Sicilian Potato Salad (with a side of Grilled Tuna)

I found this recipe for Mediterranean Grilled Tuna Steaks with Sicilian Style Potato Salad in an old Rachael Ray magazine a few months ago but never got around to making it. Last week I had a surplus of red potatoes and tuna was on sale, so I finally gave it a try.

Expecting the tuna to be the star on the plate, I didn’t give much thought to the potato salad. How exciting could potato salad be? How wrong I was.

I love this recipe and will make it again. With ham. And again. With salami. The next time I bring a potato salad anywhere, this is the one I take. Sorry, Southwestern Potato Salad, you’re delicious and different, but step aside.

Like the Southwestern and Potatoes with Herbs, Spinach & Lemon, this potato salad isn’t mayonnaise-based. Hooray. It’s full of bold flavors. I added yellow and red bell pepper to the original recipe because, yes, you guessed it, I had a few in the frig – one of my discount produce rack finds. While eating the salad, I had a brilliant idea: next time, add prosciutto, salami or some other type of ham, oh yes.

The original recipe calls for sun-dried tomatoes in oil. I only had plain sun-dried tomatoes and they worked fine. I couldn’t find anchovy paste in my local market so I smooshed up regular anchovies instead.

You don’t have to stick to the ingredient amounts here. Red onions, peppers and celery ribs vary in size, so use the amounts that look right to you. My celery ribs were huge so I only used two, compared to Rachael’s three. I added the amount of bell pepper that looked right for the amount of potatoes and onion; I think it was about half a yellow and half a red bell pepper.

And what about the tuna? It was really good too. It’s hard to go wrong with lemon and rosemary. I let the tuna sit with its rub while I made the potato salad so that probably helped to deepen the flavor.

Photo by Tina Rupp at Every Day with Rachael Ray - I'll take a photo the next time I make this.

Sicilian Potato Salad (with a side of Grilled Tuna)

You’ll need a large pot or saucepan with a lid, small bowl, colander and large bowl.

• 2 pounds small red potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• Salt
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes – if in oil, drain them first
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon – if you’re making the tuna, zest the lemon first, then slice it in half for juicing
  
• 2 teaspoons anchovy paste or 4 smooshed anchovies
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 3/4 to 1 cup yellow and red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup large black or green olives, pitted and chopped
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf or Italian parsley, chopped
•  Option: chopped ham or prosciutto

Place potatoes in the pot and add cold water to cover them. Add salt. Put the lid on the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook the potatoes until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. While the potatoes are boiling, ladle some of the cooking water over the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl. Let the tomatoes soak for 10 minutes; drain and thinly slice.

Drain the potatoes in a colander when they’re done.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, anchovy paste and garlic. Add the potatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, bell peppers, celery, olives, capers and parsley, and toss to combine.

Mediterranean Grilled Tuna Steaks

You’ll need a pan, grill pan or grill.

• Olive oil for drizzling
• Two 6-ounce tuna steaks
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel – zest the lemon first, then slice it in half for juicing
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat a pan, grill pan or grill to medium-high. Drizzle olive oil over the tuna, sprinkle with the rosemary and lemon peel and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the tuna for 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Serve with the potato salad.

Original recipe: Mediterranean Grilled Tuna Steaks and Sicilian Style Potato Salad, Every Day with Rachael Ray, June/July 2008

Potatoes with Herbs, Spinach & Lemon

I’m always on the look-out for no-mayo potato salads or sides. If you read my recent Southwestern Potato Salad post, you’ll know why. I found this recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs, The Kitchn. As is usually the case with their recipes, it was delicious.

My herb garden, a row of pots, doesn’t include parsley or dill this year, so I’m not using the original name of this recipe: Herb Garden Potatoes. I suppose you could use any combination of herbs, but I really loved the fresh bright taste of parsley and dill with the spinach and lemon. I imagine that tarragon, basil, thyme, lemon thyme or marjoram would work too.

Warm and humid North Carolina is so much better for herbs than Sacramento. Because of Sacramento’s hot and dry climate, I had to water my herbs every day, and that didn’t always happen. So I gave up on herb gardening and bought them instead at the farmers market.

This year we have basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and mint in pots on our deck – the only place on an acre of land that gets enough sun. Next to the deck we (well, Jim) planted a few grape tomato plants that don’t look so good but give us a handful of tomatoes every few days. We also have two small eggplants and several banana pepper plants in pots. I wish we had other pepper plants because the banana peppers don’t have a whole lot of flavor or heat. Next year, serrano and jalapeno!

