Steeped in a rich history of culture, politics and ethnicity, a bagel is so much more than a hand-sized, par-boiled biscuit with a hole.  Originating in Poland, the round, hand-formed bread, if given a right to vote, would lean to the left and would certainly never have voted for you-know-who.

Bagels may no longer resemble the harder, more chewy version they started out as, but as they made their way to North America, they overtook the almighty doughnut in popularity (Tom has no idea why, as much as he loves bagels, he’d always have a doughnut given the option).

Although bagels share similarities to doughnuts, they are more serious in nature and certainly more versatile than their airy, sugary counterpart.

So rather than letting them take on the pizza (and losing that battle as Tom points out), this morning I opened my freezer, took out a bagel and decided to let it go Italian.

Toast a bagel, smear with spicy, pickled peppers, top with your favorite salami, scrambled egg and a final layer of cheese.  Heat and eat or serve!

 

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Don’t let the 2017 Christmas beer fool you because:

A. It’s not Christmas

and

B. It’s not 2017

That didn’t stop me, of course, from opening the bottle and taking a swig (which was quite good, BTW) before pouring it into the pressure cooker, over the ribs.

There was a storm coming (supposedly) after all and that meant we needed to make something hearty. It was getting late though so we also needed to make something quick.

Good thing because, in inevitable, pre-Super Bowl style, I had filled my cart at Whole Foods with what could be considered “you’re having a SB party?” kind of food. 

In addition to 3 lbs of beef (just in case), a bucket of fried chicken (just because), 2 oven-fired pepperoni pizzas (just freshly made), I threw in two slabs of Barbacoa-seasoned pork back ribs (just on a whim).

I also bought corn chips (Fresh Summer July), salsa (Salsa de Rosa), avocados, cilantro, onions and Better o Bean ‘Cuban black beans’ (ok, so not from Mexico, but whatever).

Now, full disclosure: I had and still have, no intention of watching the Super Bowl. Not even for the ads. The shopping cart? Well, that’s just how I roll (no pun intended).

I am a marketing genius’s dream; what can I say?

Lucky for me, it turns out we have a cold front blowing in from the North here in the Pacific Northwest. It’s no Polar Vortex, but we get to participate in the after effects I guess.

Snow even, they say. Schools already deciding to close. I bet we get nary an inch.

But I have my excuse now though (for the shopping cart). Stocked up and able to hunker in, even if we could easily drive (or walk) the 1/4 mile down the road to our local grocery.

We’ve been here long enough though, having moved from Alaska, that we can go along with this ridiculous charade. Always best to hunker in and avoid the 60mph Tahoe’s on black ice anyway…

Frankly, we have even been known to tune into the news watching the hours of reporting about school closures (and no, we don’t even have kids), and how cold it is to be standing up North in Everett wearing a down parka while white snowflakes trickle down. Pretty tho (the snow, not Everett as Tom reminded me).

Last night we ate ribs. Seasoned with a hint of Mexico, I decided to serve them over rice and beans, topped with avocado, green onion, cilantro and quesa fresco.

Today is the Super Bowl. I think I’ll make chili. (Possible) Snow Day Chili, that is…

If you didn’t see last week’s post, this just in from Pete Woychick: 

Check out that post here https://10legsinthekitchen.com/2019/01/27/dessert-toast-is-it-a-thing/

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If not, it should be.

A thing.

Dessert toast that is.  Don’t you agree?

I mean we have French toast for breakfast (which, by the way is dessert that we happen to eat in the morning).

People like to eat eggs for dinner, which is funny because we often assume anything can be called breakfast, simply by adding an egg.

Add an egg to a dinner plate and it is often still considered to be dinner (think poached egg on a salad, an egg dropped into hot soup or tossed up with pasta for carbonara).

An omelette in the eventing is considered breakfast for dinner, but in my estimation is simply a sandwich using eggs rather than bread, so perhaps it is technically lunch? Or in the very least brunch?

Which brings me to my original question.  Is dessert toast a thing?

