Those Coy Beans

Usually, when I make beans I throw a ham hock, a jalapeno, some garlic and onion, and maybe then stems from a bunch of cilantro into a pot with beans and water and let time do the rest of the work. A few hours later, they're done. Easy. So easy, in fact, that I have been absolutely blind to any other recipe for ages. "Uck," I'll think. "That looks like more work than it's probably worth." Then, I recieved Tacos, by Mark Miller, as a birthday present. In it, there is a recipe called Charro Beans with Blackened Tomatoes. When I first saw it, I thought, "What's a blackened tomato?". Looking more closely, I wondered, "Wheres the meat?" If you can't tell from other recipes, I am definitely one who is guiltly of planning my meals around protein. Period.

However, I live in Seattle, where dinner invitations are often accepted with codicils from those who specify food allergies ranging from dairy to strawberries but also often include food sensitivities (a food allergy that cannot be proven by immunological tests), the occasional vegetarian who still eats seafood and bacon, and my friends who don't eat pork that's overtly in a dish (aka bacon) but otherwise have a don't ask don't tell policy. So, when my friend Traci (who falls into the gluten sensitive category) agreed to come to dinner, I immediately thought of Tacos. Excepting flour tortillas, which often lands one in huge debates over whether flour or corn is better, much like people arguing over whether green or purple is a better color, tacos can be made easily without gluten. Even better, these beans can be made either as a taco all their own (giving one a flavorful vegetarian option) or as a side dish.

CHARRO BEANS WITH BLACKENED TOMATOES
as adapated from Tacos by Mark Miller

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over for rocks
3 whole cloves garlic
1 onion, halved
8 cups water
1/8 c. olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
2 jalapenos
1 lb. tomatoes
1 tbls. chipotlee puree (buy a can of chipotles in adobo and puree in food processor; the excess will last for up to 1 month in a container in refrigerator)
1 tbls. tomato paste
1 tsp. smoked salt* (optional)
1/2 tsp. dried mexican oregano
1/8 c  chopped fresh cilantro
16 - 5 1/2 corn tortillas

DIRECTIONS

1.  To cook the beans: in a large pot (at least 6 qt.), simmer the beans, 3 whole cloves of garlic, 1/2 of the onion and water over medium-low heat,  partially covered, for around 3 hours, or until the beans are almost falling apart. Add water as needed. After the beans are cooked, drain the bean liquid into a sauce pan and return the beans to the pot (turn heat off under beans). Reduce the bean liquid by half, around 10 minutes on high, and reserve.
2.  Place oven rack on the highest shelf. Set broiler to high. While the broiler is coming to temperature, remove any green stems from tomatoes. Then place tomatoes and jalapenos in a heavy, oven-proof pan (ideally, a cast iron skillet). Then, place pan into oven. Broil tomatoes and jalapenos for around 12 minutes on each side, so that both sides are black and blistered. Remove from oven and roughly chop.
3. Turn heat under beans to medium, and add chiles, tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle puree, smoked salt, oregano, cilantro and thickened bean liquid.
4.  Then, cut the remaining 1/2 onion into a fine dice. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and saute the diced onion until it begins to caramelize, around 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Then, remove from heat and add the onion and garlic to the bean mixture.
5. Allow bean mixture to cook for 20 minutes. Then, serve or turn heat to low until ready to serve.
   To serve, I like to let people make their own tacos. So, I place the beans on the table, along side toasted tortillas (toast either in a skillet or over a gas flame) and salsa.

Dungeness Crab & Cheddar Souffle

 And now, for the star of the show!

I know, I know, souffles are not the stars of the beauty pageant. Especially these days, when we're used to receiving plates who composition was created with the aid of tool from squirt bottles to surgical tweezers.  Still, there is a reason making a good souffle is something to be proud of. Because of this, they still sneak into far more evolved menus as specials and dessert options whose exclusivity as something requiring extra preparation heightens its otherwise lackluster allure. Thus, behold the best souffle that I have ever made! Yes, I should probably not admit that, but I don't care. It's true. My previous attempts either fell a bit flat or tasted odd, especially when it came to cheese.  The former was probably due to a lack of cream of tartar, which, barring the presence of copper, is the miracle drug for egg whites (if you see a recipe using whipped eggs that doesn't specify it, add some anyway), and the latter had more to do with rather dried out blue cheeses of various types.

