Congo Squares and Too Much Nutmeg

   One of my favorite deserts growing up were Congo Squares, also known as blonde brownies. I have absolutely no idea where the name Congo Squares came from and I should really ask my mother about that, but all I know is that's what we called them growing up. My mother had (and still has) a little box of index cards with recipes in it. As a kid, it was almost a little box of joy, excitement and anticipation. If that box was on the counter you knew that one of the old favorites and family classics was in progress.
   Because of their familiarity and my comfort level with them, those recipes often became my first attempts at baking. When I was 11 I was at home, either because of a holiday or had come home at the end of the school day, and I decided I wanted to make Congo Squares. I went to that little tan box and pulled out the recipe and then called my mother to make sure she wouldn't mind if I made them. She asked me if we had all the ingredients and I told her that I had checked and we did. She gave me the go-ahead with the only caveat being that I needed to make sure to clean up afterwards.
   I rolled up my sleeves and went to work. I went about gathering my ingredients and setting them on the counter. I went down the hand-written list. Flour, check. Baking powder, check. Salt, check. Shortening, we use butter in my house so check. Eggs, check. 1 cup chopped nutmeg. Hmm, I don't remember my mother using nutmeg when she made them. Oh well, its on the recipe, I just must not remember. A package of chocolates or raisins, check.
   I mixed the dry ingredients in a small bowl, measuring them all out carefully, I do remember measuring out a cup of nutmeg and thinking my mother must go thru a lot of nutmeg since there would only be enough in the container for two batches of Congo Squares. Then I mixed the melted butter and brown sugar in the stand mixer. Next I added the eggs one at a time and slowly added the dry ingredients a little at a time. Lastly I added in the chocolate chips.
   I spread the mix in a greased baking dish and put it in the already preheated oven at 350 degrees. I set the timer and went to the other room to wait for the deliciousness to be done. When they were ready the dog and I went back into the kitchen to retrieve the tasty goodness. I pulled them out and cut them into squares and tasted one. They were terrible, absolutely inedible! The dog was still standing next to me still and I decided to try to give him my piece I had just cut myself. He took one stiff of it and walked out of the kitchen and this was the dog that had eaten three spoonfuls of ground horseradish and went back for more!! My best guess was that there must have somehow been too much nutmeg. I scraped the rest out of the pan, threw it away and put the pan in the sink to soak.
   My mother came home later and walked into the kitchen. She looked around for the Congo Squares and didn't see them anywhere, but did see the pan soaking. Amazed that I might have finished off all the Congo Squares by myself, she came and found me in the living room. She said "Ariel, where are the Congo Squares?"
I said "Oh, I threw them out. They had too much nutmeg in them."
"Nutmeg? I don't remember the recipe calling for any nutmeg..."
"Yeah, it called for a cup of chopped nutmeg."
"A CUP?!?!"
I took her into the kitchen to show her the recipe and show her that I wasn't crazy. I pulled it out and showed her where it said nutmeg. It turns out that in my mother's cursive handwriting I had read nutmeg where it really said nutmeats, a term for nuts that I had never heard before. It also turns out that nutmeg in large quantities is poisonous so its a good think that neither I or the dog ate it.
   Most people upon hearing this story asked my mother "You HAD a cup of nutmeg?!". It turns out what I thought would have been a two serving sized container of nutmeg was more like a life-time supply that would last most people at least 5 years. That is, of course, unless they are trying to make Congo Squares....

2 3/4 cup flour
2 1/1 tsp. baking powder
1.2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
2 1/4 cup brown sugar (1 lb)
3 eggs
1 cup chopped nutmeats
1 package raisins or chocolates