I think yes.  IF not, it should be.

You wouldn’t hesitate to eat cake for dessert, which is just bread minus the egg and with less sugar, right?

Only difference is dessert toast waits on the butter until right at the end, melting decadently into each crispy crevice just begging to partner with it’s sweet friend honey or jam.

Well okay, yeast; such details I will skip.

It could be argued that is more like a cookie than cake, step in cinnamon and sugar instead or bring on the peanut butter as well as the jam?

Dessert toast is as versatile as pie, change one fruit for another or slather it in goat cheese and tuck in some figs.

Yes, this is considered breakfast to some, but to me it is just as much the perfect ending to a simple dinner as it is the beginning of an ordinary or even extraordinary day.

The first time I made squash soup, I acted as if I had already made it so many times before that it was as second nature as walking my dog(s).

Tom and I had arrived back home in Alaska for Thanksgiving that year.  It was the same year my brother, Scott and his wife Christine, announced they were pregnant with our soonish to be niece, Catherine (who, by the way, has recently started a master’s program at Trinity College in Dublin).

None of us knew that at the time then, of course.

We were so young.

Somewhere between childhood scrawniness and adulthood, I had gone from the sugar-loving, vegetable-loathing, picky eater that I was, to the mad about everything, food-loving, “best Italian chef” in Seattle.  Ok, so mom has a way of, er, exaggerating.

So, I feel an explanation might be in order?

I am not the “best Italian chef” in most places I suspect, but I’m pretty good, and I do live in Seattle.

The “Best Italian Chef” part, was the way my Mom introduced me to a crowded room at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage, during her 50th birthday party.  Yikes, what the heck?

I have possibly been trying to live up to that tittle ever since.

Period.

What does this have to do with squash soup you ask?  I will tell you.

Mom loved/loves squash soup and asked me to make it for the aforementioned Thanksgiving dinner as a starter.

Period (again).

Well, at least she didn’t ask me to participate in the making of the main course, because next up was the Thanksgiving menagerie whose highlighted poultry venture was none other than “Turduken” (the seasonal star of the time period).

The soup, by the way, turned out great.  The Turduken…uh, no comment.

Enough said on that piece (pieces?) of poultry.

Back to the soup.

Tom and I traveled from SEA to ANC that year, in tow with our dog Buffy, three winter coats, one large suitcase containing our shared clothing and one medium sized case that hauled a thick stack of magazines from Bon Appettite and Gourmet.

I had never even made (actual) soup prior to this, so in my inevitable style, I made the task much more complicated than it needed to be.  After pouring over the magazines into the wee hours of the morning, hoping to become enlightened as to the perfect formula for squash soup, I fell asleep.  When I woke up, I decided to just wing it.

I combined everything I had read into three pans, several mixing bowls and one pot.  The one pot of soup probably made more of a mess in the kitchen then the rest of the meal combined.

If only I knew then what I know now, I could have cleaned a lot less dishes.

Naw….I would have still made the same mess.

DELICATA SQUASH + CARROT + BEET SOUP

This can be made in under an hour.  Even less if the squash and the beets have already been cooked.  A microwave can be used to speed up the process for the vegetables, a trick that I recently discovered on Chef Steps.  For this recipe, I used some previously roasted squash and beets, but did cook the carrots and leeks using the microwave method.

If you don’t have a Vitamix, you can use another blender or food processor; you will just need to simmer it on the stove after it has been blended.

