Recipes – Page 3 – A Musician's Travels

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!

First Snow and Crespelle in Brodo

Early January and the first real snowstorm of the season has finally arrived! From my study window I watch as the world softly becomes enveloped under a peaceful white blanket of powdery snow. A lovely day to hunker down with a good book and a pot of chicken soup simmering slowly on the stove.

One of our favorite series is PBS Kitchen Vignettes; that features short whimsical cooking videos by Aube Giroux, food writer, organic gardener, home cook and film maker. We have enjoyed making several featured recipes including a delicious Blueberry Lime Layer Cake. She has won multiple James Beard Awards for Best Video Webcast (On Location). In 2012, she was the recipient of Saveur Magazine’s Best Food Blog award in the video category.

We have watched the Kitchen Vignette video, Crespelle in Brodo (Crepes in Broth) many times. Crepes are filled with freshly grated parmesan cheese and placed in rich chicken broth; sprinkled with parsley and more parmesan, they looked enticing! I decided to try my hand at making Crespelle in Brodo. I had bought a small crepe pan a few years ago and it was still hanging on my pot rack with the original packaging.

First, set a pot of home made chicken stock on the stove. This is well worth the effort; the resulting broth is delicious and there will plenty leftover to freeze for another time! I added extra carrots to the stock pot and one large potato. When I strained the soup, I reserved the carrot and potato and pureed it with about 6 cups of the soup. This thickened the soup slightly and added a lovely rich flavor and golden/orange color.

Making the crepes was surprisingly easy. I tinkered with the recipe from Kitchen Vignettes, but also checked out Deb Perlman’s method on her excellent blog, Smitten Kitchen. For my version of crepes, I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for half of the required flour. This gave the crepes a nutty flavor and also made them more wholesome and I used whole milk in my version. I also recommend using a crepe pan. I lightly oiled the pan and the crepes cooked quickly and beautifully. As they are finished , you can stack them together on a plate and they will not stick together! They also reheat nicely.

I am happy to report that Crespelle in Brodo was absolutely delicious, the soup rich, so full of flavor and the crepes! While easy to prepare, eating this made us feel that we were in an upscale Italian restaurant. We were curious that crepes or crespelle were Italian; a quick bit of research and we discovered that the dish comes from the Abruzzi section of Italy. This is where my husband’s family is originally from!

“Crespelle in Brodo”- based on a recipe from PBS Kitchen Vignettes

For the Crepes:

3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup cold water
About ¼ cup grapeseed or sunflower oil
1/4 tsp salt
About 3 to 4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

For the Soup:
1 whole small chicken
Enough water to cover the chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
1 large potato, peeled
2 large carrots, cut into large pieces
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried dill
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
3 eggs
1/2 unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup cold whole milk
About 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
About 3 to 4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

In a large heavy-bottomed stock pot, sauté the chopped onion, celery over medium heat until translucent and fragrant. Add the whole chicken and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for at least 3 hours. About an hour in, as the chicken cooks, take out some of the breast meat to save for serving the soup.
After about 3 hours of simmering, strain everything out of the broth. Reserve the chicken meat for other recipes and use the bones to make a bone broth. Remove bay leaves, onions and celery, but save carrots and potatoes. Using a fat separater, remove fat and pour about 5-6 cups of broth strained broth back into the pot. Use or freeze remaining broth for other recipes. Use an immersion or stand blender to purée carrots and potatoes into the broth, which will thicken it slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep broth warm on low heat until the crepes are ready.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the salt and flour. Make a well into the center of the flour and crack all 3 eggs. Whisk together well and gradually add the milk, a little at a time, whisking well to avoid lumps. After all the milk has been added, if the batter is lumpy, you can run it through a fine-meshed sieve to get rid of any lumps.
Grease up a heavy skillet or a small crepe pan, using about 1 tsp oil per crepe. Make the crepes using about 1/4 cup of batter per crepe. Swirl the batter around, cook for about 30 to 60 seconds on each side or until golden and bubbly. If the batter is too thick, add a little more water, a couple tablespoonfuls at a time. Stack the crepes on a large plate. They will miraculousy not stick together.
Sprinkle a generous handful of grated cheese on each crepe and roll it up into a cigar shape. (Divide the cheese evenly among the crepes but save some for garnish). Place the rolled crepes seam down into a large serving bowl. Serve two to three crepes per person and ladle a generous scoop or two of broth on top of the crepes. I also added some of the reserved chicken breast chopped, to the soup. Garnish with a little cheese and chopped parsley. ENJOY!

STAY SAFE AND WARM!!

An Update: Leftover crepes also made an excellent breakfast. We first discovered these fruit, yogurt, granola and maple syrup crepes at the Starving Artist Cafe & Creperie in Lee, Massachusetts!

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!!

Happy Winter Solstice and Blueberry Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins!

Sometimes, after a brisk walk in the cold, the perfect thing is to make a batch of muffins- with a cup of tea, a good book and a cozy fire in the woodstove- nothing could be better!

Here is my recipe for delicious moist muffins that also happen to be healthy- made with whole grain flour, a small amount of low glycemic coconut sugar, they are guilt free and also perfect for breakfast.

Blueberry Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or a combination of whole grain spelt and whole wheat pastry flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 very ripe banana

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips ( I like Equal Exchange or you could also use Lily’s Stevia Chocolate Chips)

1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts or pecans

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup soy or almond milk

To Make Muffins:

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees

Butter a nonstick 12 cup muffin tin (this recipe will make about 10 muffins)

In a medium size bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.

Add egg, oil, vanilla, banana and almond or soy milk and stir until combined.

Add blueberries, nuts and chocolate chips and stir to combine- do not overmix.

Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full and bake aprox. 12-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Cool in muffin tin about 10 minutes before removing muffins- they will stick less.

ENJOY!!

This year for the holidays, I baked two very rich desserts on the day before Christmas earmarked for Christmas Day. As the rich aromas of chocolate, butter and spices filled the air, temptation won over and we all decided to eat the desserts for both days- a wise decision! Recipes for Kabocha Squash Pie and Chocolate Cherry Torte to follow in another blog post soon!

AND: Here is the last “Tree of the Week” for 2023!

BEST WISHES FOR A JOYOUS HOLIDAY AND A HAPPY AND SAFE NEW YEAR!