Ask the Chef
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Ask the Chef
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Dolly from Kalamazoo, Michigan asks.... We are looking for a good recipe for our favorite cookies...snickerdoodles. We have found a few and they all contain cream of tartar. What is that stuff, anyway and do we really need to include it? Answer: Cream of tartar is a white powdery substance that you can find mixed in with the spice jars at your supermarket. It is added to candy and frostings to make them creamier. Most importantly, it is also added to whipped egg whites (for example in a meringue) to stabilize them and give them shape and volume. In meringues, they are necessary although you can also use a few drops of lemon juice instead (you need something acidic, which cream of tartar is!) As for snickerdoodles, I searched the web for you because I have never made them myself. If you go to www.foodnetwork.com and click on recipes you will find a great recipe from Gale Gand for these flavorful cookies. She is an excellent pastry chef and I am sure they will be great. And the recipe does not contain cream of tartar. Let me know how they turn out!!! ____________________________________________________________ Lulu of Chicago asks... We just got a new crockpot and we can't wait to cook some delicious soups and stews. Any suggestions? Answer: Almost any of your favorite recipes can be adapted for crockpot use. Some guidelines can be followed to ensure success. If you are using meat in your stew, be sure to flour it lightly and to brown the meat pieces in a pan lightly coated in olive oil before placing them in the crockpot. Not only will this preserve the flavor and juiciness of the meat, but the flour will help to thicken the stew's sauce. I like to place items in the pot according to thickness and cooking time. I always put some liquid on the bottom. Some choices include stock, tomato sauce, a small amount of water. This will help steam all the other ingredients. Next, I might put some dense veggies like potatoes or carrots that require lots of time and steam to cook. Next, the meat, then more liquid and seasonings and then the lighter veggies such as cauliflower or summer veggies that cook quickly. Also, try not to open the lid during cooking. This allows too much steam to escape and slows down the cooking time. Some good choices for a crockpot include meat or vegetable stews and chilis, all varieties of curry, chicken friccasee, beef stroganoff (make the noodles separately) and hearty vegetable soups. If you come across any great crockpot recipes, let me know and I will post them. ____________________________________________________ Hilary Agin of New York City writes... " I have a son with a very restricted diet. In fact he is limited to eating: pears, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, chicken, squash, canola oil & salt. As you can imagine I have exhausted my recipes with these ingredients. I've made french fries, potato latkes, used a juice extractor to make fruit popsicles, pear & boiled potato pancakes etc. Any other ideas? At this point he is very bored with what I have to offer. " Answer: That sounds like a very heartbreaking problem. Let's see what we can
come up with. Have you tried making potato, sweet potato and carrot
chips? Slice them very thin and either deep fry in canola oil or coat with
oil and salt and bake in very hot oven (450 degrees) until crisp and
brown. You can dehydrate pears in the oven to in order to give him
something chewy and crunchy. What about slicing the potato very thinly and
using a cookie cutter to make fun shapes for him and then deep frying them.
Have you tried shredded carrot and potato pancakes with a bit of potato flour as
a binder? Can he have spaghetti squash? If so, that can be fun
to eat and tastes good with oil and salt. Just cut the squash in half and
bake on an oiled baking sheet until very soft. Then remove from skin and
the squash comes out in spaghetti - like strands that your son may enjoy.
Texture and fun-ness are often more
important than taste. Or, you can roast acorn or butternut squash in
an oiled pan in the oven until very brown and then puree with a bit of chicken
stock to make a very nice soup. I will try to think of more but hopefully
that will help! ________________________________________________________ Sherry C. of Oak Park, Illinois writes, "My family is coming to visit soon and boy, are they carnivores. Any new ideas about what to grill that will satisfy and surprise even the most seasoned meat eater?" Answer: How about some good, double thick chops? Like veal, for a change. Or pork chops? Or a rack of lamb on the grill! Yum! Or surprise them with meaty portabello mushrooms on the grill marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Ribs are always a hit! They bring out the bone-sucking carnivore in everyone. Or, for a big surprise that is not for everyone, try buffalo or ostrich. Both are healthier and lower in fat than other meats and quite tasty. Nice accompaniments are always surprising. Try grilled fruit. Peaches that are halved, pitted, brushed with olive oil and placed pit side down on the angle. Allow to get grill marks and then turn for a cross hatch grill mark pattern. These go well with pork or veal. Enjoy! _________________________________________________ Cindy W. of Boxboro Massachusetts writes, "We are always looking for those recipes that will feed all four of us on busy nights, especially those that effectively disguise vegetables." Answer: If you have ever read any Lawrence Sanders mysteries you will undoubtedly have met my favorite detective Edward X Delaney. One of the reasons I like him so much is because of his passion for sandwiches - no peanut butter and jelly for him. No, by sandwiches he means those that are stuffed to the gills and so drippy