Recipes for Eli

Buttermilk Pancakes

2006-12-08T06:59:00.000-08:00

I don't really love pancakes. They're ok, a little doughy, kind of boring. I do, however, love these pancakes. And to my mind there's something a little decadent about a good pancake breakfast (or, for that matter, lunch or dinner) that makes them even more fun to eat.

So, if you happen to have some time on a morning, and buttermilk left over from making scones, and feel like making a treat for whoever else is in the house, these will make everyone happy. No matter how gloomy and cold it is outside.

Buttermilk Pancakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 to 3 tbsp. sugar
salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
2 eggs
3 tbsp. melted butter or oil
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Mix dry (first 6) ingredients in a bowl
2. In another bowl, beat eggs and add butter/oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry ones and stir.
3. Heat a nonstick or lightly buttered pan over medium-high heat. Drop 1/4 cup batter in at a time. Wait until small bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake-to-be (will take a couple minutes), and then flip them. Cook for another minute. Don't pat or screw with them more than necessary.

from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

The Perfect Scones

2006-12-08T06:31:00.000-08:00

My last girlfriend charmed my housemates and I by, among other things, bringing over bags of warm, crumbly scones from a small bakery near her apartment. The scones were just right -- moist crumbs that melted perfectly in your mouth, a not-overwhelming taste of vanilla, plump bits of dried fruit. Being neurotic, I tried for months to replicate them using recipes culled from various sources. It wasn't until I found this recipe, in Once Upon a Tart, that I found what I was looking for.

Since I came back from Asia I've been spending a lot of time on friends' couches, and I like to present a bag of these scones as an expression of gratitude. For those a little less homeless, the scones also make a nice addition to brunch potlucks, or, really, to any day. Plus, making them take very little time or energy.

This is a basic recipe. I love the way currants work in it, but if you'd rather use something else (raisins, dried cherries, those yummy dried blueberries Trader Joe's sells, or candied ginger), you should go for it. This recipe makes a shitload of scones, so I sometimes halve it.

Buttermilk-Currant Scones (ie, the Basic Scone Recipe)

4 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
20 tbsp (2 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 large eggs
1 cup cold buttermilk
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 cup dried currants

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Dump dry (first 5) ingredients into food processor and pulse.
3. Add butter and mix for a few seconds, until the batter looks like moist crumbs.
4. In a small bowl, mix eggs so they yolks are broken. Mix in buttermilk, vanilla, and currants.
5. Mix the dry and wet mixtures together. At first it looks depressingly dry, like no batter could possibly come together. Do not abandon faith. Keep mixing and it works out. (Now isn't that inspiring?) Stop as soon as flour is no longer visible.
6. Use a 1/2 cup measure to scoop batter into rounds on a baking sheet.
7. Bake 25-30 minutes. They will be golden brown (and your kitchen will smell really good).

For a variation, add a little powdered ginger to the dry ingredients and use chopped up candied ginger instead of fruit.

Adapted with love from "Once Upon a Tart" by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau

Best Gingerbread Evu

2006-12-01T20:04:00.000-08:00

i don't want to tell you this because it is so good that people will be breaking down your door with tears in their eyes asking for more, and that's just a dangerous position to put you in. But here you go.

1 1/2 c unbleached white flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 egg
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
1/4 c dark corn syrup
1/4 pound unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c buttermilk, room temp
about 1/2 c fresh ginger, grated

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan. Sift flour, baking
soda, and salt together. Beat the egg in a mixing bowl; add molasses and
corn syrup and beat together. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until
light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the molasses mixture until smooth,
stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times. Alternately
add dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry. Stir in
the grated ginger. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the
top springs back or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean - 35 to
40 minutes.

