Sometimes the most fun can be unplanned, and so it was on a recent night spent with Rosanne and Gary Zarrilli. Read about our impromptu get together under “Dining with Friends”

We couldn’t remember the last time we had made a ham, which tells you something right there! But an article in the April-May 2014 issue of Fine Cooking piqued our interest. Take a look at the tasty recipe under Braising Bonanza…

While thumbing through my AARP magazine (keep your comments to yourself), I came across an article “It’s Not About the Meat,” in which Molly Katzen was highlighted and this got my attention because I knew she was the author of the infamous Moosewood Cookbook. Included in the story was a recipe for Kimchi Stew, making it a perfect fit for our Meatless Mondays.

Gratifyingly thin slippery noodles, firm tofu, ever-so-slightly crunchy cabbage, earthy mushrooms, and hot and sour kimchi make this a sensuous, even mysterious “texture-fest.” It stores and reheats well, adding an always-welcome convenience factor. (Therefore good for lunches in the following days.)

Commonly and inexpensively available in most Asian grocery stores are bean thread, aka “cellophane,” noodles. They are a great convenience for a weekday meal because they cook up quickly. You will find there are numerous types of kimchi. Some are hotter—also some are sweeter—than others; with flavor characteristics usually indicated on the label. Taste around to discover your preferred brand. Not surprisingly, I like the hot kind. Take heed when opening the jar because it is fermented (and still active) and it’s a lot like opening a bottle of beer or champagne, creating its own little celebration. In other words, do this over the sink.

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 ounces uncooked bean thread noodles
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil (roasted or plain) – or grapeseed oil
• 4 cups chopped onion
• 3/4 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 8 ounces very firm tofu, cut into thin strips
• 1 teaspoon salt (possibly more)
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, stemmed if necessary and quartered
• ½ pound savoy (aka Napa) cabbage, in thin strips (4 cups)
• 1 jar kimchi (14 ounces) – all contents

Directions:

1. Cook the noodles in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and rinse them in cold running water. Set them aside in a container of cold water until ready to use. (This keeps them separate.)
2. Place a soup pot, large saucepan, or Dutch oven over medium heat and wait about a minute. Add the oil, swirl to coat the pan, and then add the onion, shiitakes, tofu, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Keep heat to medium or slightly stronger, as you stir and cook the mixture for about 5 minutes (until the onions begin to soften.) Stir in the domestic mushrooms and another ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add the cabbage and another ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir from the bottom to bring up the cooked vegetables as you incorporate the cabbage. When it looks well blended, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to medium-low, and let it stew for about 10 minutes, adding another ¼ teaspoon salt after the first 5 minutes or so.
4. Add the kimchi with all its liquid, possibly going in with scissors to cut any too-large pieces smaller (whatever is “bite-sized” to you. It’s also okay to leave them large.) Stir to blend, then thoroughly drain and add the noodles, stirring them in with a fork. No need to cook further at this point. Taste for salt  – it might want just a touch more.
5. Serve hot or warm, with any of the optional toppings.
   (I bet you can guess what I chose!)

Optional Toppings:

Torn cilantro leaves
A drizzle of Chinese toasted sesame oil or roasted peanut oil
A few drops of seasoned rice vinegar
Sriracha or chili oil – or another chili sauce
Red pepper flakes
Chopped, toasted peanuts or cashews
Steamed edamame (green soy beans) – really pretty on top!
Cooked green beans (thin ones- or cut lengthwise)
Strips of omelet

In the end, we both added three toppings: Sriracha sauce, roasted peanuts and fresh cilantro.

It was our pleasure to reconnect with long-ago boating friends Renee and Bob Ryczynski. We reminisced about the wild and crazy times we had boating on the Delaware and our trips down to the Chesapeake. Read more on my blog Reconnecting with Friends.

Mamita’s Restaurante Latino is a new latin-themed, Bring Your Own (BYO) restaurant in Newtown that re-imagines traditional latin fare with a fusion of unique tastes that will delight the palate.  Complementing a fresh menu that is updated regularly with seasonal specials, is an assortment of home-made drink mixes featuring pear, papaya, mango, blueberry, and other seasonal fruits that go well with Tequila.  That’s why at Mamita’s, they don’t say BYOB, they say BYOT where the “T” stands for Tequila!

