Three Many Cooks

Friends of Erika

Maggy — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:50:07 +0000

Today I am writing to ask for your help for our dear friend and fellow food blogger, Erika from The Ivory Hut. For those of you who don’t know her, she is a blogger who shares incredible recipes and photographs and writes beautifully about the stuff of life. She is also quite possibly the most wonderful, generous, caring and thoughtful person that has ever come into our lives. And late on Tuesday night, her house burned to the ground. Most importantly, her whole family escaped from the fire – but none of their possessions did. They left the house with the clothes on their back and nothing more. Erika wrote an insightful and moving post on her blog the morning after the fire. If you know her or if you have some kind words to offer her, please stop by and share your love and support in her comments section.

(Photo: from left to right, Tracy from Sugarcrafter, Erika from The IvoryHut and Maggy from ThreeManyCooks at the Big Summer Potluck, August 2010)

This is a moment where we need to come together and support our dear friend and ease her burden, because we are a community. Already I am amazed at the response. It fills my heart with joy to see all the uplifting and supportive comments on the blog we’ve created and the number of people who have already donated. Take a moment to think if this had happened to you – all that would need to be replaced, all that you would need to buy in order to get your life back on track. Try to conceptualize the scope of that loss. Then please consider a small donation to our friend in this time of great need. $5, $10, $50 or $100 – it all helps, it all adds up.

http://friendsofivoryhut.blogspot.com/

Love,
Maggy, Pam and Sharon

Jim’s Vassar’s Perfect Barbecue Sauce

Pam — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:26:15 +0000

Makes a Scant 2 quarts

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
1 small onion, cut into small dice (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup minced garlic
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest and 5 tablespoons juice from 2 lemons
4 cups ketchup
1 cup tomato juice
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons pureed chipotles in adobo
3 cups water
Pinch salt
Several dashes hickory liquid smoke.

Heat butter in a large non-reactive Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until fragrant and soft, about 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients; bring to a serious simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until barbecue sauce thickness about 2 hours. Serve or jar and refrigerate (can be refrigerated several weeks).

Who’s That Behind those Chef Whites?

Pam — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:26:05 +0000

I was at the Columbus Health and Fitness Expo in Ohio this past weekend, demo-ing from my newly released Perfect One-Dish Dinners and The Perfect Recipe For Losing Weight and Eating Great.

I love opportunities like this because they keep me on my toes. They’re an exercise in complete trust. Each time it’s a different kitchen, different city, different people. I’m a slow learner but over the years I’ve come to see that no matter what happens, everything’s gonna be alright by curtain time.

Saturday I arrive at the Columbus Convention Center an hour before my demo and the place is bustling. I snake my way back to the Healthy Kitchen Stage and peek behind the curtain. Under the high-top fluorescents this cordoned off space looks more like an airplane hangar-cum-makeshift emergency ward—a freestanding fridge, a four-burner electric stove, a bunch of folding tables lined up back-to-back, a canister of basic kitchen tools, large sleeves of disposables, and boxes of latex gloves.

I step behind the curtain unnoticed—everyone’s scrambling to get the noon act ready. I look around and see familiar but unprepped ingredients. Just as I’m starting to panic, I see two relaxed professionals in their chef whites making their way toward me.

As they come closer, I do a double take. Could it be they’ve recruited Mark Bittman to help with my demo? He’s a dead ringer for my old friend, but turns out his name is Jim Vassar, a second career student at Columbus Culinary School with a passion for pastry. No time to chat now. We’ve got less than an hour to prep three recipes (one of which must be made to serve 100).

Jim’s love may be pastry but he whips his chef’s knife out of his bag and deftly turns bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs to boneless, skinless. Utterly calm he and Nancy get me stage-ready with time to spare.

My next demo: 2:00 Sunday afternoon—another three recipes with 100 tasting proportions of Apricot-Cherry Bars with Oatmeal Crumble Topping which must be baked ahead and cooled. Jim and Nancy weren’t scheduled until 3:00. No problem. Jim said Saturday was his baking night—or maybe he just said that to make me feel OK. My bars just became his new project.

With Jim baking and prepping the bars ahead, we just had fun on day two. I give Jim and Nancy copies of my books. Jim gives me his barbecue sauce recipe that he’ll be using in a rib competition in few weeks—said he’d love for me to use it in a grilling cookbook. No plans for a grilling cookbook, but in the meantime Three Many Cooks is honored to post Jim’s barbecue sauce recipe on our blog.

As they were hooking up my microphone David arrives for a few behind-the-scenes photos. Jim heads to the stage with my “mis en place.” David turns to me and whispers, “Who does that guy remind you of.”

Spicy Asian Lettuce Cups

Maggy — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 02:32:21 +0000

Makes 24 cups

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped medium
1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
4 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 head ice burg lettuce, quartered at the core, core removed, leaves separated and torn into approximate 4-inch cups
Garnish: 1/4 cup sliced scallions, 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Heat oil in a large (12-inch skillet) over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and water chestnuts; sauté until onions soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add turkey; continue to cook, stirring frequently, until meat looses its raw color, and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix soy, ketchup, vinegar, oil, pepper flakes, and sugar. Add to the sautéing turkey; continue to cook until mixture has thickened to the texture of thick sloppy Joe’s.