Here is an amazing cookie recipe too, seriously my favorite:

cherry oatmeal chocolate chip

I'm making preserves for J's family xmas presents and am wondering: besides carrot marmalade and pomegranate jelly, should i make pear or kiwi jam? kiwi is beautiful and green but pear is more comforting and christmasy! tell.

kookoo for kookoos

2006-10-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

Hello-
This is Abby the new genius here (although actually I'm old).
So, Rebecca has 12 hundred million bazillion amazing cookbooks and when she was packing up her life to move it to New York so she could go on her awesome journey, she gave me one. It is 'Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking'. It has many delicious sounding recipes. So far the only one I have tried is the Kookoo with Cauliflower and Parsley and it is quite delicious. It is, in Mahur Jaffrey's words, "a thick persian versian of the omelette, which sometimes borders on being a souffle". It could also be described as a light crustless quiche. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 pound cauliflower
1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup finely sliced scallions including green
ground black pepper
7 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons minely minced parsley
1 tablesppon unsalted butter

Break the cauliflower into florets.
Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a 4 1/2 quart pot. Add 1 tbsp salt. When water is at a rolling boil, drop in the cauliflower. Boil rapidly for about 2 minutes. Cauliflower should be cooked through but still crunchy. Drain cauliflower and run it under cold water. Then mince it.

Heat oil in an 8 inch skillet over medium heat. When hot, put in garlic. Stir around for 20 seconds, add scallions and stir for another 30 seconds. Add cauliflower, 1/2 tsp salt and a lot of black pepper. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, then turn off and let cool sliughtly. (I have not been precise with the timing when I've made this and it has been fine. Does anyone time 20 seconds?)

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add 1/4 tsp salt, black pepper and the baking soda. Mixx well. Add the cauliflower and parsley and mix again.

Heat the butter in a nonstick skilet that is about 7 1/2 inches wide at the bottom over a low flame. When hot, pour in the eggy mixture. Cover, and let the kookoo cook for 20 minutes. It should be brown on the bottom and slightly crisp at the edges. Turn the kookoo over. You can use a spatula or, if that's too scary, put a plate on top of the pan and flip it upside down, and slid e back into the pan.
Cook the Kookoo on the second side uncovered for 5 minutes or until it develops brown spots.

Serve hot, warm or cold, cut into wedes.
It is quite easy to make and really good.

New Genius

2006-10-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

I'd also like to welcome a new contributor to the site -- Abby Genius, an expert on such wide-ranging issues as Persian frittatas (aka, "kukus"), raising mealworms, and making your own tortillas.

Baking the Blues Away

2006-10-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

I've been a little aimless lately. Since coming back to New York, I've been on exactly one job interview, for a job that I liked and thought that I would be good at. While waiting to hear back, I'd stopped actively looking for jobs and started keeping an eye out for new furniture, and planning work outfits for my new, fabulous job. Then the other shoe dropped. I didn't get the job. It has occured to me for the first time that it might be really hard for me to find one, and that it might have been a bad idea to give up a steady, if not always interesting, job to pursue my still-nebulous dreams.

So I've turned to what ever distraught girl does in a time of crisis -- started baking. Constantly. (For those who are wondering, I have indeed managed to gain back the weight lost in India.) I've found the world's best scone recipe, which blows the pants of all those gross, heavy, doughy blobs sold in yuppy bakeries. I've also spent several afternoons baking leek- and pumpkin-filled Turkish turnovers that I then proceed to eat at all hours of the day. It's just about the yummiest form of depression possible.

Simple, Easy, and Cheap

2006-10-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

I was horrified when I discovered, a few days ago, that a good friend of mine subsists entirely on Chinese takeout, leftover pasta with meatballs (from her mother), and toast. Although utterly broke, she generally buys her food from restaurants instead of simply buying groceries, and then, from time to time, actually cooking things.

Her excuses? She doesn't have time, there are no groceries in the house, and she doesn't know how. I have no real advice for those unable to go grocery shopping (except that there are now numerous online grocery services, but there are plenty of meals that can be made in a little time and with a minimum of skill.

