Macaroni and Cheese Please

On Wednesday while I was typing away on my PC the television drew my attention. The show was Ellen and her guest was writer Jonathan Safran Foer. They were discussing his new book "Eating Animals."

It was a grim interview that described to everybody exactly what we meat eaters do not want to hear. Jonathan told the tale of the hidden factory farming of animals that provides all of that cheap meat at the supermarket. Beyond the cruelty to the animals themselves he said the external costs to our environment and our own health is incalculable.

He also revealed some rather ominous information regarding the secrecy that surrounds factory farming. He was unable, despite unremitting attempts, to get a tour of a single farm where this kind of animal raising occurred. Were you aware that swine flu originated in North Carolina on one of these factory farms? This is common knowledge among people in the know so you have to wonder why and how the press never seemed to think this was information Americans might be interested in. This is a highly secret and protected industry.

He also talked about, God help us, Thanksgiving. He gave the audience a nice visual of the pathetic and disgusting way your average supermarket turkey is raised and then asked us "if this was anything to be thankful for?" Thanks, buddy.

The fortunate part for me was I already ordered a Heritage turkey from Crown S Ranch in the Methow Valley. At $6.95 a pound it's priced like illegal drugs but I can get through the big day without feeling like a rat. The unfortunate part is that for the rest of her audience it will be almost impossible at this late date to get a truly organic and farm raised turkey...they should have aired earlier.

Another great thing about that day was I already had a meatless meal planned for the evening. It is never a sacrifice to eat macaroni and cheese and this batch was as tasty as I've ever made. I'd recommend this recipe to anyone.

Jenifer's Macaroni and Cheese

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
10 oz small elbow macaroni
1 cup asiago cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup bread crumbs
healthy drizzle of olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook macaroni until done, drain and set aside.

Melt butter in medium sized saucepan, add flour, salt and pepper to create roux. Slowly add milk while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. When mixture is thickened and just before it boils remove from heat and add 3/4 cup of asiago and 3/4 cup of cheddar to mixture. Stir until cheese melts.

Put drained macaroni in medium sized casserole dish. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni and gently mix together. In separate bowl put remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. Drizzle with olive oil and stir. Sprinkle mixture on casserole. Place in oven for 20 minutes. Finish casserole under broiler until top is crunchy brown.

Seattle's First American Lamb Jam

Last nights first ever American Lamb Jam in Seattle looked like a big success. The event was sold out well in advance and brought participants from across the state. If yesterday afternoons festivities were any indication then the sponsors will probably go for a repeat performance next year.

Chef Thierry Rautureau of Rover's in Seattle emceed and he added ebullience, class, and knowledge to the affair. His well-known hat drifted among the booths while sampling the wares and chatting up the locals. He caught my sister and I early before we'd tried everything but I stand by our selections of Barolo Ristorante and Andaluca as our two favorite lamb bites of the evening.

The People's Choice went to the Steelhead Diner at Pike Place market with their Braised Lamb Shanks with Balsamic-Mission Fig Conserva and Truffled Hominy Polenta. It was the second thing that we tried after we came in so we knew we were in for a special evening of food. It was so good that I ate it before I could take its picture. Sorry readers.

Let me also add that even though I wasn't sure about the pairing with the Steelhead's lamb the McCrea Cellars, 2004 Syrah, Cuvee Orleans from Yakima Valley was fantastic. The description provided by the winery expressed the unique flavor palate very well. "It's deep and angular on the palate, the black fig accented by a savory earthiness, and a texture that's full but not heavy."

The judges choice of the evening for best lamb loin dish went to the Barking Frog in Woodinville for their delicious Sous Vide Superior Farms Lamb Loin, Coffee and Cocoa Nib Farro Rissoto (my sister adored this), Fall squash Crepinette, and Balsamic Glazed onions. A very impressive plate that received plenty of oohs and ahs from the crowds as well as the judges. Its tasty loveliness is pictured above.

My choice, as told to Chef Rautureau, of Barolo Ristorante was not far off as the judges chose them as runner up in the lamb shank division. I thought their bite was the most melt in your mouth taste of the whole evening. Their lamb was pull apart tender and they served it with a perfectly cooked butternut squash gnocchi served hot from the pan. Really a feat considering the number of people they were serving...400!

The judges didn't choose to make Andaluca a winner for the evening but I thought they had a very tasty offering. Their division was leg of lamb and they created the dish in a "osso bucco style." The perfectly flavored lamb was served on a crostini and paired nicely with its wine, a 2007 Tempranillo from Yakima Valley.

