The truth about butter...

This post may upset cooks who have made the switch to more heart-healthy oils and fats for cooking but I just can't support the use of chemically formulated, processed oils and spreads in cooking. It just isn't the same. Butter adds the flavor, depth, and satiety that we as humans look for in good food. When we eat good food we experience something beyond just sustenance. Meals should be an adventure for your taste buds and soothe the soul. I'm not interested in eating something created to cheat my senses. Food like that leaves me hollow. The truth is: I need butter.

Crispy Pizza Dough from Epicurious.com (Easy)

I tried this pizza recipe over the weekend. Great for thin crust pizza that is also crispy.

• 3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
• 1 envelope active dry yeast

• 2 cups (or more) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; process until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. KNEAD dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. PUNCH down dough. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. ROLL out dough according to recipe instructions. (Start in center of dough, working outward toward edges but not rolling over them.)

Cuban Bread

This recipe comes from the New York Times Cookbook written by Craig Claiborne who wrote "This was one of the most popular breads among students at the late James Beard's cooking school in New York."

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
1 and 1/4 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 to 7 cups flour

Preparation:

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water and add the salt and sugar, stirring thoroughly.

2. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, beating it in with a wooden spoon or use the dough hook on an electric mixer at a low speed. Add enough flour to make a fairly stiff dough.

3. When the dough is completely mixed, shape it into a ball, place in a greased bowl and grease the top. Cover with a towel and let stand in a warm place (80 - 85 degrees F) until doubled in bulk, about 1 - 2 hours.

4. Turn the dough out ( this means basically you dump the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface in preparation for kneading) onto a lightly floured board and shape into 2 long, French-style loaves or round, Italian-style loaves. Arrange on a baking sheet heavily sprinkled with cornmeal and allow to rise 5 minutes.

5. Slash the tops of the loaves with in 2 or 3 places with a knife or scissors. Brush the loaves with water and place them in a cold oven. Set oven control at 400-degreesF and place a pan of boiling water on the bottom of the oven. Bake the loaves until they are crusty and done, 40 - 45 minutes. (I once forgot and pre-heated the oven to 400-degrees. The bread still came out perfectly.)

I love this bread's flavor and the quick rise makes it a quick one to prepare for dinner.

Smokey Pinto Bean Soup w/ Bacon & Chipotle

This recipe has evolved into one of my all-time favorites. It is everything a soup should be. It has flavor, depth, is hearty, and perfect for a cold day. Serve it with Cuban Bread - recipe to follow in separate post.

Ingredients:
1 lb. dry pinto beans
Enough water to cover beans (roughly 10-12 cups)
2 tsp. salt
1 large can of chicken stock (32 oz.)
1 large onion
1 medium shallot (gives it a bit of garlic flavor without overpowering the dish. still good without it)
1/2 smoked dried chipotle pepper (this is actually nothing more than a smoked Jalepeno)
1 lb rind-on bacon (rind-off is okay too because it is the rendered fat we want)
Cilantro or green onion for garnish (optional)

Preparation:
Rinse/sort beans. Soak overnight or use the quick cook method (combine salt w/ beans and bring to a boil for 2 minutes then soak, covered, 1 hour)
After 1 hour, uncover beans and return to a low heat.
Next, render the fat from the bacon in a large skillet. I use bacon ends/pieces for the extra fat. (more fat is better!)
Or - you could probably add some bacon grease to the soup if you are out of bacon.
Add it to the soup and don't worry if it looks like a lot - it is worth it!
Chop six slices of the cooked bacon and add it to the soup.
Add Chicken stock to the soup
Add the dried Chipotle pepper and stir.
Chop the onion and shallot and saute in the skillet using leftover bacon grease. Saute until translucent and beginning to carmelize.
Add onion and shallot to soup.
Stir and bring to a boil.
Cook for 1 hour 15 minutes at a fast simmer or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally.

Note: As the soup cooks, begin to mash some of the beans on the side of the pot to help thicken it. Cooking it at a fast simmer or even a low boil will further help reduce the stock. You want the consistency to be like the red beans served over rice in Cajun cooking. Soup will continue to thicken overnight. Excellent over rice.

Jim Lahey's No-Knead Bread

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

This is a great bread recipe that I make several times a week. There is nothing like having fresh bread in the house.

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Found the original recipe at Epicurious.com and modified to accommodate my spice cabinet and cheese preference with wonderful results. Original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Winter-Squash-Soup-with-Gruyere-Croutons-2997

Soup

• 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
• 8 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 3 pounds)
• 1 teaspoon sweet curry powder
  
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
  

Croutons

• olive oil - enough to brush bread slices
  
• 24 1/4-inch-thick baguette bread slices
• 1 cup grated Gorgonzola cheese
• generous dusting of Italian or other favorite seasonings

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

For croutons:

Preheat broiler. brush each bread slice with olive oil. Arrange bread, oil side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then seasonings over slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

Grilled Shrimp with Spinach & Feta Cheese

Just as I was getting used to the cold weather and comfort foods, Indian Summer made it's appearance and set me to thinking about Gulf breezes, boardwalks, lazy summer nights and the grill. I spent the earlier part of this week in Times Square and sampled some grilled shrimp that was served with a spring mix salad and feta cheese so decided to try to recreate the dish - - with fantastic results.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. medium raw shrimp (peeled and deveined) or large if you have the budget
• 1 bunch or large bag of baby spinach
• Enough feta cheese for crumbling
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil (I prefer 100% Kalamata for best flavor) + 1 tablespoon for drizzling
• 1 - 2 TBSP Minced garlic (or to taste)
• Generous amount of cracked black pepper
• A shake or two of Italian seasoning mix (go easy if yours contain salt)

You will also need:

• Skewers for the shrimp unless you buy the large ones
• Dinner plates that are oven safe.

How-to:

• Preheat grill to medium-high heat
• Preheat oven to 300-degrees
• Place oven safe dinner plates in the oven
• Peel/devein the shrimp and place on the skewers
• Combine olive oil, minced garlic, cracked pepper, and Italian spices. Let stand 5 minutes
• Brush shrimp with olive oil mixture.
• Place shrimp on grill for 3-4 minutes turning once. They should be pink and have nice grill marks. You may need to leave them on a little longer.
• Remove plates from oven (hot!) just before shrimp come off the grill.
• Rinse and dry baby spinach (can be slightly damp)
• Drizzle a little plain olive oil on the plates and then add baby spinach -- if the plates are hot enough it will cook the spinach to perfection.
• Add desired number of shrimp to plates as they come off the grill.
• Crumble a small amount (to taste) of feta cheese over the top.
• Adjust seasonings as necessary.

Let me know how you like it!