The 1950's Housewife

Please don't make me eat more pie!

2010-07-20T22:27:00.005-04:00

In a two-person household, making a pie is a dangerous invitation to overindulgence. It's perfectly excusable, of course, since you'd never want to waste any food and pies (or any dessert) just don't have a long shelf life (that's what I've been told). Consequently, a slice of pie has to be large enough so that the entire pie is consumed before it declines in quality. So we make do and eat mega-wedges of pie. It's a tough life, but we soldier on.

Here's a peek at the pie in question and how it all came together. And, no, I did not make the crust from scratch-it's too hot to use the oven.

No-Bake Strawberry Pie (recipe from WholeFoods.com)

Prepping the strawberries

2 lbs. of berries get divided--one half is sliced and

the other is turned into a jelly

The assembled pie (looks much nicer than the

photo in the Whole Foods recipe)

The mega-wedge of pie

Dinner on a Hot Summer Night

2010-07-19T21:30:00.006-04:00

It's been a hot summer so far here in the Metro Boston area. So hot, in fact, that I think we had the hottest June on record. 'Nuff said. With the heat in full swing I'm making every effort to use the stove for only very short periods of time. What can I make given these restrictions? A quick and easy favorite that only requires bringing a small amount of water to a boil is instant couscous. Here I present my Summer Couscous, Bean and Vegetable Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette.

Combine 1 C cooked whole wheat couscous with an assortment of cubed summer vegetables, such as cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, etc. Include a generous amount of roughly chopped cilantro/parsley and some cooked beans (canned beans are so easy!) Dress with a lemony vinaigrette--mine has about 2-3 lemons worth of juice, enough extra-virgin olive oil to match, ground cumin, black pepper and salt. This salad is hearty enough to serve as a main course on its own, or combine it with a protein for a little more oomph. (On night two of the salad this week, I roasted a salmon fillet to accompany it--wild-caught and succulent!)

What are you making for dinner on these hot summer nights?

Still cooking...

2010-06-28T23:35:00.004-04:00

Above: Gerbeaud Slice--a Hungarian pastry

Above: home-made pizza

Above: Brazilian Shrimp Stew (Caruru de Camarao)

I've been a tad busy so I haven't posted much lately. I will share the recipes for these at a later date.

Magical fenugreek

2009-04-04T23:40:00.004-04:00

I LOVE Indian food. My first exposure to Indian cuisine came during my college years at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, which has quite a few restaurants serving mostly Gujarati (north Indian) dishes. Ever since, I have sought to learn more about the techniques and ingredients unique to this cuisine.

My first Indian cookbook, Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking taught me a great deal and I still refer to it today. My main gripe with it is that there are very few recipes that can be made in under one hour. Recently, to my delight, I found a recipe in Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian that is relatively quick to prepare--much time is saved because unlike many of the recipes in Sahni's book, there is no chopping and frying of onions, and only two ingredients need prepping. Somehow this recipe manages to produce a curry that is hearty and rich, despite having fewer ingredients and a shorter cooking time than nearly all other curries I've made. My guess is that there's something magical in the fenugreek seeds.

Crumbled Potatoes with Peas (Aloo Matar)

1 to 1.25 lb boiling potatoes (try to get small potatoes that are about the same size)

3 TBS canola oil

3/4 to 1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds (available at Indian grocery stores)

1 large ripe tomato, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp garam masala (Whole Foods carries their own blend, or visit an Indian grocer)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 C hot water

