dinner – Page 2 – A Musician's Travels

Yellow Violets at Steepletop and Rigatoni all’Amatriciana!

It is always a thrill to discover the first illusive and secretive yellow violets of spring. The delicate plants with their characteristic heart shaped leaves thrive in sunny spots. We walked downhill towards the marsh at the Steepletop Preserve in New Marlborough, Massachusetts and magically there they were, cozily surrounded by leaf cover in the same place as last season! Their name, viola, is derived from the Greek name lo. According to a Greek myth, Jupiter protected his beloved by transforming her into a heifer surrounded by violets for her to feed upon.

We continued on the rest of our walk around the marsh area and it was as lovely as ever.

Reentering a wooded area, fiddlehead ferns newly opened, like graceful scrolls on a string instrument, lined the sides of the trail.

It was a warm day and at the end of the 2 mile loop, a stone bench with an inscription from Walt Whitman’s A Song of Joys beckoned to us: “sit, relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings”!

Like any self respecting foodie, I currently subscribe to three different food magazines. The April 2024 issue of Food and Wine Magazine is titled: “The Italian Way”. On the cover, Rigatoni All’ Amatriciana was artfully photographed. The recipe called for a few high quality ingredients, including the Italian cured meat, guanciale (gwann-chaa-lay) and pecorino cheese. We decided that we deserved a rich treat! I found guanciale at Guidos Fresh Marketplace in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. I read in America Test Kitchens that guanciale is from the cheek or jowl and is cured with salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary and sage. Since it is from the cheek, it has a higher fat content (thus more flavor) than pancetta, which is from the pork belly.

I slowly sauteed lardons of guanciale to render the fat and crisp up the bits of meat. Our house was filled with a lovely peppery and enticing aroma.

The recipe uses all of the rendered fat in the tomato and pecorino sauce; I just used a small amount of the fat for flavor and this was fine! Made with sauteed onion, red pepper flakes and tomato paste that was browned with sauteed garlic and added to high quality pureed whole tomatoes with freshly grated pecorino; this was one of the best sauces I have ever tasted.

We purchased the best quality imported Italian Rigatoni that we could find and with the crispy bits of guanciale in the sauce, freshly ground pepper and more grated pecorino; the dish was simple perfection! Not necessary, we also served a side dish of steamed broccolini simply seasoned with fresh lemon, salt and extra virgin olive oil.

ENJOY!!

Rigatoni All’ Amatriciana- based on Food and Wine- April 2024 Issue

Ingredients

1 medium-size (9-ounce) yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
5 ounces guanciale, cut into 1-1/4 inch batons
1/4 teaspoon black pepper or more to taste
2 teaspoons minced garlic
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 pound uncooked rigatoni pasta
2 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely shredded (about 1 cup), plus more for serving

Directions

Heat a large high sided skillet over low heat. I used a cast iron enamel pot. Add guanciale, cook, stirring often and guanciale is crisp and fat is rendered about 20-30 minutes. Transfer guanciale to a paper towel to drain. Remove almost all of the fat from the pot- you could add a small amount of extra virgin olive oil.
Add onion, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in crushed red pepper.
Add garlic, stirring about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly until darkened to a rusty red color.
Using your hands or a wooden spoon, crush tomatoes; add tomatoes and their juices to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring often, until flavors meld and mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese and half of guanciale to tomato mixture.
While sauce cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add rigatoni, and cook according to package instructions for al dente, about 13 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
Add rigatoni to sauce in pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and coats pasta, adding extra reserved liquid if necessary. Serve with additional pecorino cheese, freshly ground pepper and reserved bits of guanciale.

AND: Here’s the “Tree of the Week”!

*“Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!!”*

I end with a rare White Trillium that my husband Paul found while bushwhacking through the Great Mountain Forest in Norfolk, CT.

*White Trillum: Great Mountain Forest- Norfolk, Connecticut*

HAPPY SPRING!!

