Salade Nicoise

My cat is a fancy cat.  He has one paw that he holds just so, as if sipping tea or posing for a very important portrait.  He's been known to wear a bow tie.  He doesn't like to get his paws dirty, and he very much enjoys his bed piled high with blankets.

This is a fancy salad.  It's the kind of salad you might serve if you had someone to impress, or if you just felt like turning your kitchen into a French cafe.  This salad paints in bold colors.  It is somehow light and fully satisfying at the same time.  I don't often crave a salad for dinner.  But when I do, it's this one.

A true Nicoise is nothing more than potatoes, green beans, and anchovies.  However, the modern version is piled high with tuna, dotted with boiled eggs, and tossed with any number of vegetables.  Every restaurant in France might serve a different salade Nicoise, but this is the one I serve.

It's fancy enough for cats of even the most discerning tastes.

Salade Nicoise
Serves 2

1 lb green beans, trimmed
2 lbs new potatoes
2 sweet peppers, thinly sliced
2 cans tuna
salt and pepper
olive oil
basil vinaigrette
4 hard-cooked eggs, quartered

Boil the green beans in salted water for five minutes.  Drain and cool.

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes, or until fork tender.  Drain, cool, and halve.

Season tuna with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss.

Season green beans with salt and pepper, and dress with basil vinaigrette.  Toss green beans with peppers.  Pile onto two plates.  Pile tuna in the middle of each salad, and surround the plate with eggs and potatoes.  Drizzle everything with basil vinaigrette, and season with salt and pepper.

Basil Vinaigrette

2 shallots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3 T red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
small handful basil leaves
1 1/2 c olive oil

Put shallots and garlic in a bowl with the vinegar.  Add salt and pepper.  Crush basil leaves and add to bowl.  Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk olive oil into vinegar mixture.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  The vinaigrette is enough for a salade Nicoise and lots left over for your next salad.

Chicken Stock, Or, How to Use a Chicken: Part III

Waste not, want not.  We've heard it before.  But how many of us scrape our plates into the trash after dinner?  How often do we discover some sad leftovers in the back of the fridge and decide they're better off going out than being eaten?  Do we see the cores, the skins, the crusts, the bones, the leaves, the stalks as inedible pieces of food we must dispose to get at the good stuff?

The thing is, often the "good stuff" is really in the parts we don't want, if we're talking about the most nutritional bang for your buck.  Bones, especially, contain nutrients that we might not find anywhere else in our diets.  Collagen, gelatin, glucosamine.  You're taking something that you would have otherwise thrown in the trash and extracting nutritional gold.  How could it get better than that?

I'll admit that I usually don't make my own stocks.  The simple reason is that I don't eat a lot of meat.  We seldom have bones around.  But with my wife's iron levels needing a little help, we've incorporated more flesh into our diets.  And when you're done picking over that delicious roast chicken, when you're through turning into into all the meals you can get out of it, you'll have a carcass perfect for making stock.

You'll feel thrifty.  You'll feel accomplished.  And you'll have several quarts of stock in your fridge, just waiting to be turned into soups and stews, waiting to be used in curries and rice dishes, and just about anything else you can dream up.

Chicken Stock
Makes 4-6 quarts

chicken bones
apple cider vinegar
celery
onion
carrots
salt and pepper
water

There's pretty much no recipe here.  Put all your bones in a slow cooker.  Drizzle some apple cider vinegar over them, about a tablespoon or two.  Wait a few minutes.  Add whatever vegetables you want, chopped up into reasonable pieces.  I throw in my onion skins; they'll help get that rich golden color.  Salt and pepper everything, and cover with water.  Heat on low for up to 24 hours, adding more water if needed.  You can also do this in a regular stock pot, but be sure to keep a closer eye on it.

Blueberry Chicken Salad, Or, How to Use a Chicken: Part II

So you roasted your chicken.  You reveled in the crisp and salty skin, the tender meat.  You ate until you could not eat anymore.  And now you still have a pound of chicken.  What's next?

In the spirit of summer - because, let's be honest, a roast chicken is not exactly summer fare - I encourage you to add blueberries.  And some lemon.  Stir it up with yogurt.  And you've got a good thing going.

We might be buying books and pencils, filling our backpacks with school supplies instead of hiking supplies, and watching the sunset creep earlier and earlier into our evening.  But there's still plenty of summer to be squeezed out of the next month.  We can go swimming after work, and we can do our homework while sunbathing.  We put off soups and stews for a while and opt for fruit that's still ripening, corn shucked just minutes earlier, and salads that are all about summer flavors.  We'll settle into the winter soon enough, so let's throw caution to the wind and some blueberries in our chicken.