Back to potatoes… I made this as a side for Coconut Citrus Tilapia. I loved how the lemon and green herbs complemented the sweet coconut citrus fish. It’s a perfect summer potato dish. Play with the herbs and serve it either warm off the stove, at room temperature or chilled.

Little bit of leftovers - I added extra spinach so it's really green

Potatoes with Herbs, Spinach & Lemon

Serves 4 to 6. You’ll need a large pot with lid, large bowl, whisk and small bowl.

• Salt
• 2 pounds red skin, new or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into large bite-size chunks
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 5 ounces baby spinach, leaves only, sliced into thin ribbons
• 2/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, loosely packed, minced
• 2/3 cup fresh dill, fronds only, loosely packed, minced
• 3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper

Boil a pot of generously salted water. Add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes, or until they are tender. Transfer to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, olive oil and sugar. Whisk until well-combined — it will be thick and opaque yellow. Pour over the hot potatoes and stir gently until the potatoes are coated with dressing.

Add the spinach, parsley, dill and shallots to the potatoes, toss gently. The spinach and herbs will wilt in the potato heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot, warm or cold.

Original recipe: Herb Garden Potatoes with Fresh Spinach & Lemon, The Kitchn

Southwestern Potato Salad

I love mayonnaise. Too much. However, I live with a mayonnaise hater. He once put a skull and crossbones on my jar of mayonnaise in the frig. But he’s not the only one; several members of his family hate mayonnaise too. When I make anything for a party, I have to be absolutely positive there’s no mayo in it or there will be an uprising. And not only mayo, they hate mustard too! Ay ya yay.

I made this for my honey and he loved it, even with the few teaspoons of mustard – you really can’t taste them. But don’t worry, she who will remain nameless, when I bring it over this weekend, it won’t have any mustard in it, that’s a promise. I wonder how omitting it will affect the final flavor. If anyone has any ideas for substitutions, please let me know in the comments.

Strange food tastes aside, this is a great potato salad for anyone, especially those who are watching their fat, except, of course, for that 3/4 cup of cheese, but I suppose you could omit that too. This dish is packed full of flavor. The vinegar and lime give it a nice tang. If heat isn’t your thing, start by adding half the chipotle and then add more if you want to.

Sadly, again, I forgot to take a photo of my beautiful salad. Taking photos is the last thing on my mind after making something good. That’s my biggest failing as a food blogger. Sigh, I’ll never make the big time…

Update July 13, 2011: I made it again and took a photo with my cell phone. It’s below the recipe. I couldn’t replace my cut and paste no mayo/no mustard creation.

Southwestern Potato Salad

You’ll need a small bowl, whisk, large bowl, large pot (to boil potatoes) and colander.

Dressing

• 1/4 cup lime juice or white wine vinegar (or 2 tablespoons of each, 1 lime yields 2 tablespoons of juice)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons pureed or minced chipotles in adobo
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons lime zest – I usually use just one large lime
  
• 1-2 cloves crushed garlic

Whisk together the lime juice/vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. In a very slow trickle, whisk in the oil until it’s incorporated. Mix in the remaining ingredients and set aside. Remove garlic before tossing with the salad later.

Salad

• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3.5 pounds red-skin or Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 cup diced red and green bell pepper – I use more red than green
  
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
  
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack or whatever you prefer)
• Optional: corn, scallions and/or chives

In a very large bowl, combine the vinegar and salt. Allow the salt to dissolve into the vinegar.

In the meantime, boil the potatoes in salted water until they can be pieced easily with a fork. Drain and cool until they’re cool enough to handle. Cut into bite-sized chunks.

Toss the potatoes in the vinegar-salt mixture to coat and soak. Fold in the peppers, tomatoes, onion, cilantro and jalapeno. Whisk the dressing again, if necessary, and mix into the salad. Toss with cheese, and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Variations: Add corn, scallions or chives. Kick up the heat by adding a pinch of cayenne or crushed red pepper. 

Original recipes: Create Your Own Potato Salad, Fine Cooking and Fiesta Potato Salad, Bounteous

Yes, a photo at last!

Modern Colcannon

When I decided to make Beef and Stout Stew for St. Patrick’s dinner, I imagined mashed potatoes on the side, soaking up the dark flavorful sauce. But I wanted to take the Irish theme as far as I could, so I looked for a recipe for colcannon – an Irish mashed potato and cabbage dish.

