Brussels Sprouts and Miso Dressing Recipe

Add to my list of New Year's resolutions, use more condiments and ingredients lurking in the fridge. My refrigerator is packed with Chinese sauces, jams and jellies, and various sauces and mustards. Sometimes I barely have room for anything else! So I am trying to use the things I probably used once and then forgot about.

First up, miso. I love the salty savory rich flavor of miso, which is a fermented soy bean paste that is like pure umami. You've probably had miso in soup at a Japanese restaurant. I especially like white or shiro miso which also has some sweet buttery notes. I've used it in soup and salad dressings and found that it complements many vegetables. In David Chang's cookbook Momofuku Cooking at Home is a recipe for miso butter sauce which is more like paste, that he was inspired to make after eating miso butter ramen in Japan. He adds a touch of sherry vinegar. In my recipe I make an olive oil based dressing with a touch of buttery white miso. The finished dish tastes much richer than it is.

If you are looking for more ways to use miso, this dressing is a good start. Try using it on other vegetables; I think it would be particularly good on spinach, kale, carrots or cauliflower. You could also use it on salad. Let me know if you have any other tips for using miso!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Creamy Miso Dressing
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound brussels sprouts
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 Tablespoons white miso
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon water
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Make dressing by whisking together the miso, olive oil, water, mustard and lemon juice. Taste for seasonings and adjust as you like. The dressing can be kept in the refrigerator for several days, just bring to room temperature and whisk again before serving.

Trim the stem ends of the Brussels sprouts, cut each in half lengthwise, then toss them in a bowl with the olive oil and salt until they are well coated. Transfer sprouts to a roasting pan or rimmed sheet pan (line with tin foil for easier cleaning) and roast for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice so they cook evenly. Brussels sprouts should be beginning to brown on the outside and tender on the inside. Place the sprouts in a serving bowl or platter and drizzle with the dressing.

Enjoy!

Meaty Cookbooks Part 1 -- Specialty Meats

I eat a lot less meat than I used to. But I am buying it mostly from butchers I know and trust, usually from Bryan's in Laurel Village. So when I do cook meat, generally a couple times a week, I want it to be something special. My guess is that I am not alone and perhaps that accounts for the huge boom in meat cookbooks?

For 2012, I hope you buy and cook better quality meat. These cookbooks will certainly help.

The Brisket Bookis subtitled a love story with recipes. It literally had me laughing out loud with it's cartoons, jokes, stories and more. If you are Jewish, Irish, or even a Texan, brisket is your soul food. The book pays homage with recipes, wine pairings, poems, and everything you need to know to make a version that will make you fall in love. This book and a brisket from Snake River Farms would be the best gift EVER.

Recipes to try include: Brisket burger, braised fresh brisket in stout and onions, brisket with ginger, orange peel and tomatoes, basic barbecue brisket, corned beef with parsley sauce

Goatis the first cookbook I've seen dedicated to meat, milk and cheese from that animal. They say leeks were not commonly available in grocery stores until Julia Child starting featuring them on her TV show. Hard to imagine, isn't it? I'm going to venture the same thing about goat. It accounts for 70% of the red meat eaten worldwide; it's sustainable, surprisingly healthy (less fat, cholesterol and calories than chicken, beef, pork or lamb) and is growing in popularity. I know, you probably can't find it in your local grocery store yet, but soon perhaps... Meanwhile this book will introduce you to farms, teach you new recipes, and entertain you with funny stories and anecdotes.

Recipes to try include: Goat cheese quesadillas, wheat germ banana muffins, braised meatballs with artichoke and fennel, goat mole (negro, rojo and verde versions) one of several goat curries

The latest in a long line of porcine cookbooks,The Whole Hog Cookbook covers chops, loin, shoulder, bacon, spareribs and yes, offal. Libbie Summers is the granddaughter of a pig farmer, she's a chef, food stylist, and knows how to butcher a pig. It's amazing how glamorous she looks posing with pigs! What's not surprising is how appetizing her recipes look. The only bone to pick that I have with this book is the recommendation to use Smithfield products. I am dismayed at their abysmal treatment of workers, animals and the environment and would never buy, let alone suggest their brand. This does not change the fact that the recipes and the book, are quite wonderful. Just please, use pork that comes from the best sources whenever possible.

