Cabbage and Jalapeno Gratin

When my Food 52 Cookbook group did Melissa Clark's Dining in French it was early in the pandemic. April, in fact, when it was actually hard to get some very basic ingredients. Not our issue--we even had 25 pounds of all purpose flour and a good 10 pounds of bread flour even. But for those who live week to week, either because of finances or space or habit, it was a challenging time. Melissa Clark herself was devoting the New York times food column to recipes that could be made with things in your pantry. So I never gave this book the due it deserved. I have had a collossal amount of cabbage this winter (a giant head every two weeks since September, to be exact, sometimes a Napa cabbage added on for good measure) and I finally got around to making this easy gem. 10 cups of shredded cabbage 1-2 cups of diced onions 3 cloves of garlic minced 1 jalapeno, sliced thinly 2 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbs. olive oil salt and pepper to taste 3/4 cup Gruyere cheese grated 1/4 cup Paremsan cheese grated a splash of half and half Saute the onions in the butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and jalapenos after the onions have softened. In another few minutes add the cabbage and cook until it is soft and silky. Turn off the heat and splash in some half and half or cream if you are adding. I mixed in the cheese but the original recipe has you put the cabbage in a gratin dish and sprinkle it on top. Broil it until the cheese is melted (I on the other hand put it in a hot oven and let the flavors settle in together.

We Can Laugh Again

I know that there are people who are upset that Biden won the election, but for me and my friends and family it has been a huge releif to have a traditional politician in the White House, one who set about restoring government as we know it as early as the first afternoon he was in office. There is no question that all politicians, regardless of party, are beholden to corporations and big money. The last administration was only about that, and nothing about the people, so it is a relief for those of us who think that good quality health care and public education are the bedrock of what makes our country great. That, and a very diverse multi-cultural population. After all, from the very beginning there were the indigenous people who lived here and the slaves that were brought. So for me the Bernie memes are all about being able to laugh again, to take a deep breath and enjoy something so purely fun. It feels like a very long time since this kind of humor, born not out of sarcasm, which is at it's core immature and sometimes just mean, but out of humor that is for the joy of it. Even Bernie himself was able to laugh at it. And by the way, I have a pair of those felted wool mittens made out of discarded sweaters and lined with fleece. They are very very warm. He was right about that.

Cream of Poblano Soup

I have to say that I was surprised by how good this soup tasted, after almost no time on the stove. I would definitely make again, especially as I have chilis roasted, seeded and peeked in the freezer. 5 large poblano peppers or 7 small ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons avocado oil 1 medium onion chopped 1 jalapeno minced 6 cloves garlic minced ¼ cup chopped cilantro ½ teaspoon white pepper 4 cups broth 1 cup half and half 4 ounces vegan cream cheese can sub regular cream cheese if not vegan 1 teaspoon sea salt Toppings: ½ cup pico de gallo 1 cup shredded cabbage we used a cabbage, cilantro and jalapeno blend 1 avocado diced or sliced Instructions Place the poblano peppers on top of a gas burner, alternatively place them on a baking sheet under your oven broiler. Roast for 5 minutes until charred on each side. Place the roasted peppers in a glass container with a lid or a paper bag. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, scrape off most of the charred skin and slice off the stem and remove the seeds. Chop the poblanos into bite sized pieces. Heat the avocado oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot add in the onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro. Cook 4-5 minutes until soft but not browned. Add in the white pepper and salt, cook another 30 seconds. Pour in the Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Broth and almond milk. Bring to a simmer then add in the chopped poblanos. Simmer for 10 minutes then stir in the vegan cream cheese. Taste for salt and add more if necessary. If desired, use an immersion blender to slightly puree the soup to a creamier texture. To serve, divide the soup between bowls and top with pico de gallo and the avocado.