I found my beef stew recipe on Elise Bauer’s blog, Simply Recipes, so I began and ended my search for a colcannon recipe there too. I decided to buy kale for the recipe because I love it so much more than cabbage. If only we had full sun, instead of shade, in our yard, I would grow rows of it.

Since I had nice large cremini mushrooms in the refrigerator, I added about six to the recipe, slicing them into smaller pieces than usual. I also liked her suggestion for leeks, so I added two, but I skipped the green onions. And, of course, a little garlic is always a nice touch. I used less butter, substituting some olive oil instead, and used a little less milk. More milk will make the dish creamier.

I ended up having enough kale left over that I made colcannon again last night. I like sneaking vegetables into my potatoes, as in Cheesy Broccoli Potato Mash, so this recipe will likely appear again and again on our table.

Kale! (image by David Fisher)

Colcannon

You’ll need a medium pot with lid, a large deep pan or pot and a potato masher.

• 4 russet potatoes (or 2 pounds), peeled and cut into large chunks
• Salt
• 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil, or a mixture of both
• 4 cups of chopped kale, chard, cabbage, or other leafy green – one bunch will be more than enough
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 leeks, white parts only, sliced
• 4 oz mushrooms, sliced crosswise in thirds (for medium and large mushrooms) and then into slices
• 3/4 cup milk or cream

Put the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water by at least an inch. Add salt, bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain.

In another large deep pan or pot, over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter (or a mixture of butter and olive oil). Add greens, cook until beginning to wilt. Add leeks and mushrooms, cook until softened. Add garlic (and a little butter, if needed), cook 1 minute more.

Pour in some of the milk or cream, mix well, and add the potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium. Mash the potatoes, mixing them up with the greens. Add more milk if needed. Add salt to taste and serve hot, with butter, if desired.

Original recipe: Colcannon, Simply Recipes

Pesto Mashed Potatoes

You know how cheese makes everything taste better? Pesto works that way too, and it’s a lot less fattening. The best pesto is homemade. The best homemade pesto comes from basil plants in your garden or in pots on your balcony or deck. We had about five good-sized basil plants last year and they provided enough pesto to last us well into this summer. It adds a bit of summer to every dish.

In a few months it will be time to buy seeds or seedlings. Starting from seed is much less expensive than buying small plants. We followed the directions on the seed package and did just fine — no other education required.

I made these potatoes (and Italian Spaghetti Squash) to accompany my Provencal Chicken dinner. It’s a nice twist on mashed potatoes. If pesto isn’t your thing, you could try Cheesy Broccoli Mashed Potatoes instead.

Pesto Mashed Potatoes

• 2-3 pounds red-skinned potatoes, cut large ones into pieces
• Salt
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp pesto, or more to taste
• 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper

Cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Add salt and cook until potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain potatoes and return them to the pot. Add broth and mash the potatoes a bit, not too much. Add pesto and mash a bit more, until they’re the desired consistency. Stir in parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Original recipe: Pesto Mashed Potatoes, Rachael Ray, Food Network

Flickr photo by Shoshanah

Red Wine-Braised Lamb Shanks with Roasted Root Vegetables & Creamy Polenta

Confess. How many of you peek into the bargain meat section at your supermarket? No one? I admit, they’re sometimes scary, but I take a look when I’m in the treasure-hunting mood. My Lowes Foods has a section in one of their floor coolers for deeply discounted meat. Every now and then I find something good for the freezer, like lamb shanks, oh happy day.

Until now I had never cooked lamb shanks. I knew they would require a good long braise and the reward would be magnificent. I did a quick search online, once again forsaking my bookcase of cookbooks. Why oh why do I keep forgetting about them? I’m sure Julia would have something to say about lamb shanks. But no, I ended up on the Food & Wine site and fell for this recipe, Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks. Even their suggested accompaniments wound up on my menu – Maple Glazed Root Vegetables, Braised Red Cabbage and Creamy Polenta. The lamb shanks rivaled the best boeuf bourguignon or coq au vin I’ve made. Such flavor!

Save this for the weekend because the meal takes some time to put together. Food & Wine said the lamb shanks would take two hours and 40 minutes, including 40 minutes of active time. Since the root vegetables cook at a higher temperature than the lamb shanks, I roasted them first, up until the point when they’re tossed with the glaze. I finished them later, when everything else was ready, by reheating them a bit and tossing them with the glaze.

