried shiitake mushrooms 2" piece of kombu (optional) 6 c. water 2 Tbsp. oil 1-2 tsp. dashi granules 2 Tbsp. rice wine or sherry 3-4 Tbsp. light soy sauce 1 tsp. sesame oil 1 tsp. rice vinegar salt and sugar to taste 2 bundles dried udon noodles 3 green onions, sliced thinly Garnish ideas: 1 carrot, julienned 2 leaves Chinese cabbage poached eggs 1/4 c. soft tofu, in cubes Pickled daikon (takuan) 7-spice powder (shichimi togarashi) Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in the base of your pressure cooker, and sear the outside of the beef...

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...

I have learned a lot about making pasta in the last 2 years or so; it is not a coincidence that this overlaps with my having very little time to contribute to the blog. I'd like to illustrate what I now know about the "true" italian approach to pasta with a dish from the menu of the restaurant where I currently work, Delfina . This dish has, approximately, 4 ingredients. It is also one of the signature dishes of a well-regarded restaurant which has served dozens of them every single day of its 12 year history, which should indicate that the devil is going to be in the details. It is officially listed on the menu as "Spaghetti with plum tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and peperoncini" Ingredients: Spaghetti: This is a dry pasta dish. Texture-wise, the sauce adds little more than mouth-feel, so everything depends on the noodle itself. The industry standard for Italian dry pasta is Rustichella d'Abruzzo . I think you can find it retail at fancy-p...

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 ...

While roasting trays of mixed vegetables one day, I had the bright idea of trying another approach to cooking fruit. I like it so much better cooked, and it seems much easier to digest. Here is what I did: 2 greenish bananas, sliced 1 tbsp butter, melted Toss the banana slices with the butter gently (I did it all in the cast iron pan used to melt the butter). Spread them out into a single layer. Bake at 350 for a total of 1 1/2 hours, separating and flipping every half hour. Remove from pan to storage bowl and cool. Once these are cool, they are 1)really ugly, and 2)incredibly delicious. They become caramelized and sweet the longer they cool. Use them in yogurt or in shakes. One thousand times more delicious that plain bananas!

More turkey leftovers? I found this in the Star Tribune around Thanksgiving, and it is quite delicious and a nice change from the usual turkey Tetrazinni approach. I tweaked a few ingredients and made it as shown below: 2 TBSP finely grated fresh ginger 2 TBSP finely chopped garlic 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or more, if you like it hotter) 2 tomatoes chopped* 2 TBSP curry powder 2 TBSP garam masala 1 cup yogurt 1/2 bunch cilantro 1 lb. chopped cooked turkey (or chicken, or cooked meat of any kind) 1 TBSP olive oil 1 small yellow onion, chopped 1 lb. chopped cooked sweet potatoes 3 TBSP brown sugar (this can be left out or reduced if your left over sweet potatoes are already sweetened. 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste) 1 small can (5.6 oz, or 165 ml) coconut milk (or half and half) Put ginger, garlic, pepper flakes, tomatoes*, curry powder, garam masala, yogurt and cilantro into a deep bowl and stir to combine. Add turkey, toss well, cover, and refrigerate for sever...