Small Things Considered

I know it’s a stretch to write a food blog post and even attempt a segue from the news about the passing of Steve Jobs, but here it is: Mr. Jobs liked things small. I recently read that he once had an aha moment while pondering the appeal of Mini Coopers and realized that they’re cool for really no other reason than because they’re small. Well, mini food is cool, too — think street tacos, soup in shot glasses, cake pops. And of course sliders. Actually, I’m not sure if sliders are really cool, but they are delicious and fun to eat. I think it’s because they’re “just right” in terms of proportion of meat to bread and, yes, they’re so damn cute — like an iPod Shuffle.

I made these sliders with ground elk, which is very lean and not gamey at all. Really. But if you don’t have a hunter in the family, these would be just as good (and almost as healthy) made with ground buffalo or turkey, or even grass-fed beef. For the buns, I had some leftover hot dog buns so I cut them in thirds, lightly buttered them, and stuck them under the broiler for about 2 minutes. Ciabatta is also good (no, great). I’ve seen tiny potato rolls in the bakery before, and I bet those would be perfect. I cooked these indoors on a grill pan because it was pouring out, but if you do cook them over an open flame, I would probably put them on a piece of tinfoil first so they don’t dry out. I served the sliders with a mixture of green and waxed beans that were blanched and tossed with a little olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon. And ketchup of course. It made a simple family meal that everyone in my family, even my slightly meat-phobic daughter, loved.

Sliders

Ingredients
1 lb. ground elk (or other lean meat)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch garlic powder
Pinch dried herbs (oregano or parsley)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg
salt & pepper
Sliced cheese (I used Swiss)
Rolls or bread for buns (and butter)

In a large bowl, combine meat with egg, Worcestershire sauce, spices, and bread crumbs. Mix well with your hands. To make the patties, use about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture for each one and roll into a ball, then flatten slightly. Put the patties on a sheet of tinfoil, and use your thumb to make an indentation in the center of each one to keep it from shrinking into nothingness when you cook it. Heat a grill pan (or skillet) over high heat (I used my ancient Calphalon grill pan on my hottest gas burner). When it’s hot, cook the patties for about 6 minutes until browned, then flip and cook another 4-6 minutes depending on how you like them. Add the cheese (about a 1 1/2-inch square is all you need for each burger) during the last 2 minutes of cooking and loosely cover the pan with a lid. While cheese is melting, toast the bread and get out some salad plates; you won’t be needing the big ones tonight.

This recipe makes about 12-14 mini burgers. If you’re really hungry (like my husband), you will probably eat about eight. I ate three. Okay, maybe four.

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Fresh Corn Chowder, Spicy or Not

It’s officially fall, which makes me want to make soup. And for me the perfect shoulder-season soup is spicy corn chowder. Making it allows me to cook the piles of fresh corn I just can’t seem to stop buying as well as utilize part of the bushel of roasted green chiles I bought with visions of capturing the grand prize at my school’s fall festival chilli cook-off (which I didn’t end up entering — long story — so these will be added to almost everything I make or eat for the next several months).

Unlike most corn chowder recipes, this soup doesn’t call for cream or creamed corn or sugar. It’s relatively light and fresh tasting while also being plenty rich and satisfying. You can take the extra step of scraping the corn pulp into a bowl and squeezing it to obtain about 1/2 cup of corn juice to use to finish the soup, although I’ve tried it both ways and honestly couldn’t tell the difference. I know everyone doesn’t have access to Colorado’s locally grown Sweet Olathe corn, but I’m sure you can get something equally delicious at your local farmer’s market this time of year.

And just a little kernel for thought (sorry, couldn’t resist the, ahem, corny play on words): If you want to avoid genetically modified corn, which I think you might when you read studies like this one, then you’ll need to buy organic ears.

My kids loved this by the way! (No carrots, no celery, bacon and potatoes, need I say more?)

