Easier French Fries

Who would have guessed there was something new to do with French fries? I always make mine the same way . . . peel cut and soak in cold water, dry and fry at a low temperature until just cooked, remove from oil, allow to cool and fry again at 350º until crispy. That is until today.

While browsing through Cooks Illustrated's web site I found a recipe they call Easier French Fries. I'm not generally the kind of cook who makes the same thing over and over again until a recipe is perfected but this improved method was intriguing. CI suggested starting the cut potatoes (2 1/2 lbs) in just 6 cups of room temperature oil. Place potatoes in oil in a high sided pot, turn burner on high and allow to cook (oil will come to a rolling boil) for about 20 minutes without stirring. Potatoes will begin to cook but still be limp. After 20 minutes give a good stir and pry loose any that are stuck and cook (stirring occasionally) until crisp, another 5 - 1o minutes. Drain on paper bags or paper towels, salt generously and serve immediately.

"You could serve these at a party and people would go crazy," James said. He also claimed they were as good as the fries at his beloved Oinkster -- high praise, but also the kind of sweet suppertime lie that makes for happy cooks and longtime dinner companions.

Since we were having kebabs (beef marinated in lime, onion juice, garlic, yogurt and saffron) I made a quick garlic tahini sauce for dipping the fries (equal parts tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and water plus garlic and S&P to taste). Serve anything you want along side -- when these potatoes are on the table, it's all about the fries.

Hot Summer Supper

With the weather so hot it's been hard to think about anything in the kitchen: eating (well not really -- there's always ice cream), cooking, and certainly not preserving (or cleaning for that matter). And yet, dinner time seems to roll around everyday. So I went rummaging for an idea.

I'm not sure if I like okra or the idea of okra better, but every summer I grow several plants, and when our crop is small (or I forget to harvest the pods while they are still reasonably tender size) I buy it at the farmer's market. I've roasted it, fried it, and stirred it into gumbos and Indian fiery hot stews. Last night I looked around at what was left in our kitchen and vegetable drawers and came up with this version of Louisiana's vegetable stew, Maque Choux. A Cajun style dish, Maque Choux is also thought to have roots among The Bayou State's Native American tribes. The current name is generally thought to be a Louisiana French adaptation of an American Indian moniker -- much like succotash in other parts of the South.

For your own homemade Maque Choux sauté aromatics (onions or shallots, celery, bell peppers, a jalapeño or two, thyme, a bit of garlic, and a pinch of cayenne -- some cooks use a little Louisiana Tasso ham) in bacon fat and or butter (save the crisped bacon for a topping) until just soft and starting to brown. Add chopped tomatoes (if it's tomato season) and allow to cook down (many cooks skip this step preferring to give the stew a creamier texture by scraping the corn cobs -- after the kernels have been cut off -- and adding the "corn milk" as a liquid -- but we grow tomatoes and had some slightly soft ones around). Then stir in corn kernels and sliced okra. Cook until vegetables are tender (about 15 minutes or so -- you may need to add water or chicken broth as it cooks), season with S&P, a bit more cayenne or chile powder, hot sauce to taste, and a couple pats of butter.

Serve on steamed rice, sprinkled with reserved bacon or topped with spiced broiled shrimp.

Pastabilities

Late night, home from work, car trouble, towing, Thousand Oaks adventure pasta dinner. I had some sautéed shallots (left over from the sliders), so I cooked those up with some shredded prosciutto, garlic and crushed red chiles -- when the pasta (a mish-mash of unfinished bags -- added in stages so they all cooked fully) was just cooked I tossed it in the sauté pan with some slices of fresh goat cheese and a bit of the pasta water and stirred it all together with some chopped parsley. Done!

Weekend Update

Two days, two sets of guests, and a perfect summer cake.

Saturday night we had some friends for dinner (What Deb and Leslie Had For Dinner?) --- Bucatini with Sorrel Pesto, Olive Oil Fried Egg (Thanks Girls!) and Roasted Tomatoes, Pan Roasted Wild Salmon and Broccoli Rabe and Rosemary Anchovy Sauce, Frisée Radicchio and Raw Artichoke Salad, Brown Butter Raspberry tart for dessert.

Sunday was more of a family event. House specialty Sliders and Crispy Onion Rings, Sour Slaw (Not pictured), Watermelon Salad (champagne vinegar, mint, ricotta salata, olive oil, chili, S&P), Corn on the Cob, BBQ'ed Drumsticks, Root Beer Floats, Nectarine Raspberry Pie (not pictured) and what may be my new go to summer cake -- layers of yellow sponge filled with lemon curd and "frosted" with a soft meringue -- Lemon Meringue Cake.

Stove Top Clam Bake

Another fast summer supper. All I did was layer corn and andouille sausage with fresh manilla clams on top, poured in about a cup of water, a couple TBs of butter, and sprinkled on oregano, crushed red peppers, and a little Old Bay -- covered the pot over high heat and waited about 13 minutes once I saw the steam (our clams were pretty small so I took them out after 8 and let the corn cook a little longer). Serve in a nice dip bowl with plenty of bread for dipping. As Gordon Ramsey would say . . . Stovetop Clambake with Fresh Corn and Sausage -- Done!

Delivered in 30 Minutes Or Less Or . . .

Quicker, cheaper and better than delivery, with a ball of dough waiting in the fridge or freezer homemade pizza is just 20 - 30 minutes away. Okay so I do pre-heat the oven and let the dough rest for a bit . . . but from rolling dough to on the table in 30 minutes isn't bad -- and it's a great way to use leftovers -- prosciutto, steamed potatoes, tomato sauce, herbs and cheeses for this one. Our hearthkit oven insert makes a terrific crispy crust (not to mention chewy breads) for a favorite round meal in 30 minutes or less -- those guys with the boxes better watch out!

Fresh Black-Eyed Peas

A late summer delight, fresh back eyed peas ready to shell and eat. For this simple supper I cooked up the peas in water (brought to a boil and then simmered) , bay leaf, onion, and carrot for about 40 minutes, until tender. Drained -- and reserved about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and mixed that with 1 cup beans, a pinch of za'atar (a Middle Eastern spice mix that's a favorite flavoring around here), cumin, crushed chili peppers, and S&P. I dusted the shrimp in cumin and za'atar and quickly sautéed them. And, while keeping the shrimp warm, heated up some oil and garlic and gave thinly sliced (chiffonade) chard leaves a turn in the pan. Once the beans are cooked (I did that the day before and re-heated them while cooking the shrimp) it's 10 minutes to a simple light summer supper.