Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving: Traditional Corn Relish

One of the best things about summer is the absolutely fabulous fresh sweet corn.  But it's not around for long.  And frozen corn just doesn't hack it once you've had the good stuff.  So it makes me wonder if there's any good way to preserve the days of summer.  I found this recipe in my good ol' Ball preserving book and figured I would give it a try.  What I got was a delicious sweet-and-sour relish that would be awesome on a hot dog, but just as amazing on some grilled chicken or pork.  And come January, I'll still have the sweet ripeness of summer to savor.

Traditional Corn Relish
From Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving

9 cups corn kernels (from about 18 medium ears corn)
3 cups finely chopped cabbage
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped, seeded red bell pepper
4 cups white vinegar
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground tumeric

Prepare canner, jars, and lids.

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine corn, cabbage, onion, red pepper, vinegar, sugar, water, dry mustard, celery seeds, mustard seeds, salt, and turmeric.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until liquid is reduced and vegetables are tender-crisp.

Fill jars, one at a time, leaving ½-inch headspace.  Wipe rim.  Center lid on jar.  Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water.  Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes.  At the end of the processing time, turn heat off and remove canner lid.  Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, without tilting.  Cool and store.

Makes about 5 pint jars

Italian Easy: Recipes from the London River Cafe: Green Bean and Tomato Tagliatelle

So, it's the middle of the summer, produce is fresh and fabulous, and you have a craving for...pasta?  Pasta always seems so incredibly heavy to me.  Especially in the summer, when the air conditioner is struggling against the 110°F outside ambient temperature.  A big stomach full of pasta just makes you feel even more sluggish than usual in those circumstances.  Unless you're using my new favorite cookbook.

This pasta dish, with fresh haricot verts green beans from Central Market and tomatoes from the farmer's market, was perfect.  And it certainly helps that there were only seven ingredients on the list.  Super quick, super fast.  The tagliatelle noodles held the creamy sauce, and the green beans still had some snap.  The tomatoes added a little acidity.  I was licking my plate.

Green Bean and Tomato Tagliatelle
From Italian Easy: Recipes from the London River Cafe by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

16 ounces egg tagliatelle
1 pound fine green beans
6 plum tomatoes
2 ounces Parmesan
1 garlic clove
⅔ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves

Top and tail the green beans, cook in boiling salted water until tender, then drain.

Cut the tomatoes in half, remove the juice and seeds, and chop the flesh coarsely.  Season.  Grate the Parmesan.

Peel the garlic, add to the cream, and bring to a boil.  Season.  Remove the garlic, and add the tomato, green beans, and basil.  Stir to combine.

Cook the tagliatelle in boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain, and add to the tomato and beans.  Serve with Parmesan.

Vinie Keattikul: Khao Neeo Mamuang (Thai Sticky Rice with Mango)

In case you haven't noticed, Asian restaurant menus don't really include a lot of dessert.  Sugar is a limited-quantity, limited-availability kind of thing.  If you do get a dessert, it's normally a European-style cake (although this, too, normally has almost no sugar in it, which is disconcerting to say the least).  So when I was first introduced to Thai food, I didn't exactly expect to find anything appealingly sweet.  Boy, was I wrong.  This dessert, a perfect combination of sticky rice, syrupy coconut, and sweet mango, is just about my favorite thing.  I have seriously considered skipping the dinner altogether (and I'm all about some green curry) and just moving on to the finale.

Khao Neeo Mamuang (Thai Sticky Rice with Mango)
From Vinie Keattikul

2 cups sweet (glutinous) rice
2 pandan leaves (optional)
1½ cups coconut milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use
¾ teaspoon sea salt
3 ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced

Wash rice several times to remove starch. Cover with water in a medium bowl, and soak for at least 2-3 hours or overnight. Steam sticky rice with pandan leaves for 30 to 35 minutes.

While rice is cooking, combine 1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup sugar, and salt. Cook the sauce over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely. When rice is done, combine cooked rice and sauce in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Let stand for 45 minutes.

Combine remaining ½ cup coconut milk and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Stir together over medium heat until sugar melts (or microwave for about 10 seconds to warm). To serve, scoop a mound of rice onto a dish, spoon sauce over the rice, and place sliced mango on the side.

Makes 6 servings

Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen: Polpettine con Spaghetti (Meatballs with Spaghetti Coco Pazzo)

I'm not a big spaghetti girl.  Or pasta in general.  So basically every time I have the option of Italian or something else, I'm choosing the something else.  But once every great while I feel like having some meatballs.  Tender, beefy meatballs in a tomato sauce.  But not just any meatballs.  Homemade meatballs in a homemade sauce.  No jars here.  And each time I make it, I remember how really delicious homemade Italian food can be.

