Cook Better Than Your Mother

If you can cook pasta well you have a limitless bounty of meal time combinations. So, here is a very sweet tutorial on how to cook perfect pasta, any kind of pasta, every time.

Veggies First:

Does it look like an onion? Does it smell like garlic? If you have anything around you that looks like what you would in common sense consider a basic vegetable chop it up and put it in a pan with some garlic oil. These should cook down until they’re translucent.

If you’re big into bacon or prosciutto that should go in with the oil so the fat can do its thang. 

Standard rule with vegetables: Hardy things like onions, broccoli, carrots - These will take a while so put them in sooner rather than later. The closer we progress to a softie like a tomato or anything that resembles a leaf (spinach, arugula) the further down the time line we should add it to the pan. So squeeze it and make a judgement call.

“A pan? We’re cooking pasta, surely I will need a pot.”

That’s a good idea, I knew we were friends for a reason.

Pasta Second: Now fill up an appropriate sized pot with some salted water. Bring to boil and put a portion of pasta in.

My trick for spaghetti; you don’t need a tall pot, and you don’t need to snap them. Stick the bundle in standing up, wait twenty seconds and coil it down around the rim of the pot. Don’t be afraid of boiling water. 1) It really doesn’t hurt that bad. 2) The closer you drop any type of anything into boiling water, the better. The softer the landing, the less splatter, so don’t be a puss.

Is There a Time and Place for Wine?

Yes. A thousand times yes. Now ideally I would love to cook with only wine I drink, and if I’m drinking wine then a little dash of whatever usually finds it way in. But there’s a time and place…

Wine and Sauce: A love affair

So I’m not going to tell you what to do because I believe in experimenting. That’s right gentlemen and ladies. 

This is how my brain works: white rhymes with light so a splash of my drinking wine will go fine in my onions, well be having funyons, oh yeah.

The darker the wine, for the most part, go better with a stewing dish with longer time. (Another lesson for another day.)

Afraid of fucking up? Broke? Not a wine drinker? Meet your new best friend.

Pretty ubiquitous, goes on a sliding scale from dirty cheap to pricey so you can choose. Comes in big bottles. We likey.

Once your veggies look like they’re on their way dash the wine and season. Turn up the heat and toss or stir until you’re confident the alcohol has burned away.

The Big Finish

If your vegetables are done now it’s time to add the sauce medium. Whatever you like, pesto, tomato paste, tomato sauce from a jar, or if you want to keep it really simple a bit more olive oil. You only need a little bit, the meal is called pasta not sauce.

Whatever it is put a spoonful or more (depending on how much sauce you have) of that starchy water into the sauce. This will take a sauce from runny to smooth.

Lastly, whatever the pasta is, add it to the pan. Not the sauce to the pot. Then TOSS THAT BAD BOY.

That’s right I said toss. If you need to practice over the sink, no one’s going to judge you. Give the mixture a light but firm flip, edging the mass to the top of the pan, opposite the handle, tossing it back towards you in a repetitive motion. Why? 1) You look like a total badass. 2) The aeration actually does a lot. Trust me, it melds the whole meal.

So, the extended hiatus has been further extended. Why you ask? Because I’m abroad! Follow me and enjoy watching me fumble about as I make my way from Turkey to Ireland. And don’t worry, close up shots of food are featured just as much, if not more.

I had a Home Economics teacher who extolled the egg as the least expensive, most versatile source of protein. “Trust me kids, when you’re in college,” she beamed “Eggs are your best friend.” 

While I never doubted her outright, I think only now I fully appreciate the egg. With coffee, this dish has the power to get me out of bed.

The scramble is a great egg intro. Pairs with anything that cooks up in a pan.

Featured example: Green Leaf Scramble with Hummus Toast. 

Beat and pepper eggs in a container adding a dash of water, milk, or soy milk to thin out the mixture.

In a hot pan place greens of choice with olive oil or without depending on preference. Here I’ve used some sweet lettuce.

Lower to medium heat and pour eggs in the pan.

Move the cooked eggs around with a spoon until they’re just about done.

Add in cheese if you like, I’m particularly fond of goat cheese.

Toast a slice of bread and top with hummus. Salsa is a nice topping for the eggs if you like a little morning heat.