Ingredients

2 medium delicata squash – cut into 1″ thick rings, with seeds and pulp removed

1 medium to large beet – scrubbed clean

3 medium, full-size carrots – scrubbed clean and cut into 1″ long pieces

1 medium leek – cleaned, trimmed and cut into 1/2″ thick slices

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup plain, good-quality yogurt

1/4 cup sherry (brandy will also work just as nicely)

The juice of one small lemon

1 tsp good-quality curry powder

Salt and pepper to taste (start with 1/2 tsp salt and add more as needed)

Prepare

1.  Cook the squash by putting it on a sheet pan with enough water to cover the bottom.  Cover the pan with aluminum foil and cook until tender at 350-degrees F (for approximately 20 minutes).  Alternately, you can microwave them in a bowl covered tightly in plastic wrap for approximately 3 minutes, or until tender.
2. Cook the beet by roasting it in a 400-degree F oven wrapped in foil until tender (approximately 1 hour if cooking 3-4 at a time; less time if cooked alone).  Alternately, you can boil in salted water until tender (approximately 20-30 minutes).
3. Cook the carrots and leek by putting in a bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until tender (approximately 3-4 minutes).  Be careful to remove plastic wrap cautiously so as not to burn yourself with the hot steam that will escape.
4. Remove the skin from the beet by rubbing it away with a paper towel.  Cut it into 1″ cubed chunks.
5.  Put all the veg + the chicken stock into a Vitamix, blender or food processor and blend.  If using a Vitamix, set it to the soup setting which will go until it is silky and hot!  I love that feature!
6. Add the yogurt, sherry, lemon juice, curry powder and season with salt and pepper.  Do another quick blend.
7. Adjust seasoning to taste and voila!  Done! (FYI, if you don’t have a Vitamix, simply add to a stock pot and simmer to heat and concentrate the flavors.

Serve

There are so many options and I am all out of dishes, so go forth and be creative!

 

I rescued a box of tomatoes a few weeks ago, but Saturday, I had to rescue them again.  Sadly, I had been inadvertently holding them captive in our (hot) garage, on top of the recycle bin.

I know!  This is not exactly the best foot to come forward on after my absence from this site for so long, but I had the best intentions.

Really, I did!

There was a pile of them.  The tomatoes that is, not the intentions.  They (the tomatoes) were red, plump and waiting to become sauce.

They were begging to become sauce!

At least I think that’s what they were saying to me, each morning as I passed by them to get into my car, or as I lifted them away to open up the lid of the bin they were blocking.  It was hard to know for sure but, what else would they be asking me to do?

Yes, surely it was sauce they were hoping to become.

Soon, there was a liquid oozing out from within their little nest.  I barely noticed at first, due to the mountain scene that was printed on the side of their otherwise white box.  What looked completely normal on Monday, became more pronounced by Wednesday.  The line weight seemed to be a little thicker, I remember thinking.

It wasn’t until Thursday that I realized the line weight of the mountains were now bleeding into and darkening their sky.  It wasn’t from the original graphic but, in fact, was an add-on from the tomato artists working hard from within their confines.

Friday came and I knew I was neglecting them, but still, I had more important things to do, leaving no more time yet to make sauce.

I know, you probably don’t understand.  What could possibly be more important than transforming the beautifully aging summer tomatoes into sauce?  Not just any sauce, but the sauce they had waited their whole lives to become, right?

I did though, neglect them, and of that I am not proud.

I am proud today.  Of those fabulous tomatoes, this scrumptious sauce and my decision to finally get my priorities in order!

Sort of like our friends, Piotr and Inna.  They are finally tying the knot this week, today actually!  Yes Piotr, I said knot, not noose).  I mean, they have only been dating now for 8 1/2 short years.

They (Piotr & Inna) prefer vodka to wine so, hey guys, if you make this sauce, by all means, skip the wine and go for the vodka.  Stir in a little cream and a happy marriage that will make!

My sauce started out as quick sauce, like the one that Alex Delany character was chatting about for “Rent Week” recently. I had more than 4 tomatoes though and somehow, roasting them just seemed like the right thing to do. For me. No offense Alex. I know none will be taken.

You can make as much or as little as you have tomatoes.  I hadn’t bought the Farm, as Alex suggested one could, but I did have a very large box which I heaved onto the counter.

First order of business was picking through it, rinsing off each tomato, quickly cutting a small knife around the top to remove their cores and plopping them, one by one, onto a sheet pan.