Mountain Meadow Preserve and Vegetarian Tamale Pie

*Mountain Meadow Preserve- Williamstown, MA*

At the beginning of February one of my teaching positions had a short winter break. We decided to treat ourselves to a “Cabin Fever” mini vacation and traveled further north to Williamstown, Massachusetts in the Northern Berkshires- with even colder temperatures!

Williamstown is an idyllic small New England town that includes Williams College. We have often made day trips to visit the Clark Art Institute or to nearby North Adams to MASS MoCA, scene of my most recent blog post! We looked forward to having a leisurely dinner, going to see a film and not making the long trek back home in the dark!

We checked into the upscale but cozy Williams Inn made all the more attractive with inexpensive off season rates.

We decided to first visit the Clark Art Institute and headed to a favorite gallery that includes many treasures- paintings by Cezanne, Renoir, Monet, Redon and sculptures by Rodin.

It was not crowded that day, the gallery was almost empty- we sat on a comfortable couch in the middle of the room. Surrounded by beauty, we pretended we were in our mansion in the drawing room; the troubles of the world drifted away.

*Claude Monet- Tulip Fields at Sassenheim*

*Odilon Redon- Woman with a Vase of Flowers*

In a nearby hallway we visited one of our favorite paintings, “Home at Montclair” by the American painter George Innes.

*George Innes- “Home at Montclair” 1892*

The painting expresses the stillness of twilight at the end of a cold snowy day. A wisp of smoke rising from a chimney and muted light from a window in the distance drew my thoughts inward; I imagined a warm hearth and a pot of soup simmering on a wood stove.

Afterwards, we treated ourselves to dinner at the Barn Kitchen and Bar at the Williams Inn. Although the setting was lovely with friendly servers, the food was bland and disappointing and so earns my new restaurant review- a simple, “Meh”. Some think that this word which means indifferent or expresses boredom, may be derived from Yiddish!

We still enjoyed ourselves and after dinner headed just down the street to a small independently owned movie theatre. We enjoyed the quirky movie “Poor Things” with excellent acting by Emma Stone and then returned to our inn and fell fast asleep in our cozy room.

The next day, we had a quick breakfast at a local diner and then had just enough time for a brisk walk before we needed to return home. We drove to nearby Mountain Meadow Preserve with views of snowcapped Mt. Greylock in the distance; we had last walked here on a steamy day in late summer.

Today is the first day of spring, but outside it is cold and blustery; still the kind of weather for making hearty casseroles in a hot oven! Vegetarian Tamale Pie from the NY Times Cooking section, is easy to make; with a crunchy irresistible cornmeal, cheddar and scallion topping!

Vegetarian Tamale Pie – based on NY Times Cooking: Recipe by Melissa Clark

Yield:6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

1large red or white onion, halved
2jalapeños, halved lengthwise and seeded (I omitted the jalapenos in my version)
1poblano or green bell pepper, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1¾teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed
1(28-ounce) can whole plum or diced tomatoes
3fat garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
2tablespoons mild or hot chili powder, more as needed
2teaspoons dried oregano
1¾teaspoons ground cumin
3(15-ounce) cans black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (optional)
¾cup/135 grams fine cornmeal
2tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1½teaspoons baking powder
½teaspoon kosher salt
1large egg, at room temperature
⅓cup/80 grams sour cream or whole-milk yogurt, plus more for serving
¼cup/57 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled (I used extra virgin olive oil)
2scallions, whites and greens thinly sliced, plus more for serving
1/2 cup grated Cheddar