Recipes to try include: Rosemary bacon scones, sweet apple scrapple, Lula Mae's cola-braised pork shoulder, hog-tied and hungry chili, West African pork stew

Granola Berry Parfait Recipe

I can eat the same thing for breakfast day after day. Then suddenly I'm on to something else. At the moment, my breakfast of choice is a granola parfait. I bought parfait glasses for ice cream, but use them for breakfast and fruit salad more frequently. I also got those skinny spoons you need to fit down into the bottom of the glass! This is hardly a recipe, more of a technique. But anything that can help "cereal" sound more exciting is worth doing. The trick to making a good parfait is to layer the ingredients nicely. Start with the yogurt on the bottom because anything else is too hard to get at with your spoon.

I've been using Driscoll's organic berries, Greek yogurt and The Bunnery granola. I recently got some samples of the granola and I really like it. I make my own granola but you have to eat it when it's fresh so I don't always have it on hand. The Bunnery original granola has relatively few ingredients just oats, honey, sunflower seeds, coconut, canola oil, sesame seeds, water, almonds, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. It's light and crunchy and not too clumpy which is best for parfaits.

You can make parfaits with just yogurt and fruit if you like. Or of course, you can also make parfaits with ice cream and fruit or sauces. But I think this is the best way to put a sexy spin on cereal. It's pretty, healthy and easy to make.

Berry Granola Parfaits
Mixed berries, such as blackberries, raspberries, blueberries
Yogurt, plain or flavored, regular or Greek
Granola

Layer a spoonful of yogurt into the bottom of the parfait glass and top with a layer of granola. Just a little! You want to make sure you leave enough room for multiple layers. Top the granola with one layer of berries. Repeat and end with a dollop of yogurt and a berry on top.

Enjoy!

Chantilly Potatoes

When I was growing up, there was one dish that I demanded my mom to make for the holidays.  That dish was called Chantilly Potatoes.  It is a wonderfully decadent casserole of mashed potatoes, topped with a layer Chantilly cream, and finally, a layer of cheddar and parmesan cheeses.  Digging into it was such a treat.  I have updated that dish with some tips from this year’s Thanksgiving edition of Bon Appetit.  The article had some great ideas for creating some truly flavorful mashed potatoes.  I particularly liked their recommendation of heating the milk with aromatics.  It gives the potatoes a wonderful flavor. 

Ingredients

5 lb Yukon gold potatoes

1 cup whole milk

½ cup heavy cream

2 garlic cloves, peeled

8 black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 sprig thyme

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

.66 ounce container of chives, chopped

2 ½ cups whipping cream

2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat oven to 375.  I like using Yukon gold for mashed potatoes because I can get away with not peeling the potatoes. Dice the potatoes and place in a large pot filled halfway with cold water.  Add 3 tablespoons kosher salt.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender.  Meanwhile, gently heat the milk, cream, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and sprig of thyme in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Don’t let the mixture boil.  Once the mixture is very hot, take off heat and let the aromatics infuse the milk for 20 minutes.  Strain out the aromatics using a slotted spoon.  Mash the cooked potatoes with the butter and infused milk.  Stir in chopped chives.  Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan and a 9 x 13 pan.  Spread the mashed potatoes evenly into the prepared pans.  Whip the 2 ½ cups cream using an electric mixer.  Spread the whipped cream over the potatoes, and top with the cheddar and parmesan cheeses.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top gets a nice golden brown color. 

Day 175.5! Chocolate Almond Toffee - Gimme Some Sugar

Tell me there isn't a better recipe than one that calls for only 2 basic ingredients: butter and sugar. Oh, and chocolate and nuts if you so choose. S-weet, right?!

This Chocolate Almond Toffee recipe is dedicated to those with a sweet tooth who aren't afraid to throw caloric caution to the wind and to my favorite non-profit; the ONE Campaign. ONE is a grassroots advocacy and campaigning organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease -- particularly in Africa -- by raising public awareness and rallying political leaders to support smart and effective policies and programs that are saving lives, helping to put kids in school and improving futures. Co-founded by Bono and other campaigners, ONE is nonpartisan and works closely with African activists and policy makers.

So, as you bust out another dozen ginger snaps and a festive Yule log masterpiece, think about using this easy gift you can give this time of year that doesn’t require 2 sticks of butter: your voice!

My friends at ONE are all about holiday cheer with a dash of activism. That’s why they've come up with this handy dandy recipe card and easy ONE member recruitment tool all in one. Print out a few copies of this blank recipe card, bring it to your cookie exchange or office holiday party and voila! Your best friend will have your favorite holiday Chocolate Almond Toffee recipe (that actually does require 4 sticks of butter) and ONE will have another voice in the fight against extreme poverty and disease.

