Feb 14

Weird French Delicacy – Ortolan Bunting

As per usual, Bill and I were having a telephone conversation and he brought up the subject of the Ortolan Bunting, which is a small bird eaten as a delicay in France. Though for a long time the Ortolan has been protected, the law hasn’t really been enforced.

Ortolan Bunting

cc Image courtesy of phenolog on Flickr

Bill was discussing how the method of cooking was strange, reminded me of a TV Show I had seen years ago, where the big ‘buffon’ Jeremy Clarkson showed that even the process of eating them was equally as strange.

Basically the Ortolans are captured alive, force-fed, then drowned in Armagnac. The are then roasted and eaten whole, bones and all, while having a napkin draped over your head to preserve the precious aromas and to hide your shame from God. I told you it was weird!

Feb 14

Risotto with Portabellas & Asiago

It never ceases to amaze me that rice is one of the most versatile vehicles in which to convey flavor, texture and even aroma, yet it is so simple to prepare. If one can evolve from “one-minute cooked rice” or even the pre-cooked rice that is frozen and only requires to be steamed in a bag, there are more varieties and ways to prepare rice then there is time to experiment. One of the great things about the world becoming smaller, the internet and grocery stores providing more variety is that the ability to learn and try new foods and flavors has become that much easier.

Risotto with Portabellas & Asiago

Risotto with Portabellas & Asiago

Risotto is prepared using a high starch, low-amylose (unimportant) short to medium grain rice. There are several varieties cultivated in Italy, but the most widely available variety in the United States is Arborio. Risotto is a classic Italian style dish where the rice has been cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. Purists would content that there are only one of a few ways to prepare Risotto. Fine, let them state what they will. All I know is that Risotto is a wonderful means in which to incorporate ingredients into a rice dish that is flavorful, creamy and can either be eaten by itself or as a part of a larger meal.

The most important thing to remember about Risotto is that it is not difficult to prepare. If anything, it is very easy and very forgiving to even hacks likes myself in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup of Arborio Rice
  • 2 TBSP of Butter
  • 2 TBSP of Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Cup of chopped Onion (White or Yellow)
  • 3 Cups of Chicken or Vegetable Broth
  • 1/2 Cup of diced Asiago cheese (can also use grated Romano or Parmesan)
  • 12 Oz. container of sliced Portabella Mushrooms (honestly, use whatever you desire, but must be fresh)
  • Black Pepper & Salt to taste

 

Instructions:

    1. Turn on stove to Medium to Medium-High
    2. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large enough pot.
    3. Add the chopped onions and saute for three minutes
    4. Add the rice and stir for two minutes
    5. Add the first cup of broth, stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed
    6. Add the second cup of broth, stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed
    7. Add the third cup of broth, stirring until all of the liquid has been absorbed
    8. Note on stirring. Purists would say that you have to constantly stir to create that unique creamy texture. They may be right, but who has the time to stir constantly for 20 to 30 minutes? Suggestion: Go low and slow on the heat (Medium) and stir the rice every few minutes between other activities in the kitchen
    9. Once most of the liquid has been absorbed, add the sliced mushrooms, cheese and black pepper (optional). Ensure that all of the ingredients are incorporated throughout the rice
    10. At this point I turn off the stove, cover the pot and prepare the rest of the meal. The heat within the pot will continue to cook the rice and keep it warm / hot until you are ready to serve. Typically, letting the Risotto sit for 20 minutes is good to ensure all of the liquids including the moisture from the mushrooms has been absorbed by the rice.
    11. About 5 minutes before you are ready to serve, check the Risotto for tenderness, liquid absorption and seasoning. If the rice is harder then you prefer add more broth (a little water), turn on the stove and cook for a few more minutes. If salt is needed, then add enough to flavor it to the level you desire.

Total Prep & Cook Time: 60 Minutes

Risotto can be served as a meal by itself (big and hearty), or as a side dish to the meal. I personally enjoy Risotto with baked fish and steamed vegetables such as broccoli, broccolini  or broccoli rabe tossed with olive oil, salt and black pepper.

Risotto by itself with no other ingredients except onions, salt and black pepper is just as nice. What makes Risotto so enjoyable is that it is extremely versatile allowing different broths, vegetables and even meats to be incorporated into the dish.

 

 

Feb 13

Italian Meatballs – Santelli Family Style

Italian Meatballs

CC Image courtesy of slgckgc on Flickr

As a child I remember going to my great grandmother’s house in New Jersey and sitting down for an afternoon of eating. The afternoon would start with this special round Italian bread, butter and strong stove top brewed coffee. Then the pan fried meatballs would be served, with the chicken soup with small pasta coming next. Eventually the pasta and gravy would be served and then sometime later in the afternoon the cookies would be brought out.

What I remember most was that the flavors my great grandmother imparted in her food was so unique and different then the food my mother cooked at home when it was Italian night. I do not remember the reasons why, but as a child mom’s Italian dishes never resembled my Great Grandmother Santelli’s food. Maybe it was the era, the generational gap, my father’s own tastes or the fact that my great grandmother spoke very little English and could not explain how she made her amazing dishes.

Over the years after my great grandmother passed away did mom begin to migrate to her grandmother’s style of cooking. There was much trial and error and asking questions to her aunt and uncle to see if they could recall exactly how she made the meals. In time, the ingredients for the meatballs were replicated, but it took much more effort to determine how the meatballs were browned.

