Linguine with Chorizo & Clams

Wednesday is my Sunday. It's the only day of the week that I'm sure to be off from work ,and usually all I want to do is relax at home with my cat asleep on my lap, or run around the park with Sadie. So lately, we've just been ordering in or eating at someplace local on my night off. Thing is, the eatery options in Eastern Queens are pretty, well, blah. (Any foodie neighbors with suggestions please let me know!) There are a couple of good pizzerias, a decent Indian restaurant, and several late night diners, but this girl can't live on pizza, curry, and burgers alone. Oh what I'd give for an authentic Mexican joint that's not run by the Chinese take out folks next door! There's nothing like having a craving for something good and ending up with a bland and disappointing meal. It's enough to drive a lazy cook back into her kitchen!

So this week, when I had a craving for seafood, I decided to take matters into my own hands. At least if the meal was a flop, I would have no one else to blame but myself. I have to say, I wasn't planning on getting clams. Pretty much every clam we've eaten in New York has had an unpleasant and bitter metallic finish that is unlike any clam we had in New England. But today I was visiting a new fishmonger who had both farmed Long Island clams, and wild caught Connecticut clams. He seemed to think the bitterness could be from the farmed clams. I was skeptical, but decided to gamble on the wild Connecticut clams and took a dozen of them home. Although they weren't as sweet as Rhode Island clams, they certainly didn't have a strong bitter finish, and I think the preparation helped to mask it.

At first I was going to go with a simple linguine and white clam sauce, but when I got home, I realized that I didn't have any white wine. I did have an open bottle of pinot noir, plenty of beer, red pepper and chorizo, so I ended up going in a more Spanish inspired direction. Improvising can be tricky, and believe me I've had my fair share of flops, but sometimes things do work out. Here's the recipe, approximately:

INGREDIENTS (serves 2 very generously):

4-5 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 large spanish (yellow) onion, diced small

1 large red bell pepper, diced small

3-4 cloves garlic

pinch of saffron

4 oz. dry chorizo sausage, diced small

1/2 lb. dry linguine or other pasta

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/4 c. medium bodied red wine

1/4 c. lager beer

crushed red pepper

1 dozen small clams, such as cherrystones or liittlenecks, scrubbed clean

1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley

1-2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

salt and pepper

PROCEDURE:

1. First make a sofrito: In a medium sauce pan over low-medium heat, slowly cook the onions and red pepper in plenty of olive oil and a little salt until they are very soft. The onions should be transparent, and there should be no browning of the vegetables. Then add the garlic and saffron, and cook for another 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant. Then add the chorizo and cook for another 5 minutes to develop the flavors.

2. While the sofrito is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta. Place the chopped tomatoes in a colander, and drain the pasta into it, reserving 1/2 cup or so of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta and tomatoes in a little olive oil to prevent it from sticking.

3. Add the wine, beer and crushed red pepper to the sofrito and turn the heat to high. As soon as the liquids come to a boil, add the clams, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Periodically give the pan a little shake until the clams steam open. Remove the clams and set aside, discarding any that do not open.

4. Add the fresh herbs to the pan and reduce the cooking liquid slightly. Season to taste, and toss with the pasta and clams, adding some of the pasta cooking liquid if necessary.

NOTES: Use good quality olive oil. It is a big flavor component in the sofrito, and if it doesn't have good flavor, the finished product definitely won't. The same goes for the beer and wine. Use stuff that tastes good enough to drink. The clams will absorb their flavors, and when the liquids reduce during cooking, the flavors will intensify as well.

Carbon Steel Fry Pans, Oh Yes I Do!

De Buyer Mineral after seasoning (Front), and Paderno World Cusine before seasoning (Back).

Non-stick pans skeeve me out. Teflon and other high tech coatings may be relatively harmless, but only up to a certain temperature, at which point they start to give off toxic gases. I also haven't met a non-stick pan that doesn't scratch or peel, whatever promises they make. So then you have to replace it or risk the coating coming off on your food. Doesn't sound like a healthy relationship to me.

I ditched non-stick a long time ago in favor of seasoned steel cookware. It all started years ago at Kmart, when I bought a Martha Stewart 10" cast iron fryer. Inexpensive and reliable, it now has a sexy black sheen from years of Sunday morning bacon and eggs. Since then, I have gradually accumulated a dutch oven, a 12" fry pan, a grill pan, and a flat skillet too. When it comes to cast iron, I now buy Lodge Logic because their pans come already seasoned. The downside to cast iron is the weight, and there is no way to make a proper omelet in a cast iron pan. It takes two hands for me to lift the 12" fry pan even when it's empty, and I could probably use it to take out a 250 lb. intruder with a single blow to the head. Cast iron is also brittle, and can break from the impact if dropped, or crack if heated too quickly over high heat.

