Day 33, Kitchen Quarantine, Time

As this day dawns, we are facing another month of social distancing, and I am embracing it, because it is teaching us all something.  It is especially teaching me that time is precious, whether it's time spent with friends, family or by oneself.  I've become more aware of nature, my surroundings and those around me.
As I have cooked over the past month, I've commented about how much better the dishes have tasted.  I'm pondering why after over 50 years in the kitchen these dishes that I have prepared for many years suddenly taste better.  Is it that I have extra time to saute, or to tweak the seasonings. Is it the quality of the ingredients, or the extra time I've taken to prepare it because I have the time.  I'm genuinely curious to see if anyone else is finding this to be true with any of the dishes they are preparing.
The other night, Dr. C. and I were having a meal, and he said, "it's a good thing we are friends, or this would be a prison sentence."  I said, "I think it's the food."
I think food builds community---if our kitchen table could talk, you'd hear all about the trials and tribulations of the family, but also the laughter and joys shared around a family meal.
Tonight I'm cooking a turkey; Thanksgiving in April.  We've had over a month of social distancing, I'm thankful we are well and healthy.  This is not my preferred way of spending time, I'm conscious that there are others who are immuno-compromised like my friend who is in the hospital 120+ days post Bone Marrow transplant---this social distancing/quarantine is about my friend, not about me.  It's about those with underlying health problems that may be affected should I become infected and be asymptomatic. Follow the guidelines for them, this isn't about you or me.  And please, don't tell me about your rights---I get it, but if you infect grandma, and she dies, your rights won't mean a damn thing. 
OK, so I'm off my soapbox, but please stay home and stay well, that way we can all be healthy and restart our lives with a new normal.   I'll be posting some recipes from our dinner tomorrow, so stay tuned, until then there are lots of great chefs doing Instagram and Facebook live demos, check out Massimo Bottura, Chef Jose Andres, and my friend George Geary. 

Pizza, Pizza, Day 31 Kitchen Quarantine

We are rolling in dough here at Casa Phillips, between my sourdough foray,

                                                                focaccia making,

and now pizza last night.  Our daughter the doyenne of all things was swearing by the Roberta's pizza dough recipe, so I decided to try that, not knowing what it would produce. 
If you missed Anthony Bourdain's' last episode of No Reservations, he stops at Roberta's.
The dough is simple to make, I highly recommend finding 00 flour, since it really is better when making pizza and focaccia.  Having written that I realize that flour and yeast are hard to find these days since everyone is baking, so if you can't make this during Quarantine Kitchen, save the recipe for later since we decided this was a great pizza dough. 
I made the dough the same day that I baked it, I think had I given it a very slow rise overnight it would have been even better---the fermentation in the dough gives the crust a really delicious flavor.  I took a pizza class at a local pizzeria here in San Diego, and they let their dough slow rise for 1- 2 days. 

Roberta's Pizza Dough

Makes two 12-inch pizzas

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon 00 Flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons  all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

scant 1 cup  lukewarm water

Put the flour and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook.  Combine the yeast, oil, and water, stirring to blend.  Pour into the flour, and mix until the dough comes together about 2 minutes.  (you can make the dough by hand if you don't have a stand mixer) Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.  

Knead the rested dough for 3 minutes, either with the dough hook or by hand.  

Cut into 2 equal pieces and shape into balls.  

Place on a heavily floured surface, and cover with a dampened cloth and let rise for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature, or refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.  (if you refrigerate the dough, remove it 30 to 45 minutes before you begin to shake it for pizza)

To make the pizza place each dough ball on a heavily floured surface and use your fingers to stretch it, then your hands to shape it into rounds or squares.  Top with your favorite sauce, cheeses and toppings.  

Bake pizza dough at 425 to 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, until the crust is crisp on the bottom, and the toppings are bubbling.  So you can see I've done this on a baking sheet with oiled aluminum foil; my pizza stone broke years ago, and this works just fine in my convection oven, we had crisp crust, and bubbling cheese.  

This is my mozzarella of choice, it has a flavor; skim milk mozzarella doesn't taste like anything

I made a simple tomato sauce and topped the pizza with whole milk mozzarella, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and dried wild oregano.   

