On this week's Mouth of Wonder radio show host Stacy Pearl talks with old pal Andrew Sluk, a chef Stacy worked with for many years in Santa Fe, and who now lives in Pittsburgh, Ppennsylvania. Andrew has developed his love of and interest in creating high-quality sausage, bacon, prosciutto (and other classically processed meats) into a position at the ultra hip and trendy Legume Restaurant. He discusses what he does, and offers some tips to make sausage at home.
Download the January 28, 2012 show
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Andrew Sluk from Legume Restaurant in Pittsburgh
Special Guest
This week I chatted with my friend Andrew Sluk who now lives and works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he is the sausage man at Legume restaurant.\
If you want to learn more about sausage making Andrew recommends:
"The art of making fermented sausages" by Stanley and Adam Marianski
"Cooking by hand" by Paul Berrtoli
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Almond Crust Blueberry Tart with Cardamom-Cream Filling
The Altitude Adjustment Section
This crust is great, easy to assemble, keeps its crunch, but is a little tricky to make. So follow the instructions carefully.
Ingredients for crust
Matzo cake meal
5 ounces sliced almonds toasted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Ingredients for filling
8 ounces cream cheese, room temp
juice and zest of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 cups of blueberries
Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom with heavy-duty foil, pressing foil into scalloped sides of pan. Grease foil and dust with matzo cake meal. Finely grind almonds, sugar, cinnamon and salt in food processor. Dump into a bowl and with a fork mix in egg a tiny bit at a time. Just use enough egg to stick the crumbs together. Too much egg will give you a mucky crust which will not set and get crunchy. Next add the extract and mix in. Using moistened fingertips, press dough over bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake crust 10 minutes. Wrap fingertips with paper towels and gently, but quickly, press puffed crust to original shape. Continue to bake crust until pale golden, about 3 minutes longer. Again, gently press crust to original shape. Cool crust completely (crust will crisp as it cools). Turn crust out of pan and carefully peel off foil. Place on flat plate. Tart shell can be prepared 3 days ahead.
For the filling, whip the cream cheese with the lime juice and zest, cardamom, and confectioners sugar. To assemble, brush top of crust with white chocolate to keep it crispy. Tube cream cheese on top and then pile on the blueberries (toss with a little melted jam first to help them stick together). Refrigerate uncovered until ready to serve.
This crust is great, easy to assemble, keeps its crunch, but is a little tricky to make. So follow the instructions carefully.
Ingredients for crust
Matzo cake meal
5 ounces sliced almonds toasted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Ingredients for filling
8 ounces cream cheese, room temp
juice and zest of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 cups of blueberries
Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom with heavy-duty foil, pressing foil into scalloped sides of pan. Grease foil and dust with matzo cake meal. Finely grind almonds, sugar, cinnamon and salt in food processor. Dump into a bowl and with a fork mix in egg a tiny bit at a time. Just use enough egg to stick the crumbs together. Too much egg will give you a mucky crust which will not set and get crunchy. Next add the extract and mix in. Using moistened fingertips, press dough over bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake crust 10 minutes. Wrap fingertips with paper towels and gently, but quickly, press puffed crust to original shape. Continue to bake crust until pale golden, about 3 minutes longer. Again, gently press crust to original shape. Cool crust completely (crust will crisp as it cools). Turn crust out of pan and carefully peel off foil. Place on flat plate. Tart shell can be prepared 3 days ahead.
For the filling, whip the cream cheese with the lime juice and zest, cardamom, and confectioners sugar. To assemble, brush top of crust with white chocolate to keep it crispy. Tube cream cheese on top and then pile on the blueberries (toss with a little melted jam first to help them stick together). Refrigerate uncovered until ready to serve.
Cucumber Basil Spritzer
Refreshing Beverage of the Week
I got some good feedback from my people last week because they liked the healthy bent of the show. So I thought I would do a simple, non-alcoholic beverage this week. After all, I try to give the people what they want!
Ingredients
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded and chopped
2 limes, zested and juiced
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
8 Basil leaves
32 ounces club soda (4 cups)
Procedure
Add cucumber and 1/4 cup water to the food processor and process until liquefied. Make a simple syrup by combining sugar, lime zest and remaining 1/4 cup water and bring to the boil.Chill this til ready to use. To assemble drink, place 2 basil leaves juice from 1/2 a lime,and 1 tablespoon simple syrup in the bottom of a tumbler. Using the back of your spoon crush the basil till it smells delicious. Now add 2 tablespoons cucumber puree and top with 8 ounces club soda. Stir gently to mix. This recipe makes 4 drinks.
I got some good feedback from my people last week because they liked the healthy bent of the show. So I thought I would do a simple, non-alcoholic beverage this week. After all, I try to give the people what they want!
