Category Archives: Home Cooking

Tastes Like Home

HOME COOKING

We’re heading into hibernation with big appetites and familiar cravings.

Recipes and photography by Yelena Strokin

The return to cool days and cold nights sparks a hunger that almost feels insatiable. Overnight, we find ourselves craving the kind of hearty meals that are going to anchor us to the dinner table for a couple hours at a time and leave us not just full but warmed, too. Once the holidays pass, it won’t be long before we’ll start to feel boxed in by root veggies. But, for now, the scent of roasting meats and baking desserts smells like the start of a cozy new existence.

img_4805Rosemary Roast Leg of Lamb
Serves six to eight.

5 lbs. leg of lamb, bone removed, untied
3 tbsps. vegetable oil
1 cup dry white wine
6-7 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsps. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 onion, peeled and minced
5-6 potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 turnips, peeled and quartered
3 tsps. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

• Place the lamb in a glass baking dish.

• In a bowl, mix together the vegetable oil, wine, garlic, rosemary, onion, salt and pepper, then pour it over the lamb. Move the lamb to the refrigerator to marinate for anywhere from three hours to overnight (the longer the better), turning it occasionally.

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

• Move the lamb to a rack in a roasting pan and add half of the marinade. Roast it for about two hours, or until the lamb becomes tender. An hour in, add the potatoes and the turnips, along with the remaining marinade. Baste the lamb frequently.

• Place the lamb and the veggies on a hot serving platter and let them stand for 10 minutes before carving.

Baked Acorn Squash with Chestnuts, Mushrooms and Quinoa
Serves four.

3-4 acorn squash (about 1 pound each), halved lengthwise and deseeded
6 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of cinnamon
½ tsp. paprika
5 ozs. chestnuts, roasted, peeled and chopped
1½ cups cooked quinoa
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 cups assorted mushrooms, chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and grated
Bleu cheese
Fresh sage
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

• In a small bowl, mix together three tablespoons of the olive oil with the cinnamon, paprika and salt and pepper. Brush the cut sides of the squash with the mixture. Then place the squash, cut side down, on two baking sheets and roast until they begin to tenderize, about 25 minutes.

• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over a medium heat. Then add the onion, carrot and mushrooms. Stirring occasionally, cook until softened, about five to eight minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

• Turn the squash cut side up. Spoon the onions, carrots and mushrooms into the cavities, top with a few crumbles of bleu cheese, then return the squash to the oven until the stuffing turns golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

• Transfer to plates, garnish with sage and serve hot.

Apple-Almond Tart with Baked Apple Chips

A couple of notes: Don’t add sugar to the apples. It’ll draw all of the liquid out of them. There will be plenty of sweetness in the pastry. And, if the tart seems too full after adding the apple slices, it’s OK; they’ll shrink as they bake.

For the pastry
1½ cups plain all-purpose flour
6 tbsps. unsalted butter, diced (and kept cold)
¼ cup ground almonds
2 tbsps. superfine sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. cold water
¼ tsp. almond extract

For the topping and filling
1 cup plain all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. mixed spice
¼ cup (4 tbsps.) unsalted butter, diced
¼ cup raw sugar
¼ cup sliced almonds
1½ lbs. cooking apples
3 tbsps. raisins
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

For the chips
1-2 apples
Cinnamon

The apple chips

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

• Cut the apples into eighth-inch-thick slices with a mandolin. Then, arrange the slices in a single layer across a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly.

• Bake in the bottom third of the oven until the apples are dry and crisp, about an hour to an hour-and-a-half. Then, let them cool completely.

The pastry and the topping

• Add the flour to a food processor or a mixing bowl, fold in the butter and mix until it takes on the consistency of fine breadcrumbs. Then, stir in the almonds and sugar. Separately, whisk the yolk with the water and almond extract, then add it to the food processor/mixing bowl. The dough should now be soft and pliable. Knead it until becomes smooth, then wrap it in clear film and leave it in a cool place for 20 minutes.

• In the meantime, make the topping. In a large bowl, sift the flour and the mixed spice. Knead in the butter, then stir in the sugar and almond slices.

• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured counter. Then, line a quiche dish with it, taking care to press it into the nooks and form a lip over the top edge. Use a rolling pin to trim off the excess. Then, stick it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

• Put a baking sheet in the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees.

• Peel, core and thinly slice the cooking apples. Then arrange them in the quiche dish, overlapping, in concentric circles, doming in the center. Top with the raisins, then, with light pressure, the topping mixture.

• Place the quiche dish on the hot baking sheet and bake until the top of the tart turns golden brown and the apples, tender, about 30 minutes. (Test them with a fine-gauge skewer.)

• Let the tart stand for 10 minutes. Dust with the confectioner’s sugar and serve warm.

Yelena Strokin is a Newtown-based food stylist and photographer and the founder of the blog Cooking Melangery

[divider]What I’m Drinking Right Now[/divider]

Brandywine Branch Distillers The Revivalist Botanical Gin

$41.75 to $50.95 (750ml)

I’m a brown-spirits guy. But this summer, I began exploring the suddenly-evolving world of gin. Gone are the days when the juniper-heavy London dry style was about the extent of your options. Now, they come in so many unique varieties, it hardly seems right to refer to them all simply as gin. Among the most intriguing is this series of four, small-batch, seasonal gins being made right in our own backyard, at Brandywine Branch Distillers in Chester County. Each kind is infused with its own unique blend of botanicals and spices that plays to the season. Harvest Expression, out now, bears the essence of orange and clove. Solstice Expression marries dried cherry, anise, orange peel and ginger. If you left the gin and tonic behind with your white jeans, it’s time to reconsider.

ADAM JUNKINS

Partner/Sommelier, Sovana Bistro, Kennett Square

Photo courtesy Brandywine Branch Distillers

For the Love of Tradition

HOME COOKING

Because it always was.
And because it should be.

We’re nominating the deviled egg as the quintessential picnic food. It defies logic, really. Eggs. Mayo. Suspect refrigeration. Yet they’re the first thing most of us reach for, whether it’s an intimate, blanket-top lunch or a crowded backyard barbeque. Even before the cocktail. Credit nostalgia. Every family has its time-honored recipes, but the deviled egg is the rare foodstuff that transcends personal history. We all seemed to grow up eating them by the handful. That creamy texture, the hint of heat—feels like home.

Recipes and photography by Yelena Strokin

The Deviled Egg
Makes 12.

6 free-range eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
Juice from a jar of pickled beets
¼ cup mayo
2 tsps. Dijon mustard
Cilantro, minced (reserve some)
Paprika to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the eggs in the beet juice anywhere from a half-hour to overnight. If you like pickled foods, longer is better. After their bath, remove the eggs and cut them in half lengthwise, then gently remove the yolks and set them off to the side. In a small bowl, combine the yolks, mayo, mustard and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until the mixture achieves a smooth consistency, then transfer it to a Ziploc bag. Cut off a bottom corner and pipe a bit of the yolk mixture into the hollow of each egg half. Sprinkle with paprika and garnish with cilantro or a small beet slice.

 

There’s good reason why the Brits continue to cling so fiercely to their high tea, and it’s not the tea. A socially acceptable excuse to break in the middle of the afternoon and scarf down pastries? Yeah, that’s worth protecting. Spare us the formality—we drink our coffee and tea in paper cups with plastic lids, thank you—but not the sugar rush. We may be new money, but we’re not animals.

The Victoria Sandwich
Serves six to eight.

8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
4 free-range eggs, room temperature
1¼ cup sugar
1¾ cup self-rising flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Raspberry or strawberry jam
1 cup whipped cream
Powdered sugar

Take the eggs out of the fridge about an hour before you plan to start. If they’re colder than room temperature, it’ll be harder for air to be whisked in, which will make the mixture more likely to curdle or separate. Likewise, the butter should sit out for a few minutes beforehand, too.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. And grease two cake pans, then line the base of each with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and vanilla extract until they’re thoroughly blended. Then divide the mixture evenly between the two cake pans and level them off.
Bake until the cakes rise and the tops spring back when pressed lightly with a finger, about 25 minutes. Then, let them cool for a few minutes. Remove them from the pans, peel off the parchment and move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Once the cakes have cooled completely, cut them in half, slather on some whipped cream and jam and put them back together. Sprinkle on a dusting of powdered sugar.