So recently, I decided to look into getting myself some traditional European style carbon steel fry pans. They're much lighter than cast iron, but still heavier than aluminum or copper core stainless pans. There are a bunch of carbon steel pans out there - some referred to as Black Steel, some as Carbon Steel, and even Blue Steel. But they are all raw steel that must be seasoned before use. Seasoning refers to the process of sealing a steel pan with oil, which protects it from rust and provides a natural non-stick coating that only gets better with use. The process for all raw steel pans, including cast iron, is pretty standard. Basically you want to make sure the pan is clean of any residue from the manufacturing or packaging process. Then you just coat the pan with a flavorless oil and heat the pan. Then once the pan is cool, wipe out the excess oil. If the coating ever gets messed up, you can just scrub the pan clean and start all over.

After browsing around and reading some reviews, I settled on buying a set of three De Buyer Mineral fry pans. Released in 2010, the De Buyer Mineral series are 99% iron, made from recycled material, and can be used with the widest range of heat sources, including induction cook tops. The set includes 8",10", and 12" Lyon shaped fry pans, with deep angled sides. The seasoning instructions included with the De Buyer pans were a little more involved. Before you season the pan, they instruct you to boil some potato peelings in the pan for 15 minutes, dispose of the peelings, then rinse and wipe the pan dry. It appears that the starch in the potatoes binds to any grime embedded in the metal that is released as the pan is heated, resulting in a more thorough cleaning. Next De Buyer instructs you to heat about 1/2 cm of oil in the bottom of the pan instead of just coating the pan with oil. The rest of the process is the same.

Anyone skeptical of the recycled Mineral pans can put their reservations to rest. I am in love with these pans! They performed beautifully right after the initial seasoning. I cooked myself an over easy egg in the 8" pan with just a little butter and the pan was so slick the egg slid around and flipped effortlessly. French Toast and Pork Chops browned up nicely and didn't stick to the 10" or 12" pans.

For sake of comparison I also ordered a less expensive Paderno 8" heavy duty carbon steel pan ($26.90 at Amazon). At first glance there are obvious differences between the pans. The De Buyer pans have a smoother factory finish, a higher offest handle, and more eye-appeal. The Paderno pan is much more basic. It is heavier and shaped more like a standard saute pan, with shallower sides and a straigher handle than it's De Buyer counterpart. Performance wise though, they are the same. Eggs slid around just as easily in the Paderno pan, and the crusty residue left by the beans for my Huevos Rancheros wiped clean with a paper towel.

So from a cost standpoint, the Paderno pan was a more ecomonical choice, but I do like the fact that the Mineral pans are made from recycled material. Regardless, I expect to have a long and happy relationship with these pans. Both of them are great, and with proper care and maintenance I'm sure they'll last long enough to be passed down to my grandchildren, or be sent off to the thrift store to find a new life once I'm long gone.

Notes about Carbon Steel/ Raw Steel cookware:

Great for pan roasting and saute-ing, and cooking foods that tend to stick to other pans. Stir fries or dishes that use plenty of oil or fat are the perfect use for these pans. Your food will get a nice sear and the fat will maintain the pan's seasoning.

Care is the same as cast iron. To clean, just rinse in really hot tap water and wipe out any residue with a dry towel. If by some chance there is some food stuck to the pan, you can make a paste of coarse salt and a little water, and use a dry sponge or towel to scrub out the offending matter. I find filling the pan with really hot water and scrubbing with a natural bristle brush (like a vegetable cleaning brush) works better than the salt paste and doesn't damage the seasoning. Before storing, dry the pan thoroughly, and use a paper towel or clean dish towel to thinly coat it with vegetable oil.

Cooking highly acidic foods can strip away the seasoning on your pan. So keep the vinegar away - save your stainless cookware for that.

Char Siu & Chinese Broccoli with Budding Chives

Char Siu (Chinese Style BBQ Roast Pork)

I have a confession to make. Despite my Asian heritage, I don't know much about cooking Asian food. Sure, I know how to stir-fry and know how to use the more common Asian ingredients, but Mom's home cooking was nothing like restaurant food. After years of cooking for myself, then going to culinary school, I can make Bechamel sauce for mac and cheese, French Onion Soup, and Chipotle and Chorizo Chili without blinking an eye, but ask me how to make Chinese standards like Red Cooked Pork, Sweet & Sour Sauce, or Kung Pao Chicken, and I wouldn't know where to start.

