MYSTIQUE AND COMFORT OF PASTA

 

                            Mystique and comfort of pasta

 

          Pasta is one of those comfort foods that is equally at home on our cold winter days and easily transforms itself into a refreshing light meal in the summer. It’s origins go back 3,500 years in China and the ancient Etruscan civilization, current Italy. Marco Polo did not bring pasta to Italy from China, it originated in both locations probably because it tasted so good, was easy to cook and was amenable to many added flavors.

          Romans feasted on precursors of lasagna with sheets of stuffed dough and in 1154 an Arab geographer described “food of flour in form of threads” in Sicily, presumably sheets of dough cut in thin strips. Modern chefs are known for their signature dishes, such as ‘Fettucine Alfredo’, which now depicts pasta in a rich cream sauce. I still have a treasured old photograph from dinner at “Alfredo”, a small restaurant in Rome, where the original Alfredo was the chef. Todays landscape for pasta dishes has expanded to embrace a large variety of shapes and flavors in every cook’s repertoire.

                            Balsamic matriacini with mushrooms and sausage

          Cook matriacini (thick round noodles or wide pasta) for 10 minutes in boiling salted water and drain reserving ½ cup pasta water.

          Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter in a large pan and sauté 8 oz sliced mushroom and ½ red onion chopped for 8 minutes and set aside. In the same pan crumble 6 oz. mild Italian sausage and brown for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 sliced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp. double concentrated tomato paste, 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper, ¼ tsp. oregano, ½ tsp. thyme and 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar. Cook with stirring 2 minutes on medium low heat. Toss t with the mushrooms, pasta and ½ cup of the reserved pasta liquid. Cook for 2 minutes to mix thoroughly and heat. Serve hot with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and a green salad on the side.

          Recent proliferation of recipes of pasta sauced with peanut butter piqued my curiosity. While most of us grew up with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, peanut butter did not appear in the US until WWI, when it became a desirable source of easily digestible protein instead of meat. I was familiar with Satay sauce for meat made of ground peanuts and spices which is a historical mainstay in Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisine, but in pasta?  Well, blending oriental noodles with a combination of spices and peanut butter was an interesting experiment with delicious results.

                                     Peanut butter-ginger-spiced udon

          Most recipes call for smooth peanut butter, but chunky works fine and gives a little extra crunch.         To prepare the sauce heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a small saucepan and sauté 2 finely chopped garlic cloves and 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup chunky or smooth peanut butter and ¼ cup very hot water to make a thick paste.  Stir in 2 tbsp. light soy sauce, 2 tbsp. lime juice, 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp. Gochujang or hot chili garlic sauce and ¼ cup sour cream onion dip.

          Cook 14 oz udon noodles according to package directions, drain, rinse with hot water and return to the pot. Add in the sauce and heat on low heat with stirring for 2-3 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls garnished with chopped scallions, chopped roasted peanuts and black sesame seeds.

          Some frozen rhubarb and cranberries from the freezer provided a simple tart dessert to go with either pasta dish.

                                      Rhubarb-cranberry-raisin compote

          Combine 2 cups frozen 1–2-inch pieces of rhubarb, l cup cranberries, ½ cup raisins, 5 cloves and ½ cup water in a 3 qt. pot. Bring to boil and cook for 10 minutes, stir in 1 cup sugar and cook for additional 5 minutes. Serve cold with a dab of ice cream.

          One of the joys of cooking is the wonderful continuing education of taste for both old and new ingredients found in compatible and tasty combinations.

 

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

TIME FOR WARMING SOUP

                                    Time for warming soup

           The icicles from my roof keep growing at such alarming rate these days that I’m willing to take seriously the recent prognostications of that sleepy marmot in Pennsylvania. Even the meteorologists have jumped on the band wagon with their predictions of continued Arctic blast. For the home cook it is a clear signal to retrieve recipes for favorite warming soups.

          Soup is one of those warm filling dishes produced in a pot on the stove with liquid, meat or fish, flavorful grains or vegetables, limited only by imagination of the cook. And yet it’s origins go back about 20,000 years when archaeologists record that, ancient humans in Egypt, China and even Neanderthals made bone broth in leather or basket containers. Since these could not be placed on an open flame the water had to be heated by dropping in hot stones! As cooking evolved by the time of Romans, broth was used to soak bread, from which the word soup was derived. 

                                    Latino black bean and rice soup

          Soak 1 cup dried black beans in excess cold water overnight and drain. Heat 3 tbsp. olive oil in a 4 qt. pot and sauté 1 large onion chopped, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 celery stalk and 1 medium carrot finely chopped, 1 seeded and de-ribbed green pepper chopped, 1tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. cumin and ½ tsp. turmeric for 5 minutes. Add the beans and 4 cups low salt chicken broth and ½ tsp pepper. Bring to boil and cook on medium low heat for 1 hour.

