Feast: A Juicy Lucy Local
Northampton’s Local Burger doesn’t get high marks for wait time. Yelpers berate the place for increasingly slow operations, long lines, and small tables – I can’t disagree. The (only) guy working the register was also taking phone orders, which meant he had a 3 minute phone call between every live order standing in front of him. Judging from the amount of time he spent punching at his computer screen, I think he was taking online orders too. This means that even if the line seems short, you’re going to be there awhile. And even if you are number 17, your order could come out after number 25 (ours did), leading you to panic a little and contemplate giving up altogether, if it weren’t for the 30 minutes you’d already invested and the table you’d already been hoarding. But fortunately, the food is (mostly) worth it.
Pickles fried in a cornmeal batter were crispy and juicy, though the “homemade” ranch dressing looked and tasted suspiciously bottled. The fries were good though not noteworthy (we’d actually ordered the highly recommended onion rings, but didn’t mention their mistake for fear of having the whole order whisked away). Dave had the Westhampton Burger (bacon, cheddar, and BBQ sauce) which he enjoyed but made a point of saying was not really worth the wait. I had the Juicy Lucy (“patty stuffed with American Cheese served molten hot”) which was fantastic. It was huge, and seemed like two burgers molded around a golf ball of cheese. As hungry as I was after the wait, I stopped a few bites short of finishing.
Bottom line: If you have an hour for a burger, try Local. But order a shake (made quickly to order) to tide you over until your food comes.
Frame: French Laundry Resolutions
This year I have decided to put together a few resolutions. Not the typical “take more ‘me’ time, lose 10 pounds” promises (though neither of those would hurt), but specific cooking related goals. These came to me while languidly stirring a pot of risotto from The French Laundry Cookbook, and realizing that method really does matter. So, in no particular order:
1. I will read the recipe all the way through before starting.
2. I will take mise en place seriously. I will actually prepare all of the ingredients before I start cooking.
3. I will not start cleaning up before I am done cooking.
4. I will use the actual oil the recipe calls for, and not just substitute olive oil for everything.
5. I will learn to properly cut things. Brunoise, julienne, oblique, the whole gamut of dices and minces.
What are YOUR cooking resolutions?
French Laundry risotto with whipped cream and truffle oil
Food: The Jello Salad
I know Christmas is over, but I can’t let another holiday end without writing about The Jello Salad. This is the dish at any family gathering that most people hover over with their forks before scraping into the trash, uneaten. Sometimes it is in a lovely mold, with fruit suspended inside, sometimes it is cut into shapes, sometimes it is just sitting in a glass dish. Whatever it is, it’s a relic from the 1950s.
In my family, I’m the only one that likes/eats the jello salad, yet my mom lovingly makes it for me every year. The recipe (below) comes from a local Pittsburgh cookbook, the Three Rivers Cookbook Collection. Thank you, Mary Ellen Whittinger, whoever you are, for creating the recipe for one of my favorite holiday foods/something no one else will ever eat.
By the way, if you’re curious about the Pimento Salad (“really different, also pretty to serve”) on the bottom of the recipe page, the main ingredients are pimento cheese, jello, pineapple, and whipped cream. VOILA!
Frame: Top Ten Christmas Photos
This year I took approximately 1 million photos on Christmas Day. Here are the Top Ten (I’ll spare you the rest), complete with captions. This could also be titled “A Day of Demase Christmas.”
1.
As I wrote about last year, we start each Christmas Day with Mrs. Dodson's coffee cake. Remember when people gave baked goods as gifts? Mrs. Dodson and my mom still do.
2.
Oh, and we also have mimosas with the coffee cake.
3.
Before we tackle the presents under the tree, everyone has cards and stocking stuffers.
4.
Eventually we are buried under wrapping paper.
5.
This is the unofficial symbol of Demase Family Christmas. Many a new gift has been lost in the chasm of Dad's overzealous trash collection.
6.
This year we had two turkeys, which meant I got to prepare one alongside Mom. This is when Moms teach you things like "the neck is in the body cavity, the giblets are in the neck. Take them both out."
7.
Needless to say, the turkeys were good. Even mine.
8.
Feast!
9.
It always seems like we can't stuff in one more bite, but we always manage for Mom's cheesecake.