So last weekend when Chef and I were batting around ideas for a special using Black Sea Bass, and he said "Why don't we go Asian?" I felt my heart sink. Um, anytime my family went out for say, Chinese, we ate family style and had giant fish steamed whole, head on and everything, with a simple garnish of ginger and garlic. The waiter would cut the fish open and remove it's spine and ribs tableside. Then my mind went to all the restaurants in Chinatown with succulent roasted meats hanging in their windows, beckoning hungry patrons from the street. I thought of my favorite Thai joint in Astoria, and the hot stone bowl casseroles and seafood pancakes at my favorite Korean restaurant. Still, I didn't know how to cook any of these dishes, much less how to adapt them to western style fine dining.

Stir Fried Chinese Broccoli and Budding Chives

I took this as motivation to get back in the kitchen - my home kitchen - and further educate myself on how to use new ingredients and new methods. I thought I would start with one of my favorite comfort food items, and a Chinese staple: Char Siu, or Chinese roast pork. It always reminds me of working summers at my Dad's office in Chinatown, where I would regularly have a simple lunch of Char Siu with white rice and fresh stir-fried greens. So I decided to consult the country's leading authority: Martin Yan. I copied down the ingredients from my autographed copy of Martin Yan's China and drove down to my local Asian grocery. The budding chives and Chinese broccoli looked really fresh, so I picked up some of those too and stir fried them with some fresh garlic and chili sambal. I know that Siracha Sauce is all the rage right now, but I prefer Chili Sambal as a spicy condiment.

By the way, a thousand pardons for the recipe drought. I've been cooking a lot, just not at home, and nothing I can share. I finally got some time this week to cook for Boyfriend and myself. This recipe for Char Siu is for oven roasting, but I'll bet grilling over hardwood charcoal would be smoky and delicious too! Enjoy.


Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Roast Pork)

Adapted from Martin Yan's China 

Notes: Mr. Yan's recipe was just like my memories of Chinatown, except for a couple things. First, it called for sugar in the marinade, which I found unnecessary. Also, after cooking, his instructions were to simply bring the marinade to a boil and brush over the pork before serving. I found the resulting sauce was too sweet and thick for my taste. After bringing it to a boil, I diluted the marinade with some hot water and that seemed to do the trick.

INGREDIENTS, serves 4

(3) 1/2 lb.well marbled shoulder steaks or 1-1/2 lbs. pork butt

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. hoisin sauce

3 Tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry

2 tsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. minced ginger

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. ground white pepper

1 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder

PROCEDURE:

1. If you are using pork butt, slice the meat into three pieces of equal thickness.

2. To make the marinade, mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the meat, cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours. (I only had time for 4 hours, but if you marinate longer, you'll get more flavor, and an attractive red ring around the meat when it's sliced).

3. To cook, preheat oven to 400°F. Place a rack over a baking dish (you may want to line it with foil for easy cleanup). Pour about 1/4" of water in the baking dish. Arrange the meat slices in a single layer on the rack and roast, basting with the marinade every 15 minutes until they are cooked through. (For 1" thick shoulder steaks, it took about 45 minutes). Let the meat rest for about 15 minutes then slice it against the grain.

4. Combine the marinade with any pan drippings in a small saucepan and bring it all to a boil over high heat. Dilute with hot water if you want a thinner, less sweet sauce, or simmer and reduce if you want a thicker sweeter sauce. Brush over the pork and serve.

Stir Fried Chinese Broccoli with Budding Chives

Notes: Chinese broccoli can be braised whole, but the stalks stay very crunchy long after the leaves are wilted. By separating the leaves and floret from the stalk, then slicing the stalk into smaller pieces, everything will cook more evenly and be less work to eat.

INGREDIENTS, serves 4:

one bunch (about 12 stalks) of Chinese Broccoli

one bunch (about 1/4 lb.) Budding Chives

1-1/2 to 2 tsp. minced garlic

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

salt

1 tsp. Chili Sambal (adjust to taste)

PROCEDURE:

1. Wash the Chinese Broccoli thoroughly in a large container of water. Separate the large outer leaves from stalk and trim the florets to 2" long pieces. Thinly slice the thick part of the stalk. Cut the Budding Chives into 2" long pieces.

2. Combine oil and garlic. Heat wok over high heat. Pour oil garlic mixture into the wok and swirl around a few seconds. Add all the Chinese broccoli and Budding Chives to the wok. Saute for about 5 minutes over high heat, stirring continuously, and adding oil as needed to lightly coat the vegetables.