Occasionally, I would come upon a tomato that had expired but not before adding its’ imprint onto the ever evolving mountain scene of previously mentioned box.  Sadly, I have no photos of their work but luckily, there were more sauce maker’s than artists in the bunch; I was able to salvage many more than I had to throw out.

Once the tomatoes are all hanging out on the pans, take your bottle of olive oil and drizzle it liberally over the whole lot. Do the same with your balsamic vinegar but use a less heavy hand. I like to put my finger partially over the opening to give it better control.

Now grab a healthy scoop of Kosher salt in your fingers and scatter it, fairly evenly, over each pan; you needn’t be too careful, by this time, hopefully you have a little skip in your step and your movements are fluid.

Do the same with your pepper mill and then grab a few heads of garlic. After removing the cloves from their skin, kind of tuck them into the tomatoes randomly. You might have enough for each one but no worries if a few of them miss out on a poke.

Next come the herbs. Whatever you have in the garden will work just fine, especially if it is oregano and basil. A little rosemary is also nice. Thyme, tarragon, summer savory, what have you. Clean them off and just toss them over. Adding a dash of dried oregano adds another layer and you might like to sprinkle on some red chili flakes too. Your choice.

Pop them into a preheated 350-degree oven and let the magic begin. Soon you will be having thoughts of sitting at a table in the dark corner of your favorite bistro in Italy, candle light, chianti and music or overlooking the olive trees in Italy.

The smells will permeate the whole house as if an Italian opera is singing wildly from the oven. No matter your mood, these smells will only help make it better. I can hear my bother’s Mother-In-Law, Doris, singing now….

The beautiful thing here is that you can just let them cook as you go about your business such as planning your next trip to Italy perhaps?

After an hour or so, they will become slightly colored. This is a good thing.

There will be a pool of juices surrounding them and steam might hit your face lovingly as you open the oven door. Yes, they are having a day at the hot springs. They are enjoying their spa. But as with all things good, less is sometimes more. It might be time to turn down the heat or even turn off the oven all together. Your choice.

If you are going to be home and keep checking in on them, perhaps let the flavors grow more aromatic at 200-degrees. If you want to leave, turn the oven off and let them rest there as it cools down. There is no right or wrong here. Just don’t let them burn.

Once they have been removed from the oven and are cool enough to handle, you can do one of two things (well I am sure there are more than one or two things you can do but…).

Either put them in a food processor (in batches), or, as I did, put them in a large pot and puree them with an emulsion blender.

Now here is the tricky part, on my end.  It needn’t be tricky for you, I might add.

Either way, you can quit right here, after adjusting of salt, pepper and chili flakes, or, you can continue on the sauce making journey, as I did.  I decided that I wanted them to have a little bit more complexity.

I like to add carrots and red wine to my sauce.  Since I didn’t roast any carrots with the tomatoes, as an after-thought,  I decided to braise some carrots in the oven in the current state of tomato sauce and an addition of red wine (are you listening Piotr and Inna?  Insert “substitute vodka here“).

If you decide to humor me and follow my lead, simply take a small oven-proof vessel, add some peeled carrots (say 8-10 oz worth), top them with a few ladles of tomato sauce and then cover them over with red wine (uh hmm…or vodka).  Pop them in the oven (which has been pre-heated to, oh, say, 350-degrees) and let them braise until tender.  You might need to add a little more liquid….or not.  They don’t even have to be that tender, if we are being honest but just tender enough.  This could take another hour or it could take less.  Again, your choice.  See how flexible I am?

Now, again with the choices, you can either put the carrots and their sauce, into the bit pot of sauce and emulsify more.  Or, add it to a food processor, and puree.  I chose the latter of the two options because, well, I didn’t feel like I had adequately messed up the kitchen yet.

Now, by this time, you could truly call it quits, for real this time.  Or, you can turn on the stove and let your sauce come to a simmer and add a little more wine (or vodka + cream).  You know what I did, I’m sure.  I let it simmer for about an hour, just because.

With my box of tomatoes (there must have been 8-10 lbs), I was able to yield 25 cups of sauce.