Corn Chowder

Ingredients
8 ears of corn
2 tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2-3 slices bacon, cut into small strips
Leaves stripped from about 6 thyme sprigs (just pinch with your fingers and pull down the stem)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 pound small red potatoes, cut in half or quartered depending on their size
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
Salt & pepper
6 cups water
2 roasted green chiles (peeled and diced) or one 4 oz. can of diced Hatch green chiles, optional

Peel the husks and silk from the corn. Using a sharp knife (I like a bread knife for this actually), cut the kernels from the corn. You will have a large pile of corn. If you want to extract every last drop of flavor from the corn, use a butter knife to scrape the pulp off the (now kernel-less) cobs into a fine strainer. Let sit over a bowl so corn juice drips into bowl (you can also squeeze gently with the back of a spoon). Set aside.

In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, bacon, and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes until onion is translucent. Stir in flour and cook for another minute or two, stirring constantly.

Add water gradually while continuing to stir, and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and corn and a pinch of salt & pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Add milk to chowder and season to taste with more salt & pepper. Stir in green chiles if using (I suggest tasting them first to test for hotness; my experience is that these freshly roasted chiles vary widely and some are just too hot). Add reserved corn juice just before serving — and a healthy grind of pepper.

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Southern Salmon Sauce

My sister in law is one of those people who is secretly good at things. Maybe it’s because she’s from the south and is therefore more polite than most people, but she totally downplays her abilities. She’s a ringer on the tennis court even though most casual acquaintances don’t even know she plays. Her house looks professionally decorated even though she did it herself, and did it without uttering one word about trips to lighting galleries or fabric showrooms.

And she’s secretly a great cook, too. Every time she invites us over for dinner, she says something like, “It’ll be really casual; we’ll probably just pick up barbecue or make burgers.” And then we show up and she’s made a gorgeous salad, whipped up some heavenly-smelling side dish, and is prepping a trophy fish for the grill. And to put on that fish, she often makes this especially delicious sauce. After swooning over it about five times, I finally asked for the recipe.

Except, of course, there really isn’t a recipe. She basically told me what she puts in it, and what her mother puts in her version, and I fiddled around with it until I got close enough to share this. This sauce is savory and tangy at the same time, and it elevates any piece of fish — whether grilled, broiled, or baked — from a midweek basic to something you could — and should — serve to company. But don’t wait for guests to make this. And don’t leave out the butter; that is one ingredient both southern ladies (politely) insisted upon. I couldn’t agree more.

The only thing even slightly difficult about making this is you need to peel some fresh ginger. I do this with a knife, and you’ll need at least an inch worth from the ginger root. Once the ginger is peeled, you can either mince it finely with a knife or run it over a fine grater or microplane. I especially love this on salmon, but it’s great on halibut and bass, too.

Pan Sauce for Fish

Ingredients
1 tbs. fresh ginger, grated or minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
2-3 scallions, finely sliced up to about midway through the light green part
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 pat of butter (1/2 tbs.)
Pinch brown sugar (optional)

Grate the ginger and slice the scallions. In a small skillet, heat the soy sauce over low-medium heat. Add scallions, ginger, and cayenne. Simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Add brown sugar if you want it a bit sweeter. If it seems too strong, add a couple tablespoons of water and continue simmering. Cook fish. Just before serving, add the butter and let it melt in the sauce. Spoon over fish.

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Incredibly Edible

Yep, this is a picture of my kids in Paris. Paris, France. A couple years ago when my husband was between jobs and the kids were still young enough to miss school, we spent a winter and spring skiing and living in France. But my family’s travels are really not the point of this post. (Although I must say, there’s nothing like a couple months in a the markets and cafes of France to wean the little people off mac-n-cheese and chicken nuggets; so what if the kids discovered baguettes and chocolate chaude, France was still a turning point in my family’s culinary life.)

What is the point here: eggs. I think the French make the best eggs in the world. Ever since the first time I went to France, I’ve loved those little omelettes they serve in just about any cafe or brasserie. (And yes, I know Les Deux Magots is touristy, but to me it’s still the epitome to Parisian literary cafes — and they make damn good eggs.) It seems like the worst omelette in France is better than any of the overstuffed, football-like behemoths you get in American breakfast joints. The French versions are creamy, delicate, and just the perfect size. And believe me, I’ve tried to recreate them many, many times over the years, and always failed.