A recent newcomer on the scene in Newtown, PA, we have frequented Mamitas on numerous occasions over the past year. And with each visit, our menu choices have been terrific! During our latest reservation, Russ thoroughly enjoyed his Steak Enchiladas al Molé while Lynn chose the delicious Pollo Borracho (and of course brought home a doggie bag for leftovers the following morning.)

From their website: When you visit Mamita’s you will experience Chef Argueta’s love of cooking, attention to detail and his commitment to delivering a memorable dining experience. Francisco’s desire to create his own fabulous dishes with his own flavors and quality ingredients motivated him to open his first restaurant – Florentino’s (in honor of his father). Florentino’s became a quick success with its unique Northern Italian inspired dishes. Francisco then found a stunning location on the river in Washington Crossing to provide guests with another opportunity to savor their favorite meals while enjoying a beautiful view at Francisco’s On The River.

It has been our pleasure to dine at all three of his restaurants with some regularity. I’ll be blogging about the other two in the future…

Soft braised cabbage meets triple-cream French cheese in this recipe adapted from our go-to cookbook, Molly Stevens’s All About Braising. It’s pure decadence, and perfect along side some roast pork or chicken during these cold winter months. Savoy cabbage, by comparison to other cabbages, is milder and sweeter, making it not only a good fit in salads, but also a much preferred alternative in just about any recipe that includes cabbage.

Take a ration of soft, creamy, pungent cheese – Molly Stevens calls for Saint-Marcellin, (and that’s what we used — it comes in a tiny little terra cotta clay crock) – and cut it into bits and nubs, which you then scatter over the top of the dish of meltingly tender cabbage. Next, return said cabbage to the oven for another ten minutes, just long enough to melt the cheese and make the kitchen smell outrageously savory and complex.

Savoy Cabbage Gratin with Saint-Marcellin

• 3 T. butter
• 1 head savoy cabbage (about 1 1/2 lbs), quartered, cored, and sliced into 1/2 inch wide shreds
• 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, sliced into 1/2 inch-wide pieces
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/4 c. chicken stock
• 1 ripe Saint-Marcellin cheese (about 3 oz) (substitute a good triple-cream cheese such as Brillat-Savarin, Saint Andre, Explorateur, etc)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a large gratin dish.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the cabbage and scallions, season with salt and pepper, and saute, stirring ofen until the cabbage is just beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes.  Pour in the stock, bring to a steady simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan, and cook for about 2 mintues.

Scrape the cabbage mixture and all its juices into the gratin dish.  Cover tightly with foil then place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil and contine to cook until the liquid is mostly evaporated, another 20 minutes or so.

Cut or tear the cheese into small lumps and scatter across the gratin.  Increase oven temperature to 375 and cook until the cheese is thoroughly melted, about 10 minutes.  Serve hot or warm as a first course, side dish, or on its own as a light supper.  Enjoy!

What is savoy cabbage?  Let’s start with the appearance. Savoy cabbage has a very distinctive look. The highly contrasting shades of green, combined with the the deeply crinkled texture of the leaves, make savoy cabbages very appealing to the eye. Some may look at these rough looking leaves and assume that they are tough and hard, even more so than the common, green cabbage that most people are used to, but they would be wrong.

It goes to figure, the day I post my blog on soul-satisfying, hearty soups, the temps outside are near 60 degrees! And we have been experiencing one of the most excruciating winters in a long time what with the polar vortex, two snow storms per week, pot holes the size of small vehicles, and this morning, heavy fog… Oh well, the weather people say it will be short-lived and we’ll be back into the freezing temps in a few short days. So don’t get your knickers in a knot, make yourself some homemade soup… and relax… Check out some recipes in my new blog on “Soups”

In contrast to the lime, it is the leaf of the tree, and not its fruit that is prized by cooks for the distinctive lime-lemon aroma and flavor in making Thai dishes. The fragrance and essence of the kaffir lime leaf is incomparable. Due to their special and irreplaceable flavor, it is so important that when following a Thai recipe you should take the time to find the real mccoy. Read all about them on my latest blog under “Bits N Pieces.”

In the spirit of Spring cleaning (wishful thinking here), I decided to do a bit of Blog rearranging. Under a new page category “Bits N Pieces” I filed some earlier blogs on guacamole, winter squash pasta, and grilled paella; while also including a new blog on “Chili Beef Stir Fry.”
And there’s another addition to the “Dining with Friends” column about a local go-to Italian restaurant “Piccolo Trattoria.” I hope you enjoy them all!