          Stir in 2 tbsp. tomato paste, 1 tsp. salt and 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar. Simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in 2 cups cooked brown rice, adjust liquid to desired consistency and heat thoroughly. Serve hot in bowls garnished with sour cream, sliced radishes or parsley.

                                                  Minestra di ceci

          The recipe was adapted from “The Italian Country Table” by Lynne Rosetto Kasper. Soak 1 cup chickpeas in cold water overnight. Drain the peas and cook for 40 minutes covered with 2 inches of water with added 2 tbsp. dried onion flakes, 1 bay leaf, 7 cloves, ½ tsp. salt. Remove bay leaf and cloves.

          Peel and chop 1 medium onion, 2 small carrots, 1 parsnip and 1 celery stalk with leaves. Coarsely shred 1 cup cabbage. In a large pot heat 2 tbsp. olive oil and sauté the vegetables for 10 minutes, add 2-3 chopped garlic cloves and sauté for additional 2 minutes. Stir in 4 cups water, 1 ½ tsp. salt, leaves from 2 six-inch stems of fresh rosemary, 2–3-inch piece of Parmesan rind, 1 tsp. sage, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, ¼ cup chopped sundried tomatoes, ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley. Cook for 30 minutes, stir in 1 small yellow squash diced, the cooked peas with liquid, ¼ cup ditalini or other small pasta and cook for another 12 minutes. Serve hot, topped with Parmesan.

          Soups made with legumes and crusty bread or savory muffins can provide a satisfying meal. However, for occasional elegant variety you can’t beat cheese straws. They are quite easy to make with commercially available puff pastry dough and are delicious.

                                  Parmesan or aged Asiago cheese straws

          Thaw 1 sheet of a 17.3 oz. package of frozen Puff Pastry sheets (Supermarket Frozen food section) according to directions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and assemble ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan or aged Asiago cheese, 1 egg beaten with 1 tblsp. water and finely chopped 1-2 tbsp. Italian parsley.

          Unfold the thawed pastry on a floured board and roll it in 14x10 inch rectangle. Cut it in half crosswise. Brush each half with the beaten egg. Top one half with the shredded cheese, sprinkle with ½ tsp. dried oregano leaves and the chopped parsley. Lay the other half of the pastry egg-side down on top. Using a rolling pin lightly seal the halves. Cut the pastry crosswise in ½ inch strips, twist each strip and lay on a non-stick pan, pushing down the ends to anchor it. Do NOT use parchment. Brush each twist with the egg wash.

          Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes to golden brown. Cool on wire rack and serve. Store in airtight container or in humid weather they will get soft.

           (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

BAKED CABBAGE ROLLS AND WARM APPLES

 

                            Baked cabbage rolls and warm apples

 

          Back-to-back weekend snowstorms make us long for warm filling meals. Since they also provide more time for kitchen activities the home cook can tackle recipes which are not complicated in their own right, but by their nature require more cook time. Cabbage rolls are a prime example of such a winter dish, that originated in many northern European countries where cabbage used to be one of the few vegetables readily available in winter.

          In simplest terms these are flavored ground meat packets wrapped in a cabbage leaf envelope which are either cooked on stovetop or baked in a sauce. Unfortunately,

it is impossible to unwrap a cabbage leaf from a cabbage without softening it first by cooking, which adds another set of steps to the cooking process.

                                                  Baked cabbage rolls

          Choose a medium sized cabbage since you want the leaves to be large enough to wrap securely 2-3 tablespoons of the filling, but not too large since you will have to lift out the whole head out of a boiling pot of water to process the leaves. Trim any discolored outer leaves and with a sharp knife cut out at least an inch of the bottom core. Place the trimmed head in a pot of boiling salted water to cover and cook for 12 minutes. Remove the cabbage head to a plate to drain and cool enough to separate 12-14 of the outer leaves and remove a small triangle of the tough rib at the base of each leaf. The unused part of cabbage can be used in soups or stir-fries.

          For the filling: fork beat an egg with 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp pepper, ½ tsp. garlic powder and 2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill and 1 medium onion finely chopped. Mix thoroughly by hand with 1 lb. 85% lean ground beef and half a cup of cooked rice. Any leftover rice or pilaf are fine for this purpose.

          The sauce, which will give the dish its characteristic strong and slightly tart flavor depends on lots of onion and thick tomato sauce. In a medium bowl blend a 6 oz. can of tomato paste with 2 cups beef broth, 8 oz. tomato sauce, 1-2 tbsp. Worcester sauce, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. pepper, ½ tsp. sugar, 2 large, chopped onions and 2 tbsp. white vinegar.