Blueberry Chicken Salad
Makes about 4 cups

2 c chicken breast meat, cooked and chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 c blueberries
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c mayo
1/4 c plain yogurt
salt

Mix everything together in a bowl, seasoning with salt to taste.  Serve in a sandwich or on top of some greens for a delicious salad.

Perfect Roast Chicken, Or, How to Use a Chicken: Part I

Is there anything as perfectly simple as a roast chicken?  Simply perfect?  I've spent a lot of time thinking about what constitutes a perfect food.  Versatile.  Nutritious.  Easy to prepare.  Delicious.

Sure, there are several foods that fit this definition.  My favorite food, peanut butter, comes pretty close.  Eggs are often billed as the perfect food.  Once thought of maligned for their high cholesterol content, they are now touted as a necessary part of any diet (the experts insist the fat is the good kind).  They even come in their own packaging.  However, you get a lot more out of a chicken.  A chicken can be baked, fried, roasted, grilled.  A chicken has white meat and dark meat, both useful for their own purposes.  A chicken gives you leftovers for a week and bones to boot.  So, is it the chicken or the egg?

I'm not going to weigh in; I am a fan of both, though I admitted eat eggs far more often than their grownup counterparts.  But there is something oh so comforting about having a chicken roasting in your oven.  That chicken means you know there will always be something in the fridge to fall back on.  It makes your house smell like a home.  (And it rewards the cook with secret gifts.)  And, even buying only organic and free-range, my chicken ran me about ten bucks and will feed us for many meals.

Everyone should know how to roast a chicken.  There is barely anything to know.  Season, truss, and stick it in the oven.  It may not be perfection, but it's as close as we're allowed to come.

Perfect Roast Chicken
Serves many

1 chicken (mine was 4 lbs; choose organic and free-range when possible)
kosher salt
pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Rinse the chicken, and dry it very well.  Moisture will create steam, and your chicken will not be marvelously crispy.

Salt and pepper the cavity, place in a roasting dish, and truss your chicken.  Learn how to truss a chicken right now if you don't know how.

Take about a tablespoon of kosher salt, and rain it down upon the chicken.  You want an even coating, which will crisp up and make your chicken's skin irresistible.  Season with pepper.

Put the chicken in the oven, and leave it alone.  Do nothing.  Resist the urge to do anything.  No basting, no changing the oven temperature.  My chicken needed about an hour and a half; allow yourself about 20 minutes per pound.

Take the chicken out of the oven, and baste with its juices.  Let it sit for 15 minutes.  Remove the twine, and immediately consume the chicken butt.  This is your reward for cooking a chicken.  You should also drain the fat into a jar and save for the next time you require chicken fat.

Serve with a salad for the perfect meal, or carve and save the meat for later meals.

Nutella Cupcakes

I remember a time when Nutella was a specialty food.  It was a treat to be enjoyed in Europe, but that nutty chocolate spread could certainly never be found in the United States.  Well, the Atlantic Ocean has gotten smaller - along with the excitement of exotic foods - and Nutella is a staple in pretty much any American market.

Not that I'm complaining.  I do enjoy that I can spread it on some apple slices or a piece of toast whenever I fancy.  But it has lost a certain je ne sais que.  When things are rare, they are special.  When they become abundant... well, not so special anymore.

How do you bring some of that excitement back?  How do you turn what was once a treat back into a treat?  Cupcakes.  Translate any ingredient into its cupcake form, and you have a winner.  So when a coworker's birthday came, I seized the opportunity to make Nutella cupcakes a reality.

I'll level with you here.  They were not amazing.  They could probably use fewer minutes in the oven and less sugar in the frosting.  But if crumbly, sweet cupcakes are your thing, these might be for you.  No one in my office seemed to complain.  As for me, I might stick to liking my Nutella off a spoon.

Nutella Cupcakes
Makes 24

For the cupcakes:
1/2 c + 1 T cocoa powder
1/2 c + 1 T hot coffee
2 1/4 c flour
3/4 t baking soda
3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c butter
1 2/3 c sugar
3 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
3/4 c sour cream

For the frosting:
1/2 c butter
13 oz Nutella
pinch salt
1 T vanilla extract
1 1/2 lb powdered sugar
6-8 T cream

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.  Combine cocoa and coffee, and whisk until smooth.  In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking power, and salt.  Set aside

In saucepan over medium heat, combine butter and sugar.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until butter has melted and mixture is smooth.  Transfer to a bowl, and beat for 4 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well.  Add vanilla and cocoa mixture, and beat until combined.  Add flour mixture slowing, alternating with sour cream.

Divide batter into liners.  Bake about 18 minutes, but check after 10, as I found mine to be too dry.  You want a knife inserting in the center to come out clean.  Let cupcakes cool on a wire rack.