Pan Seared Pepper Crusted Ahi Tuna and Roasted Mushroom and Sunchoke Bisque

    I love to watch the food network. It gives me exposure to ingredients and techniques that I normally wouldn't have. Some ingredients come up multiple times and I store them in the back of my head and keep an eye out for them. One such ingredient that comes up on "Chopped" every so often is a sunchoke, or also called a Jerusalem artichoke. I honestly have no idea what the thing is but every time it came up on the show them seemed to be happy about it and create tasty sounding dishes.
   So the other day when I was at a veggie store that I like to frequent because of its variety I came across a package of sunchokes. I had no idea what I was going to make with them but I bought them none the less and brought them home. This morning I sat down and started searching. Most people were saying to just treat it like a potato, but it looks like a ginger root so I figured there had to be a little more to it than that.
   After some more searching I found a recipe that sounded amazing and decided to go for it. The recipe was for a Roasted Mushroom and Sunchoke Bisque and I figured I would make some form of chicken with it. I figured the bisque would be great on its own but I was cooking it for the Friday shabbat (sabbath) meal and it is a meal that is supposed to be a little grander. I had most of the ingredients but had to head to the store for a few minor items.
  While looking around the store, however, I came up with a much better idea than the chicken. I've been on a fish kick recently and I saw on sale some really nice ahi tuna steaks. While I have had seared ahi tuna in restaurants I hadn't ever made it and I thought it could go very nicely with the bisque. So I bought a few steaks of it at a very good price and brought it home.
  I started by slicing the sunchokes. The recipe said that as long as I scrub them I could leave the skins on and they would taste great. As I sliced into them they do have a similar smell and texture to a potato but it is also different. There is a sharpness to it that reminded me of horseradish. However, it doesn't bite like horseradish. My best description is a cross between a potato and a horseradish, but it doesn't do it justice. Try one. They're great!
  Anyways, I sliced the sunchokes and diced the yukon gold potato and mixed that with minced garlic and a drizzle of olive oil and season with it with sea salt and cracked pepper in a dish large enough to spread them out. In another dish I took the sliced mushrooms and drizzled them with olive oil as well and put both in the oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. While that was roasting I heated up the butter in a stew pot. Then sauteed the onions until they were translucent.
   Add in the roasted veggies into the stew pot. Add in 2 cups of water and 3 cups of mushroom broth, chopped fresh sage and sprinkle with sea salt. If you have never had mushroom broth, keep your eye out for it. It is super tasty and can be used for many recipes. Stew the flavors together on a simmer for 20 minutes.
   While it was simmering I created a marinade for the fish. Soy sauce, toasted sesame seed oil, mirin and tons of freshly ground pepper. Setting the fish to marinade for a bit, make sure to flip in half way thru. When the bisque was done simmering I let it cool for a few minutes. Then on to the blender. Blend it in batches, filling no more than half of the blender with each batch. Make sure you get all the chunks pureed and blended. Put it all back in the pot and add 1/2 cup of milk, stir and set back to simmer.
  As that simmered I seared the tuna. Melt some butter in the pan and add some more fresh ground pepper and a few spoonfuls of the marinade. Make sure its nice and hot. Sear the fish on both sides (its a fish that is great raw so don't be scared that the center is raw). It is a little over cooked in the picture because it continued to cook after I took it off the plate and this was the extra piece so it had cooked a little more than it should have.
  One might think that the fish would be the highlight of the meal but the bisque was in the end. It had such a rich, complex flavor. It was amazingly addicting. I can't wait to have more of it tomorrow for lunch because I know it will be amazing reheated as well. If you ever come across sunchokes try this recipe!! You will fall in love with it as quickly as I did.

Bisque
1lb Sunchokes
1 Yukon gold potato
2 minced garlic cloves
8 oz sliced mushrooms (I prefer crimini)
About 2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
1/2 of a large yellow onion
1 tbs chopped fresh sage
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 cups water
3 cups mushroom broth
1/2 cup milk

Ahi Tuna
Tuna
Toasted sesame seed oil
Soy Sauce
Mirin

Note: The bisque was originally a vegan recipe and I'm sure it would be just as good! Just substitute butter with vegan butter and the milk with soy milk.

Bean and Cheese Enchilada Casserole and Lessons Learned From Costuming

I went to college to study theatre, specifically costuming. My costuming teacher's name was Paulette and she would always tell us "Its not a mistake, its a design choice!". That is the lesson that I bring with me into the kitchen today.