Russ Hartman, Barb Walsh and Brad Collins patiently waiting for their pizza orders.

History is rife with the human pursuit of aphrodisiacs in many forms. Scientific tests have proven that some aromas can cause a greater effect on the body than the actual ingestion of foods.

Consider these options:

Champagne: viewed as the “drink of love,” moderate quantities lower inhibitions and cause a warm glow in the body. (gotta love those bubbles!)

Chocolate: contains both a sedative which relaxes and lowers inhibitions and a stimulant to increase activity and the desire for physical contact. It was actually banned from some monasteries centuries ago. (hmmm, why just monasteries!?)

Figs: seasonal crops were celebrated by ancient Greeks in a frenzied copulation ritual. (might not want to serve figs at your next house party 😉 )

Oysters: Some oysters repeatedly change their sex from male to female and back, giving rise to claims that the oyster lets one experience the masculine and feminine sides of love. (Androgyny anyone?)

Truffles: probably due to its rarity and musky aroma, it has long been considered to arouse the palate and the body. To sustain his masculinity, an ancient lover in lore was said to have gorged himself to death on Alba truffles during the wedding feast. (typical male behavior 😉 )

Banana: due not only to its shape, but also its creamy, lush texture, some studies show its enzyme bromelain enhances male performance. (no comment…)

So enjoy your Valentine dinner!

Today, during our eighth (or is ninth??) winter snow storm of the season, it reminds me of our most recent ethnic dining experience at the Noord Eet Cafe because there was 8″ of snow in Philly the day prior to our reservation. But let me tell you, it was well worth it! Check out the blog under “The Ethic Dining Group” … it may prompt you to get into the kitchen while snow bound…

By now you are aware that I tend to gravitate toward spicy foods. In highlighting this “Sweet and Tangy Retro Meatballs” appetizer, it’s like taking a trip in the way-back machine because I vaguely remember this being popular back in, dare I say, the 70’s! We recently came across it while on our iPad researching an appetizer to bring to a New Year’s Eve party. It was listed in the Seattle Times online newspaper from a fellow named Robert Levine of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (my home state!) Although it was titled “Grape Jelly/Chili Sauce Meatballs,” I prefer my title…

I tweaked the recipe a touch to reduce the amount of grape jelly resulting in a spicier sauce. So if you prefer them a little sweeter, adjust the jelly and chili sauce accordingly. Whisk the ingredients well on a low simmer while you prepare and cook the meatballs. If you will be transporting them to a party, throw it all into a crockpot… just make sure there is an outlet available when you get there. This appetizer holds up fabulously well for hours in the crockpot on low heat.

I usually double the amounts, depending on the size of party.

Sauce:
12 oz. (1 bottle) Heinz Chili Sauce
16 oz. grape jelly

Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef (we use meatloaf mix)
1/2 dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine chili sauce and grape jelly in a pot over medium-low heat until melted and well combined, about 15-20 minutes. Stir often with whisk.
3. Combine meat, breadcrumbs, ketchup, beaten egg, onion, salt and pepper in large bowl.
4. Form into meatballs, 1 inch in diameter. Place on rimmed baking sheet.
5. Cook in oven for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Add to crockpot or other serving vessel, pour sauce over meatballs and serve.

And if there are leftovers that you won’t be using for a while, just freeze them in an airtight ziploc.

I came across another version by Emeril Lagasse in which he uses Worcestershire sauce, grated parmesan and minced garlic in the meatball mix, with ketchup (instead of chili sauce) and a squirt of sriracha in the grape jelly. He cooks them in a heavy skillet, turning until brown on all sides. He then pours the sauce over the meat and cooks for an additional 20 minutes in a 350 oven. I find it much easier to cook in the oven from the start, with no need to turn the meatballs (unless you feel you should because your oven cooks unevenly.)

Let me know how you tweaked your meatballs 🙂
Start planning that retro party now!

As reported on NBCNews Health in August 2013, a new study presented recently at the 2013 Institute of Food Technologists annual meeting suggests there’s a correlation between preferences for spicy food and risk-taking personalities. (hmmmm, should I be worried here?) A continuation to my Savory Side of Life blog…

I truly crave spicy food, do you? Here are just a few recipes from an enormous library of savory dishes. Read about it my blog “The Savory Side of Life” and try one of them soon…