Food for Thought 2 - More Thought, Less Food

If you've been paying attention - and I'm SURE you have - you'll notice that since the very day I started this blog, I've kept a list of books that I want to read on my sidebar.

Go ahead and look. I'll wait. For those of you reading in email, you'll have to click through to the actual blog page. Click on the title.

Books have come and gone, read on my own or for book group. But there's one book on that list that's been there since the beginning, Richard Russo's Bridge of Sighs.
I like Richard Russo a lot.
Empire Falls is brilliant.
His latest, That Old Cape Magic, left me feeling like the author really got it. I've thought back on that book several times, remembering how right it felt.

And Russo, is a local guy too, a Mainer.

So I'm not sure what kept me from reading Bridge of Sighs for so long. Could be the 600+ pages. Or the mixed reviews it received in the press.

Whatever it was, I can now take it off the list, because I finished reading it late this afternoon.

Bridge of Sighs is the story of Lucy Lynch, a boy who received the feminine nickname in kindergarten and was never able to shake it. Lucy, as an adult, is writing the story of his life in the small upstate New York town of Thomaston ("coincidentally" the name of a small town in Maine). Thomaston is a claustrophobic, dying place, with strict class distinctions. The local tannery has shut down, leaving not only the employed, but a legacy of cancer as well.

The Lynches, solidly middle class, own a corner store. Dad Lou, an uncomplicated man, just wants to be liked and can't understand when he isn't. Mom, Tessa, is a hard-edged cynic, smart and blunt. Lucy's improbable girlfriend and eventual wife, Sarah, is a gifted artist.

The wild card in the cast of characters is Bobby Marconi, Lucy's reluctant friend, in love with Sarah.
Bobby, now known as Robert Noonan, has become a famous painter, living in Venice. As plans for Lucy and Sarah to visit him many years later unfold, their relationship with him and each other is examined.

I expected Venice to play a bigger part in this novel and was disappointed that it did not. Lucy is fully invested in Thomaston and has no desire to travel elsewhere. Reading his story made me feel trapped in the small town, frustrated and better able to relate to those who did leave. While I enjoyed the writing, I think Bridge of Sighs is just too long with a somewhat disappointing outcome.

As for the food part, as I said, I wish there had been more Venice. I dreamed of making Venetian specialties like risi e bisi (rice and peas) or some vongole (clams).

What I came away with instead is PBR and potato salad. That's because the Lynch's store is as much a character as any individual. They sell lots of beer and cigarettes. A meat counter is added later, where Tessa and Sarah bring their homemade salads.

I'm not providing a recipe for the potato salad. If you need one, I'm sure you'll find many at FoodBlog Search. Or if you have a one you love, let me know.

And if you're not as into books as I am, not to worry.
There's cookie post coming right behind this one.

A Really Nice Chicken

Like the nice brisket, a roast chicken is something that my mother could always make well. Nothing fancy. No particular recipe.
What it lacks in finesse it certainly makes up for in the moistness department. My kids call her version "juicy chicken" because, well...that's what it is

I think her secret ingredient is "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter".
Need I say more?

Yes, I must.
I must say that the roast chicken I made the other day could beat my mom's in any kind of smackdown.
It was a thing of beauty. Plump and flavorful, chicken perfection and yes, juicy.
But in my opinion, the best thing about this roast chicken wasn't even the chicken. It was the bed of vegetables in which that little bird lay.
Caramelized, soft and rich root vegetables. I had to fight my kids for the last of them. I really did.

I found this recipe  at The Amateur Gourmet, another favorite food blog. Adam raved about it so eloquently that I couldn't go another day without trying it. It's from the very popular Ad Hoc at Home
cookbook, by Thomas Keller.

Chef Keller is extremely specific about the size of the vegetables to be used. I'll give his recommendations here, but please know that I didn't follow them exactly. The only rutabagas in my store were the size of volleyballs, so I left them out all together and used parsnips instead.
No harm done.