Ingredients
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded and chopped
2 limes, zested and juiced
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
8 Basil leaves
32 ounces club soda (4 cups)
Procedure
Add cucumber and 1/4 cup water to the food processor and process until liquefied. Make a simple syrup by combining sugar, lime zest and remaining 1/4 cup water and bring to the boil.Chill this til ready to use. To assemble drink, place 2 basil leaves juice from 1/2 a lime,and 1 tablespoon simple syrup in the bottom of a tumbler. Using the back of your spoon crush the basil till it smells delicious. Now add 2 tablespoons cucumber puree and top with 8 ounces club soda. Stir gently to mix. This recipe makes 4 drinks.
Potato-Parsnip Latkes with Horseradish and Dill
Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I love this twist on a classic potato pancake. These are great as both a side dish and a base for an hors d'oeuvre.
Ingredients for latkes
1/2 pound (about 1 large) Russet potato
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound parsnips (about 2 large or 4 medium)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil for frying
Ingredients for sauce
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon freshly grated or prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon chopped dill
Procedure
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line one large or two smaller baking sheets with foil and leave them in the oven until needed.
Peel parsnips and potato and grate them. If using the food processor, lay the vegetables sideways in the chute, in an attempt to get the longest strands of vegetables. Transfer shredded vegetables to a lint-free dishtowel or square of cheesecloth, and wring out as much liquid as possible. Let stand for two minutes, then wring again. Wetness is the enemy of crisp, light latkes, so we want to get rid of as much as possible. Transfer wrung-out vegetables to a large bowl. Add lemon juice.
In a tiny dish, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and any herbs or additional seasonings and toss with vegetables, evenly coating the strands. In the same tiny dish, whisk your egg(s) and then stir this into the vegetable-flour mixture, evenly coating the strands. Heat a large, heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons oil and make sure its goof and hot.
Using a fork or your fingertips (letting the eggy batter drain off a little is good), gather spoonful-sized mounds of battered vegetables and drop them onto the heated skillet. When golden underneath, 3 to 4 minutes later, flip pancakes. Cook on the other side until nicely bronzed underneath, another 2 to 3 minutes, and transfer to paper towels briefly to drain pancakes, before transferring them again to tray(s) in warm oven. If latkes cook too quickly or slowly on the stove, adjust the heat accordingly. Add more oil if needed (you want to keep the pan at that 3 tablespoon level), being sure it is heated before adding more pancakes to the skillet. Repeat with remaining batter.
I like to keep the latkes in the oven for at least 10 minutes to ensure they’ve cooked through before serving them. This gives you time to make sauce. Mix sauce ingredients in a small dish. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve warm with a dollop of the sauce. With this same recipe you can use, sweet potato, zucchini, butternut squash, carrots, or any mix there of. This makes about 18 2 1/2 to 3-inch latkes.
I love this twist on a classic potato pancake. These are great as both a side dish and a base for an hors d'oeuvre.
Ingredients for latkes
1/2 pound (about 1 large) Russet potato
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound parsnips (about 2 large or 4 medium)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil for frying
Ingredients for sauce
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon freshly grated or prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon chopped dill
Procedure
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line one large or two smaller baking sheets with foil and leave them in the oven until needed.
Peel parsnips and potato and grate them. If using the food processor, lay the vegetables sideways in the chute, in an attempt to get the longest strands of vegetables. Transfer shredded vegetables to a lint-free dishtowel or square of cheesecloth, and wring out as much liquid as possible. Let stand for two minutes, then wring again. Wetness is the enemy of crisp, light latkes, so we want to get rid of as much as possible. Transfer wrung-out vegetables to a large bowl. Add lemon juice.
In a tiny dish, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and any herbs or additional seasonings and toss with vegetables, evenly coating the strands. In the same tiny dish, whisk your egg(s) and then stir this into the vegetable-flour mixture, evenly coating the strands. Heat a large, heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons oil and make sure its goof and hot.
Using a fork or your fingertips (letting the eggy batter drain off a little is good), gather spoonful-sized mounds of battered vegetables and drop them onto the heated skillet. When golden underneath, 3 to 4 minutes later, flip pancakes. Cook on the other side until nicely bronzed underneath, another 2 to 3 minutes, and transfer to paper towels briefly to drain pancakes, before transferring them again to tray(s) in warm oven. If latkes cook too quickly or slowly on the stove, adjust the heat accordingly. Add more oil if needed (you want to keep the pan at that 3 tablespoon level), being sure it is heated before adding more pancakes to the skillet. Repeat with remaining batter.
I like to keep the latkes in the oven for at least 10 minutes to ensure they’ve cooked through before serving them. This gives you time to make sauce. Mix sauce ingredients in a small dish. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve warm with a dollop of the sauce. With this same recipe you can use, sweet potato, zucchini, butternut squash, carrots, or any mix there of. This makes about 18 2 1/2 to 3-inch latkes.