And even those without a full pantry generally have eggs. I've posted a few egg recipes here before, but I've realized that it's not enough. The best place to start cooking for those of us without high cholesterol, large bank balances, or oodles of time, is with a couple of eggs. At about a dollar a pound they're cheap, full of protein, unintimidating, and able to take on any number of flavors or textures.

A few links to start us off:
*Martha Stewart's guide to boiling an egg and for another take, the Wikipedia take on boiling eggs
*Today's Mark Bittman column on the glories of eggs, complete with incredibly yummy-looking recipes
*A few basic recipes from Elise, such as deviled eggs, poached eggs, egg salad sandwiches, and spinach frittata.
*Delia Smith's egg recipes

More recipes will be posted later.

Many Apologies, Part 2

2006-09-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted, mostly because since my last post I quit my (actually quite lovely) job and flew to Singapore, and then to India. I do apologize for not being a more conscientous and thoughtful blogger, but now that I'm back in the country (and, well, unemployed and single), I'll have much more time to devote to everyone's favorite occupations -- cooking and writing.

Many apologies

2006-07-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

I've been gone for awhile, for a variety of reasons. Several weeks ago the GF, who took the lovely photo of the sliced tomatoes below, started packing to move back to Singapore, taking her knowledge of my camera and her best-ever sesame noodles with her. This would have been stressful under the best of situations, as neither of us is particularly good at packing or, for that matter, figuring out how to move one's entire belongings to the other side of the globe. Then, during one of Boston's recent tsunamis, her room flooded and was rendered unfit for mankind, or even her cat. And then... well, actually, the string of incidents ain't all that interesting. Suffice it to say I'm back, I'll start posting again tonight, and will figure out my camera as well as the sesame noodles recipe so we can get back to before.

I've gotten a request to provide some information on artichokes, one of my favorite vegetables. Please, if any of you have any questions on anything food-related, feel free to send a question in. I'm also thinking of making a sidebar listing favorite cookbooks, if that would be helpful. Anyway, sorry for the long-ass delay, and check out Mark Bittman's piece on grilling eggplant in today's Times.

Sliced Tomatoes in Tomato Sauce

2006-06-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

When I first made this for the GF, she looked at me (and I love to use this word) askance. Part of it was the tomato sauce -- she's from Singapore, where tomato juice is unheard of. And part of it's the name of the dish -- tomatoes in tomato sauce? What's up with that? But it's hard to resist this much tomato-ness, and afterwards I started gretting messages from the GF satying she'd just happened to pick up some tomato juice and tomatoes, and could I make that tomato thing when I come over?

Sliced Tomatoes in Tomato Sauce

3 medium tomatoes
salt
pepper
4 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1/2 to 1 tsp finely chopped jalapeno or other green chile
3/4 cup tomato juice
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Cut tomatoes crosswise into 4 or 5 slices, about half an inch each. Put on a plate and lightly salt and pepper the slices on each side.

Put oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno. Once garlic starts to sizzle put in tomato slices in a single layer. Fry lightly, about a minute on each side, so they develop a light brown tint. Add the tomato sauce and parsley and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and serve.

from World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey

Moroccan Mint Tea

2006-06-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

The first night I was in Paris, I drank the best tea I've ever had. My friend and I were exhausted from the train trip from London, confused by the strange city, and very, very hungry. We stopped in a hole-in-the-wall Moroccan restaurant and were served mint tea in small copper cups and huge bowls of couscous and stew. Afterwards, I was obsessed with buying mint teas, spending on various fancy packages of dried "Moroccan Mint Tea", all of which tasted far more like the Sleepy Time tea my grandmother used to give me than what I'd had in France. It wasn't until I made the recipe below that I realized my error -- good mint tea is little more than fresh mint boiled in green tea.

Moroccan Mint Tea

4 tsp green gunpowder tea
8 stlks of fresh mint leaves
6 to 8 teaspoons sugar (to taste)
4 cups of water

1. Combine all of the ingredients above in a saucepan over medium-heat, and bring it to a boil.
2. Cover and turn the heat off.
3. Let sit for five minutes.
4. Strain and serve.