Then I went to cooking school and — voila! — les oeufs were the subject of our very first lesson. If we had done nothing but chat and drink wine for the rest of the course, I would have gotten my money’s worth. So now I am thrilled to say that French omelettes are not just for European family vacations anymore; they’ve become a large part of our weeknight dinner rotation. With a simple salad (and French bread, mais oui), they are about the perfect meal, even for finicky kids like mine. Yes, you have to cook them one at a time, but they only take about two minutes each.

Here’s how to make les oeufs parfaites commes des Francais:
First, get yourself an 8-inch nonstick pan and protect it with your life. I’m not normally a huge fan of nonstick pans, but for this purpose nonstick is crucial and will probably save your some tears. If your 8-inch pan is old or scratched, get a new one. It doesn’t have to be expensive because you won’t be using it for high-heat applications or anything else actually. Don’t use soap on it, avoid contact with all utensils except a rubber spatula, and store it wrapped in a dishtowel.

French Omelette

Ingredients:
3 large eggs (These will be much better if you have free range, organic, very fresh eggs.)
1 pat of butter (unsalted best)
1 tbs. shredded Gruyere cheese (Any kind of cheese you like will taste great, but this is traditional; you really only need about 4-5 strokes over a cheese grater’s worth here, so splurge on the cave-aged kind if you can find it.)
Salt & pepper
Chopped fresh herbs or herbes de Provence (optional)

Get all your ingredients out and ready to go; this is a very fast-moving process. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly with a fork; add a pinch of salt. Put the butter in the pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and gone from foamy to not, pour the eggs into the pan.

Immediately begin stirring the eggs with a rubber spatula and keep stirring them the entire time. When very soft curds begin to form (about 1 minute), you can slow down, let your eggs rest briefly, and sprinkle them with the cheese, pepper, and herbs.

Lift the pan off the heat. The eggs should be very slightly solidified but still very moist. If there are bits that are completely uncooked, tilt the pan and let the egg run over to the edge to cook slightly. The goal here is to have the eggs just cooked but not browned on the bottom at all.

Tilt the pan over a (warmed is nice) plate and use your spatula to fold the top third over, then gently slide the omelette onto the plate, folding the last third back on itself to create a roll.

Eat immediately. (Just like most eggs, they taste crappy when they’re cold.)

Some variations: My son, being a bit of a pain, likes “stuff” in his omelettes (and who am I to turn down a kid’s request for vegetables?). So for him, I first chop and saute whatever veggies I’m using, then set them aside, proceed with the omelette-making, and add the stuff when I add the cheese (after I’m done with the stirring). We’ve made versions filled with diced red peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and carmelized onions. If there’s any ham or cooked bacon around, that’s obviously a nice addition, too. Me, I love them straight up.

Bon appetit!

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It’s Still Summer

So what if my mosquito bites are gone, the pool bag has been replaced by book bags, and our weekends have been taken over by football — it’s still summer, dammit, and I for one am not so ready to let go. Okay sure, we have to get up at 6:30 in the morning, so the al fresco dinners at the pool are probably not such a good idea. But, even though we have homework and soccer practice, we can still have picnic suppers and make homemade popsicles, can’t we?

One of the things I’ve tried to do with this blog is show that family meals don’t have to be painful exercises in cajoling and whine-endurance. And never is that more true than in the summertime, when meals can involve campfires and interludes of skateboarding. But once we get into the grind of after-school activities and math worksheets, it’s easy to understand how we leave all that summer fun behind and find ourselves in a dinnertime rut. But I contend it doesn’t have to be that way — at least not all the time, and at least not yet. And yes, if you think I’m writing this for myself as much as anyone, you’re right.

So, in the spirit of keeping summer alive — if only for the food — here are some strategies that seem to be working for me.