that he has to eat them over the sink! And the ingredients he uses! My mouth waters every time I read about them! Well, I think we can learn a thing or two from him. A busy family can easily be satiated with interesting, well - stocked sandwiches on busy nights. They can indeed be dinner food and can hide a whole bunch of vegetables. All it takes is a little forethought. Here is a suggestion. In the beginning of the week buy some really nice bread. Get some premade sauces like pesto or interesting mayo combinations and some good gooey cheese. Some nice meats - or plan on using leftover meat! And some vegetables that are good for grilling or roasting. Try peppers, onions, beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, anything you like (or sort of like). Now when you have a minute roast a whole bunch of veggies. To roast the veggies: Turn oven to 475 or 500 degrees. Toss the veggies whole in a ziploc with olive oil, salt and pepper and other herbs you may like. Place on a baking pan and roast until soft. Could take between 45 minutes to an hour. Toss with a spoon a few times for even roasting. Remove and let cool before slicing. For peppers - scorch in oven at high heat until very black. Remove and place in a sealed container (ex. bowl with plastic wrap on top) and let them sweat for 30 minutes or so. Then remove and peel off the skin, remove seed and core and slice. For dinner, either let the family be creative by putting out a tray of these items or make your own creations for them. Here are some good combos: Mozzarella, portabello mushrooms and spinach on French bread Leftover sliced meat with roasted onions and horseradish mayo Leftover chicken slices with pesto sauce and roasted peppers Mixed roasted veggies (try the beets!) with melted cheddar Be creative! You may want to invest in a panini maker. I love mine and use it all the time for tuna melts, grilled cheese, grilling chicken, even egg and cheese sandwiches for breakfast. I have the Krups and I got it cheap on ebay! ______________________________________________________ Question from Lorraine A. of Boxboro Massachusetts. She says, " I have no trouble following recipes for special occasion meals. But how can I make a good meal for my family and use up some of the leftovers in my refrigerator at the same time?" Answer I will try to have as many recipes posted that will clean out the refrigerator for everyday meals. Here is one recipe that I love that can help you do just that: Basically, this is an egg based dish that looks quite puffy and elegant when cooked. The recipe is just an outline. The goal is to first take out all leftover veggies, meats, cheeses, herbs and bread and explore different combinations. It is only important to include good melting cheese for best flavor and appearance. STRATA Ingredients: Leftover bread 1 - 2 lbs. cut into small cubes. French or Italian bread is best but any will do. Cut off crusts. 1 large onion sliced thinly Any leftover meats and veggies cut into bite sized pieces fresh herbs if available, chopped (I prefer sage with eggs) Small cubes or slices of cheese (mozzarella, swiss, cheddar, etc) About 1 dozen eggs About 1/4 cup cream or milk 2 oz. olive oil salt and pepper to taste Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a pretty glass or other ovensafe dish large enough to hold your ingredients. Place bread cubes in the dish. In a saute pan, fry the onion olive oil on medium heat stirring often, until very well caramelized. If onion begins to stick or pan burns, add a bit more oil or a touch of water to keep onion moving in pan. Caramelization will take about 15 minutes. Scatter onions over bread cubes. Take dices of meat (ham, bacon, leftover roasts etc) and saute in onion pan until crisped or cooked a little. Place over onions. Do the same for the veggies. Scatter herbs and salt and pepper. Scatter cheese on top. Now, take the eggs and beat them WELL. We want as much air as possible in them. Add cream or mild and beat again. Completely cover the bread cube and leftover mixture with the eggs - amount of eggs needed will depend on the amount of other ingredients. Allow to sit about a half hour to let egg mixture soak into bread fully. This will help it puff in the oven. Place dish on cookie sheet or baking pan and place in middle of oven with no rack above it. Allow to cook until egg is fully set and top is golden brown (check in 30 to 40 minutes - if egg mix is jiggling keep it in longer. If top is getting too brown and egg mix is not yet firm, loosely tent dish with foil and continue to cook until egg is set.) The result should be a puffy, souffle - like, delicious dinner.
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A third choice would be more Mediterranean in origin. In a large bowl mix olive oil - about 3/4 cup or more if you have a lot of chicken, salt, pepper, garlic cloves, thyme or other fresh herbs you like, dried fruit (believe it or not prunes are delicious here), capers, a small amount of lemon juice, red wine vinegar or leftover white wine and some of the figs - either sliced, quartered or whole. Exact amounts don't matter too much - use more of what you like. Just be sure the olive oil and acid are about at a 3:1 ratio. Add other related ingredients you happen to have in the refrigerator as well if you like. Mix well. Add cut up chicken pieces and cover thoroughly with the mixture. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator if you have the time. Place in a large baking dish and bake in a fairly hot oven. (You can start at 425 degrees for the first 20 minutes and then lower to 375 degrees for about 20 - 30 more depending on the size of your chicken pieces.) Test if done by piercing thick part of chicken leg or thigh. If the juice runs clear it is done. Serve on a platter and top with more fresh fig quarters that have not been cooked. |
