Butter & Oil

Recently Cathy Erway, of Not Eating Out in NY, recalled the comforting fragrance of Hong Shao Gi, or Red Cook Chicken that her mother would make in the wintertime. Below is Cathy’s interpretation of this classic Chinese dish.

Red Cook Chicken (Hong Shao Gi)

Serves 3-4

• About 2 lb of chicken pieces with bones–legs, wings, thighs
• 1 or 2 scallion shoots, coarsly chopped
• 2-3 Tbsp sliced ginger root
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (depending on how dark it is)
• 1/2 cup rice wine
• 1 cup or more water
• 1 Chinese five-spice satchel (or a spice sack containing star anise, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, and basil)
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 hard-boiled egg

1. In a medium-large saucepan, heat the oil.
2. Brown the chicken for a few minutes along with the sliced ginger.
3. Add the scallion, soy sauce, rice wine, spice satchel, water, and shelled hard-boiled egg.
4. Make sure contents are decently covered, adding more water if necessary.
5. Cover and simmer for an hour or longer.
6. Serve over steamed rice with a generous helping of broth.

for step-by-step photos go to:

http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/view/253209

What do you call your’s step-mother’s mother? It’s not a riddle, its a question that I’ve grappled with since I met Mrs. Elisa Sheffield. She is a mother of three, a grandmother of eight, a great-grandmother of four, a wonderful cook and an amazing woman. When she was growing up in Brooklyn, her mother used to make her signature dish, Spiedini (which translates roughly to “skewered meat”). Generations later, Spiedini has become a Sheffield family favorite. Spiedini Serves 4

• 1 lb. top sirloin beef, sliced thin
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced fine
• 1/2 cup parsley, minced
• 1 cup Romano cheese, grated
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 1/2-2 cups of plain bread crumbs
• metal skewers

1. Sirloin beef, placed between two pieces of plastic wrap and pounded thin with the flat side of a meat tenderizer, or mallet.
2. Cut into 2″ long and 1″ wide pieces. Set aside.
3. Combine Romano cheese, garlic and parsley.
4. On a large cutting board lay pieces of beef. Butter each piece generously.
5. Sprinkle cheese mixture over top. Salt & Pepper.
6. Starting at one corner, tightly roll beef and place on skewer. Each skewer can fit 6-8 pieces.
7. Spread butter over each full skewer.
8. Dip each skewer into mound of bread crumbs.
9. Heat a large skillet with olive oil and remaining butter.
10. Brown meat on a medium heat. Rotating once golden.
11. Place skewers on paper towel to cool.
12. Serve with capellini and early peas.

for step-by-step photos go to:http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/view/247458/

When I first met J.’s family in the summer of 2002, I fell in love with his grandmother.

When J. was in high school, his grandmother moved into his parent’s house. Since then, J. has always had a close bond with her. Nana was an amazing seamstress, Portuguese cook and American baker. The dessert she was best know for is her pie.

J.’s grandmother taught him how to make her renowned Apple Pie. Like many home cooks, she never wrote down her recipe or used exact measurements. Below is an approximation of her recipe. Enjoy!

Nana’s Apple Pie

• 2 Pillsbury Pie Crusts*
• 3lb. of Cortland, Fuji or Gala Apples peeled & roughly chopped
  
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 egg yolk


*FYI- Pillsbury Pie Crusts contain partially hydrogenated lard*

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
2. Peel and chop apples. (Nana could peel an apple with a knife all in one piece… can you?)
3. In a large bowl, add apple pieces, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and lemon juice.
4. Mix to incorporate. (Nana used her hands to mix everything together, so J. does too.)
5. Unwrap one of the pie crusts and place in a 9 inch, glass pie pan.
6. With a small rolling pin, smooth out any bubbles so that the dough is flush with the pan
7. Add filling
8. Gently place the top crust over the filling
9. Cut off the excess dough from the sides of the pie pan
10. Gently fold dough under on lip of pan
11. With knuckles of index finger, pinch the folded dough on a diagonal
12. Whisk the egg yolk; brush a thin layer over top of the pie
13. Fork holes on top
14. Bake for 30 minutes or until light golden brown
15. Cool on a wire rack
16. Serve and enjoy!

for step-by-step images go to:

http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/view/239254/

to mention where I get my beloved Iced Americano. Gimme Coffee on Lorimer Street in Brooklyn.

http://www.gimmecoffee.com/locations_brooklyn.php

Gimme is my favorite place to hang out a read a book (right now its The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher) and imbibe some caffeinated goodness.

So its that time of year again. The weather is warming up. For me one of the first signs of Spring is the changing of beverages from hot to cold. Recently friends have mentioned that once they make the switch from hot coffee to iced coffee they don’t change back until the Fall. But when global warming sends temperatures on a climatic roller coaster, can we really stick to our liquid druthers or will we be forced to adapt?