Note: In addition to some other tinkering which is included in the instructions below, I added 10 leaves of fresh basil (chiffonade) to the sauce.  Because it's awesome.

Polpettine con Spaghetti (Meatballs with Spaghetti Coco Pazzo)
Adapted from Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen by Pino Luongo and Mark Strausman

For the meatballs:
1 cup day-old sourdough bread cubes (crust removed)
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
8 ounces ground veal
8 ounces ground chuck
8 ounces lean ground pork
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage (about 2), removed from casings and crumbled
3 tablespoons dried oregano, preferably Sicilian
½ cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium red onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup dry red wine (such as Chianti)
2 (28-ounce) cans Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, with the juice, puréed in a food processor or food mill
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste (optional)

2 tablespoons kosher salt
1½ pounds spaghetti or linguine

To make the meatballs:
Place the bread and milk in a medium bowl and let soak for 5 minutes.

Heat a 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, and when it is hot, add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.

Place the veal, beef, pork, and sausage in a large bowl and, using your hands, mix well. Add the oregano, cheeses, eggs, garlic powder, parsley, and bread one at a time, mixing until thoroughly combined after each addition. Add the onion and mix until very well combined. Add the salt and pepper. Set aside.

To make the sauce:
Heat a 10-quart casserole over medium heat, and when it is hot, add the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until wilted. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Add the wine, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, dried basil, and red pepper flakes to taste if necessary.

While the tomato sauce is cooking, form the meatballs:
Take a piece of meat the size of a golf ball and roll it between the palms into a ball. Add it to the sauce, and repeat with the remaining meatballs.

Return the sauce to a simmer and simmer gently until the meatballs are cooked through, about 1½ hours. Be sure to cook the meatballs at a very gentle simmer; if the sauce boils, the fat will separate from the meat and they will dry out. When you think they are done, remove one from the pot and cut into it with a paring knife. If it is still pink in the middle, continue to cook until done, another 10 to 15 minutes.

Just prior to serving, fill a 10-quart stockpot with 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add the 2 tablespoons of salt and spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain, add to the pan with the meatballs and sauce, and carefully toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings, 16 to 18 meatballs with sauce

New American Table: Beer-Braised Short Ribs

I love making short ribs.  They are like the absolute pinnacle of beef eating if you have the 3 hours to wait for them to cook up.  Where else do you start with a nasty, tough old piece of meat, and come out the other end with a tender, succulent dinner?  Maybe brisket.  But even brisket can't live up to the saucy perfection of these babies.  Chef Samuelsson, I salute you.

Note: Definitely try to use the beer recommended (or a close relation).  Otherwise the flavor profile is changed, and it's just not as good.  When it comes to cooking the ribs, I used some of the marinating liquid in lieu of all beer.  It adds some of the spiciness from the Sriracha back in for the long haul.  I'd maybe swap out 1 cup of marinating liquid for 1 cup of the beer and 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce.

Beer-Braised Short Ribs
Adapted from New American Table by Marcus Samuelsson

3 tablespoons red chile paste (such as Sriracha)
4 pounds short ribs
½ cup soy sauce
4 cups beer (such as Brooklyn Lager)
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
One 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
3 bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock
½ cup mirin
2 tablespoons ketjap manis
1 tablespoon honey
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Smear the chile paste over the short ribs. Arrange the ribs in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix together ¼ cup of the soy sauce and ½ cup of the beer and pour over the ribs. Turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Remove the ribs from the baking dish and pat dry. Season with salt. Heat the sesame oil and olive oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, add the ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a separate dish.

Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and bay leaves and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Return the ribs to the pot and pour in 3 cups of the beer, the remaining ¼ cup soy sauce, the chicken stock, and mirin. Bring to a simmer over low heat, cover, and place in the oven. Cook until meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 3 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Remove the ribs from the pot. Skim the fat off the top and reserve 2 cups of the liquid. Combine the reserved cooking liquid, 1 teaspoon salt, ketjap manis, honey, and the remaining ½ cup beer in a small saucepan. Remove and discard the bay leaves.  Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, stirring constantly.  Stir in the scallions and butter and serve over the short ribs.