1 to 1.5 C frozen peas

1.25 tsp salt, or to taste

chopped cilantro for serving

Boil the potatoes in their jackets until tender--usually about 20 minutes. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel them and then, using your hands, break them into rough, 3/4 inch pieces. (Reserve about one half of one of the potatoes to thicken the sauce.) Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the whole cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds and let sizzle for about 30 seconds, until they start smelling fragrant. Carefully add the chopped tomato and the ground spices and be prepared to shield yourself as there will be some spattering. Quickly begin to mash the tomato mixture into a pulp over the heat until it comes together into a thick, pulpy sauce. Let this simmer and thicken for about 5 minutes, until the oil begins to float on top of the tomatoes. Add the hot water and stir. Add the potato pieces and peas. Mash up the reserved potato pieces by hand or use a ricer and add to thicken the sauce. (You will probably want to experiment with how much mashed potato you add until you get the consistency that's right for you.) Bring to a gentle simmer and stir in the salt. Cook until flavors have melded and the peas have lost some of their bright green color--about 15 minutes. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro. Basmati rice or breads make a nice accompaniment.

Change of Plans

2009-04-01T22:33:00.007-04:00

Some weeknights I'm a little too ambitious and plan a dinner that is too time intensive. Tonight was one of those nights. I spent a little longer than expected at work and didn't want to skip the gym. This is when I rely on my repertoire of meals that can be concocted out of ever-present pantry staples. One of my favorites in this category is very simple--linguine with a quick, garlicky tomato sauce. I think the key to this dish is using the best possible canned tomatoes you can find. I love that I can get this on the table in under 30 minutes. This recipe is also easily embellished by the addition of shrimp or sausage. You can add raw shrimp during the last few minutes of cooking and they cook up perfectly tender. Buon appetito!

Linguine with a quick tomato sauce

3-4 TBS good olive oil

1/8 tsp (or more to taste) crushed red pepper flakes

4-5 (or more) cloves garlic, minced

1 14.1 oz can Bionaturae whole, peeled tomatoes

1/2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 pkg linguine

2-3 TBS chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan until it shimmers. Add red pepper flakes and swirl for a few seconds, then add garlic and saute for about one minute. Add tomatoes and crush in the pan (I use a potato masher). Add honey and salt and simmer over low heat while you cook the pasta. Under cook the pasta by about 1-2 minutes. Drain pasta (reserving about 1/4 C pasta water) and return to the pasta pot. Add the tomato sauce, stir and return to high heat. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, stirring frequently and, if necessary, add additional pasta water to help finish cooking the pasta if it is too dry. Remove from heat and prior to serving, toss in the parsley. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over the pasta if you like. Top with grated parmigiano, pecorino, or whatever you have on hand.

Thank you, Ina!

2009-03-30T21:19:00.001-04:00

I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn that I enjoy watching the Food Network. While a lot of the programming is more entertainment than how-to, there are a few shows that I thoroughly enjoy--one of them being Ina Garten's show, Barefoot Contessa. Ina has a casual elegance about her that is very appealing. It also helps that the shows all center on her entertaining fabulous guests at her chichi home in the Hamptons. Who wouldn't want to make dinner for Mel Brooks? Hmmm... it might actually be hard to enjoy the meal if he were at the table and had us all in stitches the entire evening--maybe not.

While watching an episode of the show this past weekend, Ina introduced me to a quick, easy and delicious way to prepare fish--baked under a spread of seasoned creme fraiche. She had me on the creme fraiche. I'm a total sucker for this delectable dairy product. The first time I had it was in France served over sweetened chestnut cream. The combination of sweet and tart flavors was unforgettable. If you're unfamiliar with creme fraiche, it's a little like sour cream, but less tangy and more subtle with a less viscous consistency. It's heaven, but it's also terribly expensive. (I haven't tried making it at home, but apparently it's quite easy.)

Here's the recipe for Ina's Mustard Roasted Fish. It's easily a weeknight meal when paired with a quick grain like couscous (see recipe below) and a veggie. Those with eagle eyes might notice that my capers were used as garnish on the fish. No, this was not a creative flourish--I simply forgot to mix them into the topping. Additional preparation notes: I didn't have shallots on hand, so I used one clove of garlic instead. I also used cod fillets rather than snapper.