When the lamb goes in the oven, put a pot of water on to boil for your polenta and start the cabbage. Once your cabbage is done, start your polenta, about 50 minutes before the lamb is due to be done. I know, that’s a lot of time calculations, but once you work it out on paper, you can simply follow along.

This meal is a perfect project for a late Saturday or Sunday afternoon, preferably a cold one. It takes a long time but you’ll have down time to do other things, like hang out on Twitter or read about the state of art criticism. Put on your apron, pour yourself a glass of red wine, find a good podcast and get ready to fill the house with incredible aromas. Bon appétit!

lamb shanks ~ flickr photo by Jennifer (jspatchwork)

Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks

Serves two people, one shank per person. You’ll need a large deep oven-safe pan (or Dutch oven) with an oven-safe lid, medium saucepan and fine sieve.

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Two 1-pound lamb shanks
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 medium carrots, sliced 1/4 thick
• 2 medium celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
• ½  750-ml bottle dry red wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 peppercorns
• 1-2 rosemary sprigs

Preheat oven to 325°. Heat olive oil. Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper and brown them on all sides over medium-high heat. Remove shanks for a moment while you add and cook garlic, carrots, celery and onion until they begin to soften.

Return shanks to the pan, add red wine and boil for 3 minutes. Add water and bring to a simmer. Add bay leaves, peppercorns and rosemary. Cover pan tightly and transfer to oven. Braise the lamb shanks, turning once halfway through, for about 1-1/2 hours, or until very tender, as in “could fall off the bone” tender.

Remove the shanks to a plate. Using a fine sieve, strain the braising liquid from the pan into a medium saucepan, pressing on the solids so you get all that scrumptious liquid. Boil this liquid over high heat until it has reduced to about 3/4 cup. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Put the lamb back in the pan (or oven-proof serving dish) and pour about 1/4 cup of the liquid over the lamb shanks; keep the remaining (your sauce) warm. Cover the lamb shanks (with foil if in a dish) and reheat in the oven for about 10 minutes. Serve the lamb shanks with the remaining sauce.

Make ahead: The braised lamb shanks can be refrigerated in their sauce overnight. Cover and reheat in a 350° oven for 30 minutes, or until warm.

Original recipe: Red Wine-Braised Lamb Shanks, Food & Wine

flickr photo by Maggie Hoffman

Maple-Glazed Root Vegetables

You could also use sweet potatoes, regular potatoes and/or parsnips. You’ll need a large sheet pan, small pan, whisk and serving bowl.

• 1-1/4 pounds rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
• 3/4 pounds turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme, or a few thyme sprigs
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread the rutabagas, turnips and carrots on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle oil over vegetables and toss well. Spread the vegetables out in an even layer and season with salt and pepper. Roast until lightly browned and tender, about 40 minutes. Drizzle vinegar over vegetables and toss well. Roast until sizzling, about 3 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, in a small pan, bring chicken broth and maple syrup to a boil over high heat. Boil until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 10-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.

Transfer root vegetables to a warm bowl. Add the maple glaze and toss well. Serve right away.

Make ahead: The roasted root vegetables and maple glaze can be refrigerated separately for up to 1 day. Reheat vegetables in a 350° oven for 10 minutes. Bring glaze to a simmer before tossing with the root vegetables.

Original recipe: Maple-Glazed Root Vegetables, Food & Wine

I posted the Braised Red Cabbage recipe earlier along with one for Beer Brats.

Creamy Polenta

No, you don’t have to stand over this pot and continually stir. But you will have to set your timer for every ten minutes and then stir for one minute. You’ll need a 4-quart heavy pot, whisk and sturdy wooden spoon.

• 8 cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups polenta (not quick-cooking) or yellow cornmeal (10 ounces)

Bring water to a boil with salt in a 4-quart heavy pot, then add polenta in a thin stream, whisking. Cook over moderate heat, whisking, 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer polenta, covered, stirring for 1 minute after every 10 minutes of cooking, 45 minutes total. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Make ahead: As polenta sits, it firms up. You can make this ahead but you’ll end up with a firm bouncy texture instead of creamy. You can slice, grill and top it with butter or lamb sauce.