London Town (2016)

We all enjoued this movie very much. The audience consisted of myself and my spouse, who were young in the time of the Clash, and my son, who was clearly not. The Clash were punk light. Their music is sincerely anti-Thatcher, who allowed white supremacy to boil to the surface, pitting lower and middle income Brits against each other rather than the upper class, who deserved a bulk of the ire. The main character is Shay, a 15 year old boy whose mother has abandoned her family to live in a squat and pursue her dreams, leaving Nick, the father, to fend for the family. Shay does what he can but has quite a bit of resentment about it, as you might expect, and that gets even more pronounced when he meets Vivian, a street wise girl more or less his own age. She like Shay for what he is, and when Nick has a terrible accident and Shay is left to fend for the family, she does everything she can to help, from teaching Shay to drive, to sitting for Alice, to helping Shay grow up a bit. It is a sweet coming of age story told against a grim political back drop with a soundtrack of protest songs sung by likable performers who actually identify with the plight of the lower class. Recommended.

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

We had just returned from a long road trip, and our kitchen was taken over by another cooking team, so my spouse decided that a soup was what we were going to contribute to the dinner we were going to, and we had a mixed bag of different mushrooms, so wild, some cultivated. It was a delicious outcome, using a Deborah Madison recipe, which takes us back to the days when we were solely vegetarian (ie. days that are long gone but remembered fondly). 3 Tbsp. Butter 1 yellow onion, sliced 1/4 c. flour 1 tsp. Salt 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 2 Tbsp. Parsley, chopped 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 pound mushrooms, roughly sliced or chopped 8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced for garnish (optional) 6 cups stock 1/2 cup light cream Pepper Chopped chives, parsley, or tarragon, sliced sauteed mushrooms for garnish 1. Heat the butter in a soup pot until it foams; then add the onion and salt. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes to soften the onion, stirring frequently. 2. Add the garlic, parsley, and cook 2 minutes more. Pour in the wine, raise the heat, and reduce it for another 3 minutes. 3. Add the mushrooms and stew them with the onion over medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes, giving them a stir partway through the cooking. Add the flour, and stir for another couple of minutes. Pour in the stock and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat, add the bread, and simmer for 20 minutes. 4. Let the soup cool slightly; then either briefly puree it in a blender, leaving small pieces of mushroom, or puree it longer, making a smooth, creamy soup. Heat the soup again and stir in the cream. Taste it and season with more salt, if needed, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with the fresh herbs or crème fraîche in each bowl. I saute some sliced fresh mushrooms and add them to the soup just before serving.

Time Convert by Deborah Harkness

I loved this author's first book, The Discovery of Witches, and the subsequent books in the trilogy. I would not have thought that I would enjoy a series about vampires and witches as much as I did, and so diving into this book, which is adding to the overall story. This book begins about a year later and is told from three perspectives — 24-year-old Phoebe’s present-day transformation, or rebirth, as a vampire in Paris; Marcus’ recollections, from his warmblood youth fighting against the British at Breed’s Hill in 1775 and choice to be reborn in 1781, at age 24, at the hands — or fangs — of Matthew, rather than die of fever; and Diana’s first-person account from Les Revenants, the family’s home in south central France, where, between grading papers and doing her own research, she is busy parenting twin toddlers, Bright Borns who exhibit both vampire and witch proclivities. There are some historical aspects of the book that are interesting and a different back drop to delve into. I would probably not read another one of these, but I am not sorry that I read this one. And if I had a more fantasy oriented enjoyment, I would do more. The book is well constructed and written.