10.
And finally, when you think you might actually pop - Rum Cake, an Italian tradition.
Clean up is a bitch.
(11. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! VOILA!)
Frame: Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas! May your day be filled with baked goods (not made by me), presents, and Christmas Trees.
Food: Feast of 7 Fishes Bonus – Oysters
A few weeks ago, I had a relaxing lunch at the Vanderbilt Grace in Newport, RI (see above).
Much like lobster and caviar, oysters are one of those foods that just beg for a celebration. I don’t shuck them myself (still recovering from effects of a too-cheap mandolin), which makes them that much more decadent. If you’ve never tried an oyster, make it a point to expand your culinary repertoire with them this holiday season.
Food: Feast of Seven Fishes #7 – Caviar
photo from petrossian.com
Food: Feast of Seven Fishes #6 – Cioppino
This is an easy seafood stew that only requires you to throw a bunch of stuff into a pot – a great time saver when you have to run around rolling bacon around scallops and frying calamari. This stuff is so good I forgot to take a picture.
Cioppino
Few tbsps olive oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 onion, chopped
1 cup white wine
14 oz chicken or fish stock
32 oz crushed tomatoes
½ cup tomato paste
1 tbsp fresh thyme
½ cup parsley, chopped
½ bulb fennel bulb, sliced (or 2 ribs celery, chopped)
1 pound manila clams, scrubbed
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound halibut or cod (or both) cut into 2-inch chunks
Heat oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, and salt and saute until onion is translucent. Add garlic, parsley, thyme and red pepper flakes, and saute a few more minutes. Add wine, simmer for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, stock and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the clams to the soup. Cover and cook until the clams open, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remember to throw out the bay leaf and any clams that do not open. Serve with crusty bread. Voila!
Food: Feast of Seven Fishes #5 – Lobster
Well, it just wouldn’t be a feast without some lobster.
Unfortunately, lobster is a pain to cook, and you don’t get much meat for your trouble. The solution is to buy pre-cooked lobster meat, but that’s rarely edible. Which is why I am ecstatic to have discovered Alive & Kicking Lobsters, a no-frills lobster pound located on Putnam Avenue between Harvard and Central Square. They sell lobster meat, salmon, shellfish, Alive & Kicking branded soda, and have won awards for their lobster sandwich (sandwich, not roll). They even have a few parking spots and a little outdoor seating for warmer weather. The employees sit behind a glass booth – which is a little alarming – but they are extremely nice, especially when you’re buying 3/4lb of lobster tails. This ran me $28, but it was absolutely worth it. The meat was perfectly cooked, had been very well chilled, and all I had to do was chop it for my recipe.
A few notes about what to expect in a lobster: If you cut open the tail to find something red, black, or green- it’s ok, those are eggs or the tomalley. All of these things are a natural part of lobsters, and every website uses the standard “don’t panic” disclaimer that they are “considered a delicacy by many.” Voila!
Lobster Scampi
3/4 lb cooked lobster meat (I prefer tail meat…this is not a cheap dish)
1 stick unsalted butter (…this is also not a particularly healthy dish)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup white wine (chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc)
juice from 1 lemon
4 garlic gloves, minced
2 shallots, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1 cup assorted mushrooms, sliced
1 lb pasta, cooked
Parmesan cheese to top
Saute mushrooms, shallots and garlic in butter until fragrant and tender. Add white wine and lemon juice, reduce over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes. Add cream and parsley, salt to taste. Let simmer for another 5-8 minutes, then remove from heat until your pasta is cooked. Return pan to medium heat, add tomatoes, simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add cooked lobster meat, simmer for 1 minute. Turn off heat. Add cooked pasta, stir. Top with parmesan cheese, if desired. Voila.
Food: Cocoa Cayenne Cupcakes with Sour Cherry Cream Cheese Icing
Last week, The New York Times ran an interesting article on the lost art of potlucks and bake sales- nobody actually bakes for these things anymore, the author lamented. If you’re attending a party with me, that’s good news – no one wants to eat my rock hard cookies. But, the point is well taken – making the time and effort to cook from scratch says a lot more than just grabbing something off of the grocery shelf.