This meal didn't start off as a casserole. It began as my attempt at reasonably traditional enchiladas. I had made enchiladas one time before and had made them with flour tortillas since it was what I had, instead of the traditional corn tortillas. This time, however I was prepared and had bought the correct tortillas. Not having much experience using corn tortillas I didn't know it is best to warm up the tortillas first to make them more pliable. If you don't and try to roll them they crack and break quite easily.

In addition to this issue I had made the filling for my enchiladas a little too runny so even if the tortillas had stayed whole there was no way they would have stayed stuffed. So imagine you've created a wonderful blend of flavors that is just perfect but when you actually try to construct the enchiladas you are left with an oozing, crumbling mess. What do you do? Design choice! It's a casserole!

Since I knew the flavors were all there and wonderful it was more a matter of presentation. I continued to lie them in the dish with them crumbling, knowing it didn't matter what they looked like as a casserole and also realizing that it meant I could do a second layer and get away with it. I appologize if I don't have exact proportions for some things, I cook by feel and guesstimation.

1 large sweet yellow onion
1 can of corn and bell pepper Mexican mix or frozen roasted corn
2 cans of black beans
About 1/2 cup of chopped green chili (ill explain this more in the description)
2 cans of red enchilada sauce (or green if you prefer)
2 cups shredded Mexican mix cheese
Chili powder to taste
Cumin to taste
1 package of corn tortillas
1 can of refried beans
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Starting off I chopped and saute the onion in a little bit of oil. Once it is starting to get transulcent add in the corn and beans and contiune to heat thru. When it comes to the chili, I have just moved to New Mexico, a state that actually has an official question which is "red or green?", refering to the color of pepper you prefer. I happen to prefer a mild green chili and I can get chopped in a frozen tub that you thaw when ready to use. If you don't have access to any form of pepper then the dish will still be good, just not quite as good. Add the chili peppers, chili power and cumin and one can of the enchilada sauce and heat thru. The longer you have to stew them together the better the flavors will meld, but if you're in a hurry this can be done in about 10-15 min of cooking (I prefer to let it stew for about 30-45 min at low heat). Right before you think its ready to take off the heat melt 1 cup of the cheese into the mix.

Either line the casserole dish with foil or cooking spray. Fill the tortillas with the filling and line them up side by side in the dish. Then put a thin layer of the refried beans (I just rub a little across the top of each tortilla). If you have room in the dish put another layer of enchiladas and refried beans. Top with the second can of enchilada sauce and any extra filling that you have room for (I end up making two casserole dishes worth since it freezes so well). Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and bake for 30 min or until the cheese starts to turn golden. Serve with sour cream (because sour cream makes EVERYTHING better). Enjoy!!

Bran Muffins and Childhood Memories

Bran muffins, for many people, evokes a thought of dry, flavorless health food that is very uncleverly disguised as a muffin. But if you use the right recipe they can be sweet, moist and super tasty.

Everyone has foods that they remember from their childhood. The ones that evoke the strongest memories always seem to be the foods that we haven't had for a while and suddenly come back into our lives. Today for me this was bran muffins.

Bran muffins, for me, evoke a memory of waking up in the morning to a sweet smell of baked good wafting from the kitchen. Then sitting around the table with eggs-in-a-basket or scrambled eggs and bran muffins with butter and jam.

I am staying with my mother for a little bit and was going thru the pantry for the pancake mix when I came across the All-Bran cereal. Immediately I went for my moms old recipe box and found the bran muffin recipe. It is simply the recipe that was taken off the box with a few minor changes but it is so tasty not many changes are needed.

Once they are cooked simply cut them and half and spread on butter and jam (I prefer blackberry) or honey. They are a great source of guilt free energy and when they are fresh out of the oven the perfect thing for a Saturday morning.

1 1/2 cup All-Bran cereal
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup skim milk
2 egg whites (or one whole one)
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a large bowl or mixer blend milk, eggs and oil. Add the dry ingredient mix a little at a time. Spoon into muffin tray and name for 20 min or until golden.

Panko Crusted Fish and Chips with Broccoli and Cauliflower Cassarole and the dreaded Roux!!