When ready to serve, warm turkey mixture. Lay out lettuce cups on a serving tray. Fill each with 2 tablespoons of filling, then garnish with scallions and peanuts. Serve.

Confessions of a New York Cook

Maggy — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 02:26:11 +0000

It’s time for me to come clean.

Before I moved to New York, I was highly judgmental of our friends who lived in the city and ate out almost every night. “Not only is that a waste of money,” I thought, “they are missing out on one of life’s simple pleasures, cooking and sitting down with family to a home-cooked meal.” When apartment-hunting, our broker asked us what room was most important to us. “The kitchen,” we replied without hesitation. In fact we turned down an apartment that had a closed-off kitchen. We wanted something big, open and airy. “So you like to cook?” the broker asked. “Yes,” I said smugly, “we love to cook and will be making dinner most every night.” Six months later and I am loathe to admit that I probably cook dinner once or twice a week. Now it’s my turn to justify why my oven is collecting cobwebs.

1) It’s partly seasonal. Whether at the Anderson family reunion, a friend’s lake house, visiting Mom and Dad in Pennsylvania, or attending weddings, we’ve been gone nearly every weekend this summer. That’s two or three days a week we’re not home.

2) I also work with Mom testing recipes for her new book. I’m gone two days and one night. We cook together and I bring home leftovers which Andy and I have for dinner that evening. So that’s two more nights we don’t cook dinner.

3) Groceries are very expensive and nine times out of ten it’s truly cheaper to get take-out than to buy groceries and not even I can resist that temptation.

4) In New York, take-out is not just pizza and Chinese food, you can get everything from Peruvian roast chicken and avocado salad to sushi and curry delivered to your door. We wouldn’t eat out half as often if there weren’t so many healthy and delicious options.

5) We meet up with friends at least one or two nights a week, so we either skip dinner, opting for nibbles at the bar or have dinner out.

6) There are thousands of amazing restaurants in New York!

It’s not easy for me to admit this. Not only because I am a food blogger who truly loves cooking, but also because I was so sure I wouldn’t be like everyone else. But now I understand that life is just a little different in the Big Apple than in small-town Farnborough, England when I was whipping up delicious dinners six or seven nights of the week. And loving it.

In the hope of re-igniting my passion for weeknight cooking, I’ve been trying to get back into the habit of making dinner (even if it means spending more money than it would to get take-out) starting with simple recipes and relatively inexpensive ingredients. I’ve been cooking a lot from Mom’s new book and also from her old books. Her Asian Lettuce Cups from Perfect Recipes for Having People Over are to die for. Simple, delicious and healthy. And dinner was on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Whole Fruits

Pam — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:43:40 +0000

I should have known no one would eat those big baskets of peaches and apples I bought for the Big Summer Potluck.

(I should have known better because as much as my girls loved fruit growing up, they were less likely to eat it in its natural state. In fact the more whole the fruit, the longer it sat around. I can still picture it—cantaloupe quarters languishing in the fridge, strawberries overtaken with fur, peaches and apples looking like they had spent a few days in the desert. But the second I’d cut it up, it was gone.)

The Big Summer Potluck was a daylong affair. Maggy thought the locals might be bringing a few sweet treats, but we ultimately decided that since most people were traveling from afar, we’d handle the food. Since we were organizing and hosting the event too, we remembered our mantra. Keep it simple.

We needed fruit to round out our scone, granola, and yogurt breakfast. More fruit to flesh out the sandwich and chip lunch. We toyed with making kabobs, talked about a fruit salad, but in the end, I repeated the mantra.

I headed to our local orchard. There were a few quarts of blueberries and a couple of small containers of plums. What they had in abundance were baskets of petite white peaches and little Summer Rambo apples. Bingo. Prep just got reduced to a rinse, and I got two lovely centerpieces to boot.

I may be a veteran but in so many ways I’m still a newbie. I believed the press that very few would be contributing to the potluck. Hah. It’s weeks later and I’m still noshing on cookies and bars and cupcakes from that day.

My basket of peaches looked lovely amidst cornucopia of scones, coffeecakes, and muffins. At lunch and teatime my basket of apples looked attractive, surrounded by all the cookies and cupcakes and bars, but by day’s end, the baskets were still full.

Two days later I’m staring at nearly full baskets of expiring peaches and apples. What to do? Sharon and Tony were here and we had a lovely few hours together making cinnamon applesauce and freezer peaches.

Lesson learned… again. Setting a basket of fruit on a table with cookies and cupcakes is like putting salad, apple slices, and milk on a McDonald’s menu. It looks nice, but everybody’s going for the burgers and fries. If you want people to eat fruit, cut it up. On the other hand if you want to preserve your fruit, do as I did. Leave it whole.