Couscous with Roasted Red Pepper and Parsley

1.5 C water

3/4 tsp salt

1 heaping tsp VegeBase powdered bouillon

1 C couscous

3 TBS chopped roasted red pepper

2-3 TBS minced parsley

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan, add salt, bouillon powder and couscous. Stir until combined and turn off heat. Let pot stand over the extinguished burner for about 5 minutes and then add the red pepper. Just before serving, add the minced parsley. (Adding it too soon before serving will diminish the beautiful bright green of the parsley.)

Cheap and cheerful

2009-03-28T22:35:00.000-04:00

Most of our meals are based on items that are low on the food chain (translation: lots of beans and veggies) for both health and environmental reasons. A happy side effect of this dietary philosophy is that we save money--and who doesn't love that, especially since we're in the midst of the Great Recession?

This recipe has been developing over quite some time and I feel like it's finally approaching greatness. It has also become a more substantial meal with the addition of corn. When I first concocted it, it was just a bean affair, and now it's just one veggie away from the Native American trinity--also known as the Three Sisters. Maybe one of these days I'll throw in some squash. It's a tasty stew and benefits from traditionally Mexican seasonings, including chipotle en adobo, cumin, cilantro and oregano. Make a pot on a chilly night and savor the flavors for the next few days--it'll be even better the second time

Southwestern Bean and Corn Stew

2-3 TBS olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, cut into small chunks

1 chipotle chili, chopped*

2 cans black beans-do NOT drain

1-2 TBS tomato paste

1-2 tsp ground cumin

1-2 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

6-8 sprigs of cilantro (both stems & leaves), coarsely chopped

1.5 C frozen corn kernels

Heat olive oil in deep saucepan until shimmering. Saute garlic for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant and add the red bell pepper. Continue sauteeing until the pepper has softened a little, but is still firm. Add the chipotle and stir until the chile has been incorporated into the vegetables. (*When chopping the chipotle, consider doing so on top of a piece of wax paper so as to prevent the juices from staining your cutting board.)

Add the beans and their liquid along with the remaining ingredients, except the corn. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes or until flavors have melded. Add the frozen corn and increase the temperature to medium and then cook only until corn has been defrosted and the stew has been brought back up to serving temperature--about 5-7 minutes.

Serve with a grain--rice and quinoa go well with this.

I'm back!

2009-03-28T22:24:00.000-04:00

After a lengthy absence, I'm excited to be back in the blogosphere to share my culinary adventures. You might be wondering why I stopped posting. The primary reason is that when our apartment was burglarized my camera was stolen along with my tripod mount. In typical procrastinator fashion, I took a long time to file an insurance claim and a long time to replace my camera--a very long time. (Surprisingly, the insurance company was very quick to send the checks. Who would have guessed?)

My love of food and cooking hasn't diminished and I'm looking forward to exploring new recipes, cuisines and techniques in the kitchen. I'm also determined to finally learn all the bells and whistles on my not-so-new-anymore camera, so stay tuned for some better photography.

See you online!

Shepherd's Pie, adapted from Cook's Illustrated

2007-02-28T21:59:00.001-05:00

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, What Did You Eat. It is based on a Cook's Illustrated recipe, which generally means that each and every detail concerning ingredients and technique is documented. This isn't a bad thing! They come close to creating the "best" recipe by making numerous versions of a food and then having tasters tell them which one is best. This recipe came out well enough, and I would certainly recommend it.
My only modifications to the recipe included reducing the amount of salt slightly, substituting Smart Ground for the beef, not putting an egg wash over the mashed potatotes and not broiling the whole thing (my casserole is not broiler-proof). It doesn't look nice and burnished, but I'm sure it tastes just as good.

M.I.A.: honeybees

2007-02-27T21:43:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I had read about honeybee colonies disappearing mysteriously, and here's another article on this phenomenon. Hmmm... what are we to think? I sure hope scientists and beekeepers can solve this one, since we're so dependent on bees as pollinators for food crops. Soylent green, here we come!