3. Add enough water so that after any steam clears, there is about 1/4" of water at the bottom of the wok. Simmer over high heat until most of the water has evaporated and the broccoli is cooked but still bright green. Season with salt and Chili Sambal to taste.

Lazy Holiday

Boyfriend and Sadie making their way to the beach

Ahh, three days off in a row. Thanks to the restaurant being closed for Christmas, I was able to spend an idyllic holiday with my man at his parents' home in Rhode Island.  After loading some much needed laundry into the pickup truck, Boyfriend, Sadie (now 65 lbs.) and I squeezed into the cab and made our way through rush hour traffic through Connecticut.  Poor Sadie couldn't get comfortable and kept trying to push us out of her way so she could stretch out.  It was a very trying and uncomfortable ride for all. Despite all our travel woes, it was well worth it to arrive in Barrington, RI that evening and find the little cottage by the shore and everything around it blanketed with nearly two feet of fresh powder white snow. Pulling some cold beers from the snow on the porch, we went inside to enjoy some hot D'Angelo's sandwiches.

By the way, D'Angelo's is a local sandwich store chain specializing in freshly grilled sandwiches, and definitely one of little Rhody's best kept secrets.  The entire ride up, Boyfriend was looking forward to having a large #9 combo - a generous helping of freshly grilled steak, peppers, and onions slathered in melted cheese in a 12" sub roll. I would normally order a hamburger sandwich - grilled hamburger patties with all the fixings, also on a sub roll - and we would split each sandwich. We also picked up a meatball sandwich and an Italian sandwich (the real deal, complete with real prosciutto) for Mom and Dad to share. Also, if you are ever in town, don't ever call it a hero or a sub. True Rhode Islanders eat grinders.

Christmas Eve morning was unusually relaxed.  Absent was the usual buzz of activity. Boyfriend is the oldest of five children, and rarely a holiday is spent without it's share of sibling drama. But this was our first Christmas at his parents' with none of his siblings were around. One sister, my usual partner in crime in the kitchen, in years past would arrive with a few friends in tow, but was traveling to Alsace-Lorraine in France to meet her boyfriend's family this year. Younger brother was also in Europe, having moved to Germany three years ago. Another sister was now living in Baltimore, MD, and was spending the holiday with her boyfriend's family in Lancaster, PA. Finally, Boyfriend's youngest sister was now living in Austin, TX and would be spending the holiday with her boyfriend's family in the Lone Star state.   Instead, the four of us simply putted around in our pajamas and consumed copious amounts of coffee into the early afternoon.  It was a different kind of fun from years past, but I couldn't think of a more perfectly lazy way to spend holiday.

Well, Boyfriend's Mom admits to having no love of cooking, and it had been too long since I did any serious home-cooking, so I happily volunteered to prepare a simple menu for our little holiday party.  For Christmas Eve, I decided on something easy, and made a simple pork loin roast with braised kale and risotto with peas.  Christmas Day was only slightly more elaborate and included a roulade of chicken with corn bread and apple stuffing, creamy green bean with mushroom casserole, and pan roasted brussel sprouts with diced butternut squash.

I had ambitions of making pumpkin bread and apple pie, but they never materialized. Unlike the organized chaos of holidays past, with a sumptuous spread planned out days in advance, and two or three cooks scrambling for space in the kitchen to feed a table of 12-15 family, friends, and sig-o's, I decided to take it easy. After all, this was my vacation. So this year, I took time to have lunch with the family at Newport Creamery, another Rhode Island institution, and topped off my meal with their signature coffee Awful Awful milkshake. I took the time to join Boyfriend at the beach for playtime with Sadie and the neighbors' dogs. And...I made up for all those trips to the laundromat that we never made at home. In her infinite wisdom, Boyfriend's Mom made sure we had a store-bought pumpkin pie, just in case I never got around to making dessert.

After eating, the four of us wound down our Christmas Eve with a few rounds of Clue, using an antique set from Europe,  dubbed "Cluedo," and Christmas night with a few rounds of a card game known as Pope Joan. We also have a tradition of watching Dad's DVDs of Jeeves and Wooster every holiday.  I tried stay awake for a few episodes - Oh how I wanted the holiday to last just a little longer!  But alas, I succumbed to food (and drink) coma.

Then it was all over.  The next morning it was back to reality and back to work.  Not only was it a Saturday after the restaurant had been closed for two days, but in addition to my usual duties, I was helping out the pastry department while our pastry chef was on vacation (more on my new adventures in pastry later...). So at 6:30, in the dark of the early morning, we left a note for Boyfriend's folks thanking them for another great holiday, and set out for for home.  Until next time, Rhode Island.  I'll miss ya!