[divider]What I’m Drinking Right Now[/divider]

Chateau de Ségries Tavel Rosé 2014
$22 (750ml)

With the reemergence of a warm sun, my rosé fetish is back in full swing. There are a lot of preconceptions out there about rosé—it doesn’t pair well, it’s not especially masculine—but if you approach it with an open mind, you won’t be disappointed. I’d even venture to say it’s the most versatile wine out there, light enough for afternoon drinking on the patio but still a formidable companion for braised pork and grilled spring veggies. For the latter, try this Tavel. It’s darker and bolder than you’re thinking without forsaking that signature rosé crispness.

ADAM JUNKINS
Partner/Sommelier
Sovana Bistro
(Kennett Square)

You’re Overthinking It

HOME COOKING

Even now, especially now, when everything’s fresh and within easy reach, less is more.

We hear it all the time these days from chefs of every walk: Keep it simple. Have faith in the ingredients. But that’s easy to say when you’ve been formally schooled and challenged by an elite mentor. For the rest of us, keeping it simple looks like a lot of disparate (and under-seasoned) ingredients spread across a plate. The trick isn’t just keeping the complicated techniques to a minimum, it’s also keeping the ingredients to a minimum. With almost everything in season right now, the tendency is to pick the garden clean and make it all somehow work together. But it won’t, and it never will, no matter how fresh everything is. Think smaller and lighter. It’s how you really want to eat when you’re not doing it with your eyes. Three to five ingredients tops, and they should all complement each other, as they do here in this bright salad and hearty sandwich. This time of year, if it takes longer to make than it does to eat, you’re overthinking it.

Photography and recipes by Yelena Strokin

Veggie Sandwich

Serves one.

2 slices multigrain bread, lightly toasted
2 tbsps. organic mayo
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
¼ avocado, sliced lengthwise
1½ tbsps. olive oil
2 baby portobello mushrooms
1 hothouse cucumber, sliced
Fresh microgreens
2 slices Swiss cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Add the olive oil to a skillet and warm it over a medium heat. Cut the mushrooms into thin slices, then stir them in. Reduce the heat to low and cook them until they’re soft and blackened.

In a small bowl, mix together the mayo and the garlic. Spread it across one side of each bread slice. Then add a piece of Swiss to one of those slices. On top of that, layer the cucumber, avocado and mushroom. Top it with a handful of microgreens and the other slices of cheese and bread.

Place the sandwich in the oven just long enough for the cheese to begin melting, about three to five minutes. Then move it to a cutting board and cut it diagonally—because sandwiches always taste better when they’re cut diagonally.

Cabbage and Beet Salad
Serves one.

For the salad
½ medium head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
3-4 small beets, peeled and grated
¼ bunch scallions, finely chopped

For the dressing
2 tbsps. lemon juice
2 tbsps. avocado oil
1 tsp. dry-roasted tomatoes
1 tsp. dry dill
Salt and white pepper to taste
Sugar to taste

To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, dry-roasted tomatoes, dill, sugar, salt and pepper. Once it’s thoroughly mixed, whisk in the avocado oil. Set the dressing aside at that point to allow the flavors to marry. After about 10 minutes, taste it and season accordingly with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, carrot, beets and scallions. Add the dressing, then toss once more.

Yelena Strokin is a Newtown-based food stylist and photographer and the founder of the blog melangery.com.

[divider]What I’m Drinking Right Now[/divider]

Sangria
Makes about 15 portions.

1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh strawberries
2 medium apples, diced small*
2 oranges, peeled, seeded and diced small*
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced into quarter-inch chunks
12 medium to large basil leaves, chiffonade
12 medium to large mint leaves, chiffonade
1 bottle Art in the Age Rhubarb Tea Liqueur
3 bottles crisp white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc)
1 bottle moscato d’asti (or another semisweet sparkling wine)

* These ingredients can be swapped out for just about any other seasonal fruit you prefer. Peaches, nectarines and cherries all work especially well, too.

