Creative Cookery

While reading Julia Child's My Life in France, as well as other books by and about chefs, I am always a bit envious of the chef's ability to create recipes. After a little more thought on the matter, I've decided we all create recipes without realizing it. How many of us tweak a recipe here and there or make substitutions out of necessity or "what if..."? I catch myself doing it all the time.

This recipe is just such a bit of creative cookery, inspired by Moroccan tangine, though I don't think any Moroccan would really approve, but it is delicious!

Tagine with Butternut Squash

(served on a bed of whole wheat Green onion couscous–recipe follows)

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (1-lb.) pork shoulder cut into 1" cubes

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 red onion, coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup stock (I used my own veggie stock)

1 (14.5 ounce) can Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained

3 cups peeled butternut squash cut into 1" cubes

(fresh from the garden–how lucky am I)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional, since I completely forgot, and it was still delicious!)

1. Combine spices in a bowl. Add pork and toss well to coat. Let rest for about 20 minutes.

2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat; cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook another minute; stir frequently.

3. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes. Add squash; cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until squash is tender.

Note: or should I say 'notes'? First, the original recipe called for beef, but I really enjoy the pork with the other flavors. I would also like to try this with lamb, one of my favorite meats.

Also, this may be a good time to start the couscous if you're using whole wheat, which uses 20 minutes of resting time.

My last note has to do with an alternate mode of cooking. I made this for a crowd of 12, tripling the ingredients and letting it cook in a crock pot the day before I was to serve. This did two things: first, it cooked it slowly, which is how I think tagine should be cooked; and second, it allowed the flavors to marry overnight, making it more flavorful. But, if you only have an hour, this will still delight your palate!

4. Serve on a bed of green onion couscous and sprinkle with cilantro. I also served with potato rolls and butter; yum!

Bon appetit!

Oh, yes, and here's the recipe for the couscous:

Green Onion Couscous

Bring 1 cup stock and 1/2 cup water to boil in a medium saucepan (or use all stock, if you like). Gradually stir in 1 cup uncooked whole wheat couscous. Remove from heat and let stand 20 minutes. If you're using regular couscous, you'll need only 1-1/4 cup of liquid and five minutes standing time. Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in 1/3 cup of chopped green onion, including the green portion. This, and the tagine as written, will serve four.

Warm and Comfy Foods of Fall

There really is a joy in seasonal eating that we tend to lose with modern grocery stores. Everything is available all the time. While I may not always eat as seasonally as I should (for example, eating asparagus in August), I do look forward to warm and hearty foods when the weather cools. Here in the deep South, you avoid heavy foods in summer just as you would avoid wrapping up in a long woolen coat for an afternoon stroll.

One of my favorite cool weather dishes is stuffed cabbage, though I changed it just a bit from the recipe my mother used to make. Some changes were due to the simple fact I had other ingredients on hand, others came about from "What if...?". The most challenging aspect of this meal is peeling the cabbage leaves from the head without utterly destroying each leaf's shape.

Stuffed Cabbage a la Richarde

12-15 cabbage leaves (You may only need 12 if the leaves are huge)

1 cup cooked rice

1-1/2 pounds ground beef (I used half soy crumbles and half ground beef)

1 grated zucchini

3 chopped shallots

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 28 oz. can tomato puree

1/4 cup water

1 cup dry red wine

1 Tablespoon honey or brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

1. Cook your rice and assemble all ingredients through shallots in a large bowl, including rice.

2. Once your pot of water boils, place about four cabbage leaves at a time into the boiling water, letting leaves stay in the water for 5 mins. or until limp. Drain.

3. Place about 3 heaping tablespoons of the rice mixture into the center of the large cabbage leaves and adjust amount for smaller leaves. Fold the sides similar to the way you might fold a burrito and secure with toothpicks. If you have silicon bands, use those to secure the ends of each cabbage bundle. I recommend running to Target and purchasing some if you don't have them already. The silicon bands (red, blue, and yellow bands in the picture) are reusable and stand up to frying bundles of stuffed meat. I love mine!

4. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven and brown the cabbage bundles. The caramelized cabbage adds another flavor dimension.

5. In a large bowl, or in the same Dutch oven, stir together tomato sauce, sugar, water, vinegar, and wine.

6. Drop your tasty bundles into the sauce, cover, and let simmer at least one hour and thirty minutes.

A loaf of crusty garlic bread is a perfect accompaniment.

Bon appetit!

A Flavorful Chill

I've made ice cream before (I wrote about strawberry ice cream back in April), but I've never made an ice cream that was custard-based until today. Yes, it may be a little bit more trouble, but the rich flavor is worth the effort.

I started this recipe 6 hours before I needed it–any less time would have made me anxious. This recipe uses five egg yolks. I separated the egg, putting yolks in the ramekin and the whites in a freezer container for an egg-white omelet in the future.

Vanilla Bean Custard Ice Cream

2 cups 2% milk

2 cups whipping cream

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

pinch salt

1 whole vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped

5 large egg yolks

1-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, whisk together milk, cream, half of the sugar, salt, and the scraped vanilla bean (including the pod). Bring the mixture just to a boil.

2. While the milk/cream mixture is heating, combine yolks and remaining sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk until the mixture is pale and thick. This will help thicken the custard as well as give it a rich, delicious taste.

3. Once the milk/cream mixture has come to a slight boil (I watched until it started to roll slightly beneath the surface), whisk about 1/3 of the hot mixture into the yolk/sugar mixture. Add another 1/3 of the mixture, then return the combined mixture to the saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture constantly over low heat until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. DO NOT boil or the yolks will overcook–the process should take only a few minutes.

4. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (toss out the vanilla pod) and bring to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

5. Pour the mixture into your ice cream freezer and follow the manufacturer's instructions. The ice cream will have a smooth, creamy texture. If you want a firmer texture, pour the ice cream into a freezer-proof container and freeze for a minimum of two hours.

I have a Cuisinart automatic ice cream maker that makes this such an easy process. So far this year, it is my favorite kitchen toy!

Hmm. Hot apple crisp with a scoop of the rich, custardy ice cream would be divine! I guess October isn't too late for ice cream after all!

Bon appetit!