Too Lazy to Shop

2007-02-27T21:27:00.000-05:00

It's winter and I try to make as few trips to the grocery store as possible, so when faced with the challenge of making dinner the other night using only what I had remaining in my kitchen, I threw together a few of the things I almost always have in stock: frozen peas, onions, garlic, parmigiano-reggiano and polenta. Follow these simple steps to a quick and tasty meal you too can create out of thin air:
1. Caramelize onions in olive oil
2. Add chopped garlic
3. Add frozen peas and a small amount of water
4. Steam/braise the peas in a covered pot along with the onions/garlic.
5. Serve this over polenta or, best of all, tossed with egg tagliatelle

Tip: As with any pasta dish where you're combining the pasta and sauce, be sure to save some of the pasta water to add to the sauce--the hot, starchy water helps the sauce meld with the pasta.

Honestly, this came out better with the pasta since the tagliatelle absorbed the flavors better. Nonetheless, polenta never fails to satisfy.

Battle of the Taquerias

2007-02-24T21:38:00.000-05:00

If you live in Boston and you're a fan of Mexican-style food, you've probably eaten at Anna's Taqueria and Boca Grande, but have you tried Baja Betty's? These are just a few of the reasons why Baja Betty's is better than Anna's or Boca:

Ingredients are of higher quality and are fresher
Menu selections are more varied
Betty's offers a fresh salsa bar (be sure to try the tomatillo salsa)
Flavor-this food tastes great! (Boca and Anna's are rather bland.)

Yes, prices are higher than Boca or Anna's, but don't you care about what you're stuffing into your maw?

The photo above depicts a one-item platter featuring an enchilada filled with spiced squash, sides of Mexican rice and black beans and several of their delicious, home-made tortilla chips with guacamole and salsa cruda. Off to the left, you can see two of their delectable salsas. Que rico! I love Baja Betty's.

Snarling and Clawing Preschoolers

2007-02-24T21:29:00.000-05:00

I had to laugh when I read this brief article on the New York Times site. Researchers have shown that eating in a large group leads to a higher rate of food consumption. Perhaps the solution to our childhood obesity problem lies in limiting the number of children that eat together at one time. Or maybe we should focus on providing more nutritious meals, smaller portion sizes and encouraging people to exercise and be active?

Improvised Chili & Cornbread

2007-02-21T21:26:00.000-05:00

I'm not from Texas, but I think I can whip up a pretty mean chili. Some of you might point out that my recipe includes beans (a no-no according to some purists) and once you read below and find out that it also includes Smart Ground instead of real ground beef or turkey(!), I'm certain a few of you will be shaking your heads saying: This ain't no chili!
You'll just have to trust me that it packs a real punch and can't be beat on a damp and chilly February night. In case you're wondering, I consider myself an omnivore. I will cook chicken maybe 2-3 times/month and perhaps some ground beef or turkey about once/month. I'd share my thoughts on diet, vegetarianism, environment, etc., but I really want to jot down this recipe now before I forget what went into it. It was improvised and since it came out so well, I need to preserve it for future reference... and, perhaps, your enjoyment!

Chili for a Cold, Damp Night
olive oil (I just pour in what I think is enough... go ahead, be daring!)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, grated
1 jalapeno, seeds intact, halved lenghtwise, cut into thin slices
1 stalk celery, halved lengthwise, sliced
2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 green) cut into bite-sized chunks
2-3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
12 oz. Smart Ground or ground turkey/beef
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, do not drain
1 can pinto beans, do not drain
1 bottle of beer

In a large pot, sautee vegetables until onions are transulcent and other vegetables soften. Add spices and sautee 2-4 minutes longer until fragrant. Add Smart Ground and sautee another minute. Add remaining ingredients, including all bean liquid. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes while you make the cornbread... Stir occasionally-don't ignore your delicious, newborn chili.

Cornbread
This recipe comes from my Mom. I have no idea where she got it, but I'm guessing she transcribed it from something like the Fanny Farmer cookbook.