PREPARATION

Prepare the chili: Move a rack as close to the heating element as possible and heat the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Finely dice half of the onion and set aside for later.
Slice remaining onion half into ½-inch-thick half-moons and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Place jalapeños and poblano next to onions, cut sides down. Lightly brush vegetables with oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Broil 2 to 4 minutes, until vegetables are charred on one side. (If the chiles are small, they will be charred after 1 to 2 minutes.) Flip vegetables and broil until the other side is charred, 1 to 3 minutes.
Transfer pan to a rack until cool enough to handle, then stem the peppers. Transfer charred vegetables and any accumulated juices to a blender (or use a bowl and immersion blender). Add canned tomato and ¼ teaspoon salt, and blend to a coarse purée. You can make this up to 4 days ahead, and store in the refrigerator until needed.)
Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add diced onion and sauté until lightly browned, 6 to 9 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chili powder, oregano, remaining 1½ teaspoons salt and cumin, and cook until spices darken, about 30 seconds.
Add beans and the reserved tomato purée, and let mixture simmer until thick like a chili, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro, if using. Taste and add more salt and chili powder, if needed.
While the chili simmers, prepare the cornbread: In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg, sour cream or yogurt. Whisk egg mixture into cornmeal mixture until combined. Fold in scallions.
Spread cornbread topping over the chili, then top with grated cheese, if using. Bake, uncovered, until cornbread is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot or warm, topped with sour cream and more scallions. I topped our version with Greek Yogurt. ENJOY!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”!

Happy Spring!

Winter Strolls on Merwin Road and Cod Fish Cakes!

One of my favorite places to walk is on Merwin Road at Spencer’s Corner in Millerton, New York. I come here often when I have a short break from teaching. My stroll starts at the old Spencer’s Corners Burying Ground.

I continue down the street that is symmetrically lined with maple trees. In the summer, the trees offer a welcome canopy of cooling shade and at this time of year, they act as a buffer from the stiff frigid wind that blows from the surrounding mountains over the fields.

My beloved brother in-law Perry recently passed away after a long struggle with early onset dementia; this week there will be a Celebration of Life service held in his honor. This blog entry is dedicated to his memory; he was a kind, sincere, warm and intelligent man with a lovely sense of humor. He keenly observed nature and weather conditions and I know he would appreciate the quick changes on Merwin Road; one week a blustery snowy landscape and a few days later, rusty brown fields.

The other day at the fish counter, the wild caught cod looked especially fresh and my thoughts turned to crunchy cod fish cakes for dinner. I remembered a recipe from the New York Times Cooking column for cod cakes which I based my recipe on. The fish is first poached gently with lemon slices, bay leaf and black peppercorns and this gives the fish a wonderful subtle flavor. This step is well worth the extra time required. We served these crispy little beauties with lemon slices and a sauce made from veganaise, lemon, mustard and capers along with chunks Japanese sweet potato roasted with olive oil and rosemary and steamed broccolini. I hope you enjoy making these!

Cod Cakes (based on NY Times Cooking recipe by Sam Sifton

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 to 6 servings as a main course, 6 to 8 servings as an appetizer

4 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 lemon, cut into eighths
3/4pound cod fillets, or other white flaky fish
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 rib celery diced
1 medium-size yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise,( I use vegenaise)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs (add more if mixture is too soft)
1/4 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup neutral oil, like canola

PREPARATION

Fill a shallow, wide pan with high sides with about an inch of water, and set it over high heat. Add the peppercorns, bay leaf and 1 section of the lemon to the water, and allow it to come to a bare simmer. Place the fish into this poaching liquid, and cook, barely simmering, until the flesh has just begun to whiten all the way through, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully remove the fish from the water, and set aside to cool.
Empty the pan, and return it to the stove, over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, add the celery & onions, and sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and the onions turn translucent, then transfer them to a large bowl.
In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, egg, salt, pepper and Old Bay seasoning, then add this mixture to the bowl with the sautéed vegetables, pour the bread crumbs over them and stir to combine. Add the parsley, and stir again.
Flake the cooked fish into the binding sauce carefully, keeping the flakes as whole as you can manage, then gather them into small balls, and form them into patties, 4-6 for a main course, 6-8 for an appetizer. Place them on a sheet pan or platter, cover loosely with plastic wrap and transfer them to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.
Set a large sauté pan over high heat, and add to it the neutral oil. When the oil is shimmering, remove the fish cakes from the refrigerator, and carefully sauté the patties until they are golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes a side. Work in batches if necessary. Serve them alone, or with greens dressed in a lemony vinaigrette, with the remaining wedges of lemon.