This lovely happenstance you see before you came about because dungeness crab is in season in Seattle and is currently cheaper than steak. Along with a loaf of bread and some bananas, I came upon crab for around $5 per pound.  How could I say no? Usually, my excitement over dungeness crab is so high that I cannot be bothered to do much more than create a butter sauce of some sort to dip it in. There is still nothing wrong with this approach, but I was quite taken with the idea of a crab dish I made a few months earlier. Featured in the 1970's Joy of Cooking, you essentially make a mornay sauce, throw in a little dry sherry, fold the crab and broil just until the top is brown. When I made this a few months ago, it was excellent, but a bit too rich.  So, I thought that a souffle might be just the thing.  The problem was that I couldn't find any recipes for dungeness crab souffle that looked very good. For instance, the top example listed in Google search featured margarine. My feeling about margarine is that if you want to substitute it, that's your business, but no one puts it in actual recipes these days. (Sorry margarine lovers.)

Fortunately, I redoubled my efforts and focused on finding an excellent cheese souffle recipe.  Epicurious had an well-reviewed example featuring Gruyere and Parmesan. Using the template of the recipe and drastically changing the flavor profile, I substituted Tilamook (I LOVE Tilamook cheese) sharp cheddar for the Gruyere and went from there.  Suffice to say, not only was the end result marvelously brown and puffed, but my husband I couldn't stop eating it!

Dungeness Crab & Cheddar Souffle with Bourbon & Thyme

Ingredients:

2 tbls grated Parmesan cheese + 1/4 c

1/4 c butter (1/2 stick)

5 tbls all purpose flour

pinch smoked paprika

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 3/4 c whole milk

1/4 c bourbon

6 large egg yolks

a pinch of kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup freshly-grated, sharp cheddar cheese, packed

1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

the meat of 1 - 1 1/2 lb. cooked dungeness crab (or roughly 6 oz. lump crab meat)

8 egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Procedure:

1. Pick crab meat over to make sure that all pieces of shell or cartilage have been removed.

2. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F.

3. Generously butter one 10-cup soufflé dish or six 1 1/4-cup soufflé dishes; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to coat. After doing so, place the souffle dish into the freezer.

4. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, smoked paprika, nutmeg and dry mustard. Cook without browning until mixture begins to bubble, whisking constantly (I use a gravy whisk, instead of a balloon whisk), about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, then the bourbon. Cook until smooth, thick and beginning to boil, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes.

5. Remove from pan from heat, and add salt, pepper and thyme. Mix yolks with a fork in a small bowl and add to sauce. Then, whisk quickly to blend. After that, fold in the cheddar and Parmesan cheese (the cheeses do not need to melt). Following that, fold in (with a heat-proof rubber spatula) the crab meat; do so gently, trying not to tear apart the lumps of crab meat.

6. Remove prepared souffle dish from freezer.

7.  Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into lukewarm soufflé base to lighten. Fold in remaining whites. Transfer soufflé mixture to prepared dish.

8. Place soufflé on top of jelly roll pan (to catch any drips) and into oven; reduce heat to 375°F. Bake soufflé until puffed, golden and gently set in center, about 1 hour for large soufflé (or 30 minutes for small soufflés).

9. Using oven mitts, transfer soufflé to a trivet, or, if using small souffle dishes, onto salad or dessert plates, and serve.

Along with a green salad, this makes an excellent dinner or lunch, and would make a decadent brunch, requiring much in the way of mimosas.

For wine options, pair with a dry Gewurztraminer or dry sparkling wine.

Baked Stuffed Ziti Bolognese aka Creamy Pasta Goodness

Recently, this has become one of my favorite pasta recipes. Whether eaten on a cold, rainy night, served during a large dinner party, or given to a sick friend, it is both comforting and decadent. Also included is the recipe for Bolognese sauce. Although not usually used for baked ziti, I find it completely irresistible. When I make this dish, I usually double the sauce recipe so that I have extra to either eat that week over simple pasta, or freeze for future use.

The best way to go about making the recipe is to make the sauce, boil the water while the sauce is being made, and to then throw the whole thing together. All in all, the recipe itself is not difficult, but is somewhat time-consuming. As a result, if you wish to use it for a dinner party, it is usually easier to either make it during the weekend or the day before. Yet, no matter when you make it, your guests are sure to love it!