I urge you to use a really good chicken, not the kind with the built-in timer (but if that's all you have available, don't let it stop you.) I got a good fat one at Whole Foods that was delicious.

I'm not sure if the recipe is more important than the technique or the other way around. Most likely one would be nothing without the other. Either way, follow directions to the best of your ability/desire/level of patience.
Rest assured, you will have a very nice, very special roast chicken when you're done.
I'd arm wrestle anyone for the last of the leeks.

Before cooking...

and after.

 Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
adapted from Ad Hoc Home by Thomas Keller


One 4 - 4 1/2 lb. chicken

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

6 thyme sprigs

2 large leeks

3 tennis ball-sized rutabagas

2 tennis ball-sized turnips

4 medium carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut in half

1 small yellow onion, cut into quarters

8 golf ball-sized red-skinned potatoes (I used Yukon Gold instead)

1/3 cup canola oil

4 Tbsps. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let stand for 1 1/2 to 2 hours before you plan to cook it, or until it comes to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Remove the neck and innards if they are still in the cavity of the chicken. Generously season the cavity with salt and pepper, add three of the garlic cloves and five sprigs of thyme, rubbing it all onto the inside of the chicken, infusing it with the flavors.
Truss the chicken.

Cut off the dark green leaves from the top of the leeks and root end. Trim off and discard tough outer layer, or two. Slit the leeks lengthwise, almost in half and rinse well under warm water.

Cut off both ends of the rutabagas. Stand the rutabagas on end and cut away the skin, working from top to bottom and removing any tough outer layers. Cut into 3/4" wedge.
Do the same with the turnips.

Combine all the vegetables, remaining garlic cloves and thyme sprigs in a roasting pan. Toss with 1/4 cup oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables on bottom of pan, making a little nest in the center for the chicken. Place chicken there, rub remaining oil on it and season generously with salt and pepper.
Cut the butter into 4 or 5 pieces and place over the chicken breast.

Place chicken in oven and roast for 25 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 400 degrees and roast for an additional 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 on an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh. If necessary, continue to roast chicken until done, checking every five minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let it rest 20 minutes.
Just before serving, set the pan of vegetables over medium heat and reheat vegetables, turning and glazing them with pan juices.
Cut chicken into pieces, arrange over vegetables and serve.


Side Dish
Check out the Saturday Blog Showcase at Thibeault's Table. You'll find loads of new food blogs (and recipes) to love.

Giveaway Winner

Sometimes Blogger and I just don't get along.
I try to be nice and polite all most of the time, really I do.
I try to patient, which is not at all easy for me.
And I think I'm a good listener.

But Blogger, why oh why do you continually throw roadblocks in my way, frustrating me to no end?
Please. You think I don't have enough frustration already in my life?

Just let me upload one video to show my dear readers who won the giveaway.
Is that too much to ask?

Apparently it is. I have tried five times.
So, no video of my daughter randomly choosing a name and reading it aloud.
You'll have to trust me.

The winner of the Mignardise apron is Diane at 2 Stews.
Diane - send me your address and I'll get it in the mail to you asap.

Thanks to everyone for playing!

Now if I could just get Blogger to play nice too.

Food for Thought

Truly one of the best things about blogging is making new friends.
Friends whom you might never even meet.

One of the first bloggers who befriended me is Jain at Once In a Blue Moon. There's something about her blog that caught my interest. It could be her gorgeous photos of her dreamy California property. It might be her funny, exasperating stories of her many pets, including some of the cutest dogs ever. It was definitely her words of encouragement to me, who she didn't even know, when I was getting started.

Jain loves to read and cook.
I love to read and cook. We pass book recommendations back and forth.
Then Jain had a great idea she calls "Food for Thought".
You read a book, any book you like.
While reading, think about any food involved and how it might look.
Make up a little vignette using the food, the story and anything else you think would add interest.
Take lots of pictures.
Post them on her blog.
For  examples and how-to's, click here.