The event benefited the charity FareStart and was sponsored by the following: American Lamb, DINE around Seattle, Seattle Magazine, KWJZ 98.9, QFC, Bell Harbor International Conference Center and Viking Range Corporation.

Pictured Below:
08 Seafood Grill had Miso-Marinated Lamb Loin with Edamame Hummus, and Mint Gooseberry Coulis. The coulis was a taste sensation and I thought it was the best thing on the plate. Below that we have an offering from Chef Jay Bartelson at the Bell Harbor Conference Center. They are George O'Malley's Guinness & Jameson Braised Lamb Shank Cabbage Rolls. Not bad.

Heavenly Corn Fritters

I love corn fritters. It is an appreciation that I developed later in life because my Mother never cooked them. I believe the first time I had corn fritters was in my Home Economics class in High School. They were easy and delicious. The only other thing that I recall about them was that we made them with creamed corn.

My next experience with the golden fritter was at the Western Washington State Fair in Puyallup, Washington. As with any great State Fair the food is plentiful, delicious, and not very good for you in general. As we wandered among the delightfully aromatic booths we ran into a line that put all the others to shame. It was a booth for deep fried Twinkies and Snickers Bars. Next door was a much quieter stall advertising fried vegetables including corn fritters served with strawberry butter.

For my husband and I the choice was a no brainer....we went for the corn fritters. The service was fast and friendly, the fritters were hot, and the match with the strawberry butter was inspired. We made a note to return the next time the yearly fair came along. We missed the year after so it was 2 years later before we were able to return. It's true that sometimes you can't go back. The service was extraordinarily slow and rude, the fritters were greasy dough balls, and the strawberry butter couldn't save them.

Since that time I've tried a couple of recipes and they always turned out doughy and not terrific. It occurred to me that what was really needed in a corn fritter was lightness and crispness. Since many of the recipes that I looked at called for pancake or baking mix I thought of the experiment the other half and I had with pancake mix a couple of years ago at our cabin in Twisp.

We've always been life long Bisquick users and I've had a bias against pancake mix that only uses water after one bad experience. Guests had left us the remains of a box of Western Family Buttermilk Pancake mix they had brought and used. Since our Bisquick was almost gone I prepared half the pancakes with Bisquick and the other half with the Western Family. Without telling my husband which was which I asked him what pancake he preferred. To my amazement he pointed to the Western Family product. A couple of bites later, I heartily agreed with him. The Western Family was so much lighter and active. After mixing it with the water and then barely incorporating the two ingredients you can just watch it grow and puff up with air.

This, I realized, was just the type of pancake mix a good fritter should be made of. Light and airy. So today I put it to the test and it was a smashing success. I added some of my own flavor embellishments but left it as simple as possible. I will offer one warning though; you will be in danger of eating the whole batch yourself.

CORN FRITTERS WITH MAPLE SYRUP AND HOT PEPPER SAUCE

1 15 oz can creamed corn
1/2 cup Western Family Buttermilk Pancake Mix
1/4 cup water - (add gradually, check for consistency, it should be pourable like pancake batter)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1/2 cup real maple syrup
1 tsp hot pepper sauce (use based on your taste for heat)

Heat vegetable oil to about 365 degrees in cast iron skillet about 2 inches deep. Pour creamed corn into medium size bowl, add pancake mix and then water. Mix until incorporated but not over mixed. Batter should be the consistency of pancake batter that can be poured from a ladle into the hot oil. Add salt and cayenne pepper. Drop enough batter in oil to create a fritter about the size of a cookie. Cook only 4 to 5 at a time so oil doesn't cool down significantly. Cook fritters until dark golden brown turning once in the process. Cool on paper towels and then serve with spicy syrup. Yummmmmm.

Curried Shrimp Sandwich with Mango Chutney

This recipe was an inspiration derived from a combination of need to have interest and flavor in my food, and what was actually available in my cupboards.

I love Naan bread and I get a very nice selection at Trader Joes. It has wonderful texture and makes a wonderful bread for sandwiches or burgers. Later this week I've got a lamb burger recipe on Naan that will knock your socks off.

In this case I had leftover Naan, a few shrimp, some hot mango chutney, and a full spice rack. The resulting sandwich is pretty, delicious, international, easy, and fast to make.