Serves 2-4

Granola

2006-05-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

I make a lot of granola. It started because of sticker-shock at the prices health food stores charge for their tiny bags of cereal . And even when I coughed up the four dollars, what I was buying seemed more like deep-fried oats covered in sugar than a real breakfast food. So I started making my own on Sunday mornings, and saving it in a big tin that my housemates and I could dip into it throughout the week. At first, I used very very healthy recipes — oats, cinnamon, and raisins toasted in the oven — which were edible, but not exciting. The best solution came with butter, as in this version.

The great thing about making your own granola, leaving aside how quick, filling, and cheap it is, is how much variation you can add. I love shredded coconut in my granola — the pieces toast and become crunchy and sweet — but if it’s not your thing, don’t do it. You can make it with maple syrup and pecans if that’s what you like, or dried blueberries, apples, and walnuts. And there’s something very satisfying about having a big jar of it on hand, or smelling it baking in the mornings. All in all, it takes about fifteen minutes to prepare, and fifteen more to bake, not much longer than an omelette.

Granola
The recipe makes about 6 cups, so you’ll have some left over.

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger powder, to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup mixed dried fruits such as raisins and cherries
1/3 cup hulled green pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seed (optional)

variations:
• substitute other nuts for almonds
• switch up the sweetners: maple syrup, honey, and brown sugar are all good options
• if you happen to accidentally buy sweetened coconut, decrease the amount of sugar to four tablespoons
• substitute vanilla or other extract for almond

Preheat oven to 325°F.
In a large bowl stir together oats, almonds, coconut, seeds, and salt. In a small saucepan melt butter with honey over low heat, stirring until melted. Turn the heat off and set aside. [If the mixture is fairly liquid-y, you can add in the dried fruits and let them soak a little. They will absorb the buttery-sugary-ness and taste significantly better. Before mixing the mixture into the oats, take the fruit out and put it in a little bowl for later, so they don’t dry out in the oven.]

Pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined well.

In a large baking pan spread granola evenly and bake in middle of oven, stirring halfway through baking, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool granola in pan on a rack and stir in dried fruits. Granola may be kept in an airtight container at cool room temperature 2 weeks.  

Makes about 6 cups
Very loosely adapted from Gourmet Magazine,  February 1999

Spicy Coconut Sweet Potato Soup with Collard Greens

2006-05-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

Technically, this is a winter soup. But it's raining all week here and I can still find all the ingredients in my grocery store. If collard greens aren't available, try kale, spinach, or other dark green leafies.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups diced onion
2 teaspoons salt
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small jalapeno, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. ground coriander or toasted coriander seeds
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 14-ounce can of coconut milk
1 small bunch collard greens, cleaned, stems removed, and leaves cut into strips

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and a little salt. Saute until the onion has softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the sweet potato, garlic, jalapeno, ginger, coriander, and turmeric and saute for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of water, the coconut milk, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Raise the heat and bring the whole thing to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
4. Add the collard greens and simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes, or until tender. If the soup is too thick for you, add some water.

from Fresh Food Fast by Peter Berley

Nigerian Black-Eyed Pea Fritters

2006-05-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

I had a bit of a frightening realization this weekend when a bag of dried beans tumbled out of my pantry and fell on my head. Upon further inspection, it turns out that I've managed to accumulate my body weight in assorted dried beans, including such prizes as a 3 pound bag of whole mung beans, which I have no idea how to use.
The problem is, I know that I should eat beans. They're healthy, and about as cheap a food source as any you're likely to find. So I tend to buy them. But... I don't really like beans. They're just so dull, most of the time. But obviously I had an emergency on my hands. So I cracked open my most trustworthy cookbook, and found this. And it's amazing. It's sort of like a falafel, only it tastes ten times as good. It's a little spicier than falafel, and since I didn't deepfry it, it's healthier. Plus, no weird ingredients like tahini.
One thing to note -- unless you'd like to spend the day pounding out black-eyed peas in native African equipment, you'll need a food processor. Also, the peas take forever to soak, so put them in water the evening before you plan to make them.
Put in a pita sandwich, or serve with any sort of dip or sauce. I made a yogurt sauce with tomatoes, basil, and some chopped garlic, and it worked nicely.