Makes 6 servings

Alton Brown: Chocolate Bread Pudding

My sister's boyfriend, who is from Louisiana, decided to invite a bunch of us ignorant Texans over for a authentic crawfish boil.  I had never been to one.  I definitely needed edu-ma-cating.  He had ordered several bags full of live crawfish, and he was all set up in the backyard with his pot, stirring paddle, and cutoff shorts.  No, I'm not sure what the shorts have to do with it.

He mixed a bunch of crawfish boil spices and lemon juice into boiling water, and then he tossed in some red potatoes, corn on the cob, and venison sausages.  When it was done, he dumped all of the crawfish out on a garbage bag-lined table in the backyard.  We all gathered around and greedily pulled our crawfish apart.  For the grand finale, I baked up a delicious bread pudding chock-full of chocolate.  Because, I mean, how else could I top those shorts?  Except with chocolate whipped cream.

Chocolate Bread Pudding
From Alton Brown

2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup hot chocolate mix (I used Ghirardelli Double Chocolate)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)
3 cups half-and-half
1 cup whole milk
2 ounces espresso, slightly cooled
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
18 ounces stale challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into ½-inch pieces

Place the eggs and yolks in the carafe of a blender and combine on the lowest speed for 30 seconds. Slowly add the sugar over 30 seconds, and then add the hot chocolate mix and blend until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the half-and-half, milk, espresso and vanilla and blend until well combined, about 30 seconds.

Butter a 9x13-inch metal pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter and place the cubed bread in the pan. Spread the chocolate on top of the bread and slowly pour in the custard. Press down on the mixture with a spatula or the back of a spoon to thoroughly saturate. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 2 hours, or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Bake until the internal temperature reaches at least 170°F, about 45 minutes. Set the oven to the high broil setting with the oven door ajar.  Remove the bread pudding from the oven. Pour the remaining melted butter into a spray bottle and spritz the top of the bread pudding. Return to the middle rack and broil for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

A Bird in the Oven and Then Some: Greek Roast Chicken with Caper Butter, Roast Lemons, and Skordalia

I recently acquired an entire book full of chicken recipes.  No, you can never have too many chicken recipes.  Chicken is the ultimate go-to.  Do you know anyone who won't eat chicken (besides vegetarians, they don't count)?  Actual meat eaters who don't like chicken?  I don't.  Especially when that chicken is roasted so that the skin is nice and crispy and the breast meat is juicy and tender.  That is chicken nirvana.  And apparently it's accomplished by burning down your kitchen.  I kid.  Sort of.

Note: Have a window open, the vent on high, and your smoke detector disconnected because this baby is going to smoke you out of your kitchen.

Greek Roast Chicken with Caper Butter, Roast Lemons, and Skordalia
From A Bird in the Oven and Then Some by Mindy Fox

1 (4-pound) whole chicken
3 tablespoons capers, preferably salt-packed, rinsed, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, then rinsed again
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 lemons
1 tablespoon crumbled dried oregano, preferably Greek
Flaky coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pita bread for serving

Skordalia
½ pound Yukon gold potatoes
3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle.

To make the skordalia, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes.  Combine with 5 cups cold water in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, then bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.  Drain in a colander and let cool to room temperature.  Push through a potato ricer or gently mash with a fork.

Meanwhile, prepare the chicken: Pull off excess fat around the cavities of the chicken and discard, then rinse the chicken and pat dry very well, inside and out.  From the edge of the cavity, slip a finger under the skin of each of the breasts, then use your fingers to gently but thoroughly loosen the skin from the meat of the breasts and thighs.

Pat the capers dry, then roughly chop and put them in a bowl with the butter.  Finely zest the lemons into the bowl, holding the zester close so that you capture the flavorful oil that sprays from the lemons as you zest.  Add the oregano then mix to thoroughly combine.  Cut 1 lemon lengthwise into quarters and set aside.

Using your hands and working with about 1 tablespoon of the butter mixture at a time, gently push the mixture into the spaces you created between the chicken skin and meat, being careful not to tear the skin.  As you work the mixture in, gently rub your hand over the outside of the skin to smooth out the mixture and push it farther down between the skin and meat where you may not be able to reach with your hand.  Season the chicken all over, using 2 to 3 tablespoons coarse salt and generous pepper, then tie the legs together with kitchen string.

