Zinfully Delicious

Potato, Leek and Andouille Soup

6 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
2 tablespoons butter
4 links Andouille, chopped
1 pound leeks, cleaned and dark green
sections removed, approximately 4 to 5 medium
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1½ cups cream
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup sour cream
green onions, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400°
Rub the potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet.  Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to sit until cool enough to handle, but still warm.
While the potatoes are baking and cooling, melt the butter in a large soup pot   Add the Andouille and cook until brown.  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Add the leeks and a heavy pinch of salt and sweat for 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook until the leeks are tender, approximately 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.
Peel 3 of the potatoes, add to the pot and mash until nearly smooth. Gradually stir in chicken broth and cream until blended.  Return to the heat and cook until hot, stirring occasionally.
Cut the remaining potatoes (with skin) in ½-inch pieces and stir into the soup. Stir in the Andouille and parsley and continue to cook until heated through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with the cheese, sour cream and green onions.

Pesto-Stuffed Porkchops

Pesto-Stuffed Pork chops with caramelized Onions

2 (about 6 ounces each) boneless thick-cut pork chops
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup pesto
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup sliced onion

- Preheat oven to 350 F
Cut each pork chop horizontally 3/4 of the way through the meat, creating a pocket, being careful not to cut all the way through.  Rub the meat with cumin, paprika and salt.  Fill each chop with 1 tablespoon pesto; secure with wooden picks.
Heat oil in medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion; cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add pork chops; cook for 1 minute on each side until brown.  Place skillet in oven.
Bake pork chops and onion for 15 to 20 minutes or until pork is cooked through.  Remove wooden picks, top with remaining pesto.

Food Science

A new weekly feature here at the Zinful will be food related science videos from twitter buddy and all around killer science babe-
*DrKiki*
Dr. Kirsten Sanford.

If you like her stuff,
swing by her site and
tell her Duane
(PreppyDude™) sent you.

Food News

The Edible Cocktail

By John Fasman

Dave Arnold, the head of culinary technology at the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan, is by training not a chef but a sculptor. He worked with metals and machinery as an art student and once battled a fire-breathing dragon. (It was a modified air blower that spit flaming kerosene; he wore a welding jacket and carried a lance.

   

These days Arnold’s fits of ingenuity, though tame in comparison, are no less creative. Consider a recent offering from his kitchen laboratory: The edible cocktail.

The premise is simple: Make a “pickle” with alcohol instead of salt and brine. The execution is more complicated. Arnold cuts peeled cucumbers into spears and puts them in a Mason jar filled with an 8-to-1 mixture of gin and vermouth. He also adds a touch of simple syrup to counteract the cucumbers’ inherent bitterness. The Mason jar is then placed into a vacuum machine, which removes the air, collapsing the cucumbers’ air pockets. This is a process similar to that used in sous-vide cooking, in which food is vacuum-sealed in a pouch and heated. Thanks to the Mason jar, the cucumbers keep their consistency. (If they were sealed in the usual plastic bag, they would lose their crunchiness.)

When the vacuum seal is broken, the martini mixture rushes in to fill the spaces in the cucumber where the air used to be. The resulting spears have the smooth, crisp texture of pickles. Arnold calls this kind of cucumber a “flash pickle,” as the changes in texture and flavor that can take days to produce with salt and brine take about two minutes in the vacuum machine. Each spear has roughly the same amount of alcohol as a standard martini. To serve, he sprinkles the spears with celery seed, grated lime zest and flaky Maldon sea salt.

Hill Country Cooking w/ Greg & Avril

Usually I write an entry filled with my witty, humorous and semi-cute ramblings.  This time, it's all about the Chefs & the food.

Setting: Way out west where the jackalope roam
and the mule deer frolic North of San Antonio

Host:Jeanne & David offer their hospitality & kitchen
for the evening.

Chefs: Greg & Avril... Graduates of the Culinary School @ Johnson & Wells University
-Avril's a former sous chef with the National Press Club in Washington D.C. and now wife, mother of 2 and working as an Executive Asst to a P.I.T.A of a boss.
-Greg is the Instructor/Supervisor at the Air Force Services Academy (training the folks that cook and serve on A.F.1 and other assignments

Menu:
Appetizers
-Blue Corn Tortilla Chips w/ Salsa Verde
-Hummus w/ Pita Chips

Entrée’s
-Jerk Chicken & Shrimp Phyllo Triangles w/Mango Salsa
-Grilled Pork Tenderloin w/ Balsamic Glaze
-Assorted Grilled Vegetables
-Sweet Potato Rosettes

Dessert
-Pomegranate Sorbet & Lemon Sorbet







(As always, click any picture for a larger view)

Avril's Salsa Verde

 

1 large shallot

1 small jalapeno, quartered and seeds removed

1-2 garlic toes, smashed

4-5 medium tomatillos (husked, rinsed and chopped)

1 medium ripe avocado (peeled, seeded and chopped in chunks)

3/4 bunch of cilantro leaves

¼ bunch parsley leaves

1 ¼ tsp Kosher salt

Lime juice (to taste)

Water (just enough to loosen a little)

Add first 7ingredients into a blender.  Blend well, add salt and lime juice.  Blend in water to loosen if needed.

 

Just Dinner

In my quest to make simple things yummy I'd like to introduce the 1st post of my "Just Dinner" series.