I began cooking these meatballs back in 1991 at Virginia Tech and over the past two decades I feel comfortable that I have mastered the recipe and the process of cooking the meatballs the way that my great grandmother cooked. As with most Italian-American families there is an element of family pride that invokes the position that their dishes are the best and that the recipe is some family secret that can only be passed on via a blood oath. Personally, if friends of mine recognize the specialness of the dish and want to try and replicate the meal themselves, who am I to let this recipe remain a hidden treasure? What I do understand is that what makes many recipes stand out from the imitations, mass produced offerings and recipe shortcuts is typically one or two ingredients that make the dish unique in it’s flavor.

Italian Meatballs – Santelli Family Style

  • 1 Lbs. Ground Pork
  • 1 Lbs. Ground Veal
  • 1 Lbs. Ground Lamb
  • 3 Eggs
  • 3-6 Garlic Cloves Minced
  • 3/4 Cup of Italian Bread Crumbs (Progresso)
  • 1/3 Cup of Grated Italian Cheese (Parmesean or Romano), but not that Kraft crap.
  • 1 TBSP of Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 1/2 TBSP of Italian Seasoning

Honestly, for the bread crumbs, grated cheese, black pepper and Italian Seasoning, I have no idea how much I actually use. It is all visual and a sense of feel. I do not use any salt, since the grated cheese provides the sal

For the ground meat, no substitutions. If you cannot find fresh ground lamb or veal, ask the manager at the grocery store if they have any packages frozen.

Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Use of your hands gives the best mixed results.

Once thoroughly mixed, it is time to make the meatballs. My suggestion is that you want to roll a meatlball with you hands about the size of a golf ball or ping pong ball.

Once you have rolled out all of the meatballs, it is now time to cook them. You can use either a large skillet or an electric skillet. Set the temperature to Medium-High.

Sometimes I use a little olive oil to get things started, but honestly there is enough fat in the mixture.

I have been making meatballs for a long time, so I load up the skillet, but I would suggest starting with 10-12 initially.

The key to cooking them is to brown them all around. I have no idea how long this takes, maybe less then 10 minutes. All I know is when I am browning meatballs I am in the zone. I usually finish off the batch by moving the skillet back and forth to ensure that they are completely browned all over.

Note: There will be grease and smoke everywhere. There is nothing neat about this entire operation.

I pull them out and place them on paper towels.

Once I am finished cooking the meatballs I drop them into a pot of marinara sauce that has been simmering. An hour or two later, you have meatballs with sauce.

Personally, I would never bake the meatballs (personal choice), but I have been tempted purely from a position of curiosity and definitely never ever drop them into the sauce raw. A part of the flavor that is imparted into the sauce is the exterior browning of the meatballs.

Feb 12

Kishka (Polish Blood Sausage)

“A cook turns a sausage, big with blood and fat, over a scorching blaze, without a pause to broil it quick” a quote from Homer’s Odyssey was most likely referencing a blood sausage (Kishka) such as pictured to the left is of Slavic origin and literally means “gut” or “intestine”. Traditionally blood sausage is found in many cultures and is very similar to Boudin Noir and Black Pudding. In the United States, Kishka can be typically found in restaurants and grocery stores that serve the Polish and eastern European ethnic / immigrant communities. The casing  is typically filled with pork blood, buckwheat or barley and a variety of seasonings and spices. In lieu of pork blood, cow blood is also offered. Aside from being exposed to blood sausage through friends or family, there are relatively few references to this delicacy in American culture. The most notable reference would be in Jame Michener’s epic novel Poland where he describes the making and cooking the sausage by the peasants after the landlord butchered a pig.

Kishka (Polish Blood Sausage)

Kishka (Polish Blood Sausage)

If one can get past their personal aversion to eating blood (there are far worse things that we consume daily), the pleasure in the flavor and taste of cooked Kishka is truly one of the great experiences that is so difficult to find in the United States. I was first exposed to Kishka as a child on holidays when my Polish relatives would bring a coil of blood sausage to my father from New Jersey. Typically it was eaten grilled with onions and served with pan fried potatoes and scrambled eggs. I do not recall eating it very often or enjoying the meal, but with many things as one grows older they begin to appreciate the memories of their youth. Kishka is one of those memories. As I grew older, my father had sourced a location of Kishka in Philadelphia and when I would come home from the holidays, there would be a breakfast in which the sausage was served. It was not until recently did I discover a Polish restaurant and grocery store Polonia in Houston, TX that I could enjoy this treat of my youth. Kishka is served on a sizzling platter of grilled onions and served with pickles, mustard and rye bread. In addition to eating it in the restaurant, the sausage can also be purchased in their store which is located a block from the restaurant.

The Polish community in Houston is not large and despite the historical wave of immigrants from Germany and the Czech Republic, there is a limited selection of eastern European restaurants. For those that enjoy good food and want to expand their palate, eating a link of grilled Kishka with onions is a rare treat in Houston.

 

Feb 12

Katz’s Deli – Houston, TX

Having been raised in the northeast and enjoying the pleasures of ethnic delis there are a few foods that I have truly missed while living in Houston, TX since 1996. It is not that you cannot find good bread in Houston or a well made sandwich, but it is difficult. In addition to this, the sheer size of Houston can make the trek to a specific restaurant a multi-hour event. For those that were raised in the northeast and are living in Houston, Katz’s Deli is the answer to any and all cravings that you may have for authentic kosher style deli food offerings (no pork products are on the menu). The menu reads like a who’s who of food offerings in which I was raised; Reuben sandwich, chicken liver pate, smoked salmon and stuffed cabbage. The menu is extensive and provides an option for even the most finicky diner. Personally, I always order the Reuben sandwich for there is no other comparison in this world. The portions are beyond generous and if I am at Katz’s with others, I will convince someone to split the Reuben with me and share the chicken liver pate as a starter. Did I mention that they also serve Shiner Bock on draft.

Reuben Sandwich - Katz's Deli, Houston

Reuben Sandwich – Katz’s Deli, Houston