Freezer Peaches

Pam — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:41:52 +0000

Makes 4 quarts

8 pounds peaches
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons Fruit Fresh

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Working in batches drop peaches in water; cook to loosen skins, about 30 seconds. Slip skins off; quarter and pit small peaches (cut larger peaches into thick wedges). Sprinkle with sugar and Fruit Fresh; toss to dissolve. Spoon peaches into freezer bags; lay flat on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Stack in freezer until ready to use. Partially thaw and serve with ice cream or heavy cream (or evaporated milk, a personal favorite).

Cinnamon Applesauce

Pam — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:40:40 +0000

This recipe is adapted from SimplyRecipes.com. Because we think it gives the sauce more flavor (and saves time) we didn’t peel or core the apples. If you don’t want to strain the applesauce, however, feel free to peel and core the fruit. We used Summer Rambos—a crisp, tart Granny Smith-style apple, but most apples (or a combination) will work nicely. If you use a sweeter variety, you might want to cut back on the sugar. When serving, sprinkle with additional ground cinnamon, if you like.

8 pounds apples, rinsed and cut into eighths
2 cups water, more if necessary
3/4 cup brown sugar or ¾ cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon molasses
3 tablespoons juice and 4 strips zest from 1 lemon
2 cinnamon sticks
Hefty pinch of salt

Bring all the ingredients to simmer over medium heat in a large soup kettle (to speed the process, use a heavy-bottom roasting pan set over two burners covered with a cookie sheet or heavy-duty foil). Reduce heat to low; continue to simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until the apples completely fall apart, adding more water if necessary. Adjust seasonings, including sugar or salt.

Using a food mill or colander over a large bowl, strain applesauce and discard solids. Serve warm or chilled (Can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 weeks and frozen for 6 months or more.)

Coq au Vin Blanc

Maggy — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 02:32:12 +0000

Serves 6

2 pounds (about 8 medium) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
Salt and ground black pepper
1 package (1 pound) frozen pearl onions, not thawed
1 package (8 ounces) sliced baby bella mushrooms
3 ounces (about 6 thin slices) proscuitto, minced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (13.75 ounces) whole artichokes, halved
2 pounds new potatoes, rinsed and halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat a large (11- to 12-inch) deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. Coat chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon of oil; sprinkle both sides generously with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, add chicken thighs to hot skillet. Cook, turning only once, until well browned, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to a medium bowl; set aside. Add 2 more teaspoons of oil and the onions to the skillet; cook, stirring frequently and seasoning with salt and pepper, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add to bowl of chicken thighs. Add remaining tablespoon of oil and mushrooms to the hot skillet; cook, stirring up browned bits and seasoning lightly with salt and pepper, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in proscuitto, garlic, and tarragon; cook until fragrant, about a minute. Stir in flour, then wine and broth, along with thighs, pearl onions, artichokes, and potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until flavors blend and potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in parsley. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Serve.

Food for Friends in Need

Maggy — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 02:29:34 +0000

It’s been a long time since I cooked for a friend in need. But this week the opportunity presented itself. Our good friends Ariel and Jonathan are getting married next weekend. Most of us have been there. Two weeks before a wedding and you’re doing more to prepare than you did in the previous eleven months! On top of that, Jonathan is Irish and his family wanted to come and be with them for the two weeks preceding the wedding. I know a little about planning an international wedding (my husband is English), and the extra layer of stress and work that adds.

Andy and I had been planning to get together with Ariel and Jonathan to cook a meal before all the wedding chaos got started, but of course that just didn’t happen and Jonathan’s family had arrived. I assumed they were probably having pre-wedding, family celebrations, but I thought I should check. So I asked if they would like me to cook a meal for them. They gave a quick and enthusiastic yes. “But” Ariel said, “you can’t cook anything weird. They only like simple foods like meat and veg.” (I love that we are good enough friends that she could say that plainly.)

I spent a few days worrying (I haven’t cooked for a crowd in a while) and then I spent another few days wringing my hands about what to cook for seven people. Fortunately, I got my freshly printed copy of Mom’s new book, Perfect One Dish Dinners, in the nick of time. I mulled over a few ideas before settling on her Coq au Vin Blanc, a Spring-ed up version of the classic.

So the night arrives. Andy and I hop in a cab with three bags of food, two Le Creuset Dutch Ovens and my favorite Anthropologie apron and head over to their apartment. We meet, we hug, we toast the soon-to-be newlyweds and I get to work in the kitchen. Ariel and Jonathan keep asking, “What can we do? Can we help?” To which I keep replying, “Nope, I’m just fine. Don’t need any help. Do what you need to do.”

Jonathan relaxed, talked with his family and enjoyed a glass of wine while Ariel caught up on wedding-related email and worked on the program for the ceremony. And I realized then: “Wow, they really need this.” For someone to come be the hostess so that you can just be a guest in your home for a night during a slightly stressful time. That’s nice. Honestly, I felt good – that I was able to help out my friends. And they felt good, that they could just focus on what needed their attention and sit down to a home-cooked meal.

Think for a moment. Is there someone in your life who could use a meal? Pick up the phone, write them an e-mail, and offer to cook for them. Who knows? One day someone may return the favor when you need it most.