Lately my book group has chosen books that I've read earlier this year.
So I used my "unassigned" reading time to catch up on some others that have been sitting on my nightstand for who knows how long.
I dug through the pile and found  Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser. I used to enjoy her column in the Sunday New York Times magazine. She wrote about her courtship with a man she referred to as Mr. Latte, because that's what he ordered after their first dinner together.
Not breakfast. Dinner.

If you are reading food blogs, I'm sure you know that this is simply NOT DONE. Lattes and cappuccinos, loaded with milk as they are,  are for breakfast. And breakfast only.
Amanda, as a card-carrying member of NY Foodie-ville and an actual food writer with a steady job, was horrified.

The rest of the book describes her attempt to gently show him, and get him to enjoy, the same food that she loves. Intertwined with the storytelling, there are numerous recipes for fancy French dishes, family favorites, some wonderful pastas and salads.
I've bookmarked many of them.

 And I did try two of the recipes - a soup and an almond cake. To be honest, neither came out very well.
The soup was dull. The almond, while extremely tasty, looks like wreckage from the Titanic - completely sunken. Could be my fault entirely.

Oh well.
The stories Amanda Hesser tells are nourishing enough.

A Nice Brisket - and a 100th Post Giveaway

My mother is not much of a cook.
I think she owns 2 cookbooks, one certainly published by the temple sisterhood, circa 1970. The other was probably a gift. I don't recall her ever using either.
Sorry kids, there is no undiscovered trove of Grandma's recipes or words of kitchen wisdom to pass down to the next generation.

She can make a very good noodle pudding and an excellent roasted chicken. But no gravy - that was (and still is) beyond her capabilities.


She had a small repertoire of "specialties" that included roast beef, steak, american chop suey and a "nice brisket". I'm not sure why she called it that. Would she ever serve a not-so-nice brisket?

The brisket was quite good, if you like brisket. It never really excited me. The potatoes were better.

But recently, I needed to make a sort of Hanukkah meal and the first thing I thought of was brisket. I prefer spaghetti and meatballs, but that just doesn't say "festival of lights" to me.

I did not turn to Mom for the recipe, because I doubt there is one.
I turned to these two lovely ladies, the Brass sisters,  Marilynn and Sheila.

Their cookbook, Heirloom Cooking, is like having your great-grandmother's recipe box close at hand. If your great-grandma was worldly and an excellent cook. The book is filled with recipes from various cultures and eras, like Crispy Norwegian Potatoes and Shrimp Creole. They were culled from handwritten, genuine passed-down-through-the-family recipes.
Just not my family.

Believe me, the Brass sisters know from a nice brisket.

The gravy is to die for, and I rarely say that about anything that isn't chocolate.
 And it cooks for a long, long time, making your house smell wonderful, especially on a snowy day. I served it with roast potatoes and our favorite Brussels sprouts.
The Brass sisters recommend making this a day ahead and reheating it.

Brisket
adapted from Heirloom Cooking with the Brass Sisters


4-5 lb. beef brisket

1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tsps. paprika

2 tsps. coarse salt

1 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

2 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/2 cups chopped onion

2 cups chopped carrots

2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 1/2 cups red wine

3/4 cup apricot jam

1/4 cup ginger jam (in most grocery stores)

1/2 cup ketchup

3 Tbsps. tomato paste

1/2 tsp. hot chilies, finely chopped

1 tsp. prepared mustard (like Dijon)

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line a large roasting pan with foil and coat with vegetable spray.

Rinse brisket under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place brisket in prepared pan, lean side up.


Combine brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub half of mixture over the top of brisket. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and flip brisket so the fatty side is up. Spread remaining seasoning mixture on this side (use the back of a tablespoon). Return to oven and bake another 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot, then cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until needed.

Whisk beef stock, wine, apricot jam, ginger jam, ketchup, tomato paste, chilies and mustard in a large bowl until well blended.