Sesame Ginger Dumplings

We have jsut returned from a westward vacation, which involved driving long distances in the winter. Always a bit of a crap shoot and while it was not without a bit of nail biting, it went well. The highlight was seeing friends, and cooking with them. We spent much of our time assembling furniture for a new house we had gotten, and this is one of the memorable dishes we had. I highly recommend this! pound ground chicken or pork 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger 1 clove garlic, minced or grated 2 cups roughly chopped spinach or bok choy 2 tablespoons plus, 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari Black pepper 24-26 round dumpling or wonton wrappers 1/4 cup plus, 1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds 3-4 medium shallots, thinly sliced 3 cups low sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 5 tablespoons sesame or olive oil 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or smashed The wrappers should be round--either dumpling or wonton wrappers will do. Make the filling. It’s very simple but very good. Just some fresh ginger and garlic mixed with ground pork or chicken and chopped greens of some sort. Add a bit of soy sauce for saltiness, and a pinch of pepper for a little kick. Assembly is not hard. You can also fold the dough into half-moons or gather them up into a knot top. Either way, it’s an easy process. Just spoon the filling into the center of your dumpling wrapper, then lift the edges of the dough up and over the filling, pinching at the top to seal. Don’t stress about making these look perfect. Finally, brush the bottom of each dumping with water and coat in sesame seeds. The crispy sesame seeds on the bottom are delicious. Before you start cooking the dumplings, make that spicy, gingery broth. The key to this is caramelizing the shallots. They add so much flavor and make the broth feel rich and indulgent. Let the broth simmer while you cook the dumplings. Pan-fry them, then add water to steam and finish cooking them. It can be a little messy of a process, but it’s pretty easy. Once the water evaporates, I like to leave the dumplings on the pan another minute to allow the bottoms to get crispy again. When pan-frying/steaming, it’s important to note that the pan will splatter when you add the water. So please be careful and stand back when doing so. Last thing is to toss the Panko breadcrumbs and thinly sliced garlic into the skillet and let them get nice and crispy with some chili flakes. To serve, I like to arrange the dumplings in low bowls, spoon the steaming broth over, then top with that crispy garlic plus fresh green onions

Set it Up (2018)

This is pretty good as a romantic comedy goes.  It is part The Devil Wears Prada meets Cyrano de Bergerac (so drawing from a wide range). Harper and Charlie work for two driven and successful workaholics, one of who is now divorced and the other of whom hasn't dated in the foreseeable past.  They require their assistants to be at their beck and call all the time, it is like the bad old days of medicine, where the only friends you could realistically have you saw at the hospital, everyone else was just not an option.

So Harper convinces Charlie they should set up their bosses and they will have more free time as a result because they will spend time with each other and not need them as much.  This goes hilariously well, with a script that keeps the movie from being straight ahead formulaic, or at least entertainingly so, and what happens is pretty much what you would suspect. A tale of unsustainable relationships.
 

Hoisin Beef and Cabbage

Well color me surprised, I really liked this dish.  My youngest got it off one of those packaged meals sent to your door and all you have to do is put it together and voila!  I can see the attraction, especially in the pandemic where shopping is risky and inspiration might have worn thin after months of doing your own menu planning.

So this, which uses ground beef (something people who got a pandemic cow have a lot of), is lickedy split quick to mak on a weeknight, and start the rice first because it will be the rate limiting step to getting food on the table.  I used a pound of beef and 1 1/2 times the recipe.

10 ounce Ground Beef

2 unit Scallions

4 ounce Coleslaw Mix or shredded cabbage

4 tablespoon Sweet Soy Glaze

2 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha

1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil 

1 tablespoon Butter 

Salt

Pepper

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add beef* and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned, 3-5 minutes (it’ll finish cooking in the next step). TIP: If there’s excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out.

Once beef is browned, stir in scallion whites and coleslaw mix. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are wilted and beef is cooked through, 2-3 minutes. • Stir in sweet soy glaze and hoisin.

Fluff rice with a fork and stir in 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings); season with salt and pepper. • Divide rice between bowls and top with beef mixture. Drizzle with sriracha to taste and sprinkle with scallion greens. Serve.

 

Four Weddings and a Funeral (2019)

I am a fan of Mindy Kaling and the 1994 original movie of the same title.  This is not so much an homage to the original film but rather it just uses its premise,  that a group of friends weathering four weddings and a funeral together (for better and for worse), as a basic structure for their own stories. It’s also still based in London for seemingly no reason other than nostalgia; all four of the main characters are American Anglophiles who returned to the U.K. after spending a transformative semester there in college.  This version gets ten episodes of time over which to delve more deeply into the characters, their loves, and their inter relatedness.

There are things that test the strength of the relationships between this group of friends over the years, and sometimes the priorities are hard to fathom.  However, the homage to the romantic comedy genre is well intentioned and enjoyable to watch.