Pick one night this week to have a family picnic. Pack your supper in a basket (the cuter the better) and bring it to a park. It’s amazing what kids will eat when it’s been pulled out of a picnic basket, plus you really don’t have to cook — which is nice, seeing as how it’s still summer. We did this the other night, and this is what we brought: one rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, one dry sausage (I used to get these at Napa Style, but they don’t have them anymore, so I now order from Il Mondo Vecchio in Denver; the Vero y Pepe Salami is incredible.), raspberries, cheese (Rembrandt aged Gouda), grapes, a chocolate bar, and of course a baguette. Oh and a bottle of Bandol. Don’t forget: knife, plate or cutting board, and napkins.

Go to the farmer’s market. We think of this as a family activity, but even though the kids are in school and playing sports on Saturdays, I still try to swing by and pick up my summer food trifecta: corn, tomatoes, and peaches. These three items are at their peak of perfection as I write this. How can it not be summer when we’re grilling ears of corn and making peach ice cream, right?

Cook outside. Not revolutionary, I know. In the summer, we do this almost every night because our house in not air conditioned — and sometimes if I’m cooking inside I tend to get a little cranky. Then, as soon as school starts, it’s tempting to boil pasta instead of grill fish. But I am resisting as long as possible; the pasta days will be here soon enough. I suggest eating outside, too. A little bit of backyard skateboarding or baseball throwing during the meal is okay (since it’s summer).

Grill peaches. The peaches are perfect right now in case you hadn’t notices, and it’s too hot to bake a pie or cobbler. Grilled peaches make a perfect, relatively healthy dessert — they caramelize and sweeten into something satisfying and really, really delicious. Here’s the recipe:

Grilled Peaches
Ingredients

6 Peaches (they should be ripe but not overly ripe; they should also be organic because peaches are one of the Dirty Dozen)
1-2 tbs. balsamic vinegar to taste
Brown sugar
Olive oil (not the fancy oil you drizzle on salads; basic olive oil is best as it adds less flavor to the already perfect-tasting peaches)

Preheat your grill if it’s not already hot from dinner. Rinse and dry the peaches. Cut them in half and remove the pit. Pour the vinegar in a small bowl and brush onto peaches with a pastry brush or paintbrush. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Brush the grill with a light amount of oil. Place peach halves on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn over and cook for a few more minutes until very soft but not falling apart. Serve with ice cream. Or not. Swoon.

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Happy Hours

It’s no secret that I think about food a lot. Okay, almost all the time. Even when I’m on vacation and staying 30 miles from the nearest town or market, I still want to eat food that’s delicious and fresh. And since I seem to care more than most people about what’s for dinner, I’ll happily volunteer to plan meals, shop, and cook — to a point. The empty can of Cutter and proximity of a refrigerator full of chardonnay notwithstanding, I don’t want to spend my entire vacation in the kitchen. I want to be out there hiking (bear spray in hand), canoeing, and fly-fishing with my family, not to mention reading a cheesy novel on the deck.

So, on vacation we stick with simple favorites (grilled chicken, enchiladas) and then improvise a few easy and quick dishes based on what’s available at the produce-challenged market in town. But what sets these vacation suppers apart from a typical weekend night at home is that the meals come together during my idea of a good, old fashioned happy hour — i.e. the adults are fiddling around with the grill and shredding lettuce with real cocktails in their hands while the kids are playing football, shooting arrows, planning skits with their cousins, and otherwise generally ignoring their parents. Each meal turns out to be a special event — not necessarily because the food is extraordinary, but because getting it to the table was so much fun for everyone.

But some of the food is extraordinary. While some things like elk fajitas and huckleberry-barbecue salmon just taste great when you’re in a log cabin in the woods, others, like this super simple asparagus pasta, are delicious — and easy to recreate — anywhere.

Sautéed Asparagus Pasta

Ingredients
1 lb. fresh asparagus
1 lb. fresh mushrooms
olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
A few fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup white wine (can be poured directly from glass)
1/4 cup milk or cream
1 package spaghetti (whole wheat if you can get it)
salt & pepper
Shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted water. Drain and reserve on cup of the cooking water.