Guest Monica Meehan: Waffle Stuff on the Web!
Excellent Equipment of the Week
Here are the links to the recipes and websites I mentioned on the show:
Our much humbler sandwich got its inspiration from Megan DeKok's post about Monte Cristo waffle sandwiches at her blog Take a Megabite. Since Bram and I used frozen Cheddar and Green Chile waffles we'd made earlier, we put both halves in the oven, instead of just the cheese side.
Thanks for having me on this week, Stacy! As always, lots of fun.
Here are the links to the recipes and websites I mentioned on the show:
Gaufres de Liege
These yeasted Belgian waffles contain chunks of pearled sugar (which caramelize on the outsides) and an "unnaturally delicious amount of butter," according to Chichi Wang's post at the Kitchn. And Megan Reardon of Not Martha swears that they're "so good you almost won’t mind the amount of work it will be to clean out your waffle maker."Waffle Sandwiches
Fashion designer Ji Kim's blog about "killer clothes and fine cuisine" recently featured a post about black truffle waffles with tomato, Swiss cheese, and prosciutto baked right in! No recipe, but it's pretty self-explanatory from her always-stunning photos. Have some Breakfast with Luxirare!Our much humbler sandwich got its inspiration from Megan DeKok's post about Monte Cristo waffle sandwiches at her blog Take a Megabite. Since Bram and I used frozen Cheddar and Green Chile waffles we'd made earlier, we put both halves in the oven, instead of just the cheese side.
Waffleizer
Dan Shumski's blog has 30 answers to the question "Will it waffle?" Some things work better than others of course, but it's all fun to read about. Here's the link for Waffleburgers to get you started.Thanks for having me on this week, Stacy! As always, lots of fun.
January 21, 2012
On this week's Mouth of Wonder, host Stacy Pearl is joined by Monica Meehan, the designer behind the MoW website. They talk about parsnip and potato latkes, cucumber basil spritzer, and the recipe for a macaroon-crust tart filled with cardamon cream cheese and blueberries. The excellent equipment of the week is waffle irons! And Rula stops by to talk about large breasts.
Download the January 21, 2012 show
Download the January 21, 2012 show
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Guest: Lexi Shabel
Special Guest
This week I had good pal Lexi Shabel on the show. Lexi talked about her new devotion to eating raw foods as a step in her holistic battle against breast cancer. If you would like to learn more about the work she is doing, please go to the Breast Wishes Fund and learn how you can help support this amazing organization. Lexi then talked raw foods with some of her most delicious recipes for smoothies and sprouted nuts veggies and grains. Some of the sites she recommends are:
This week I had good pal Lexi Shabel on the show. Lexi talked about her new devotion to eating raw foods as a step in her holistic battle against breast cancer. If you would like to learn more about the work she is doing, please go to the Breast Wishes Fund and learn how you can help support this amazing organization. Lexi then talked raw foods with some of her most delicious recipes for smoothies and sprouted nuts veggies and grains. Some of the sites she recommends are:
January 14, 2012 Show
On today's Mouth of Wonder radio show, host Stacy Pearl chats with pal Lexi Shabel about her continuing fight with breast cancer. Lexi runs the Breast Wishes Fund which supplies alternative solutions, prevention strategies, and holistic treatment alternatives to living with cancer. We discuss the importance of diet and nutrition and the impact the raw food movement has had on her diet. Rula stops by for a little comic relief.
Download the January 14, 2012 show
Download the January 14, 2012 show
Saturday, January 07, 2012
Guest: Yuri Zinchenko
Special Guest
This week I had on a real local treasure Yuri, who came to New Mexico via Russia and then Alaska. He discussed life working on fishing boats in rough seas, how fishermen don't eat fish, and how he has developed a passion for home smoking. He even brought me some yummy salmon and mackerel to try. It was amazing. If you want to contact him about getting some smoked fish or some eastern European catering please call 505-467-8690.
This week I had on a real local treasure Yuri, who came to New Mexico via Russia and then Alaska. He discussed life working on fishing boats in rough seas, how fishermen don't eat fish, and how he has developed a passion for home smoking. He even brought me some yummy salmon and mackerel to try. It was amazing. If you want to contact him about getting some smoked fish or some eastern European catering please call 505-467-8690.
The January 7, 2012 Show
In this week's Mouth of Wonder, Host Stacy pearl talks smoked fish with Yuri Zinchenko — a lovely man from Russia who now lives in Santa Fe. He tells great stories about his life in Alaska working on fishing boats, and his current passion for smoking all kinds of fish and meats in delicious creative ways.
Download the January 7, 2012 show
Download the January 7, 2012 show
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