Original recipe: Creamy Polenta, Epicurious (from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking)

The Sunday Table: December 5, 2010

Pull up a chair. I’ll pour you some of this Smuttynose Imperial Stout, one from their Big Beer Series, or I’ll get you a Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale from the fridge — my seasonal house beer. I was disappointed in the Siren Noire Imperial Chocolate Stout from Heavy Seas, tasted off to me, so I’m not pouring that one. Now, let’s talk food.

The biggest food news this week came on Monday from Capitol Hill where the Senate passed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act with the Tester/Hagen Amendment. Although there are now concerns that provisions of the bill are not constitutional because they would allow the FDA to impose fees on importers and on companies whose food is recalled due to contamination.  Since all revenue-raising bills must originate in the House, the Senate might have to bring the bill back to a recess-hungry Senate wrestling with tax cut extensions and filibusters.

Better news: the child nutrition bill is headed to the President’s desk after the House of Representatives passed it on Thursday. It gives the federal government more authority to set standards for food sold in vending machines and elsewhere on school grounds; provides funds to poor schools to subsidize free meals; increases the reimbursement rate for school lunches; and sets mandatory health guidelines for schools.

photo by Ernesto Andrade (flickr: dongkwan)

Ah, the things people do for marketing. The head of the Washington State Potato Commission just ended a self-imposed diet of potatoes-only to prove that potatoes aren’t fattening. He said he lost more than 20 pounds in two months. I would never want to eat a potato again.

This week Italian trade officials launched the “Italianissimi” campaign to combat the use of misleading words and images to imply products are from Italy. The campaign will educate consumers about food products that are authentically Italian. I’ve always found it easy to figure out if something was imported from Italy or made here, so I wonder how much change this campaign will cause.

salumeria in Siena

If you have beer lovers on your Christmas list, take a peek at this holiday beer book gift list from All About Beer editor, Julie Johnson. I heard Santa might be buying me Pete Brown’s Hops and Glory: One Man’s Search for the Beer That Built the British Empire.

Friday night I heard Patti Digh read from her latest book Creative Is a Verb: If You’re Alive, You’re Creative. Stop listening to those gremlins in your head. Create something! Make something for dinner. Bake some cookies. Make some spiced nuts. Write a Christmas essay to your parents. Or try these simple creations to decorate your table.

• Vanilla ice cream and candy snowman
• Powdered doughnut snowman

If you don’t like the way they turn out, no problem, you’ve got to eat them eventually. Ho ho ho!

Cheesy Broccoli Potato Mash

Do you have the urge for comforting starchy mashed potatoes but your conscience is telling you to eat more vegetables? You can have the best of both worlds with this dish, satisfying your craving for mooshy starch and healthy green vegetables at the same time.

Broccoli is one of those vegetables that goes on sale frequently. Because it appears on our dinner plate so often, I find myself hesitating when reaching for it in the store. But then I remind myself, it is a nutritional superfood providing a good dose of vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, folic acid and calcium. A serving of Cheesy Broccoli Potato Mash provides 100% of your daily requirement for vitamin C, 30% for vitamin A and 15% for calcium. Sales spiel over.

This recipe doesn’t require much attention except for cutting and mashing. It’s a simple quick dish you can even make ahead of time and keep warm on the stove, heating it up when you’re ready to serve. Because of the cheese, the potatoes don’t dry out when sitting on the stove like regular mashed potatoes would.

I made regular mashed potatoes for my Halloween meat hand and now I’m wondering how that hand would have looked on a plate of these. Creepier?

photo from Eating Well

Cheesy Broccoli Potato Mash

You’ll need a large pot with lid, colander and masher.

• 1 pound white or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into wedges, no need to peel
• ¾ pound broccoli, chopped, about 4 cups
• ½ cup 2% or nonfat milk, heated
• ¾ cup shredded cheddar or fontina cheese — use a low-fat blend if you can find it
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Black pepper to taste

Boil or steam the potatoes for 10 minutes. Add the broccoli to the pot and continue boiling or steaming until tender, about 6-8 minutes more. Drain the water. With the potatoes and broccoli back in the pot, start to mash. After a bit of mashing, add the heated milk, shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Continue to mash until it’s the texture you like.