Heat a cap-full of olive oil in a large skillet and then add garlic. Use scissors to cut the basil into ribbons and add to the pan. Rinse the asparagus well, snap off the ends (asparagus is very nifty in that it usually will naturally break right where the ends start to get tough, so I think the best way to handle it is to snap each spear individually), and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add to pan. Clean the mushrooms (if you wash them, allow them to dry fairly well; or you can just wipe off the dirt with a paper towel), cut them in quarters and add to the pan. Feel free to add any herbs of spices you can find; our selection included some oregano and “Italian Seasoning” I suspect was from the 1980s. Add wine and allow to cook until it doesn’t smell “boozy” anymore. Add milk or cream. If the sauce is too thick (or if you don’t feel like you have enough of it), stir in some of the pasta water and allow it to cook down a few minutes. Add pasta to the pan and toss to mix well. Season with sat & pepper. Add some cheese to the individual servings. We served this with buttered ciabatta toasts (huge hit) and a simple romaine salad.

If you have kids who don’t like “mixed food,” this is an easy meal to deconstruct, by the way.

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Clean-Out-the-Fridge Sweet & Spicy Vegetables

Do you ever have those days when all of a sudden you notice your fridge overflowing with greenery and panic about how on earth your family will possibly eat it all before it wilts beyond recognition? If you said no, I’m jealous — and a bit dubious. Really? This time of year, between tennis team practice, baseball games, and happy hour at the pool, we’re lucky to eat two or three dinners a week at home (I know, this is a situation I need to rectify. Thankfully little league season comes to an end soon; now, what to do about the poolside vodka lemonade slushies?). So I’m not sure why I still feel compelled to buy heaps of produce every time I’m at the market. I guess it’s because it’s all so gorgeous right now, I can’t resist.

Last night I found myself with a night at home and lots of vegetables that needed to be eaten while we had the chance; looking ahead, I didn’t foresee another free evening until Sunday — oops, and that’s Father’s Day, so we’ll be barbecuing with my husband’s family. But what to do with large quantities of spinach, bok choy, broccoli, and arugula kind of escaped me at first. I don’t love raw spinach or broccoli, so salad was out. The bok choy got me thinking about things like Asian chili paste and rice wine, so I decided to stir fry the veggies in an Asian-inspired sauce. It was delicious and sweet enough that even the kids loved it.

Recipes like this are obviously just guidelines. You could also add red bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, well just about any veggie, to this stir fry. I served it over brown rice with grilled fish. The meal was the perfect antidote to our all-too-frequent snack bar suppers.

Sweet & Spicy Stir Fried Vegetables

Ingredients
1 large bunch organic spinach (Give the spinach a good cold bath in the sink, then rinse thoroughly to remove all the sandy grit. Dry on paper towels or in a salad spinner and remove thick stems.)
3 broccoli crowns, cut into large pieces (I blanched mine first in boiling water for about 3 minutes. I did this party because the greens cook so much more quickly than the broccoli, but also in case the kids didn’t like the sauce, at least I would still have some cooked broccoli to give them. And frankly sometimes that’s all I need to feel like I gave them a good dinner.)
4 baby bok choy, ends cut off and leaves separated
1 handful arugula
1 one-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
1 tbs. Asian chili paste (such as Sambal Oelek, which is brought to us by Huy Fong Foods, the same people who make my beloved Siracha), more or less to taste
1-2 tbs. Hoisin Sauce (you can substitute a small amount of jam for the sweetness if you don’t have Hoisin)
Splash Mirin or Japanese Rice Vinegar

Heat a large skillet (the largest you have; I have a 14-inch pan and it’s perfect for this) over medium heat. Add chopped ginger, garlic, and oil (and onion if you want). Saute for about 5 minutes until it’s fragrant but not browned. Add bok choy and cook until it starts to wilt. Add spinach and cooked broccoli (and other veggies if you’re using). Mix Hoisin and chili paste in a small bowl and taste. If it’s too sweet or too spicy, add more of one or the other. Stir into veggies and add Mirin or vinegar. Toss in arugula and stir fry until veggies are well coated and hot.