Woop Woop 2005
Cabernet Sauvignon

Raspberry-Chipotle marinated
Grilled T Bones

Wilted Greens w/ Brown Rice
(Spinach & Collard Greens)

- sautee onions, garlic & bacon.
-add spinach and collards
( I use collards w/ spinach to add a  different
texture and flavor)
- sea salt, fresh red & black pepper to taste

Jalapeno Chow Chow Relish

I love a spicy pickled relish to enjoy with
cooked greens of any kind

Chow Chow is the American South's version

There's also a zillion types of Chutney recipes
and the yummy but oh so pungent Kimchi

Duane

 

Six Degrees of Michelle

My Buddy Michelle, Photographer of the "Star Food", provided the impetus for this foodie fare. The fish course was from "Entrees" A Dierbergs School of Cooking Publication which showcases Michelle's expert "foodtography" prowess. The side dish was from "Macaroni & Cheese 52 recipes, from simple to sublime" by Joan Schwartz.  A Christmas present to The DEW from Michelle.

apron by Mindy 

Chai Glazed Salmon & Lemony Grilled Tuna Steaks

2 black chai tea bags
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 salmon fillet (1 1/2 to 2 lbs) cut into 6 strips

Place tea bags in glass cup; pour boiling water over tea bags, Steep 5 minutes; discard tea bags. Stir in remaining ingredients except for salmon. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight.

Place salmon flesh-side down on oiled grill over medium to high heat; cover , grill 4 minutes.  Turn fish skin-side down - stir glaze and spoon over fish; cover and grill, occasionally spooning glaze over salmon.  Cook until internal temp is 145 degrees F, about 10 min per inch of thickness

1-1 1/4 lbs tuna
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced

Place fish on oiled gill over medium to high heat; brush generously with lemon mixture.  Cover and grill, brushing occasionally with lemon mixture until fish is opaque throughout and internal temperature is 145 degrees F, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.

 Fandango 2003 tempranillo


Baked Conchiglie with Roasted Garlic Cheese sauce, Ricotta Cheese w/ White Truffle Oil
& Grilled Asparagus

1 head garlic
olive oil for rubbing the garlic
4 tablespoons butter, plus extra for the baking dish
1 lb conchiglie (medium shells)
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 medium red onion (1/3 to 1/2 lb) finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup (1/4 lb) grated mozzarella or fontina cheese
1 cup (1/2 lb) whole milk ricotta cheese, drained
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cup(2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons white truffle oil

- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F - cut off the bud end and rub the head of garlic with olive oil. Wrap loosely in foil, place on a baking pan, and roast until very soft, 45 minutes to 1 hr. Peel or squeeze out the softened garlic, and mash.
- Raise the oven temperature to 375.  Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish
- Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 13 minutes.  Drain and reserve.
- In a small saucepan over medium hear, bring the milk to a scald.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter.  Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the flour; cook, whisking, about 2 minutes, not allowing it to color.  Whisk in the hot milk a little at a time.  Once all the milk has been added, raise the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.  Whisk in the roasted garlic and the grated mozzarella and continue whisking until blended. Remove from the heat.
- Add the cooked pasta and the ricotta to the roasted garlic-cheese sauce and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour or spoon the mixture into the buttered baking dish, sprinkle the Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the truffle oil. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

-Wash and snip ends of fresh asparagus
-Place asparagus in a bag with olive oil, making sure all the pieces are coated
-place directly on grill for 2 min's

Duane

~Cooking by Duane & Geek Dave 
~Photography by The Dew

"Easy Fru" Baking

Gougeres (goo-zhair) AKA "Fru Fru Cheese Puffs"

I was given this recipe by a fellow foodie in Canada and thought... This is your idea of a quick and easy recipe? She assured me that it was beyond easy. Had a wee bit of concern that they wouldn't turn out right-being puffs. In the end, it was very easy as long as you don't make the puffs too big (not more than teaspoon size lumps) they wont flatten out/sag/fall or whatever term you use when your soufflé takes a dive.

Pre heat oven to 435 F. Lightly grease cookie sheet.(take out eggs-they need to be room temp for this recipe)

In medium sauce pan add 1 cup water, 5 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Stir over medium heat until butter melts

Turn heat low and add in 1 cup flour all at once- stirring for about a minute(until it pulls away from the pan sides). Remove from heat.

Add 1 cup Gruyere cheese- stir in thoroughly. Then add eggs(4) - one at a time. Beat with spoon until mixture is smooth and firm.

Mix remaining egg with 1/2 tablespoon water for egg wash.

Drop spoonfuls (teaspoon size) onto cookie sheet. Brush with egg wash. Bake in oven 15- 20 minutes ( until golden brown and doubled in size.

Duane

Stuffed Peppadew Peppers

This is a hectic time of year and the last thing someone needs is to be stressing over cooking, which I typically find therapeutic rather than stressful. Here's a quick and easy appetizer recipe so you don't have to go somewhere empty-handed if you promised to make something but ran out of time to do a more complex recipe (as I did). I got this idea from Barbara at Winos and Foodies. I just added some green (i.e., chives) to make the peppadews more Christmasy. Despite their simplicity, these little guys make a good impression and nice presentation!

Peppadew Peppers Stuffed w/ Feta, Cream Cheese and Chives

Ingredients:

6 ounces feta cheese (crumbled)

8 ounces whipped cream cheese

1/3 cup chopped fresh chives

42 peppadew peppers (I found mine at the grocery store's olive bar)

Procedure:

Combine first 3 ingredients then stuff peppers

** I used the tip of a butter knife to stuff the peppers, however a friend who liked this recipe said they are going to use a pastry bag to insert the filling. A great idea which I will use next time because filling the peppers was the most time consuming part of this recipe.

***You will have some leftover filling which you can use as a spread on crostini or crackers, a dip for veggies, a sandwich spread, or you can buy more peppadews to fill.

Happy Holidays to all and to all a good night!!

Bruno