Click HERE to down load and print out this recipe card

Chocolate Almond Toffee

Finely chopped unsalted almonds - a food processor works fine as well

Melt 4 ounces semi sweet chocolate - you can use chocolate chips as well

 1 lb. of sweet unsalted butter and 2 cups of sugar - this is not a typo

Melt butter and sugar in heavy pan - use a brush and cold water to wash down sides if needed

 Use a candy thermometer to - boiling mixture to 290 F - hard-crack stage

 Pour into oiled jelly roll pan, cool slightly and score

 Spread with melted chocolate and sprinkle with chopped almonds 

 Cool completely, then break toffee in to square or uneven pieces - store in air tight container

Nom, nom, nom - if you don't eat it all, it makes a wonderful gift.

Chocolate Almond Toffee (Recipe Adapted From The Fanny Farmer Cookbook)

1 pound (4 sticks) sweet unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
4 ounces melted semi sweet chocolate
1/3 cup very finely chopped almonds

Oil a jelly-roll pan. Put the butter and sugar in a 3-4 quart heavy pot and place over moderate heat, stirring as the sugar dissolves and themixture comes to a boil. Wash down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil slowly over moderate heat until it reaches the hard-crack stage (290 F), stirring gently and touching the sides of the pan only if starts to scorch. Pour it into the oiled pan and let cool partially, then score the toffee into squares. Cover the surface with melted chocolate and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Let the chocolate harden before cutting or breaking into pieces. Transfer to an airtight tin.


© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

New Italian Cookbooks 2011

I'm not sure any other cuisine can top Italian, when it comes to comfort food. While Italian cookbooks are a dime a dozen, three really stood out for me this year and are nice enough variations to warrant adding to your collection if you're an Italian food fiend like me or give them as gifts.


Cucina Povera
was sure to strike a chord with me, because I lived in Florence for 6 months. It is written by ex-pat Pamela Sheldon Johns and it shares a way of life, of not wasting anything and eating frugally. In the book you'll meet all kinds of people from Italy who cook and garden and make things from scratch. The recipes are for some things you may already know about like Ribollita and Pappa al Pomodoro (and if you don't, then by all means you need this book) but also more obscure recipes that you are unlikely to encounter in a restaurant.

Recipes you'll want to try include Tuscan Cornmeal, Kale and Bean Soup, Stewed Peppery Beef Cheeks, Farmyard Crostini (finally a use for giblets!) Plum Jam Tart and Ricotta Cake.







The family I lived with in Italy ate very formal meals, I don't remember a single one course meal. But they do exist and that is what Piatto Unico
is all about. The book shares hearty, comforting dishes many that are particularly perfect as we head into Winter. Recipes are divided into chapters like Prime-Time Pastas, Minestrone and Other Big, Bountiful Soups and Braises and Stews.

Recipes you'll want to try include: Asparagus Spinach Crepes with Taleggio, Thick Chickpea and Porcini Soup, Escarole, Anchovy and Cheese Salad.












Another noteworthy book is Rustic Italian Food. This is satisfying and lusty food, not fussy food although many of the recipes do take effort and are not just weeknight jobs. It's filled with homemade breads, pastas, salumi, pickles and preserves. They all demand the use of top quality ingredients. It's written by a restaurant chef, but designed for home cooks.

Recipes you'll want to try include: Spaghetti in Parchment with Clams and Scallions, Eggplant Lasagnette Alla Parmigiana, Veal Breast "al Latte" with Fried Sage, Cold Farro Salad with Crunchy Vegetables

Chocolate Almond Bark

Yay, we are now firmly in my favorite days of the year – the holiday baking season!  At no other time of the year is it perfectly acceptable to bake dozens of various combinations of sugar, flour, and butter into heaping piles of cookies, cakes, and muffins, etc.  In addition to the baking, I love to make chocolate candy.  Dipping various things into melted chocolate is both easy and fun, like having your very own chocolate fondue party!  This year we made chocolate-covered pretzels, Ritz crackers dipped in a combination of chocolate and peppermint extract, and this chocolate-almond bark.  It is a bit unconventional, but I like the subtle savoriness produced by roasting the almonds in a little Worcestershire sauce, smoked sea salt, and cayenne pepper.

Ingredients

½ cup chopped raw almonds

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon Worcestshire sauce

pinch cayenne pepper

8 ounces candy making chocolate (I used Ghirardelli’s Candy Making & Dipping Bar, Double Chocolate Flavor and really liked the results)

Instructions

Heat oven to 160 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix ½ cup chopped almonds with the Worcestershire sauce, cayenne and sea salt.  Place on baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.  Let the almonds cool.  Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or in the microwave (be sure to use low heat) and mix the almonds into the chocolate. Spread into wax-paper lined 8 x 8 inch baking pan.  Sprinkle a pinch more of the sea salt on the top and let cool.  Break into bite-size pieces.