Original recipe: Eating Well, September/October 2007

Fabulous Finds for March 24, 2010

My maternal grandmother was Lithuanian and she was definitely the family matriarch. We spent many weekends and most holidays with her, grandpa (the Irish one) and lots of aunts, uncles and cousins. Grandma was always trying to fatten us up and lived in a neighborhood full of bakeries (Lithuanian, Portuguese and Italian) in east Cambridge (MA). I miss going to the Lithuanian festival in Baltimore (and later in Catonsville MD) with my brother, seeing faces that looked like our family, and the food, viryta (honey kick-ass liqueur) and good Lithuanian beer. This video, by Michael Gebert about the closing of the oldest Lithuanian restaurant, celebrates the end of an era in Chicago and got me thinking about my one-quarter (the strongest quarter) Lithuanian heritage.

I’ve just discovered (thanks to this old Baltimore City Paper article) that viryta (aka Lithuanian Nectar of the Gods) is not Lithuanian at all but Lithuanian-American. My friends in Arlington VA know all about viryta since I would always buy a bottle or two at the Lithuanian festival from the Baltimore Lithuanian Athletic Club. As one of my friends said, “it’s quite warming.”

In my hunt for a viryta recipe, I got distracted by kugelis recipes. Kugelis is a Lithuanian dish made from potatoes, bacon, onions and eggs, yes, it’s a bit heavy. I found an old blog post by Bob Skilnik titled “Kugelis – Break Out a Baltic Porter and Eat Like a Lithuanian.” I had to click. It’s been a long time since I’ve made kugelis and I think I’ll start with his mother-in-law’s recipe.

Speaking of potatoes, snack food alert: Lay’s Tangy Carolina BBQ potato chips, as if I needed any help with my bbq/fat/salt jonesing. I’m imagining what type of dip would go best with them. Something with horseradish.

On my recent trip to Chicago, I was given a 22 oz bottle of Flossmoor Station Pullman Brown Ale by a friend who knows of my love for good beer. I had heard about Flossmoor Station but had never had their beer. This one was delicious — a very dark substantial brew, lip-smacking and roasty with hints of molasses (it’s one of the ingredients) and coffee, and a silky feel from oats. It reminded me more of a porter than a brown ale. It’s worth seeking out if you’re in the area. Now, I’m thinking about Baltic porters. Might be time to go hunting for one!

Roasting Vegetables – Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes

The other day my boyfriend said he had a culinary challenge for me. I imagined some large hunk of meat awaiting my mishandling – big pieces of meat are not my strong suit. I was relieved to see a large container of Brussels sprouts. He doesn’t like Brussels sprouts but said he was willing to give them another try.

roasted Brussels sprouts - flickr/KitAy

Unlike many, I’ve always loved Brussels sprouts. Roasting has become my favorite way to prepare them. I also like sautéing shredded Brussels sprouts (with pancetta and garlic) if I’m in a chopping mood. But the ease of roasting them has won me over.

It’s real simple. Slice off a bit of each end where the hard bit of the stem remains, then chop each sprout in half. Add them to a sheet pan, making sure they’re all spread out and not piled up on each other. Toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, smooshed garlic cloves and any fresh herbs that seem right. I used thyme.

This time instead of olive oil, I tossed them with balsamic vinaigrette. It added a hint of sweet to balance the bitterness. Instead of vinaigrette, I could have used balsamic vinegar with the oil. If you have any pancetta or other pork yumminess around, chop and add that too.

Roast at 400 for around 30 minutes or so, maybe less, I lost track of time. Give them a stir every 10-15 minutes so you can get some nice caramelization on the sprouts. I test them with the tip of a knife to figure out when they’re done. Guess who likes Brussels sprouts now?

chipotles en adobo - flickr/miss_karen

Another experiment led to a new roasted potatoes recipe. I had leftover chipotles in adobo sauce from another recipe. Normally I freeze what’s left and hack some out when I need it. But this time I decided to toss some with the potatoes I was planning to roast. Usually I toss small wedges of potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, herbs and/or spices. They get a nice crunchy outside where they’re in contact with the pan.

This time I chopped up three of the peppers and added them with some of their sauce to the potatoes and the rest, tossing well. Oh. My. God. So delicious. Definitely spicy but in a warming (not burning the mouth) way. I will be making that dish again and again.

Roasting vegetables is easy to do and brings out lots of flavor. I also roast parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, cauliflower (the best!) and asparagus. I’ve heard of roasted green beans but haven’t tried that yet. Maybe I will tonight! What kind of vegetables do you roast and what else do you add to the pan?

Update: I roasted green beans tonight. Tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest and chopped garlic. Roasted them at 400 for about 25 minutes, I think. They were a bit wrinkly and some were brown in spots when I took them out. Delicious. What should I roast next?