This recipe is for those of us that know our limitations yet still want to contribute, and the great news about these cupcakes is that they’re friendly to most special diet needs – low in fat, gluten free, and can even be vegan. The best news about these cupcakes is that they come from a box, so they are foolproof. (And SB-proof.)
I did make the icing from scratch, recipe below- this would also be fantastic on a regular chocolate cake, or maybe some vanilla poundcake.
Sour Cherry Cream Cheese Icing
1 8 oz package cream cheese
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar, divided into 2 equal portions
2 tbsp sour cherry spread (or just cherry preserves)
Bring cream cheese and butter to room temperature, cream together with a beater. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar, beat until combined. Add cherry spread, beat until combined. Taste, add more powdered sugar to your liking.
Food: Feast of Seven Fishes #4 – Warm Crab Dip with Peppers
This dish helps fulfill my two holiday cooking goals – improving my appetizer prowess and creating my own Feast of Seven Fishes. Be sure to buy lump crab meat, and to drain and dry where noted below. If you were thinking about replacing all of the mayo with Greek yogurt, I would advise against it- too soupy. It’s the holidays, a little extra fat is part of the fun.
Warm Crab Dip with Peppers
8 oz Lump Crab Meat (must be lump), drained and patted dry
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 oz can diced hatch chilis, drained
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup fat free greek yogurt
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients except for crab and parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Fold in crab. Place in oven safe baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Food: Feast of Seven Fishes #3 – Dave’s Mussels
Number three on the Feast of Seven Fishes list: Mussels. Impressive yet not terribly time-consuming, perfect for a holiday party. Dave’s recipe is much better than anything I’ve come up with, so check it out – it even won a seafood cooking competition at Turner Fisheries. Enjoy!
picture from passionatefoodie.blogspot.com
Food: Feast of Seven Fishes #2 – Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
For my second Feast of Seven Fishes dish, I wanted to use scallops while continuing to work on my appetizer pledge. Bacon-wrapped scallops have just two ingredients (guess which two) but they do require a bit of finesse. I don’t like to use toothpicks, so I add an extra pan-frying step to the process.
Bacon-Wrapped Scallops: (serves 4, assumes 2 large scallops (4 pieces) per person)
8 sea scallops (the bigger scallops), cleaned and cut in half
1 package bacon strips, your choice
Preheat oven to 350. Lay bacon on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the oven and let cool slightly. Wrap each 1/2 scallop with 1 piece of bacon. Heat a few tbsps olive oil in a saute pan until hot, then, in batches of 4, add scallops to the pan (seam of bacon side down) and cook for 1 minute on each side. Remove from the pan and place on baking sheet. Once all scallops are seared, put baking sheet in the oven (still at 350) to finish cooking, 3 to 5 minutes. Voila.
Food: Another Baking Triumph
Next up on Extreme Baking Failures: Crate and Barrel Star Tree Cookie Sculpture. Fail.
Food: Feast of Seven Fishes #1 – Fried Calamari
As I understand it, The Feast of Seven Fishes – a meal that consists of seven different types of seafood dishes – originated in Southern Italy as part of the Roman-Catholic tradition to abstain from meat during holy days. Typically, this meal is served on Christmas Eve, because every good Italian knows it is all about food from December 1st to whenever the Christmas Day leftovers hold out. Popular choices include linguine with clam or lobster sauce, salt cod, octopus salad, salt-crusted whole fish, scallops, crab stuffed mushrooms, eel, and fried calamari (see below). This year, I’m going to cook up my own seven fishes over the Christmas season, and hopefully work up to making them all on Christmas Eve some year. Voila!
Fried Calamari
1 lb frozen calamari rings, defrosted (can still be cold, but not hard to the touch)
1 cup flour
salt and pepper
1 lemon
few tbsp chopped Parsley
1 16oz bottle canola oil
Thaw calamari and pat dry. Prepare two plates: one with flour, salt and pepper, another lined with paper towels. Heat oil in deep skillet on high until a drop of water spits on the top. Roll plain calamari in flour mixture, divide in half- you will cook in two batches. Put half into oil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper toweled plate. Cook second batch, drain. Sprinkle with more salt, lemon juice, and parsley. Eat plain or dip in aioli, ketchup, etc. Voila.
The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread 