          Spread some of the sauce in the bottom of a 7x11 deep baking dish or equivalent and scatter a couple coarsely chopped unfilled leaves on top. Spread out a cabbage leaf on a plate, place 2-3 tbsp meat in the center and fold the leaf around the meat in envelope fashion starting with the thickest part. Arrange the folded rolls tightly together in the pan. Evenly spread the rest of the sauce over the filled cabbage rolls. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 2 and ½ hours. Serve hot with dilled boiled potatoes. Cabbage rolls freeze well and are even better when reheated.

          A warm apple pie would pair well for dessert with cabbage rolls, but a simpler substitute of fried apples is less time consuming and equally flavorful.

                                                         Fried apples

          Quarter and core 4-5 small to medium apples and slice without peeling each quarter in 4 slices. Melt 2 tbsp. unsalted butter in a large pan and when hot stir in the apple slices. Cook on medium high heat for 10 minutes with occasional turning and allowing some of the apples to brown. Partway through the cooking stir in a handful of raisins. To finish sprinkle with 2 tbsp. lime juice and 2 tbsp. brown sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved and serve warm or at room temperature plus or minus whipped cream.

          A cozy kitchen with its appetizing aromas is a comfort on days as I watch the growing mountain of snow from the plowed drive get ever higher in our front yard. But it is January and we do live in Maine.

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

BROILED SALMON ON CURRIED LENTILS AND SAVORY MUFFINS

                Broiled salmon on curried lentils and savory muffins

           We find ourselves each New Year full of fresh expectations and resolutions, which tend to lose their luster as January advances. Interestingly, 2026 finds us with a newly revised healthy food pyramid by the FDA, which in its simplest description looks like an upside-down pyramid of the one with which we are familiar. Meat and protein are now on the wide top and grains are on the narrow bottom.

          As an omnivore I no longer will have to squint to find the previously approved 3 oz. meat serving on my plate. The new 5-6 oz portion guidelines may not satisfy true carnivores, but most of us certainly will feel more satisfied. The biggest challenge of the new pyramid is to decrease our consumption of processed foods and sugar, which tends to creep in unobtrusively in both food and drinks. Years ago, I had the opportunity to challenge a student in the laboratory, by having her weigh out 39 grams of sugar which is found in every coke. Grams in the USA are not in common use and seem innocuous, so she was horrified by the impressive mound of sugar on the scale, equivalent to almost 4 tablespoons (1 teaspoon sugar=4grams)!

          Fortunately, lentils and fish are still on the highly approved healthy food list, which led to a delicious dinner of broiled salmon on a bed of spicy curried lentils.

                                      Curried lentils

          Rinse 1 cup dried lentils and drain.  In a medium pot heat 1 tbsp. olive oil and sauté 1 medium chopped onion, 1 stalk diced celery, 1 diced carrot and 2 minced garlic cloves for 5 minutes. Stir in: 1tsp. thyme, ½ tsp. sumac (optional), ½ tsp. each diced fresh ginger and turmeric (or dried), ½ tsp. lemon pepper, 1 tsp. salt and 1tsp. curry powder (mild) and cook for 2 minutes stirring. Add lentils, 1 bay leaf, ½ cup julienned sundried tomatoes and 2 ½ cups of water. Simmer partially covered for 20-30 minutes until lentils are tender. Can be made ahead and reheated. Serve as bed for broiled fish or ham.

 

                                          Broiled salmon and curried lentils

          Marinade for salmon: mix 1 heaping tbsp. apricot jam, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, ¼ tsp. garlic powder, ¼ tsp. lemon pepper, ½ tsp. dry mustard and ¾ tsp. salt. Marinate 1.25 lb. 1-inch-thick salmon with skin in a sealed plastic bag for 30 minutes.

          Remove salmon from bag and place on an aluminum lined pan. Spread a thin coating of marinade on top and broil in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. Adjust time for thinner or thicker salmon. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting in portions and serve on a bed of curried lentils with a green salad on the side.

          Breakfast muffins make a delightful change for cereal and eggs. Here are savory bacon and cheese muffins with just a smidgen of sugar that is certainly less than the 10 grams maximum per meal advised by the new food directives from FDA.

                                               Bacon and cheese muffins

          In a large bowl whip together:1 ½ cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, ¼ tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. onion powder, ¾ tsp. salt 1/3 tsp. pepper and 2 tsp. sugar. In another bowl whisk together 2 large eggs, ¾ cups milk, ½ cup vegetable oil, ¾ cups sharp cheddar, ½ cup real bacon bits or crumbled crisp bacon and 1 tbsp. chopped chives. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and mix until combined.

          Grease or put baking cups in a 12-cup muffin pan. Distribute the batter among the cups and sprinkle ¼ cup sharp cheddar on top. Bake for 20 minutes until tester toothpick comes out clean. Cool pan on rack for 5-10 minutes and serve warm for breakfast or as accompaniment to soup.

          The new food pyramid may look top heavy, but balanced meals with more protein and less sugar are likely to lead to satiety with smaller meal portions, which after all has been the advice from many family physicians.

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)