Sauce:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Vegenaise

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons capers

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.

We also accompanied our meal with a quick antipasto that included sliced avocado, cherry tomatoes, green olives, marinated artichoke hearts and crumbled feta cheese. Drizzled with olive oil and lightly sprinkled with salt and freshly ground pepper- no recipe here- but so pretty we had to take it’s picture!

AND: Here is the first 2024 “Tree of the Week”:

STAY WARM AND SAFE!

The Best Crispy Potatoes and a Foodie Road Trip to the Transilvania Restaurant and Bar!

The day was cloudy and misty with a persistent cold drizzle of rain. However, our spirits were not to be dampened and we decided to set out for a foodie road trip to East Haven, Connecticut. A bit of a schlep, but as it turned out, well worth it! Our destination was a Romanian restaurant, The Transilvania Restaurant and Bar. My husband Paul had read about it in The Daily Nutmeg , an online newsletter.

This cozy restaurant, which opened in 2022, was decorated tastefully with colorful table settings. We were warmly greeted by the friendly owner, Alina Coldarariu.

The unpretentious place does not take itself too seriously; there was a bit of kitsch, with a picture of Vlad the Impaler on the wall and complete with “Bat Rooms”!

We had an excellent lunch. Paul and I shared two lunch specials that included Romanian style chicken paprikash with delicate spaeztle with marinated cabbage salad and a hearty meatball soup.

My lunch included delicious stuffed cabbage with polenta and sour cream and bruchettta with Romanian eggplant salad.

Many years ago, when I was a music student in New York, I had the opportunity to travel to Romania with a group called the Riverside Chamber Orchestra. I remembered eating an eggplant salad that had a smoky delicate flavor and here it was again!

I asked the owner Alina about the dish and she kindly described to me the technique she uses to prepare the eggplant which includes grilling whole eggplants over coals; definitely something I plan to try to make! Even though she was busy getting out other lunch orders, we had a lovely chat about Romania, which at the time of my visit was still a communist country.

The stuffed cabbage had a unique flavor. When I returned home, I read about Romanian style stuffed cabbage; it is called Sarmle and is made with sour cabbage. This is much like the flavor of sauerkraut but whole cabbages are used. One article mentioned that the cabbages can be found in Eastern European specialty food shops (another road trip!)Smoked bacon is also used-I will use turkey bacon for my version.

My husband asked Alina if there are any special Romanian dumplings and she mentioned plum dumplings-galuste cu prune.

My winter cooking projects are all set: Eggplant Salad, Semolina & Plum Dumplings, Romanian Stuffed Cabbage! In the meantime, here is a recipe for irresistible, easy to make crispy oven baked potatoes that I made during the holidays. I scored the potatoes with a fork and this made the surfaces extra crispy. The potatoes taste like a combination of French fries, home fries and baked potatoes and are so good that they could almost make a meal on their own accompanied by plain yogurt or sour cream!

Crispy Oven Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

4-5 medium Yukon gold potatoes (leave skin on)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

To Make Potatoes:

Pre heat oven to 380 Degrees

Cut potatoes in half (larger potatoes can be cut into 3 pieces).

Score the cut side of the potatoes with a fork.

Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil- with your hands, rub potatoes together to cover all surfaces.

Sprinkle with salt and dried rosemary.

Bake about 20 minutes, cut side down and then carefully turn over with metal spatula.

Bake cut side up until potatoes are brown and crispy. The insides of the potatoes will be very soft.

Eat while piping hot.

ENJOY!

BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!