I've got a son who loves extra cheese and since he and the Divine Miss M were coming for dinner, I made these extra cheesy.  Got to support those dairy farmers, right?  

As day 32 dawns, Dr. C. and I look at each other and say, "what shall we do today?"  The past 2 days it's been beautiful after all the rain, and we are going to go for our walk with our masks in place, and possibly a ride in the car.  

Please stay home and stay safe; this is not about you, it's about those who will get sick and be hospitalized or die.  As we are learning you can be asymptomatic and spread the virus, so stay well and stay home.  And, try some new recipes, it can make the time go by, and you'll be feeding your loved ones.  Ciao for now.

Day 24, Quarantine Kitchen, Meatloaf

Growing up with an Italian mother, if there was ground beef, it was made into meatballs, or Polpettone, which was one big meatball made into a loaf smothered in a rich tomato sauce with a side of pasta.
As a kid, I never had Wonder bread or tuna noodle casserole, those were things that were exotic to me since I was getting pasta with tuna fish and homebaked Italian bread.  Don't get me wrong, there were things about this childhood diet that were sublime, but as a kid, all I wanted was for my mom to let me go to my friends' houses on Friday nights to have tuna noodle casserole, that creamy noodle filled casserole topped with crushed toasted potato chips, it was the food of my dreams for a while.  Meatloaf was another dream food since it was usually crowned with ketchup, which you wouldn't find in our house.  My mom and my Nonna were two of the best cooks I've ever had the pleasure of observing, but their repertoire was limited since they didn't use any convenience foods.  As a kid that was all that was on TV, and that's what I wanted.
So, with day 24 dawning with rain, and a bit of a nip in the air, I thought meatloaf would be the perfect comfort food for tonight.

Slow-Cooker Meat Loaf

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

4 cups tomato sauce or tomato puree

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons Worcestershire 

2 tablespoons maple syrup

In a saucepan or the slow cooker, saute the onion until it is translucent.  Remove 1/4 cup of the onion, and set aside.  

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  If you are using a saucepan, transfer the mixture to the slow cooker, and set on high while making the meatloaf. 

1 piece sandwich bread, torn into pieces

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 pounds organic ground beef

1/4 sauteed onion

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt (I used Penzey's 4S)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 large egg, beaten

3 slices bacon

Put the sandwich bread and milk into a bowl, and let the bread absorb the milk. 

Add the beef, reserved sauteed onion, ketchup, Worcestershire, seasoned salt, mustard, and egg.  

Stir to combine.  

Cook's Note:  At this point, I will take a bit of the mixture and fry it in a small saute pan to see if the seasoning is correct---this is a good check on whether it suits your taste or not. 

Shape into a loaf, and place in the sauce in the slow cooker.  Top with the bacon, and spoon some of the sauce over the meatloaf. 
Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6 to 7 hours, until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 170 degrees.  Remove from the sauce, and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  Skim the excess fat from the sauce before serving alongside the sliced meatloaf.   Any leftover sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months. 

As we head into this 4th week of self-isolation, there appears to be some encouraging news, although the number of deaths is still staggering.  Please stay at home and stay well, this is a critical period and you and your loved ones need to be well.  ciao for now.

Quarantine Kitchen, Day 23, Chicken Pot Pie

 

It's been raining non-stop since Sunday night here in San Diego.  This morning dawned with a beautiful rainbow over the lagoon across the freeway.  Dr. C. and I have been trying to walk in the neighborhood every day, yesterday we walked in a light drizzle.  This week after Dr. Birx said to stay home and not go to the grocery store or pharmacy, we are taking that seriously, so I'm cooking comfort food. 
When we came back from our walk, I started work on a chicken pot pie, which, to me is comfort food, that takes me back years ago when I wrote a book about pot pies.  These are bubbling stews covered by any number of pastry options; pie crust, puff pastry, biscuits, focaccia.....you name it.  What's not to love? 
Our son Ryan loved chicken pot pie as a kid, but it had to be "neat" with only chicken in it, these days I make it with potatoes, carrots, and corn---nothing green inside, since the peas or green beans can sometimes turn an ugly khaki green in the stew--I serve the green veg on the side.  This pot pie is pretty simple, and the stew can be made up ahead. Just before baking, roll out a piece of puff pastry, cover, and bake. 

Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 6

4 cups chicken broth

3 cups diced Yukon gold or red potatoes

3 medium carrots, diced

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 chicken breasts, diced ** see Cook's Notes

salt and pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups corn, either frozen and defrosted, or fresh from the cob

salt and pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream, whole milk, or 1/2 and 1/2 (this is optional, but enriches the sauce)

1 sheet puff pastry, rolled to fit the casserole dish

Put the broth into a saucepan, add the potatoes and carrots.  Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  Drain the vegetables, saving the broth for the sauce.  

In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of butter, and saute the chicken until it is white on all sides, season with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside.  

Melt the remaining butter, and saute the onion, sage, and thyme, until the onion is softened, and translucent.  

Add the flour, and whisk for 2 to 3 minutes, gradually add the reserved chicken broth, whisking until the sauce boils and is thickened.  

Add the potatoes, carrots, chicken, and corn.  Add the cream, season with salt and pepper and heat through. (at this point, you can cool, cover and refrigerate the stew for up to 2 days)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.    

Pour the stew into a 13-by-9-inch casserole, top with the puff pastry, and bake for 30 minutes until the puff pastry is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling. 

Remove from the oven, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into portions and serving.  

Cook's Notes:  

1. If you have leftover cooked chicken, shred, or dice, and add to the sauce with the potatoes, carrots, and corn.  
2. I used Pepperidge Farm Puff pastry---it's the easiest to roll out and you get a great result.
3. If you want to make individual pot pies, ladle the filling into ovenproof vessels, top with puff pastry and bake for the same amount of time. 
4. I use Better than Bouillon chicken broth base---just add water to the base, it keeps for 1 year in the fridge, a great pantry item if you don't have homemade broth in your freezer.
5. I usually put my pot pie onto a lined baking sheet to catch any drips from the casserole.  
6. You can also top with biscuits or pie crust; I find that pie crust sinks into the filling, and I don't line the pan with pie crust, since it usually gets really soggy, and no one likes a soggy bottom. 

Dinner is served

As day 24 is upon us I urge you to support your local restaurants and businesses that are open.  We have been doing DoorDash for deliveries this week, rather than picking up.  Stay well and stay home. 

Kitchen Quarantine, Day 21, Cake and Frosting

Three weeks in; Saturday I had no energy for cooking, so it was tuna sandwiches for dinner.  Any port in the storm.  I asked Dr. C. what he'd like for dinner on Sunday, and he said chili, so not having much interest in that, I decided what I really needed was cake and frosting.  Our son, Ryan was coming for dinner, so I decided to make the cake that I make for his birthday.  This is a great recipe from Tate's Bake Shop's cookbook.  The frosting is the key, it's a recipe that was in an old food processor cookbook from Abby Mandel who, in the 70's made the Cuisinart food processor the go-to piece of equipment if you could afford it.  The original food processor base is still in use by my daughter, we've replaced the work bowls over the years, but it's still going strong.

Ryan's Birthday Cake

Serves 8

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract

3 large eggs, plus 3 large egg yolks

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and coat the inside of two 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray.  

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter,sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.  Add the eggs/yolk, one at a time beating until smooth.  

Whisk together the dry ingredients.  Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, alternating with 1/3 of the buttermilk, beating until the batter is smooth.  

Transfer the batter to the prepared pans.  

Bake for 30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool the pans for 10 minutes, then release from the pans onto a wire rack to cool completely.  

For the Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter

4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup sour cream

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter until softened.  

Add the sugar and cocoa powder, and beat until combined.  

Add the sour cream and beat until spreading consistency, adding more sour cream if the frosting is stiff.  

Frost the cake. 

For the Food Processor:  Put the sugar and cocoa powder in the work bowl fitted with the steel blade.  Process on and off to blend the mixture.  Cut the butter into bits, add to the work bowl, along with the sour cream.  Process until smooth.   

Cook's Note:  The cake can be frozen for up to 6 weeks.  Any leftover frosting can be frozen as well.  The entire cake (frosted) can be frozen.  

So, with my craving satisfied, it's now day 22, and I'm wondering what's for dinner.  We are in for several days of grey and rain here in San Diego, I'm thinking about comfort food.  So, stay well and stay safe, they are saying this will be one of the worst weeks for transmission, I urge you to stay home.