Combine all of the ingredients, save for the wine, cover/seal and let it sit overnight. The next day, add the wine and stir well.

Ladle the sangria, along with a healthy helping of the fruit, into a wine glass or goblet filled with ice. Top with two to three ounces of the moscato d’asti.

ADAM JUNKINS
Partner/Sommelier
Sovana Bistro

Barbeque Pairings
Stocking the bar for a barbeque is a little more complicated than it first seems. Cold beer and white wine—no brainer. Until an old-school southerner (or wannabe) slips in and you’re caught without brown spirits. Load up on these and you’ll be loved by all comers. —AJ

Beer Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon Sunshine Daydream Session IPA
Low-alcohol (4.9 percent) with hits of pineapple, papaya, grapefruit and honey. Stays refreshing all afternoon and into the balmy night.

Wine Vinho verde
It’s a dry, super-acidic wine from Portugal. Big on citrus flavor, low on alcohol (about nine percent). And at 10 bucks a bottle, it encourages a generous pour.

Spirits J.M. Rhum Agricole Vieux 10-year-old
Imagine nursing this smoky, leathery, bourbon barrel-aged rum while you man those ribs, and tell me your mouth doesn’t water at the thought.

Warm Belly, Sound Mind

HOME COOKING

Warm as the winter’s been, there’s still no avoiding this no man’s land: too far off from last summer’s heat and this spring’s blooms to find solace in either. So it’s up to us to create our own comfort, to which there’s no more direct road than a hearty, warming meal. Think steaming broths, melting cheese and moist pie crusts. They’re the kind of simple indulgences that make us want for nothing more than seconds before tucking in for a few hours to binge-watch “Master of None.”  —Scott Edwards

Recipes and photography by Yelena Strokin

[divider]Cauliflower Cake with Flaxseed[/divider]

(pictured above)
Serves four.

1 small cauliflower head
1 tbsp. melted butter
2 tbsps. flaxseed, 1 tbsp. reserved
3 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
5 eggs
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. smoked paprika
5 tbsps. chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded Swiss and cheddar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a springform cake pan with parchment paper, brush the sides with melted butter and spread one tablespoon of the flaxseed around the inside.

Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Fill a large saucepan with salted water, place it over a high heat and add the cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook the cauliflower until it becomes tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a small pan, then add the onion and cook it over a medium heat until it browns, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the burner and let the onion cool.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs, the turmeric and the paprika. Then incorporate the flour, baking powder, cooked onion, cilantro and cheese. Whisk until the consistency becomes smooth, then fold in the cooked cauliflower. Stir gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the mixture into the cake pan, spread evenly and sprinkle the remaining flaxseed over top. Put the pan in the center of the oven and bake until the cake turns golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Then, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

[divider]Rustic Cod Soup[/divider]

Serves two.

1½ pounds fresh Atlantic cod
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium red or white onion, sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
1 yellow pepper, julienned
6 tbsps. chopped parsley, 3 tbsps. reserved
1 cup clam juice
1 tbsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. smoked paprika
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped scallions

In a large, deep saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat and pan-fry the garlic and onion for a minute. Add the carrot and pepper and cook for another five minutes. Remove the saucepan from the burner.

Cut the cod into large chunks and add it to the saucepan along with three tablespoons of the parsley. Pour in the clam juice, then the lemon juice. Incorporate the paprika and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the saucepan to the burner and simmer until the cod becomes tender, about 15 minutes.

Serve in warm bowls. Garnish with the scallions and remaining parsley.

[divider]Chicken and Red Currant Pie[/divider]

Serves four.

If you can’t find red currants, you can swap them with cranberries.

FILLING
1 lb. ground chicken
1 lb. ground veal or pork sausage
1 tbsp. ground coriander
1 tbsp. mixed dried herbs
2 oranges, the rind finely grated
2 tsps. ground ginger
2 tsps. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 lb. chicken breast fillets
1 cup fresh red currants

PASTRY
4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup butter or lard
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup equal parts milk and water mixture
1 egg, beaten

FILLING
In a large bowl, mix together the ground chicken and veal (or sausage), the coriander, herbs, orange rind, ginger and salt. Season with pepper to taste.