The recipe is adapted from a cookbook called The North End Italian Cookbook by Marguerite DiMino Buonopane. According to the cookbook description of the author, she went from being an active home cook and mother to teaching cooking classes in her local neighborhood in the North End of Boston. Her cuisine is largely Sicilian and heavily portioned. My dad, who grew up around New York and New Jersey is thrilled whenever I make one of her recipes. Somehow, those who grew up on the East Coast seem to have the same relationship to Italian American food that Seattleites do to Teriyaki or Los Angelenos do to fish tacos. As for Marguerite's recipes, they're all wonderful! If you come across a copy of her cookbook, buy it. For the recipes below, I have altered her quantities and seasonings to suit my own tastes.

Although the picture shows the ziti in a four-quart souffle dish, the quantities listed are enough for a 9x13" pan or two square 9x9" pans. If you are wish to take your creamy pasta goodness on the road, consider taking it in either a pan that you don't mind the loss of (check out your local thrift store for 9x13" Pyrex baker or cake pans) or spend a few dollars at the supermarket on an aluminum lasagna pan. This recipie is also wonderful to make ahead of time and simply pop into the the over. Serve with a nice chianti or zinfandel and a caesar salad and you have a delicious meal! For a more extensive dinner party, just buy some prosciutto, salami, roasted peppers, olive and marinated olives to serve as an antipasto appetizer. Then, serve coffee and Marsala with cannoli or cheese cake for a lovely ending.

Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tbls. olive oil

1 tsp. whole anise seeds

1 tbls. red chili pepper flakes

1/2 lb. loose mild Italian pork sausage (if you cannot find loose sausage, but whole and remove the casings)

1/2 lb. lean ground beef (if the ground beef is not lean, cook first, drain of fat and then add back into the cooked sausage meat)

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 onion, diced

1 tbls. dried basil

1 tbls. dried oregano

6 oz. tomato paste

1 cup. dry white wine or dry vermouth

28 oz. tomato puree or whole, peeled roma tomatoes

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3/4 c. heavy cream

1. Heat olive oil on high heat until hot, but not smoking, in large, heavy saute pan or cast iron dutch oven. Then, add anise and chili pepper flakes and allow to cook for around one minute, just until fragrant.

2. Add ground beef and sausage and stir to incorporate chili flakes and anise seeds. Then, stir mixture frequently, until all of the meat is lightly browned.

3. When meat is lightly browned, add onion and allow to cook until it becomes slightly translucent. Drop heat to medium-high. Then, add garlic and allow to for around 3 minutes, until fragrant.

4. Then, add tomato paste, basil and oregano, and stir into meat and onion mixture so that large chunks of tomato paste do no appear. Allow to cook for ten minutes, stirring after five minutes.

5. Add wine or vermouth, stir to incorporate into mixture and allow to cook for five minutes. Then add tomatoes or tomato puree and allow to heat until mixture is bubbly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Lower heat to medium and allow mixture to cook for 15 minutes, stirring often.

7. Add cream, stir and simmer a few minutes, until sauce is creamy. Then, switch temperature to low. Stir occasionally until you wish to use the sauce.

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Baked Stuffed Ziti Bolognese

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Serves approximately 8 people generously

Ingredients:

1 lb. penne (aka ziti) or any large macaroni

1 - recipe bolognese sauce

2 lbs. - part skim ricotta cheese

8 oz. grated whole milk mozzarella + 4 oz. sliced mozzarella for topping

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese + more for topping

2 - large eggs

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

fresh basil leaves for topping (at least two large stems of basil leaves)

Special Equipment and Instructions:

9x13" Pan

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

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Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain well and turn into large bowl. You may add a ladleful of sauce to keep the pasta from sticking together, or you may simply take apart any chunks of pasta that have stuck together right before incorporating the cheese mixture.

2. Mix eggs, salt and pepper with a fork until the whole is creamy in texture and lemon-colored.

3. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, combine the egg mixture with the ricotta, Parmesan and grated mozzarella. Add to the cooked, warm pasta and mix until the cheese mixture is evenly distributed.

4. Thickly spread a layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9x13" pan (this should use roughly half of the sauce recipe). Top with the pasta and cheese mixture. Using your wooden spoon or spatula, spread the mixture evenly over the pan.

5. Thickly spread the sauce over the top of the pasta mixture. Then, sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. After that, lay mozzarella slices and basil leaves atop pasta.

6. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven on the middle rack for 25 minutes. Allow to rest roughly 20 minutes before serving.