I made only minor changes to the original recipe based on what ingredients I had on hand.  Never be afraid to make little changes!  If you wait to have everything on hand, you can never be spontaneous.  Though, I just realized my math was off when I was adjusting quantities so I halved all the seasonings.  Anyhow, this is how I prepared it, and we thought it was great.  If you’re cooking for children or my mother, you should probably half the amount of crushed red pepper shown below.  Otherwise when eaten with rice, I would call it only mildly spicy.  L.E. loved it, but Q was wary (spicy), so use your best judgement.

Spiced Flank Steak and Stir Fry with Celery Recipe

serves 2

2/3 lb flank steak

2 and 1/2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp cornstarch

kosher salt

2 tbsp sake (extra dry Ginjo Hananomai – you could also use dry sherry, dry vermouth, or Chinese rice wine)

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

ground ginger

3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

1/8 tsp cumin seeds

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 stalks celery, sliced diagonally 1/2 inch thick

Slice the flank steak in half following the grain.  Slice flank steak against the grain into slices about 1/8th of an inch thick.  Place beef slices in a bowl and stir with 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/4 tsp cornstarch, and a pinch (really just a pinch – this will be plenty salty!) of kosher salt.  In a separate bowl combine remaining 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch, and sake.

Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over high heat until it is very hot.  Add 1 tbsp of grapeseed oil, then swirl to coat skillet evenly.  Cook half of the beef slices – making sure to lay slices flat in only one layer.  Test one slice after about 30 seconds and flip if browned.  Transfer to a plate when browned – flank steak slices will cook for a total of just about 1 minute.  Add remaining teaspoon of grapeseed oil and repeat with second batch. Set cooked flank steak aside.

Turn off the heat on the skillet.  Add 3-4 heavy shakes of the ground ginger.  This will smell very pungent – to the point where you’ll wonder if you’ve over done it, but fear not.  Add garlic, cumin, and red pepper flakes, then return heat to almost high and stir fry for about 15 seconds.  Add the celery and stir fry for 1 minute.  Add back reserved beef and and accumulated juices; stir.  Stir reserved soy/sake mixture, then add to skillet and stir.  Stir-fry all together about a minute longer, then serve.

As for grill lighting, I’m becoming the master. After a tragic winter of failed attempts at chiminea lighting, I simply won’t be outdone by my grill. Incidentally, I can not believe I haven’t blogged about my awesome new grill/smoker combo. Mr. Richard bought this mammoth grill then only used it three times, at the end of the day, realized his vision was merely a pipe dream and lovingly passed the grill to me. Because of course I want/need a way to cook for a small army at one time. Back to the point, if you’ve been thwarted when lighting a charcoal grill, look no further. This method is absolutely fool proof. First, you need a chimney starter.  Next, you need lighter cubes.  You can light it using newspaper coiled into tubes in the bottom of the chimney starter, but if you live with someone like me, all newspaper is instantly recycled upon delivery.

To start, open the grate, pour in most of your charcoal into a small group, but no more than to about two briquettes deep.  My grill has two grates, if yours only has one, hopefully it will swing open halfway, otherwise, I don’t know what to tell you.  Place two lighter cubes on the remaining grate, then place the chimney starter on top.  Pour a small bunch (15? briquettes) onto the top grate of the chimney starter.  Light the cubes and then wait about 10 minutes until the large flames begin to die down.  Use a heavy potholder glove to dump the freshly lit coals onto the waiting pile in grill.  Wait about 20 minutes and you will have a piping hot fire, that’s hot, but not too hot.

If you’re a boy scout reading this, you’re surely laughing at my step-by-step breakdown of charcoal kindling.  And embarrassed by my necessity of gear and equipment.  But I’m neither a boy nor a scout (I don’t think that brief stint in Brownies counts) and even though I’ve done this a bunch of times, I still have to look up directions from Google.  Heaven help me, I could have never made it before the Internet, I’m certain I would have simply starved on the spot.

Beer Can Chicken on the Grill

serves 4

1 whole roasting chicken, giblets removed, rinsed, and patted dry

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp cayenne

12 turns fresh ground pepper

1 beer in can

2 wedges lemon

3 cloves garlic, chopped

Prepare a grill.  Use the instructions above to light charcoal grill until coals are nearly completely white or turn a gas grill on medium high.  Open beer, I of course, prefer Bud Light, but please use your beer of choice.  Drink half the can.