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Weirdly Satisfying Carrot Soup

I called this "weirdly satisfying" because it's really just a big bowl of carrots.

As a kid, I loved Cup-a-Soup. Remember those red boxes of dehydrated noodles, cardboard chicken cubes, and powder? Of course the ingredients list includes some real winners, including Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oil, MSG and Autolyzed Yeast Extract (whatever that is, it doesn’t sound too good). Still, when I was 15, this seemed like a good choice, and I suppose it was when you consider most of my friends would sneak to McDonald’s for lunch.

I still love soup. However, nowadays I gravitate to simpler, fresher varieties, like this delicious carrot soup. With six ingredients, it’s a far cry from Lipton’s science experiment concoction, but it’s so thick and satisfying, I don’t think you’ll miss those chicken cubes.

When making soup, it’s important to take your time and allow the flavors to build at each step. Don’t worry, that sounds a lot more complicated than it is. Simply stir, taste, add salt if necessary, then move on. The onions and butter really bring out the carrots’ sweetness. This soup makes a great family supper (with some French bread of course), and it’s also great as a light yet filling lunch. I totally crave it. If your kids like carrots, they’ll love this. If not, well the same recipe works with broccoli or corn.

The big, fat organic carrots with the leaves still on them are usually freshest; they don't languish in plastic bags before you buy them.

Simple Carrot Soup

Ingredients
4 tbs. unsalted butter (organic butter tastes better)
2 onions, diced
1 bay leaf or a pinch of dried thyme (if you happen to have it, toss in one sprig of fresh thyme)
2 lbs. carrots, peeled and sliced into 1″ pieces (again, buy organic if possible)
salt & freshly ground pepper
6-8 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)

If you haven't done so already, teach your kids to use a vegetable peeler. It's fun!

In a heavy pot (like a Dutch oven), melt the butter and add the onions and herbs. Cook over medium-low heat until the onions are translucent and very tender, but don’t brown them, about 10 minutes. Add the carrots and a pinch or two of salt. Stir well to coat the carrots with the butter, then cook for about 5 minutes. Add stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the carrots are tender but not mushy (about 30 minutes). If you want to puree the soup, transfer it in batches to a food mill or blender, or you can do what I do and stick an immersion blender in there. My method makes a soup that’s partially pureed but not smooth. Check seasoning and add salt if necessary. Serve with a healthy grind of fresh black pepper (I’m not sure why, but this step is crucial; the pepper really sets off the carrots’ flavor I guess).

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Farro + Risotto = Farrotto

To rinse the grains, just put them in a bowl of water then pour through a fine strainer.

Since I raved about farro so much in my last post, I thought it would be a good idea to share this cleverly named recipe (for which I can take no credit; I learned how to make it at Cook Street School of Fine Cooking). It’s hard to describe how good this is. It’s very much like risotto in terms of being comforting and creamy and very satisfying, but it’s even better because the farro has such a great chewy texture and slightly more interesting taste, plus it’s more nutritious because of farro’s status as a high-protein whole grain.

If you happen to have a cheese rind lying a round, this is a great chance to use it.

So far, I’ve made this twice, and it’s really hard to screw up. It does take some time, but for most of that time, you’re just stirring and tasting, which is pretty enjoyable and possible to do while you’re helping with math facts or religion homework. You don’t have to stir it constantly — I actually think that’s a myth about risotto in general; in order to force the starch out of the grains, you really only need to stir “frequently.”

Think of this basic recipe as a starting point; to it you can add anything you would add to risotto — any combination of peas, asparagus, chicken, shrimp, and mushrooms would be great. But it’s also delicious just like this.

I won’t promise your kids will like it, but mine asked for seconds. And they’re as picky as your kids.