Sift together...
3/4 c. cornmeal
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. granulated sugar
3 tsp. baking powder

Mix in...
1 c. milk (I often substitute rice milk.)
1 well-beaten egg
2 tbsp. melted sweet cream butter (I use canola oil-I'm sure butter would taste better, but I'm lazy, and cholesterol-obsessed.)

Pour mixture into a greased 8" sq. pan and bake in a preheated oven at 425F for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Hmm good! There's nothing like hot cornbread, right out of the oven--it's to die for. Go slather some butter or trans-fat free spread on it.

See you online and often.

Martha Invades PBS with Delicious Results

2007-02-20T23:06:00.000-05:00

Martha, as many of you probably now, invaded PBS some time ago with her show Everyday Food. I enjoy this, along with other "cooking stories" every Saturday on my local PBS affiliate, WGBH. I can't go a Saturday without watching my "stories" and this past Saturday I was witness to the episode featuring this easy and delicious Acorn Squash Lasagna. While watching, I was somewhat skeptical it could be so easy and yet so tasty, especially since it features "no-boil" lasagna noodles, which I had once before with less than stellar results (the texture of the noodles was rather mealy). After the show, I went online and read the recipe and decided to give it a try. The noodles were fine and it was thoroughly enjoyable and even better the second day (of course). The next time I make it I might add some toasted pine nuts to the squash mixture. And be kind to yourself... use the frozen squash, unless you've got a bumper crop of acorn squash sitting around. Oh, I almost forgot... I reduced the amount of salt going into both the squash mixture and the ricotta mixture--I'm always thinking of my blood pressure. I also used the pre-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano from the Whole Foods cheese case rather than grating my own. This could affect the texture of the ricotta mix since the store-grated cheese is more powder-like than if you were to grate it at home. We'll see next time around...

Aunt Ligita's Latvian Apple Cake

2007-02-19T23:57:00.001-05:00

Who was Aunt Ligita? What makes this cake Latvian?
I have so many questions!
With a little sleuthing and googling, I was able to find this recipe on several web sites and to my dismay, none of them mentioned a Latvian lineage for this cake...
Nonetheless, this is a delicious cake, and it's a snap to make.

Ligita's Quick Apple Cake
from: Classic Home Desserts by Richard Sax

Ingredients
3 medium-size tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional, for the cholesterol conscious)

METHOD:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 10-inch Pyrex pie pan.
2. Toss the apples in a bowl with the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the cinnamon. Spread the apples evenly in the prepared pan.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until lightly golden, about 7 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Pour the clear, browned butter into a bowl, leaving any sediment or foam in the pan.
4. Stir the 3/4 cup sugar into the butter. Gently stir in the eggs; stir in the flour until blended. Spoon the batter evenly over the apples and spread into a layer. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
5. Bake until lightly golden and crusty, 40 to 45 minutes.
6. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into wedges and serve from the pan warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream.
YIELD: One 10-inch single layer cake; serves 8

NOTES:
This cake is delicious right out of the oven, with a delicate sugar crust on top and delightfully fluffy topping, so I hope you've got some restraint. As it cools, the topping becomes more dense. When making this, I clarified/browned the butter as a first step, so it could cool while I prepared the apples. Other than this, I can only comment on my Mom's adaptation of this recipe (which also yields a very tasty dessert)... She substitutes Smart Balance for the butter, therefore I'm guessing that she can't do the browning step. This seems like an OK substitution, except that Smart Balance is salted, and I prefer to use unsalted butter in desserts. Oddly, her recipe also only contains one egg! Either this was an error, or she is taking cholesterol consciousness to a new level.

ENJOY, and... See you online and often.

Welcome!

2007-02-19T23:28:00.000-05:00

Sit a spell and have a bite to eat. You're witnessing the genesis of my very first blog.

At "The 1950's Housewife" you'll have a chance to share in my culinary adventures--so don't spoil your appetite and be sure to wash those filthy hands!

See you online and often.