Mix together all the spices in a small bowl, then rub all over the skin.  Squeeze the lemon juices into remaining beer and add chopped garlic.  Place beer on grill, then lower the chicken onto the beer can so the bottom of the drumsticks are standing tripod fashion on the the grill.  That’s it!  This will need to cook for about an hour on the grill, check for an internal temperature of 165, being sure not to press the thermometer to the beer can.  When you’ve reached this temperature, we use a combo of turkey forks to remove chicken and tongs to slide out the beer can and leave it on the grill.  Be gentle!  The chicken is unbelievably tender and the bones will pop right out!

Enjoy!

In keeping with my Thanksgiving theme, here are my Top 5 Mashed Potato Tips for home cooks.

1. Russet Potatoes.  You may know them as Baking Potatoes.  These are the ones you see in the photo.
2. Start with cold water from the tap.  Place potatoes in cold water, then turn on heat.
3. Buy a potato ricer.  If you don’t have a potato ricer use a slotted spoon, then ask for a ricer for Christmas.
4. Use real butter.
5. Use real cream.  You can use milk it’s fine, I do it, too.  But if it’s Thanksgiving, use the cream, then go run some stairs.

One of my Monday Night cooking class participants pointed out that the idea of mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving was really odd to her.  Truth be told, I didn’t grow up with mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving either.  I think we had sweet potatoes and rice.  But if you’re already making gravy, I consider it a crime against humanity not to provide mashed potatoes as a vehicle for gravy delivery.

In other news, I woke up to an email from an email from a casting director informing me of a casting call for a new Food Network TV show.  Unfortunately, they weren’t asking me to have my own half-hour instructional cooking series where I could wear snappy outfits, cook in a beautiful and well equipped kitchen set, all while engaging enthusiastically with my viewers, and creating my own signature tag line while you watch me lovingly and debate the merits of my latest hairstyle.  What they *are* looking for is a team of two people who are dreaming of opening a restaurant.  She asked if I’d post the information on my blog, so if this sounds like you, here’s the casting call info.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

10am-1pm

Westin Park Central

12720 Merit Drive, Dallas, TX 75251

If you haven’t yet had a chance to hop on over to Marx Foods site and Vote for my Beef Tenderloin with Calamarata Pasta in Porcini Mushroom Sauce.  They have all sorts of contests going on while you’re there to win some magical bounty of your very own.  Just follow the link, click Vote, and then click the button next to DinnerandConversation.  As always I thank you for your support and look forward to providing you with as many fresh recipes as I possibly can!  Poll will be open through Friday the 19th!

Mashed Potatoes Recipe

4 big, giant Russet Potatoes

4 tbsp butter

3/4 c. heavy cream

1 tsp fine ground sea salt – or even better Murray River Pink Flake Salt

10 turns fresh ground pepper

Peel potatoes with your trusty vegetable peeler.  Slice in half length-wise, then place the cut side down, and slice into 1 and 1/2 inch segments cross-wise.  Place cut potatoes in a large pot, then cover with water until the water reaches 2-3 inches above the top of the potatoes.  Turn heat on high and cook uncovered.  It takes approximately 55 minutes for this quantity to become fork tender.  You don’t want them to completely fall apart, but you do want the fork to easily pierce and break a piece into two pieces with a gentle application of pressure.  Drain the potatoes into a colander.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked potato pieces to your potato ricer.  Rice back into pan.  Bury the butter into the riced potatoes covering it completely.  Wait about 4-5 minutes, then add cream and turn heat half-way between low and medium.  Gently fold in cream and butter to potatoes, then season with salt and pepper.  Taste, then season again.  If you’re using kosher salt, wait about two minutes before adding additional salt for the kosher salt to dissolve, then stir and taste.

As for peeling tomatoes, cook books generally advise scoring one end with an X, then blanching and peeling.  I find the process significantly easier with my OXO vegetable peeler.  I core the tomato, then peel from the cut down the length of the tomato using a slight wrist jiggling to gently ease the peel right off the surface of the tomato, no large pots of boiling water required!  As for the seeding, I gently scrape the seeds from the flesh with my paring knife.