1 1/2 cup dried black-eyed peas
1 small onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper, to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
canola oil

1. Put peas in a bowl and cover by about 5 inches of water. Let it sit about 16 hours or more.
Don't try any sort of quick-soaking method, it won't work out (at least according to Madhur Jaffrey, who would know).
2. Drain peas and put in the bowl of a food processor with the spices and onion. Process until mixture forms coarse paste. Slowly add 5 tablespoons of hot water. It will remain slightly grainy.
3. Put a tablespoon or two of oil on a frying pan over medium heat. Allow oil to heat, then drop in batter by the spoonful.
4. Fry the fritters, pressing down with a spatula so that they flatten slightly, until reddish-brown. Flip and, when done, put on a plate covered with paper towels or napkins. Continue until all are done.

adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian

Pasta with Eggs

2006-04-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

Everyone has their basic, everday dish — something you can make after a long day at work using only the ingredients already in your kitchen. Preferably, this will be a dish that you can eat out of a bowl while watching "The Sopranos." And once your quota of violence and family feuding is up, there really shouldn't be that many dishes.

This is my dish. You can use asparagus or any number of green vegetables (or none at all) in place of the spinach, and adjust the seasoning as you like.

Pasta with Eggs
fettucine
2 eggs
some cayenne powder
some garlic powder
olive oil
spinach (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)

Put a large pot of water to boil.

optional bit:
In a medium saucepan, heat up a tablesppon or two of olive oil, and add the garlic. Stir for a minute, then add spinach or other greens. Once the spinach has turned dark green and withered, season it with salt and pepper and place it in a bowl.

Once the water has boiled, salt well and add the fettucine.
In a medium saucepan (I use the same one I used for the spinach), add olive oil and heat over a medium-high flame. Crack two eggs into the pan and lower the heat. While the eggs cook, add spices. Do not flip the eggs over. When done, the whites will be set, the yolks still runny.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and return to the pot. Add the eggs and spinach. Toss, breaking the yolk as you do so so that the yolk forms a sauce for the pasta.

Asparagus With Miso Butter and Poached Eggs

2006-04-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

This is a dish to serve to someone that you're trying to seduce. It is so wonderful, and so gratifying, that I can not imagine anyone saying no to its preparer.

The secret, of course, is an ungodly amount of fat. This recipe, from the NY Times's Mark Bittman, combines Japanese methods and flavors with the old French technique of compound butter. Compound butter comes from the idea that anything that tastes good would taste a hell of a lot better if it was melted in a pan with a half pound of butter. It's a brilliant concept, and one of several reasons the French have long been considered masters of culinary arts.

Like the others on this site, this a simple recipe. Miso, the only unusual ingredient, should be available in Asian supermarkets, health food stores, and gourmet shops.

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 eggs
4 tablespoons oil
1 pound asparagus, bottoms cut off
Salt and pepper
¼ cup not-too-salty miso, preferably white
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
2 poached (or warm-bath-cooked) eggs.

Poaching Eggs: (this can be done before the rest of the meal, or while the asparagus is cooking)

1. Bring an inch of water to boil in skillet, add salt and vinegar, and lower heat so it barely bubbles. One at a time, break eggs into a shallow bowl and slip into simmering water. Cover skillet or spoon water over eggs.

2. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, just until white is set and yolk has filmed over. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Asparagus and Miso Butter:

1. Put oil or fat in skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Add as much asparagus as will fit in a layer, add salt and pepper to taste, and toss and stir until browned and shriveled, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, over low heat in a small saucepan, warm and whisk together miso and butter, so they combine, and butter softens but does not melt. Whisk in vinegar and keep warm. Warm a serving plate.

3. When asparagus is done, put some miso butter on bottom of serving plate. Blot excess fat from asparagus if you like, put on top of the miso butter, and top with poached eggs. Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

From New York Times, 4/19/06

Online Cooking Classes

2006-04-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

eGullet is posting online cooking courses -- the "classes" have several page-long descriptions of various topics, with photos to illustrate each step and a discussion forum that allows you to ask the teacher any questions you might have. Classes range from knife skills, to regional Indian cooking, to cocktails. Recipes are included.

In other web-related cooking tips, simplyrecipes.com has a "Tips and Tricks" section with detailed descriptions (also with pics) on such topics as poaching eggs and preparing artichokes.

Frittata with Camelized Onions

2006-04-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

Frittatas are to cooking what the little black dress is to female fashion. They can be served at any meal, with any accompaniement, hot or cold. With some decent bread they’re a great sandwich, with a salad and some wine they make an impressive dinner, cut up and served cold they’re perfect on a picnic. You can fill them with any combination of herbs, cheese, and cooked vegetables you want. This is one my favorite versions, and, although it takes a little longer than most recipes I use, it’s an incredibly cheap collection of ingredients that yield a phenomenal meal.

You’ll need an ovenproof skillet for this, something that every kitchen should have. That means a 10- or 12-inch pan that’s all metal – any rubber will melt in the oven. If you don’t have one, one of these will set you back about $10 to $20, and can be used for a great deal of your cooking.

½ tbsp unsalted butter or olive oil

¾ pounds thinly sliced onions

1/8 cup white wine

pepper

6 large eggs

½ cup grated parmesan

1 tbsp. minced parsley (optional)

salt and pepper

1 tbsp. virgin or extra-virgin olive oil

Carmelizing Onions:

1. melt the butter/heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook just until they begin to soften, about 8 minutes

2. Add some salt and the wine, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about ½ an hour. (While waiting you can start prepping the other ingredients)

3. Remove the cover, raise the heat to medium, and cook, until the onions are browned. Add pepper and salt to taste.

Frittata:

1. Preheat the broiler (use the broil or 450 setting). The rack should be directly under the heat.

2. Using a fork, beat all of the ingredients except the oil in a bowl.

3. Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet (see not above) over medium heat. Swirl the pan so that the oil coats the bottom of the pan.

4. Add the egg mixture and stir briefly with a fork

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, occasionally sliding a spatula around the edges of the pan to loosen the frittata.

6. Continue cooking until the bottom is done but the top is still a little raw, about 8 more minutes

1. Turn off the heat, place the pan uner the broiler and cook until golden-brown, one or two minutes

2. Serve

Adapted from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, by Jack Bishop

Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic

2006-04-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have a secret test for most of my basic recipes, the ones that I hope to use on just about anyone who drops by my kitchen and wants something to eat. These recipes need to be simple enough to prepare while drinking beer and chatting and tasty enough should the person who dropped by be, say, an incredibly picky eater named Julie. This recipe fits the bill perfectly, and works in just about every season (although I eat it mostly during the cold months). In fact, if you happen to find any of the deep purple or neon green cauliflower that shows up at some groceries and farmers' markets, it's quite beautiful, as well. The secret of making this phenomenal are using generous amounts of good olive oil and salt.

The exact same method can be used with asparagus, for a more seasonable approach.

Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic
one head cauliflower
at least three large cloves of garlic, preferrably more
about 1/4 cup virgin or extra-virgin olive oil
salt, pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425.
2. Cut cauliflower into small florets. You want the peices to be bite-sized.
3. Cut garlic into chunks.
4. Spread the cauliflower and garlic on a baking sheet, and pour olive oil over them. Shake on salt and pepper to taste. Personally, I like my salt applied quite generously.
5. Making sure your hands are clean, rub the cauliflower and garlic around with your hands so that the oil, salt, and pepper are distributed relatively evenly. [Another, less messy, way to do this is to put all the ingredients in a plastic bag and use the bag to rub the ingredients together. It works just as well, but it seems unnecessarily fussy to me]
6. Put the baking pan in the oven, and cook for at least 20 minutes, turning the cauliflower over when it starts to turn brown. The cauliflower and the garlic should carmelize, turning a gorgeous golden brown around the edges.

Lazy Week for Me, But a Good Week for The Times

2006-04-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

I've been away for a little while, and therefore not posting. But I'm back, and I'll post several recipes over the next couple days. In the mean time, I thought you guys should check out the NY Times Dining section today, Mark Bittman has two great, veggie-friendly articles, one on poached eggs in Japanese style cooking, and one on artichokes. I'll post some of the yummier-looking recipes once I've tested them out.

Blueberry Muffins

2006-04-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

I usually use frozen blueberries for these muffins, although fresh blueberries would work just as well. If using frozen, don't try to thaw them first -- they'll turn the muffins blue-gray.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup blueberries

Directions

Preheat an oven to 400ºF. Butter 16 standard muffin cups.

In a bowl, stir and toss together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, butter and eggs until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Add the blueberries and stir just until evenly incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about three-fourths full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan. Makes about 16 standard muffins.

From the Williams-Sonoma website.

How to Make Perfect Pasta

2006-04-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows how to make pasta; few people know how to make pasta well. A couple of extra steps might seem fussy, but they make all the difference.

1. Bring water to boil. Use far more water than you suspect is necessary.

2. Once the water is boiling (and I mean rolling, huge bubbles breaking to the surface boiling), throw in a lot of salt. Not just a few wimpy shakes, think at least a teaspoon. The salt will be absorbed by the cooking pasta and will accentuate its taste.

3. Put in pasta, cook until almost done, but still a little chewy.

4. Drain

5. If using sauce, put the pasta back into the pot and stir the sauce in there.

6. Serve and enjoy.

Garlic Soup With Poached Eggs

2006-04-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe when I had a horrific, lie-in-bed-and-wish-I-was-dead style cold. It was raining outside, and the thought of going to the grocery store or, for that matter, doing any actual cooking, was too much for me. This was the only thing I could get myself to eat.

Although it requires almost no work or ingredients, this soup is amazingly luxurious tasting. It also falls into one of my favorite categories -- soups that don't require long periods of time or blenders.

Garlic Soup With Poached Eggs

1 head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

4 parsley sprigs

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 eggs, as needed

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Crusty bread, optional.

1. In a large saucepan, combine the garlic, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, bay leaf, parsley sprigs and olive oil. Add 2 quarts of water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Pour through a fine-meshed strainer into a heatproof bowl, pressing on the garlic to squeeze out as much flavor into the broth as possible. Let cool and then transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed.

3. To prepare a serving for one, ladle about 1 1/3 cups of broth into a small saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. Carefully break an egg into the broth (do not break the yolk) and poach until the white is just set, about 1 1/2 minutes. (It will continue to cook off the heat.) Transfer the egg to a soup bowl and pour the broth gently over it. Garnish with parsley and cheese. If desired, serve with crusty bread.

Makes 6 servings for one.

From the NY Times, 4/2/2006, and adapted from Julia Child's ''Mastering the Art of French Cooking.''

Intro Post

2006-04-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

My brother became a vegetarian three years after I did, when he was first entering college. Like myself, he became a vegetarian before he learned to cook, so the lifestyle has meant a changed view of food and of cooking. This blog is my initial attempt to gather recipes and tips for Eli and all the other college students and first apartment-types who are learning to cook and need to produce fast, yummy, and nutritious meals with a minimum of fuss or equipment. We'll see how it goes.