2009 September : Weeknight Gourmet

Archive for September, 2009

Dinner for One: Spaghetti with Fried Eggs

September 9 2009 | Leave a Comment

I recently read Amanda Hesser’s Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover’s Courtship, with Recipes (many thanks to Raina for the recommendation). The book wonderfully weaves together tales of cooking, dining out, and eating with friends and family and her relationship with her now husband who she refers to as Mr. Latte. Lots of great NYC references too which I enjoyed. It was a fun read for any food lover!

I was struck by many of the recipes in the book and plan to try a few. Tonight, though, when Tim told me he was having dinner with his friend I remembered the chapter on cooking when you are home alone. The chapter recounts one of the last meals Amanda makes as a single woman before she marries Mr. Latte. In reflecting on this milestone, Amanda asks many of her friends what do they cook when they are dining alone. I didn’t have to think long about what I make when I cook for myself — PASTA! I decided to try one of the recipes included in this chapter — spaghetti with fried eggs and parmesan cheese. It sounded like a bowl of comfort to me. With a fall chill in the air, this was the perfect recipe for tonight.

I followed the recipe below from Mark Bittman’s blog. Definitely cook the eggs on low to medium heat and take them off the heat when the whites are still runny. The eggs will continue to cook when mixed with the hot pasta.

I thought it was a deliciously simple meal!

Spaghetti with Fried Eggs
Arthur Schwartz

Salt
1/2 pound thin spaghetti
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or lard
2 large cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
4 eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, optional

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Start the sauce in the next step, and start cooking the pasta when the water boils.

Combine garlic and 4 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic, pressing it into the oil occasionally to release its flavor; it should barely color on both sides. Remove the garlic, and add the remaining oil.

Fry the eggs gently in the oil, until the whites are just about set and the yolks still quite runny. Drain the pasta, and toss with the eggs and oil, breaking up the whites as you do. (The eggs will finish cooking in the heat of the pasta.) Season to taste, and serve immediately, with cheese if you like.

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Categories : Pasta, Vegetarian entree

End of Summer Dessert: Blueberry Crisp

September 8 2009 | Leave a Comment

We had a wonderful Labor Day weekend with our friends Ashley, Dave, and their almost 1-year-old Nora as well as Amy and her 1-year-old Lucy.

We savored the last bit of summer with some local wild blueberries in a yummy and incredibly easy blueberry crisp. In case you forget what the difference is between a crisp and cobbler, read my Raspberry Buckle post from July.

The only change I made was adding a touch more butter as the crisp was baking because the topping was not browning as much as it should.

Don’t forget the vanilla ice cream! It’s a must.

Based on the paltry leftovers, I think everyone enjoyed it!

Blueberry Crisp

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Series, Healthy Cooking, by John Phillip Carroll (Time-Life Books, 1997)

4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine,
at room temperature, cut into pieces
3/4 cup rolled oats

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Grease a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish with butter or margarine, or spray with vegetable cooking spray.

Spread the blueberries evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the lemon juice.

In a bowl, using a pastry blender or fork, mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter and rolled oats until well combined. Sprinkle evenly over the blueberries.

Bake until the top is golden and the blueberries are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Serve hot or warm. Serves 6.

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Categories : Dessert, Fruit

End of Summer BBQ: Barbecue Chicken

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We had this delicious barbecue chicken on Sunday. Everyone loved it! It is definitely more work than using a store-bought sauce but I think it is worth it. The rub imparts some spice and the sauce has sweetness from the molasses.

No changes to the recipe other than only using bone-in, skin-on breasts. And, next time I might make the sauce a day in advance because the leftover chicken tasted even more delicious!

Tim cooked the chicken perfectly — very moist. We served the chicken with grilled corn, tomato & mozzarella salad, and tri colore orzo. A great end of summer combination!
Best Barbecue Chicken
Everyday Food

Vegetable oil, for grates
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 chicken (about 3 pounds), cut into 10 pieces
2 cups Simple Barbecue Sauce (recipe below)

Heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. In a small bowl, combine paprika, chili powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; sprinkle spice rub all over chicken. Reserve 1 cup barbecue sauce in a bowl for serving. Keep remaining sauce in another bowl for basting.

Grill chicken, turning often, until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes (if browning too quickly, move to cooler part of grill). During final 5 minutes of cooking, baste chicken with barbecue sauce. Serve chicken with reserved sauce.

Simple Barbecue Sauce
Everyday Food

3 cups ketchup
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced by a third (about 30 minutes).

Let cool to room temperature before using.

Makes 3 1/2 cups.

Can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

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Categories : Barbecue, Poultry, Sauce

Weeknight Gourmet is Back from Spain!

September 7 2009 | Leave a Comment

Tim and I arrived home from our wonderful trip to northern Spain on Wednesday. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed each stop on the trip — Bilbao, Rioja, and San Sebastian. Beautiful scenery as well as good food and wine were enjoyed in each location.

The culinary highlight of our trip was our once-in-a-lifetime dinner at the 3-star Michelin restaurant Martin Bersategui in Lasarte, outside of San Sebastian. For those of you not familiar with the Michelin rankings, a 3-star rating is reserved for the finest restaurants across the globe. San Sebastian actually has the highest concentration of Michelin starred restaurants of anywhere in the world.

We enjoyed a 13-course tasting menu on a gorgeous terrace filled with orchids. The food was incredibly inventive. The chef used emulsions and foams in several dishes which are common in molecular gastronomy. Each course was small. But it was truly incredible how much flavor could be packed into each bite. Some highlights include peach gazpacho, eel with foie gras and topped with caramelized onion, and fennel three ways — as a risotto, emulsion, and puree. The service was impeccable and the amazing chef introduced himself to us as the end of the meal. It was truly unforgettable!

The other culinary highlight was quite different from the indulgent meal at Martin Bersategui — it was wandering the streets in the old town of San Sebastian eating pintxos — or the Basque form of tapas. We would move from bar to bar and order a drink and pick up a couple of pintxos — most of which are served on bread. We enjoyed jamon Iberico, peppers stuffed with cod, tortilla de patata and many others! It was a wonderful way to explore and have a fun dinner.