CURRIED SHRIMP SANDWICH WITH HOT MANGO CHUTNEY

2 slices of Garlic Naan Bread cut diagonally for sandwich
12 medium uncooked shrimp
2 T vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 T curry powder
1 tsp of coriander
1 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 to 4 T Hot Mango Chutney
2 T mayonnaise

Mix flour, bread crumbs, curry, coriander, salt and pepper in small bowl. Take peeled and deveined shrimp and toss in mixture to coat. Put vegetable oil in skillet, heat and then add shrimp to hot oil. Cook for about 2 minutes before turning and cooking another minute until shrimp are pink and done. Remove shrimp and put them on paper towel to drain.

Cover one side of Naan bread with mayonnaise and the other side with hot mango chutney. Place mixed greens on one side and top with six hot shrimp. Cover with other half of Naan and Wa La!

This recipe makes 2 sandwiches.

Empanadas with a bit of Tango

A few years ago my husband and I ventured into downtown Seattle to have dinner. It was a Friday night during the holiday season and we hadn't made reservations anywhere. Our first try was at Wild Ginger but we were told the wait was going to be over an hour. We decided to move on.

Our next attempt was a small but attractive looking restaurant near the Moore Theater. It was called the Buenos Aires Grill. When we entered the restaurant was busier than it appeared from the outside and we were concerned that another long wait was inevitable.

We were greeted by the most wonderful woman who informed us that they had no available tables and that the rest were reserved for the night. When she saw our disappointed faces though she said that a reservation she was expecting was 10 minutes late and if we would wait another 10 minutes and they didn't show up she would give us their table. We quickly agreed and she escorted us to a small table in the bar area. Ten minutes later she took us to a lovely two person table.

Their menu is very Argentinian. They have traditional grilled meats so you can expect some smoke and fire from the kitchen that is visible to most of the diners. I had a delicious pan fried steak with an egg on top. I know it sounds strange but it tastes delicious. We also had some very tasty empanadas before our meal. Some diners order what is basically a mixed grill of the restaurants favorite cuts. You can order a plate of grilled vegetables to accompany the meat.

The best part of the experience though came when a pair of tango dancers appeared and proceeded to dance through the restaurant. Wheeling deftly between the tables the couple are flawless and mesmerizing. What was a nice meal with excellent service was immediately elevated to a unique dining experience that I wouldn't have missed for the world.

Since then we have taken friends and family to the Buenos Aires Grill. The first time we took my Mom and Dad, my Sister asked the handsome tango dancer if he would dance with our Mother, Melody. He agreed and soon approached us in the bar and asked her to dance. He handled her perfectly and she loved it. Later in the evening as we departed we saw the dancer near the door and thanked him. He turned to my Mother and said in the most exquisite Latin accent "Thank you for the dance Melody." It was a perfect moment and not one to be forgotten by her.

I cannot recreate the experience of the Grill at home but I did run across a fantastic looking beef empanada recipe I had to try. My husband and I rarely buy beef anymore but a beautiful day inspired a purchase of organic, grass-fed rib eyes for the grill. They were delicious but way too large and we both left 1/2 or 1/4 of our steak on the plate. I didn't want to waste such tasty steak so I pulled out the empanada recipe. It actually calls for ground beef but chopped steak worked pretty darn well.

BEEF EMPANADAS

2 hard boiled eggs
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3/4 lb ground chuck
2 T raisins
1 1 /2 T chopped pimento stuff olives (I used chopped black and they were fine).
1 14 oz can whole tomatoes in juice
2 frozen pie crusts
Vegetable oil for frying

Cut each egg crosswise into 12 thin slices. Cook onion in olive oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beef and cook , breaking up lumps with a fork, about 4 minutes.

Add raisins, olives, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and tomatoes with juice, cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced but mixture is still moist. Cool.

Take out pie crusts and place on floured board. Use bowl with six inch diameter to cut discs from pie crust. You can usually get 4 discs per pie crust, collect left over pastry, roll out again, and you can get 2 more. Repeat with second pie crust.

Place about 3 T meat on each disc, place sliced egg on top of meat, moisten edges with water and fold over to form semicircle, then crimp with a fork.

Heat oil in skillet until about 360 degrees. Fry empanada, about 3 at a time at 4 to 6 minutes per batch. (You can also bake these for a less greasy result. I preheated the oven to 425 degrees, brushed the tops of the empanadas with beaten egg and water, placed them on a cookie sheet, and then baked them for 15 to 20 minutes until golden).

In my opinion these wouldn't be nearly as delicious without the chimichurri sauce. I followed this recipe exactly and it adds such a burst of flavor that you could quickly become addicted.

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

1 cup fresh parsley leaves, packed
1/4 cup fresh oregano (packed) or fresh cilantro leaves ( used cilantro).
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (dried)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt to taste
1 T shallot, minced

Just before serving, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Sauce is served at room temperature. If sauce separates prior to serving just give it a good whisk.