PASTRY AND ASSEMBLY  
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the salt to a large bowl, then sift in the flour. In a small pan, heat the butter (or lard) and the milk-water mixture until it starts to boil. Remove the pan from the burner at that point and allow its contents to cool slightly. Then, stir it into the flour, forming the dough.

Move the dough to a clean work surface and knead it until the consistency becomes smooth. Cut off a third to use as the lid, wrap it in plastic and store it in a warm place. On a floured work surface, roll out the remaining dough and line, bottom and sides, a greased, eight-inch springform cake pan with it. If the dough cools too much, it’s likely to tear, so move quickly.
Cut the chicken breasts into thin slices. Place them between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten them to an eighth of an inch with a rolling pin.

Spoon half the ground-meat mixture into the cake pan, spreading it evenly and to the edges. Layer half the chicken breast slices over top, then the red currants. Layer on the remaining chicken breasts and cover them with the rest of the ground meat.

Roll out the dough that was set aside for the lid on a floured surface. Drape it across the pan, trim off any excess and seal the edges with the beaten egg. Cut a hole in the center of the lid to allow steam to escape while the pie bakes. If you want to get creative, cut some shapes out of the excess dough and apply them to the lid. Then brush the entire lid with the remaining egg. Bake for two hours. If the lid starts to turn a dark brown, cover it with aluminum foil.

[divider]Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies[/divider]

Makes about 24.

8 tbsps. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsps. cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
¾ cup white chocolate chips
1 cup and 2 tbsps. coarsely chopped unsalted pistachios, 2 tbsps. reserved
¾ cup dried apricots, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

In a bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar and mix them, either with a stand mixer or a handheld, at a medium speed until the consistency is smooth. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Incorporate the eggs one at a time at a low speed, then the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add it to the other bowl, mixing at a low speed. Stir in the chocolate chips and then a cup of the pistachios and the apricot.

Place heaping tablespoons of the cookie dough about an inch-and-a-half apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining pistachios over top. Bake until the cookies set but are still soft to the touch, about 10 minutes. Repeat the process until all of the dough is used.

Yelena Strokin is a Newtown-based food stylist and photographer and the founder of the blog melangery.com.

The In-Between Dinner

What’s not to love about a gluttonous holiday feast? (If we showed half as much interest in healthcare as we do in stuffing, the average life expectancy would be like 105.) But it’s the humbler meals around the holidays—the weekend after Thanksgiving, the weeknights between Christmas and New Year’s—that tend to leave even deeper impressions. The air is calmer, the food less fussy. They’re dishes like this one that are plunked down in the middle of the table, inviting everyone to dig in at leisure, without even a break in conversation. Just like it used to be. —Scott Edwards

 

Photo credit: Yelena Strokin

Beef and Potato Casserole
Serves six.
Recipe by Yelena Strokin

2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut
   into chunks

¾ cup milk or half-and-half

1 egg

2 tbsps. unsalted butter

1 tbsp. grape seed oil

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, shredded

1 lb. ground beef

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tbsp. chopped parsley and dill

2 tbsps. Parmesan, finely grated

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Add the potato to a large saucepan and fill it with enough water to cover the potato entirely. Add a generous pinch of salt and place the pan over a high heat. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potato can be easily pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain.

Move the potato to a large bowl and mash. Warm the milk (or half-and-half), then add it to the bowl along with the egg and butter. Beat the mixture with a wood spoon or a handheld mixer set to medium until the consistency’s smooth and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and, stirring often, cook until they soften, about five minutes. Stir in the ground beef and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the paprika, parsley and dill. Season with salt to taste. Stirring occasionally, cook until the beef browns, about 15 minutes.

Spread half of the mashed potato evenly across a shallow baking dish. Then, layer the ground beef mixture over top and the remaining mashed potato on top of that. (If you’re into aesthetics, use a pastry bag to apply the last layer of mashed potato.) Sprinkle with the Parmesan and broil until the top potato layer is tinged brown, about a minute. Serve directly from the baking dish