Farrotto

Ingredients
4 tbs. unsalted butter or oil
4 shallots or 2 leeks, very finely diced (should be about the same size as the farro grains)
2 cups farro (I doubled this)
2 cups dry white wine (I used chardonnay)
4-6 cups chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
salt & pepper
grated cheese (Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or Grana Padana or a combination)
2 oz. creme fraiche (optional, I skipped this)

In a large pot, heat 4 tbs. of the butter without browning. When it’s hot, add the shallots (or leeks) and a pinch of salt. Saute 1-2 minutes until the shallots soften. Add the farro and toss to coat. Being careful not to brown the grains, cook the farro in the butter until it begins to smell nutty (5-10 mins.). Turn the heat to high, add the wine (I used 4 cups because I doubled the farro), and cook until it evaporates completely. Reduce heat to low. Add the stock by the ladleful to cover the farro. Stirring often (every 5 minutes or so, really you’re just trying to force the starch out of the grains), allow the broth to reduce by half, replenish the liquid, and add another pinch of salt. Cook the farro slowly, replenishing the liquid as needed to the level of the grains in the pot (even though I doubled the amount of farro, I didn’t need to double the broth; I think I used about 6 cups total plus 1/2 cup of water at the end), until the grains are al dente. The grains should be chewy and distinct, not cooked to mush. The finished dish should have a small amount of saucy liquid. Check the salt and adjust if needed. Finish with grated cheese and creme fraiche (or not). Garnish with fresh ground pepper (or not if you have a pepper hater in the family like I do).

Putting the veggies on top makes this meal easy to deconstruct.

Serve with dinner, or as dinner. Or breakfast. Or lunch.

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Salmon With Sticky Rice

This is comfort food — not in the same sense as mac ‘n cheese of course, but anything sitting on top of a steaming bowl of sushi rice is comforting in my book. Sushi rice is completely satisfying and very filling. Its gluey deliciousness is worth an occasional departure from brown rice (although short-grain brown rice would also work for this dish) — especially since sushi rice is a key part of what’s referred to as the healthiest diet on earth.

This recipe is from Nigella Lawson’s book Kitchen. The only changes I made were to use chili paste instead of the finely chopped red or green chiles Nigella called for. Plus, I cooked a bunch of broccoli to serve with it. Broccoli works great with the slightly sweet and spicy Asian flavors here, and I definitely felt like the dish — and my kids — needed a veggie. Green beans would also be good, or asparagus. I like that the meal is customizable and can be deconstructed for any kids’ food issues (er, I mean tastes).

The most comforting thing about this dish was that everyone in my family loved it. Especially me.

Salmon with Sticky Rice

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups sushi rice (You can buy this in bulk at Whole Foods; I recommend making more than this because you’re going to crave it for lunch the next day.)
1 lb. slab of salmon without the skin (preferably wild salmon; remove the skin with a knife if necessary)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tsp. red or green chiles, diced (I used Sambal Oelek red chile paste.)
2 tbs. minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tbs. mirin or sake (Nigella called for 2 tbs. of each, but I just used the mirin. Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine and is usually easy to find in the Asian aisle of the supermarket; sake requires a trip to the liquor store.)
2 tbs. lime juice (about 1 lime, squeezed)

Cook the rice following the directions on the package (or bulk bin) or in a rice cooker.

Cook some broccoli (or green beans or asparagus spears or all of the above) in salted boiling water until just tender, 2-3 minutes, drain and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add a few drops of oil. Sear the salmon for 4-5 minutes on one side (if you’re using a stainless steel pan, the salmon should release fairly easily when it’s ready to be turned; don’t mess with it until then), turn it over and cook for another minute or so. The salmon should be just barely opaque and cooked in the center. Remove it from the pan and put it on a large piece of tin foil; make a loose package with the foil and seal the edges to keep the fish warm.

Mix the sauce ingredients together and put in a bowl to serve alongside the salmon and rice. You can serve this family style with the whole fish on a platter, which would make a nice presentation for guests, or divide the rice and fish (and veggies) into separate bowls according to your picky eaters’ specifications. I left the sauce off my daughter’s portion and added extra heat (I recommend trying sweet and gingery Lingham’s hot sauce; Sriracha is also tasty with this) to mine and my husband’s.

Tomorrow, leftover sushi rice with sauteed mushrooms for lunch! Mmmm.

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