Enchiladas Del Mar for a Special Dinner

I found this recipe a while back in Bon Appetite and I've been dying to try it. Last night I finally did and it was well worth the wait. The recipe was requested from a restaurant in Phoenix called the Barrio Cafe. I can no longer find the recipe on the magazines website for unknown reasons so I can't provide you with a link. When I type 'enchiladas del mar" in their recipe search box they provide two recipes, one for French Toast and one for Cornish Game Hens, now make sense of that.

Typically for me, I made the recipe a little simpler to put together. The original recipe from the Barrio Cafe has you purchasing, husking, charring under a broiler, and then pureeing a 1/2 a pound of tomatillos. I decided to skip that whole experience and purchased a lovely jar of Tomatillo Salsa - Medium. It was yummy and it worked fine. The original recipe also called for some goat cheese that I didn't have handy but I think it sounds tasty so I will use it when I make it again.

ENCHILADAS DEL MAR

1/2 a jar of Frontera Tomatillo Salsa - Medium
1 T olive oil
12 uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup minced shallot
1 garlic clove, minced
6 ounces bay scallops, side muscle removed
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat

12 corn tortillas
3 1/2 cups grated Oaxacan cheese or Mozzarella cheese (about 14 ounces), divided
6 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add shrimp and shallot; saute until shrimp begin to turn pink, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add garlic; stir 30 seconds. Add scallops and wine; cook until wine is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp mixture to medium bowl Add cream and salsa; simmer until mixture thickens and measure about 1 2/3 cups, about 10 minutes. Add crabmeat and shrimp mixture to sauce in skillet. Season to taste.

While cream and salsa are simmering, preheat oven to 425 degrees, and place new heavy skillet or griddle on medium-high heat. Heat tortillas about 30 seconds per side until softened, place 1/4 cup cheese in softened tortilla, roll up and then place seam down in 13x9x2 - inch glass baking dish. Repeat until you have 12 rolled and in pan. Pour creamy seafood mixture over tortillas and sprinkle with more cheese. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Serve with sliced avocado, tomatillo salsa, and fresh cilantro. Really, really good!

Delicious Jambalaya and Sweet and Sour Shrimp

I used to be the kind of person who went to the grocery store every night. I didn't like using the microwave to defrost and I never remembered to get anything out of the freezer before I left in the morning. These are weak excuses since even minimal planning would have alleviated the problem but that's the way it was.

I was also a person who wasn't a leftover fan. I tended to serve up fairly large meals that my husband and I scarfed down unmercifully and what little was left went with him for lunch the next day. Well, times change.

Now I create a week long menu plan at the beginning of the week. I shop only once a week. I try and cook things in smaller portions and with a follow up plan for any leftover ingredients. When I'm cooking something like roast chicken where leftovers are inevitable I know even as it's in the oven what I'm going to do with what is left after our dinner. Interestingly enough, I've found that this has increased my creativity in the kitchen rather than diminished it.

A great example was last weeks double whammy of delicious meals from different cultures. Tweaked by me, of course. I had purchased from Trader Joe's a bag of their large, uncooked shrimp. There were too many shrimp for 1 meal of just the two of us so I planned for two; Jambalaya and Sweet and Sour Shrimp.

This made great sense because I have a plethora of Chinese sauces and flavors leftover from a recent meal so I'm always looking for something to use them in. I also had two unused chicken chorizo sausage from a recent pizza that were crying out for something to add spice to. These two meals also share a number of ingredients. Besides the shrimp there is green pepper, garlic, and rice. I found this recipe for Jambalaya on Epicurious.com. It is a low calorie version with a lot of good fiber and warm heat.

JAMBALAYA

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 green pepper cored, seeded and chopped (I only used 1/2 a pepper)
2 celery stalks, diced
3 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, (I used about T of dried parsley)
4 oz extra lean smoked ham, cut in 1/2 inch cubes, (I used 2 chicken chorizo)
5 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced, (I used 1 can of kidney beans)
1 large bay leaf
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
1 1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and chopped,(I used about 8 large shrimp not chopped).

Add oil to a large nonstick saucepan. Over medium heat, saute onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery until onion is translucent. Add parsley, ham/sausage, chicken/beans, bay leaf, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Add tomatoes (with juice), tomato sauce, and 1 3/4 cups cold water. Gently simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Pour rice into the pan and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered 45 minutes or until rice is cooked and absorbs most of the liquid. Stir in shrimp and cook 5 minutes more. Remove bay leaf. Season to taste.