Heights Eats

After making pancetta a month or two ago (using a mix of the recipes from Charcuterie and Chow.com).…

…I started looking for good recipes to utilize it. This was a particularly good one:

I substituted a sweet hungarian pepper for the yellow pepper (I sauteed it with the onions) and jarred roasted red pepper for fresh. I also used sourdough rye (3÷4 of a loaf sliced into three large pieces) instead of pizza crust. This may seem odd, but isn’t the best pizza dough slightly sour?

All told, the changes made for a much quicker (and still really good) recipe.… continue reading

I’ve made this recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home many times, but this might have been the best version. I didn’t have either onions or dry white wine on hand, but sometimes a recipe turns out better because of substitutions. This was one of those cases.

You also don’t really have to measure anything. Just add about the same quantity for each herb except for the paprika (double) and crushed red pepper (a bit less, unless you want it extra spicy).

Cajun Shrimp
(adapted from Moosewood Cooks at Home)

Serves 2.

3/4 lb. uncooked shelled shrimp, tail on 2 TB. Olive Oil 2 TB. Butter 2–3 shallots, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 3/4 t. thyme 3/4 t. rosemary 3/4 t. pepper 1/2 t. crushed red pepper (or to taste) 1 1/2 t. sweet paprika 1 1/2 TB. Worcestershire Sauce generous 1/4 cup dry sherry juice of 1/2 lemon

(1) Heat oil and butter in a skillet, then add shallots and garlic. (2) When garlic is fragrant, … continue reading

I was just looking for something to throw together for dinner, and this turned out a lot better than I thought it. What really made this were the fresh herbs from our garden–parsely, chocolate mint, and chives–and aged balsamic vinegar from <a href=“http://www.zingermans.com target=” onclick=“javascript:_gaq.push([’_trackEvent’,‘outbound-article’,‘http://www.zingermans.comtarget=’]);“_blank”>Zingerman’sin the dressing.

All I did was sauté a frozen chicken breast (w/salt and pepper), chopped up some Romaine and tossed on goat cheese and roasted red peppers with the chicken. The dressing was good olive oil, the aged balsamic, fresh herbs and salt and pepper. The only thing I would have done differently is adding even more herbs.… continue reading

This is a great use for watermelon, and, unlike fresh watermelon, these stay good for weeks.

Watermelon Popsicles
(adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop)

4 cups watermelon purée, divided 2/3 cup sugar Big pinch of salt 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice 1–2 tablespoons vodka, optional 2 tablespoons mini-semisweet chocolate chips (I just chopped up regular chocolate chips)

In a small saucepan, heat about 1/2 cup of the watermelon purée with the sugar and salt, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir the sweetened purée into the remaining watermelon and add the lime juice and vodka. Chill, then freeze in your ice cream maker. Stir in the chocolate chips, then pour in popsicle molds and freeze.

Makes 8–12 popsicles, depending on the size of your molds.

Note: You could probably make these without an ice cream maker. Just be sure to add the vodka (or even extra vodka) so they don’t freeze too hard. If you add the smaller amount, don’t worry … continue reading

As anyone who has a CSA knows, northeast Ohio is awash in zucchini (and other summer squash) during the last half of summer. We’ve made many good recipes with it in the past including Emeril’s Curried Zucchini Soup and Chlotide Dusoulier’s Chocolate and Zucchini Cake (as cupcakes, with 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour). This recipe, though, strikes me as the most versatile and least likely to grow old with repeated preparations.

I “grated” the zucchini with a vegetable peeler, which makes for larger pieces. As they soften in cooking, they taste almost like a soft, creamy cheese.

The filling was so good that I used the leftovers in a frittata (see below).

Zucchini, Corn, Black-Bean and Jack-Cheese Quesadillas (adapted from Food and Wine magazine)

1 small zucchini or yellow squash, grated and drained on paper towels (about 1 cup) 1 cup defrosted frozen (or good canned) corn, drained on paper towels 1 small onion, chopped 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeds and ribs removed, … continue reading

Update (8÷17): Gatekeeper is now available at Whole Foods

Indigo Imp brewery is a relatively recent addition to the Cleveland beer scene, and it’s definitely worth your time to try their beers. As a couple reviewers have pointed out, their beers have a unique flavor based on open fermentation and bottle conditioning. There’s a subtle yeasty flavor in their Blond Bombshell and Jester beers that, to my mind, makes them the best local beers you can find. It’s evocative of a Belgian ale, but more drinkable than a lot of Belgians tend to be.

I recently received a Facebook message (I’m a “fan”) about the introduction of their new Gatekeeper Porter and stopped by the brewery on Friday, the one day they’re open. I had a really hard time finding the facility, but fortunately Kathy Chappel (“The Brewmaster’s Master” as it says on her card) gave me directions by cellphone when I got within half a block. The directions on their site are pretty clear, but I ignored them, foolishly figuring I could … continue reading

Michael Ruhlman has a contest this summer to make a BLT from scratch, and Sarah and I thought we’d enter it.

This is our one entry for all three categories (photograph, overall preparation and interpretation).

The bread is a sort of mock whole wheat sourdough, or “good yeast gone bad.” Here is the recipe:

2 cups white whole wheat flour 1 cup bread flour 2 t. course salt 2 t. instant yeast 2 T. good olive oil (1 T. in the dough, 1 T. to coat the dough while it rests) about 1 1/4 cups warm water

Knead everything except for 1 T. olive oil for about 10 minutes. I used a Kitchenaid stand mixer. Leave the dough out overnight in warm weather, coated in 1 T. oil, covered loosely, to develop sour flavors. If it’s cold, leave for up to a day or two. Refrigerate dough for up to a few days to further develop flavors. Remove dough from the fridge, shape and let rise for a couple hours (until 1 1/2 times larger), then bake at 375 … continue reading

Monthly Archives: August 2009

Pancetta, Pepper and Onion “Pizza”

Cajun Shrimp

Herb Garden Salad

Watermelon Popsicles

Zucchini Quesadillas and Frittata

Indigo Imp Brewery

Ruhlman’s BLT Contest Entry