Stir: A Book Report

I've talked about Barbara Lynch's cookbook, Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition, but I've never actually reviewed it, and since it's my favorite cookbook (I think, I mean, that's a hard thing to commit to) I thought I'd give it a proper review, or book report, dare I say. (It's been a slow few days in the cooking department - we need groceries, we need them BADLY!)


When this cookbook was released, I was very excited to run out to the store and purchase it. Since buying it for myself, I've recommended it to numerous people, and also bought it for a few people as gifts as well. The recipes are not what I would consider easy, but they also aren't difficult, if that makes any sense. It can be daunting to open a book and see a recipe that spans three pages, but once the recipe is started, the instructions read quite fluently and are pretty easy to follow. There are time-consuming recipes as well as quick and easy weeknight dinner options in this fantastic tome.

The chapters are divided by course, which is the way I prefer a cookbook. It makes it easy for me to flip to the part of the book that I need when planning my menu...whether I'm looking for a salad, a chicken dish, or something meat-related. There's quite a few portions of this book that also touch on special techniques, and basic recipes that can be used for an entire section, such as her basic pasta recipe. Every recipe in the "A Passion for Pasta" section of this book can be fashioned after making her basic pasta recipe (which is one of my favorite concoctions for pasta dough, actually!).

I enjoyed reading the introduction, which really explains where Barbara Lynch comes from as a person, and as a chef. It's inspiring to read about how far she's come from her upbringing in a South Boston housing project, to find herself with celebrity chef stature in the Boston area today. She is a creative chef and a brilliant business woman.

From theinsidesource

I highly recommend purchasing this book. I've made more than 50% of the recipes already and every single one of them has been amazingly delicious. I haven't had a mess-up yet! For those of you who decide to purchase this book, or even just want a taste of what's included, I thought I'd mention a few of my favorite recipes from each section of the book!

In the "Starters and Small Bites" section, try the Slow-Roasted Clams with Spicy Tomato Sauce. I actually made this as a meal with some crusty bread one night, and it took 25 minutes, total. I came home from work, threw it in the oven, put some pj's on, checked my email and voila....dinner! Highly recommended!

My favorite recipe in the entire book, and probably the simplest, can be found in the "Salads with Substance" section. The Mixed Greens with Herbs is a deliciously flavorful salad that adds something spectacular to ANY meal. It is my go-to side dish for company, as well as weeknight meals where I need a quick salad to go with a protein. The home-made dressing is delicious, and the herbs add something so special to plain mixed greens. I promise you'll get nothing but compliments on this one!

From Flickr - by betterbrownies

Moving on to the "Satisfying Soups" section of the book, my favorite of the recipes I've recreated so far would definitely be the Spicy Tomato Soup with Crispy Grilled Cheese. This one is a dish served at Sportello, and I can tell you it's delicious in the restaurant as well as at home. Aside from the fresh pasta recipe in the "A Passion for Pasta," I think I truly love the Torn Pasta Fagioli with Shrimp Polpettini. The torn ribbons of fresh pasta mixed with delicious white beans and succulent shrimp meatballs is just an amazing combination.

Another quick, week night meal can be found in the "From The Sea" section of this book. The Spicy Clam Stew is a hearty dish that takes no more than 20 minutes to make, but yet it tastes like hours toiled over a hot stove. YUM! The Cornish Game Hen Cacciatore, located in the "Chicken, Duck and Goose" section is a wonderful comfort food, served over a Creamy Mascarpone Polenta which is just to die for. (I didn't say that all of her dishes are totally healthy ... but a little mascarpone polenta, in moderation, is a wonderful thing!) I haven't attacked the "From the Butcher: Beef, Pork, and Lamb" section as effectively as I'd like, as of yet, but moving on to the "On The Side" chapter, I have to make special note of the Turnip Puree here. Like the parsnip puree that I've raved about in the past, it's just turnips, salt, pepper, some butter and heavy cream (but you could use milk instead to health it up a bit!). It's delicious...so delicious in fact, that not only did it get a checkmark after I made it, but it also got a little "yum" with a smiley face. The recipes that receive this rating are few and far between! As for the last chapter, "Sweet Treats," I haven't tackled it...because...well...i'm not a baker! I will though...it's on my to-do list.