Whenever I cook fish it is always because it was the one that looked the best when I got to the store. If you go to the store for a specific type of fish and buy it just because its the cheapest or because you planned on it with little regard for the quality then your dish will only disappoint you. As a general rule make sure it doesn't look dull or slimey and has a rich color (if it is a fish that is supposed to have color).

Yesterday, after getting a good idea of what was on sale at what stores, I headed out to do a little shopping. At Albertsons I saw cod fillets that looked mighty tasty and had the added bonus of being on sale! The rest of the meal was decided by what was in my fridge and pantry already and were decided when I got home.

I like to make sure I have a protein, a starch and a veggie for every meal. I just like the balance of it all and it helps keep me in check and makes sure I don't do all starches (I'm a carb queen). So I decided on a cauliflower and broccoli casserole. I started off chopping up the broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. I figure it only takes a few extra minutes to chop them up small enough to be bite-sized instead of the two-bite size that I've seen so many people do and it makes the dish something you don't need to use a knife for.

Threw them in a pot to boil (I would have steamed them to keep more nutrients but I didn't have the equipment to steam that much at once and was too lazy to steam it in batches). While that cooked I made a roux. They aren't as scary as they sound! I used to be petrified by them and said I "Rue a Roux!" but once you know what to expect they aren't that bad. Head up your oil or butter (I use butter when I can) and once it is heated and/or melted add your flour in slowly. The slowness is so it doesn't clump too much. If it does, don't worry, you can stir a lot of that out. Then add either your warmed milk (warmed so it doesn't curdle) or chicken stock (for this recipe its milk) slowly, stirring constantly. DO NOT PANIC!! It will turn to the consistency of mashed potatoes. This part always freaked me out because it looked like I was doing it wrong. Keep adding your liquid (it'll take way more than you think) until you get it to the consistency you are looking for. If you make it too runny just keep cooking it and it will thicken up again. Just make sure to keep stirring.

At this point I added shredded cheddar and mozzarella (about a cup) and ground some pepper into the roux. In a casserole dish I put the now lightly boiled cauliflower and broccoli in the bottom and pour the roux over it and top with a little more cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 min.

Now to my starch! I decided on homemade chips. Very, very simple if you have a mandolin slicer. I like to use milti-colored boiling potatoes because the purple potatoes are so pretty in the mix but this time I used yukon golds. Slice them as thin as you dare. Heat up a layer of oil on the bottom of a deep fry pan just a little deeper than the thickness of your chips. I like to toss one of the little bits into the oil and use that as a guage to see if the oil is hot enough and just throw that bit away since its likely to have gotten soggy. DON'T LET THE OIL START SMOKING!! Toss in the slices and flip with tongs if needed and then set them on a plate with a paper towel once they are crunchy (I test by tapping them with the tongs) and then dust them with sea salt.

Finally the fish. Get out three bowls or deep plates. Put flour in one, beaten eggs in another and panko crumbs in another (You can use bread crumbs instead, but panko has such a nice texture and taste). First dip the fish in the flour, next the egg, next the crumbs and into the pan with the oil left over from the chips (if there isn't enough add a little more oil and let it heat up before you put in the fish). Cook on each side until it gets lightly brown.

Serve up and enjoy!!

Cook 'n' Kvetch

I grew up in a family where cooking has always been important. My mother always says that she only speaks one language but she cooks fluently in about seven. Combine this with the Jewish culture that can define every single holiday by saying "They tried to kill us, they didn't succeed, lets eat!" and I guess you could say I was born to love it.

For me, though, it has become so much more than a thing I have to do or even a cultural imperative. It has become one of the best stress relievers I have found. Cooking is something that I can work as much or as little as I have the energy for and have an immediate reward. I can enjoy it myself, I can share it with others (which is by far the best part, as far as I'm concerned), I can learn from it and make it better and there are always more things to learn about and experiment with.

In addition to sharing these meals with my boys (one of which is not old enough to actually eat them, just look at them longingly) I have decided share my trials and tribulations with the void and anyone else out there is interested in listening.

So sit about, relax and have fun cooking and kvetching with me!!