To make the icing, cream butter and Nutella together.  Add sugar slowly.  You may not need the entire 1 1/2 pounds; I wish I had used less.  Add salt, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of cream.  Blend.  Continue to add cream until you have your desired consistency.  Frost your cupcakes once they are cool.

Caramelized Onion Frittata

In my dream world, I would have hours to plan meals, slowly marinate, roast, or braise dishes, and leisurely time to enjoy said food.  In reality, sometimes we have to manage to get food on the table between work, the gym, volunteer responsibilities, going for a hike, and collapsing into bed.  If you need a healthy meal in your stomach stat, the frittata is on your side.

A frittata is like a quiche without that bothersome crust.  It's like an omelette on steroids.  You can pack whatever you want in there, and it will always be beautiful and delicious.  It's happy to be your breakfast, perfectly fine with being your lunch, and makes a wonderful dinner.  The best part about cooking a frittata is those last five minutes.  You slide that sucker under the broiler, and it puffs up, like it's enormously proud to receive the honor of feeding you.  Well, that's the second best part.  The best part is that the whole thing is on the table is less time than it takes to poke around and see what leftovers you can reheat.

Caramelized onions bring any dish to another level.  True caramelized onions have been cooked for an hour or more, but you can get a pretty good approximation in shorter amount of time.  But if you want to have them on hand at all times, make a big batch over the weekend, and portion them into sandwich bags in the freezer.  Just pull one out and and saute whenever you please.

I like to keep a frittata in my back pocket for days when time is short but the desire for take-out or leftovers is small.  It's certainly better than the bowl of cereal to which we have all fallen victim at one time or another. It's time to reclaim dinner.

Caramelized Onion Frittata
Serves 3-6

1 T butter
1 t olive oil
3 onions, thinly sliced
8 eggs
3/4 c milk
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 T thyme leaves, minced
salt and pepper
other vegetables, optional

Melt butter in a cast iron skillet over high heat.  Add oil.  Add onions all at once.  Cook onions down for 10-15 minutes, or until soft.  You may continue caramelizing for up to an hour.  Add other vegetables before continuing if you are using them.  (I used one green pepper; broccoli, summer squash, or other vegetables would be nice, too.)

Whisk eggs with milk and salt and pepper.  Pour over onions in skillet.  Sprinkle top with cheese and thyme.  Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until almost set.  Preheat broiler on high.

To finish cooking, place the frittata under your broiler for 1 minute.  Cut into wedges and serve with toast.

Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti

Biscotti have definitely gotten a bad reputation.  They're dry and hard, much as I imagined hardtack might be (during a period when I read many, many historical fiction books that involved the eating of hardtack).  At best, they're a second thought, just something to dip in your coffee, tea, or latte.

I empathize with this view.  Now that I sell biscotti, I have seen where these delightful cookies can go wrong.  But when they go right, they certainly don't play second fiddle.  Take these biscotti, for example.  The bright, spicy cinnamon.  The subtle, playful sugar.  The crunch.  The butter.  The crumbs that you use your fingers to pick from your plate.  These biscotti are pure childhood memory.

Cinnamon and sugar may be the best combination of flavors ever created.  This coming from someone who practically worships the marriage of peanut butter and chocolate.  But cinnamon and sugar is primal.  Who didn't enjoy a slice of bread, spread thickly with butter, topped with cinnamon and sugar, and toasted to perfection as a child?  The instant gratification of carbs and fat and that kick of spicy cinnamon makes me want to curl up in the rocking chair by the stove in my parents' living room.  Cinnamon and sugar is like being home.

And these biscotti recreate that feeling perfectly.  They manage to retain the buttery satisfaction of that toast, the lingering sensation of cinnamon and sugar on your tongue.  I've made some pretty good biscotti in my day, but these just might be my favorite.  And even though they don't need it, dip them in a good cup of coffee, and you've got yourself a nice afternoon.

Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti
Makes 20

2 c flour
3 t ground cinnamon
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 1/4 sugar
6 T butter, softened
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 t vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Sift flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, baking powder, an salt together.  Set aside.  Also mix together the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 cup sugar.  This will be the topping.  Set aside.

Beat butter and remaining cup sugar together until fluffy.  Add one egg and the egg yolk, and continue to beat.  Add the vanilla and combine.

Add dry ingredients to butter mixture.  Bring all ingredients together to form a stiff dough.  Separate into two equal halves.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, form two logs.  They should be about nine inches by two inches.  Beat the remaining egg, brush over the logs, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar topping over everything.

Bake for 40 minutes.  Remove from the oven, and let cool for about 10 minutes.  Cut logs into cookies, and place back on baking sheet.  Bake for another twenty minutes.  Let cool.