Put a roasting pan (not nonstick) or 13x9-inch baking dish in the oven to heat for 10 minutes.  Remove and immediately place the chicken inside, breast-side up.  Roast for 20 minutes, then turn breast-side down.  After 10 minutes, squeeze half of the juice from each lemon quarter over the chicken, and drop the quarters into the pan.  Continue to roast until the juices of the chicken run clear when the thigh is pierced with a fork, 20 to 30 minutes more.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, return to the skordalia: Use a mortar and pestle to pound together the garlic and salt to a paste.  Transfer to a large wooden bowl.  Add the potatoes and pepper.  Using a large wooden spoon, pound and stir the mixture together just to combine.  Add the vinegar in a slow but steady stream, while still pounding, until incorporated.  Repeat with the oil.  Transfer to a serving bowl.

Carve the chicken on a cutting board.  Serve with the pan juices, skordalia, lemons, and pita.

Makes 4 servings

Ina Garten: Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter

What is the richest, most fattening pasta dish you can think of?  Fettuccine alfredo maybe?  I've got one that tops it.  It's Ina Garten's Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter.  It's pasta with heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and butter.  Not just any butter, though.  Truffle butter.  And tons of it.  This pasta is so rich you can feel your heart screaming for mercy.  I have never felt more like eating a salad than I did after this dish.  But you know what?  It's absolutely fabulous.  Creamy, rich, and decadent.

I used some fresh tagliatelle pasta that I bought at Whole Foods, and the truffle butter came in a little tub at the same store.  I have to admit it's amazingly simple to put together, but you can only eat a little bit at a time.  I couldn't even make it through a whole serving.

Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter
From Ina Garten

Kosher salt
½ cup heavy cream
3 ounces white truffle butter
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (8.82-ounce) package Cipriani tagliarelle dried pasta or other egg fettuccine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 ounces Parmesan, shaved thin with a vegetable peeler

Add 1 tablespoon salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat the cream over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Add the truffle butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper, lower the heat to very low, and swirl the butter until it melts. Keep warm over very low heat.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, exactly. (If you're not using Cipriani pasta, follow the directions on the package.) When the pasta is cooked, reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the saute pan and toss it with the truffle-cream mixture. As the pasta absorbs the sauce, add as much of the reserved cooking water, as necessary, to keep the pasta very creamy.

Serve the pasta in shallow bowls and garnish each serving with a generous sprinkling of chives and shaved Parmesan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve at once.

Makes 2 servings

Cooking Light: Banana-Chocolate-Walnut Bread

I've become dissatisfied with banana bread recipes.  I want a moist crumb that is just sweet enough to be a treat, but not so overwhelming that my teeth rot.  But it also has to have something else...something to make it special.  And I never thought I would find that something in Cooking Light magazine.

The banana bread I made is called Banana-Chocolate-Walnut Bread, and it is absolutely delicious.  The flax seed that you add into the batter gives it this amazing nutty flavor that goes so well with the ripe banana and sweetness of the sugar.  The yogurt helps to keep it moist over multiple days.  And of course everything is better with chocolate.  I didn't melt the extra chocolate chips; instead I just threw them all into the batter.  This will definitely be the recipe I reach for when I have a craving for banana bread.

Banana-Chocolate-Walnut Bread
Adapted from Cooking Light magazine, October 2010

1½ cups mashed ripe banana
⅓ cup plain fat-free yogurt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
⅓ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1½ cups)
¼ cup ground flaxseed
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
⅔ cup semisweet chocolate mini chips, divided
⅓ cup chopped walnuts, toasted and divided
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Add sugars; beat until blended.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended.

Fold mini chips and nuts into batter; pour batter into a 9x5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 16 servings

Southern Living: Beef Lombardi

Sometimes you don't want to make something complicated.  Sometimes simple is best.  Pulling something warm and delicious from the oven shouldn't require two hours of prep time.  There's a middle ground, somewhere between opening a can of ravioli and making pasta from scratch.

Beef Lombardi
Adapted from Southern Living magazine, October 2003

1 pound lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14½-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles (such as Rotel)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 (6-ounce) package medium egg noodles
6 green onions, chopped (about ½ cup)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh parsley sprigs, for garnish

Cook ground beef and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes, stirring until the beef crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in chopped tomatoes and next 4 ingredients; cook 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and bay leaf, and simmer 30 minutes.

Cook egg noodles according to package directions; drain. Stir together cooked egg noodles, chopped green onions, and sour cream until blended.

Place noodle mixture in bottom of a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Remove bay leaf from beef mixture, and then pour it over the noodle mixture; sprinkle evenly with cheeses.

Bake, covered with aluminum foil, at 350°F for 35 minutes. Uncover casserole, and bake 5 more minutes. Garnish, if desired.

Note: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bake as directed.

Makes 6 servings