TO BEGIN ANEW

To Begin Anew

            The yearly gift of January is that we feel we can start with new goals, ambitions and the potential chance that we will carry it through this time. This feeling could be encouraged if at the same time we also got the gift of snowdrops or a crocus or two by the front step, but one should not get greedy as one of those new goals.

            At least we have the annual collection of garden catalogs for dreaming of things to come with colorful pictures of new flower varieties, old favorites and vegetables that look too perfect.  Fortunately the season also came this year with gifts from the family in the form of new cookbooks, to keep me current and intrigued with new taste possibilities to explore in the kitchen. Like many cookbooks these days, these two have interesting associations with restaurants and famous chefs.

            “A BOAT + a whale & A WALRUS” by Renee Erickson has not only a very eye catching title, but also relates to coastal fresh food. It’s relationship to her acclaimed Seattle restaurants do not detract from the recipes approachable by home cooks and in addition contain informative tips for some of her more intriguing selections.

            “The French Laundry” by Thomas Keller is another matter. This comes with a bit of background history. A couple of years ago the family celebrated our younger son’s birthday with a gathering in California. On that occasion four of us splurged on the most awesome dinner I had ever had, at the French Laundry in Yountville, CA. My husband had seen the wistfully regretful look on my face as I wrapped the book for our son’s Christmas present this year and lo and behold, I found it also for me under our tree.

            In fact, the book came in a boxed set with its companion for the family table. Although the original contains such mundane instructions as to how to truss a chicken for a more succulent roast, most of the original restaurant recipes take a pretty steep learning curve for actual achievement of those beautiful small plates. Hence, the companion book looks highly desirable.

            There happens to be only one hitch to that second gift. The book set probably weighs at least 20 pounds! Since I am currently recovering at home from major back surgery and allowed for several months to lift no more than 5-8 pounds, I can’t pick up even one of them! It turns out that a gallon of milk is 8 pounds, my limit. Fortunately I should be fully recovered by the time I need to heft a 15 pound turkey next fall.

            In the meantime, most of the cooking at our house is going to be on a smaller and easily manageable size.  While this precludes some favorite crockpot meals (yes the crockpot weighs a lot), simple ragû mixtures are good on pasta, rice and polenta.

                                    Mushroom and sausage ragû

            Reconstitute 2 oz dried porcini or other wild mushrooms by soaking for 20 min in 1 cup hot water. Remove from liquid, slice and strain mushroom liquid through a piece of paper towel to remove any sand and debris. Set mushrooms and liquid aside. Sautè 8 oz. sliced button mushrooms and porcini with 1 chopped onion, ½ chopped red pepper and 3 chopped garlic cloves in 2 Tblsp. butter for 7 minutes, stir in 2 Tblsp. lemon juice and set aside. In the same pan sear 6 oz. soppressata (or hard salami) cut in ½ inch cubes to slightly render excess fat. Discard excess fat and return soppressata and mushrooms to pan. Stir in ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, 1 Tblsp. flour on medium high heat until well mixed. Slowly stir in the reserved mushroom liquid, 1 cup beef broth and 1 Tblsp. sundried tomato paste. Cook until sauce thickens and is reduced to desired consistency. Adjust salt and pepper and serve over hot polenta in a flat soup bowl, garnishing the edges with snow peas heated in boiling broth for 45 seconds.

                                    Polenta + cheese

            Bring to boil 3 cups of water with ½ tsp. salt and 1 Tblsp. butter. Slowly stir in 1 cup polenta (or coarse corn meal), and cook with stirring for about 15 minutes. Add small amounts of hot water if the polenta gets too thick. For cheese polenta stir in ¾ cups sharp cheddar or ½ cup gorgonzola when done, stirring only enough to melt the cheese. Left over polenta can be stored in a small container and reheated sliced under the broiler after brushing with olive oil.

            So, garden and kitchen plans and dreams to the forefront for the next few months. And given that the books get put on a table, I can certainly turn the pages of Mr. Keller’s marvelous tomes!

            (I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)