Remove brisket from oven. Pour stock mixture into pan, lifting up the brisket to make sure liquid flows beneath it. Scatter about half the cooked onions and carrots on bottom of pan, and set brisket on top. Spread remaining vegetables and garlic on top of brisket.
Cover pan tightly with foil and reduce heat to 325. Return pan to oven, and bake until fork tender, about 4 hours.

Carefully remove pan from oven. Transfer brisket to platter and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Pour braising liquid into a large clean bowl with a strainer set over it, to catch the onions and carrots. Place onions and carrots into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse several times to puree. Add pureed vegetables back into braising liquid and whisk to blend thoroughly. Store cooled gravy in a covered container in the refrigerator.

When brisket has cooled, cover with foil and refrigerate.
When ready to serve (next day), heat oven to 350. Remove brisket from fridge 1/2 hour before reheating.
Pour about 1 cup of gravy over meat, cover, and reheat for about 40 minutes. Reheat gravy in saucepan over low heat.
Slice against the grain and serve with gravy.


My 100th post!
Wow.
In honor of this milestone, I'm giving away another custom-made Mignardise apron.

If you want it to be yours, just leave me a comment on this post. I'll have my trusty assistant draw a name at random.
True, it's a bribe to get more comments. Totally worth it.

Ten Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2010

10. Ice Skating

I used to love to ice skate when I was younger. Today I went to LL Bean, my local department store, and bought myself a new pair of skates. I am planning to use them this afternoon at the neighbor's pond. If all this doesn't scream "New Year's in New England",  I don't know what does.

9. Baking bread

I have always been afraid of making anything with yeast. I plan to conquer that fear this year using the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Supposedly it's fail-proof.

We'll see.

8. Attending the BlogHer Conference in August
I went to a mini-conference in Boston about a year and a half ago and it gave me the kick in the pants I needed to start Mignardise. This one will be in New York. I'm very excited to meet other food bloggers, and put faces to names. Who's in?

7.Working with Mainelovesfood.com

I've been writing a monthly column for this fun, new website. I like that they give me free rein. And that they link back to Mignardise. Thanks for the opportunity, Gail. Let's do some more.

6. Gaining readership and getting to know you
Hey, I'm talking to you! I love my readers more than words can say, but I really want more of them. Greedy, I know. Can I please get 200 subscribers by mid-year? Please?
Forward Mignardise to a friend or two.
Become a follower - I will not lead you astray!
Leave a comment. Please!  I live for comments. They make my day.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

5. Eating Out More
There are so many truly wonderful and exciting restaurants in Portland. I'd like to be able to say I know them well, but I don't. I don't get out much, due to my family's schedules  other commitments.
I hope to change that this year and try some new dining spots. As well as some that have been around for awhile, some how thriving without me.

4. Vacation at the Ranch
When the February chill gets us down, we like to vacation at Tanque Verde Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. It's a great time for the whole family. I particularly enjoy hiking, the lunch time dessert buffet and the prickly pear margaritas. And the sun feels so good.

3.  Celebrating a big birthday

Sure, if I keep telling myself I'm looking forward to turning 50, then maybe I will be.

 Or maybe not.

Either way, it's coming. I plan on getting together with college girlfriends whom I haven't seen in years. I also plan on having my husband do something wonderful for me (bike trip? cooking school? both? love you honey!).

2. Summer
Last summer was a washout here in Maine. I'm anticipating big time payback in 2010. Warm sunny days, cool starry nights and lots of entertaining on my back deck. And of course Clam Fest! Let me know if you'll be in the area. I'll treat you to a lobster roll.

1. More blogging!
I look forward to filling this space with worthwhile reading and recipes for you. I hope to post more often too. I'm looking forward to improving my photography.
Oh and did I mention I'm hoping to get more readers?

A very happy new year to all my friends, old and new. Thanks a million for your support, comments and compliments.
Wishing you much deliciousness in 2010.