I think this sauce would be excellent paired with a bucatini pasta.  Does anyone remember eating that kind of pasta more than 5 years ago?  I don’t, but perhaps I wasn’t paying attention.  In any case, it seems to be one of the more recent food trends.

Pasta with Fresh Tomato, Red Onion, Bacon, and Crushed Red Pepper Sauce

serves 4

6 slices center-cut, thick sliced bacon

2 lbs roma tomatoes on the vine

2 small red onions

1 tsp kosher salt

12 turns fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

spaghetti, capellini, or bucatini pasta

Prepare the bacon in a wide skillet over medium heat.  When crisp, remove to a plate covered with paper towels.  Drain all the fat except for about 1 teaspoon to a coffee cup and reserve for later use.  Slice the ends off of onions, then peel.  With a cut side facing down, slice into half, then half again then into wedges to create little crescent moons of red onion.  Cook onion in remaining bacon drippings for about 4 minutes.  Peel tomatoes, seed, give a rough chop and add to the onion.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, then cook for 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta of choice to package instructions for al dente.  Add crushed red pepper and 1 ladle of pasta water to tomato sauce, then cook for 5 more minutes.  Crumble reserved bacon, then add to tomato sauce.  Add drained pasta to sauce, toss, then serve.

Turkey Tenderloins

1 lb turkey tenderloins

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

paprika

Old Bay seasoning

1 tbsp olive oil

1 and 1/2 c. chicken broth

Preheat oven to 375.  Sprinkle the entire surface of tenderloins with salt, pepper, paprika, and a smidge of Old Bay, ensuring you coat all sides.  Heat a braising pan over medium heat for 3 minutes, add olive oil, swirl for 30 seconds then brown turkey tenderloins on all sides.  Add chicken broth, then cover and move to oven.  Cook for 35-40 minutes then check with a meat thermometer.  Ensure an internal temperature of 170 in the thickest part, return to oven if necessary.

Slice at into 1/2 an inch rounds,then top with Chimichurri.  Enjoy!

1. Breakfast Gravy and Chicken Fried Anything = Cream Gravy = Milk and Flour base
2. Meat Gravy (i.e. Turkey, Chicken, Beef, etc = Brown Gravy = Water or Broth and Flour base
3. Mashed Potatoes = BROWN GRAVY I am seriously affronted by cream gravy on mashed potatoes

The other important method of gravy is how you incorporate your fat, flour, and liquid components.  For cream gravies, I usually use a roux method – or browning your flour in the fat before incorporating the liquid.  For meat gravies, I usually combine my flour and liquid first then add to the fat.  That’s the way I was taught to make gravy, so why mess with what works?  In retrospect, my mother often used Wondra flour – which is more easily dissolved in in cold or hot liquids than regular all-purpose flour, so perhaps that’s why we combined it first?  I stopped using Wondra in college because a nutrition teacher swore Wondra flour was the most grave sin a person could commit when making gravy.  She was a bit extreme, but my parents paid good money for that class so by golly I was going to learn from it ; )  That said, Mom – don’t change your method, you weren’t officially present in that class so you can just keep on sinning and pretend you’ve never heard such a thing in your life.  Your gravy is excellent, don’t mess with perfection!

Anyhow, the important thing is to start with low heat when incorporating, whisk like crazy until you feel like your arm will fall off, and never panic.  If it looks to thin, it won’t thicken until it starts to boil.  If it looks to thick, you can always add more liquid.  And salt can cure a multitude of sins.  For that matter, I don’t see why you couldn’t treat it like pudding and throw it in the blender in a pinch if you couldn’t correct the lumps.

Sausage Gravy Recipe

1 package breakfast sausage

1/4 c. all purpose flour

1 and 1/4 c. milk, I use 1%

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

Brown your sausage in a heavy bottomed skillet on medium heat.  Remove sausage to a plate.  Add flour to the remaining fat and brown, scraping up any brown bits from the sausage.  You want it to resemble a paste.  Keep browning, if it looks too crumbly, add a teensy bit of bacon grease to the mixture.  (Always keep a coffee cup of bacon grease in your fridge for cooking and seasoning!)  If it looks to wet, add just a little bit of flour to adjust.  This picture is what you want yours to look like – but it’s a double recipe, so you’ll have less paste!