From Flickr - by oysters4me

All in all, I highly recommend this cookbook as a wonderful addition to any budding chef's collection. She'll challenge you, and teach you, and you'll come out of your kitchen with some delicious, restaurant-quality meals that you'll be proud to share with company!

TOP 5 : Fresh Herbs That Work in Almost Every Situation

There are a lot of herbs and spices out there, and sometimes, it can be overwhelming to look at a recipe and see all sorts of ingredients you don't have, or better yet, haven't heard OF! However, I want to provide you with a list of five fresh herbs that you can save you in a pinch.

Parsley

1. Parsley : I buy parsley every time I do a big grocery shopping. It keeps well for a long time in the fridge, it's cheap, and it makes for the best garnish. I chop parsley in copious amounts, and use it generously. Did you know that parsley can also freshen your breath after a meal? That's why you usually find it in large sprigs on a dinner plate! I prefer the flat-leaf variety as it can be more widely used. Parsley can even be made into a pesto (usually made with basil). Check out the recipe for Fettuccine with Walnut-Parsley Pesto.

2. Basil : Basil is a perfect addition to any Italian meal, goes great with tomatoes and mozzarella, as well as sprinkled on top of pasta dishes. It also adds a lovely flavor to marinara sauce. Basil tends to go bad quickly, so if you buy it, use it! However, I've found that I can lengthen the life of basil by buying a plant, keeping it in the window, and watering it generously. The plant will continue to grow, giving you new leaves every so often, and draw out the time between basil purchases. If you find yourself with a large bunch of basil, and no use, make a pesto sauce (with basil, this time) and save it for a quick weekday dinner, tossed with some penne. A great lunch time use for basil is my favorite sandwich : Proscuitto, Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil.

Mmm...Basil with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

3. Chervil : This one is a bit harder to find, but if I find it, I buy it, and in the summer months, I usually try to grow it in a pot on my windowsill. It's a very light herb that makes for a lovely garnish, and tastes great in salads as well. It is related to parsley, but much lighter in flavor, and plays an integral part in the French herb mixture, fines herbes. A recipe I love, and use all the time, uses many different herbs, mixed with greens, and a maple shallot dressing for an extremely flavorful salad. It can be found in Barbara Lynch's, Stir.

4. Chives : Chives also make for a wonderful garnish, and have quite a bit more bite than the other herbs listed here. As part of the onion family, they add a lovely zest to a dish, and I rarely make scrambled eggs without them. Because this is a year-round herb, it's always readily available, and if you are plating a dish that seems to be missing a pop of color, add chives - you can't go wrong.

Mixed Herbs

5. Cilantro : Also known as coriander, as well as Chinese parsley, this herb is widely used in many cuisines. It's a very common garnish in asian cuisines, and it also plays a very important role in most salsas, guacamoles, and other Mexican sauces. I know, I'm sure some of you are saying that you don't like cilantro, it tastes like soap, etc...I admit that it is definitely an herb that you either love or hate. After reading an article about the strong feelings that people have towards cilantro, I found this: "Dr. Wysocki contends dislike of cilantro stems from its odor, not its taste. His hypothesis is that those who don't like it are unable to detect chemicals in the leaf that are pleasing to those who like the herb."  Hope that helps to explain your love or hate of this lovely herb!


Well, that's five! I hope that this post shed some light on the many herbs out there. I'll leave you with this: The best way to keep your herbs freshest the longest is to keep the stems in water. I put my herbs in a large vase or bowl, stems in water, covered with a plastic grocery bag. Then, when I need some herbs, I just pluck some off the bunch and put the rest back in the fridge. Another way to do it is to wash your herbs, and wrap them in a damp paper towel. Store them in ziploc bags in the refrigerator.

The snow is piling up out there, and I have a feeling I might have some extra time on my hands to do some cooking tomorrow. When you're stuck in the house, what better way to pass the time then with something you can enjoy when it's finished!