When you can smear the mixture across the bottom of your pan with a gentle nudge from your spatula, you’re ready to add your milk.  Turn heat to low, If you’re right-handed, hold the milk in your left hand and your whisk in your right.  Pour the milk in a slow stream, while whisking furiously with your right hand.  Keep going until all your milk is added, then keep right on whisking.  After about 3 minutes turn your heat to medium, still whisking.  After about 3 more minutes, turn your heat to high, whisking all the while.  When it begins to boil, gauge your thickness and whisk in additional milk if needed.  If after it boils it’s still too thin, mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 1/4 cup of milk in a cup, then whisk that into your gravy.  Return to a boil.  Season generously with salt and pepper to taste, then serve.  Enjoy!

Don’t forget to book your holiday cooking class by emailing lane@dinnerandconversation.com spaces are filling up quickly!

Weekly Menu Week of October 19th

Order by email to lane@dinnerandconversation.com or cook along side me at home with recipes from dinnerandconversation.com

Chicken Marsala over angel hair pasta $24

Flank Steak with Herb Sauce served with Basmati white rice $22

Roasted Turkey Breast served with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy $18

Roasted Shrimp with Lemon Basil Orzo $28

Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto $10

Fresh Lemon Cupcakes $2 each

Fresh Blackberry Cupcakes $2 each

Lemon Artichoke Pesto $8

The problem is, I’m guilty of overcomplicating things.  And home preparing lunch meat, just really should not be high on my priority list.  I’ve already had to remind myself that kindergarten lunchboxes are not a competition, and even though I’m trying to love the earth and all, a pre-packaged yogurt won’t single-handedly destroy the environment.  Plus if I die, killing myself over preparing beautiful, green lunches, where does that get us?  In a burst of inspiration after making the Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Mozzarella, and Pine Nuts, I realized I already had the perfect easy lunch meat recipe in my repertoire.  This is super easy, and nearly impossible to mess up.  Braising the chicken in a bit of chicken broth leaves the chicken tender – even after refrigeration.  The other great use for this style chicken is dinner for the children. So much healthier than a chicken nugget, yet just as fast from the fridge.  Last night our grownup dinner wasn’t ready until 7:15, so the kids had dinner at the kid table.  These sliced up braised chicken breasts, grapes, and a brownie for dessert.  Done, done, and off to bed with you!

So my new plan?  Make several of these up each week, throw them in the refrigerator, then use them as needed.  This is my husband’s sandwich, you can tell because of the mayonnaise.  If you’re using tomatoes, don’t forget to lightly sprinkle them with sea salt!  It makes such a difference.  Mandy Looney once told me, “When you’re making a sandwich for your husband, you have to make an effort to make it look pretty.  Use the curly green leaf lettuce.”  Of course Mandy also told me to always put lipstick on before my husband came home from work, which I promptly ignored ; )  I’m currently having a torrid love affair with coarse ground dijon mustard.  I highly recommend it on everything straight down to hot dogs.  It just adds a little something extra, don’t you think?

Braised Chicken Breasts Recipe

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

paprika

olive oil

3/4 c. chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350.  Trim any fat or tough parts from the chicken breasts, then sprinkle them with kosher salt, pepper, and paprika, always in that order.  In a heavy-bottomed braising dish or saute pan, add just a drizzle of olive oil then heat over medium high.  Add chicken breasts, browning on the first side for 5 minutes, turn then the second side about 4 minutes.  Add chicken broth, then cover with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil.  Bake in oven 15 minutes, then remove to a cutting board to rest.  Slice at an angle and serve!

Happy Eating!

As a part of the Easy and Elegant Party Package, Calphalon sent me a Unison Slide Nonstick Griddle and Sear Nonstick Grill Pan.  The pork was made using the Sear Grill Pan.  If you don’t have a grill pan in your repertoire, you need one.  I have a variety of shapes and sizes.  The bonus of the Calphalon Unison line is that unlike most nonsticks – these *are* dishwasher safe.  I love grill pans for meat, vegetables, breads, grilled sandwiches, anything really.  I think the Unison Grill Pan is perfect for a family.  I most often cook en masse as with the 9 pounds of pork tenderloin in the recipe below.  When cooking large quantities like this, I love my All-Clad Gourmet Double Burner Grill.  As for the 9lbs, if I’m serving 2 meats, I go with about a 3 oz serving of each meat per guest.  For this recipe, that yielded about 50 servings of pork tenderloin.

I have to admit, this is my first use of coriander seeds.  I’ve been avoiding recipes with them for years as the seeds are the dried fruit of the plant from which cilantro leaves are harvested.  Cilantro is another love it or hate it ingredient.  Some believe a person is genetically predisposed to love or hate the herb.  I think I was merely shattered by an article in the Austin Chronicle proclaiming that cilantro tastes like body odor smells.  After that description, I had a hard time ever wanting to ingest the stuff again.  Whatever the situation, the coriander seeds have a totally different flavor than cilantro.  Both are a fresh “herby” taste, but I’d call the leaves musky and the seeds light and citrus tinged.  In any case, I’m so glad to discover I love the seeds!   A whole new world of recipes to explore has just opened up to me.

Seared Pork with Lime, Coriander, and Cumin Marinade Recipe

adapted from Chef Michael Symon’s recipe – about 50 buffet servings

2 whole, trimmed pork tenderloins (approx 9 lbs)

4 tsps coriander seed

1 tsp cumin seed

zest of 9 limes

juice from 6 limes

2/3 c. olive oil

4 tsp kosher salt

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 a white onion, minced

With a very sharp knife, cut tenderloins into 1 and 1/2 inch medallions.  In a small dry fry pan, toast the coriander and cumin seeds about 5 minutes on medium heat, swirling occasionally.  In a bowl, combine toasted seeds with zest, lime juice, olive oil, salt, garlic and onion.  Whisk until blended then pour over the pork medallions.  Use tongs to toss pork in marinade every 30 minutes, up to a total of two hours.

Preheat oven to 375.  Heat grill pan over medium high heat, use tongs to sear pork on each side for 3 minutes each, then place grill pan in the oven for 5 minutes to cook through.  Move to a platter and serve with herb sauce.

Never miss a fresh post!

Jerk Seasoning comes from Jamaica and principally includes allspice and hot peppers, in combo with garlic, salt, cinnamon, and other spices.  Add a little of the islands into your backyard and enjoy with a cool Red Stripe!

Grilled Jerk Pork Chops

Bone in Pork Chops

Caribbean Jerk Seasoning

2 oranges halved

2 lemons halved

Season Pork Chops surface with Caribbean Jerk Seasoning.  Preheat a gas grill on medium high heat with lid closed for 15 minutes.  Turn heat to lowest setting.  Grill Pork Chops over direct heat for 5 minutes with lid closed, then turn.  Grill lemons and oranges on upper rack.  Check temperature of pork chops after another 5 minutes.  Cook to an internal temp of 155, then let rest on the counter for 5 minutes before serving.  Squeeze half a roasted lemon and half a roasted orange just before eating.

If you find yourself sitting around coveting a fabulous stand mixer, biscuits and cakes and frostings dancing through your head, DoughMessTic has a contest running through midnight this Tuesday where you can win one!  Hope over there, make a comment in the comment section noting you were sent there by dinnerandconversation.  If the random number generator picks your comment number, you can with a Stand Mixer in a color of your very own choosing!  While you’re at it, you can become a fan of DoughMessTic on Facebook and my site!  Just search for doughmesstic or dinnerandconversation.com in your facebook, then click Become a Fan of!

The very very very best way to make Southern Style Biscuits requires White Lily Flour.  Really.  All other flours yield a biscuit though delicious, lacking a delicacy and levity unparalleled.  If you’re in Dallas, you can pick up your White Lily Flour at Central Market.  And if you’re lucky enough  to be in Austin, you can pick it up at almost any HEB.  Otherwise I hope you live in the southeast or you’ll be paying exorbitantly to ship 5 lb. bags of flour from either the site above or another you google.  Quality ingredients are worth the shipping.  Just ask me about my shipments of Heinz Genuine Dill Pickles.  At the end of the day, my pickles cost over $10 a jar.  That’s almost enough to make me hide them from my children.  But who am I kidding, I can’t blame them for their highly refined palates ; )  And at least I’m no longer buying them from the Piggly Wiggly, who gracefully managed to pack them so that at least 1/3 of my shipment broke every time.  Sigh.

Southern Style Biscuits Stand Mixer Recipe (makes about 14 biscuits)