Until tomorrow...

To chiffonade, or not to chiffonade...there really is no question.

Basil is a very delicate herb. It's important to treat it with care when you are chopping it. It came to my attention that I did not address this in yesterday's post, even though chopped basil was necessary for the recipe. It's a pretty important skill to have if you are going to cook on a regular basis so I've taken the liberty of making a video to show you how to properly chop basil leaves.

The reason that the edges of basil turn darker when you cut them is that the knife is damaging the leaf where it slices. The more you pound on the leaves with your blade, the more damaged it gets, and the less flavorful. Basil is one of the best flavors in a meal, and you don't want to jeopardize that flavor by brutalizing the leaves. 

For this reason, we take a bunch of basil leaves and pile them on top of each other, larger leaves at the bottom of the pile, smaller ones at the top. Once the pile is completed, we are going to roll the leaves into a cigar like shape. Hold the cigar with your left hand while you take the knife in your right (unless you are left-handed...in which case, reverse this). Start slicing in a determined fashion, one slice taking a small row of basil off of the cigar. Once you get to the stems, stop slicing (you don't really want the stems to find their way into your dish if you can help it). You'll have a nice pile of basil ribbons which you can then use in whatever you are cooking. Only one leaf (the outside of the cigar) was damaged this way and you preserve the majority of flavor from the basil. This technique is called a chiffonade. You can use it for any leafy green or herb, but I tend to find it most helpful when cutting basil. If the recipe calls for a smaller cut than this, you can then take those ribbons and cut them in small squares, but I tend to leave them in ribbons for aesthetic appeal.

And now, for the main event:

I hope that this sheds some light on the delicate art of basil chopping. If you have any questions, leave me a comment and I promise to clear up any confusion!

Until tomorrow, my budding chefs!

Add a Little Spice to Your Life

Yesterday, I decided to try a new method for purchasing the spices that my recipes ask for as ingredients. When I looked at my grocery list, I realized that a few things on the list in that section would not be found easily in my local stores...so I turned to the Google! I searched "epazote," which is a common mexican herb, used in a lot of common dishes. The first search result was a website called Spice It Up Online.

I decided to give them a shot, so I found epazote and added it to my cart. I turned back to my list on the Shopper app, and saw that I was also looking for Mexican oregano, as well as anise seeds. (I know, this all sounds extremely complicated, but sometimes good recipes call for strange spices and you just have to do a little googling to get to the bottom of it!) For instance, I was under the impression that anise seeds would be the same as fennel seeds...since fennel is sometimes called anise. I was wrong however, and Yahoo taught me a few things. Apparently, anise seeds actually come from another spice, Star Anise. So, I went back to my cart on Spice It Up, and added both Mexican oregano and anise seeds to my cart as well. Each of these three spices were about $2 each, for about an ounce...whereas, at the grocery store, you have to buy a big bottle, that will spend a lifetime sitting on your pantry shelf.

For the three spices I needed this week, I spent $6...plus a $2 flat shipping rate. I am still awaiting my delivery but I think I've found my new method for spice purchase. I saved myself some money, and some space in my pantry, but still get to try working with a spice I've never heard of before (more on epazote when I get to it on my menu this time around).

There are other places similar to Spice It Up but I chose to use them because they were at the top of my Google search. If you live in the Boston area, there's a store called Penzey's Spices (also with a website) and you can go there to browse their selection as well. I find it overwhelming to look through their catalog without some sort of plan, since I want to try them all!

Today, I'll be going grocery shopping too...and that means (drumroll please)...A BRAND NEW MENU! It starts tomorrow so there'll be plenty of fun things to talk about ... a new bunch of recipes I've never tried!

Leave me comments if there's something specific you'd like me to address, or just want to let me know that you're reading! I'm extremely excited to see over 200 viewers here, and I wonder ... do I know you all? Have I gotten some random viewers? Am I helping you? What do you want to see more of? Talk to me, because I'd love for this to be an interactive experience! XOXO