Everyone loves a good dip at a party right? I can’t think of a better item to bring or host with for three main reasons,

1) It allows people to eat, mingle, and choose their portion size. Dip exemplifies the best qualifies of food; it is both sustenance and a conversation starter.

2) Once you know the basic properties that make up a dip, the combinations are endless. I repeat, you can make a dip out of virtually any ingredients if you have the right balance and combination.

3) If you happen to have left overs you can reuse your dip as a sauce or smear. After all a dip is a garnish for whatever you’re dipping in it so why not sample other options.

Now that I’ve hopefully swayed you to be on “team dip” I’m going to illustrate one of my favorite combo highlighting three main parts you can replace or reinvent with any ingredients you want. 

Filler: I like to choose two or three ingredients that act as the substance of the dip. Vegetables integrate more seamlessly into the dip once they’ve simmered for awhile, but meats that crumble or flake, (like left over pot roast, crab meat, or ground meats) work well too.

The combination I’m featuring is eggplant and tomatoes.

Here I’ve chopped up my firmer ingredient, the eggplant, and tossed it into a pan with some olive oil to get them cooking first.

I’m adding sherry so that the eggplant soaks up the wine and breaks down, soft and sweet. Keep heat steady but on the low side.

Spices/Wine: Use spices at liberty (I chose oregano and maple pepper) and add wine, it’s a great way to add sweetness and depth. Go with a cooking wine like sherry or marsala if you’re on a tight budget. If not, use a couple splashes of the wine you drink! (Remember the longer you cook the more wine will be soaked up, don’t be afraid to add more.)

I add in tomatoes, my softer ingredient, because they don’t need to simmer in the wine as long. 

Cook everything until all the alcohol in the wine is gone and the ingredients are soft enough to must with your spoon.

If you have some pent up rage, I suggest mashing the mixture. It can only lead to a better dip and it will probably feel really good to let some of that anger go.

Last, but certainly not least,

Base: What you base you dip on should have enough integrity to hold all the ingredients together. In my experience soft cheese based dips are the biggest crowd pleasers. Goat cheese, cream cheese, neufchatel, all work really well.

I’ve mixed in a good chunk of goat cheese. How much cheese you use is completely up to you. In the end if you’re wondering if you’ve used enough, see if it looks congruous and don’t forget to taste.

I like to bake mine in the oven too. It helps everything come together just a little bit more. Bake time: 30 minutes. 

If you happen to have left overs here are my top ways to recycle the dip by level of ease:

Schmear: you can make toast and smear the dip on top. Hello snack-time!

Pasta Sauce: boil pasta, drain, mix in dip until all is creamy.

Omelet Filler: use the cooled version to stuff an omelet, its got your cheese and veggies all in one step!

Baked Topping: if you like to bake chicken or fish, dip the meat in egg yolks and then in bread crumbs, dollop dip on top in an oven safe dish, bake until meat is cooked. (30-45 mins)

The Bay Leaf can be an extremely intimidating spice. It’s dried whole in most cases so when first approaching it most people are confounded by its un-bitesized form. Fear not, everyone gets nervous when they try something new. 

What do you do with the big leaf? In my opinion, you’ve got three prime options.

One: Add a few whole to a soup or stew as you add in the water, and remove it when you’re serving. This way you get all the deep peppery vaguely reminiscent of citrus flavor without having to eat the big scary leaf. I like to make a game out of this where whoever finds the leaf gets to _______.  (Insert anything here, but my personal favorite is “kiss the cook.” Although, “do the dishes” is a tempting alternative.)

Two: When you’re making rice, whether with a pot and water or a rice cooker you can add your spices in during the cooking stage, along with a splash of broth, olive oil, coconut milk, rice wine vinegar, or any other addition you feel would enhance the flavor of the rice or grain. Simply remove the leaf after the rice has finished cooking.

Three: Crush the leaves. You can do this with a mortar and pestle, by hand, or you can purchase the leaves crushed. You can treat this form like any other spice. Bay leaves are pungent though. I’ve found it’s best to add, taste, and then add more if need be.

Stewing is an art and there really is no way around that fact. In terms of cooking, if you can master the art of the stew then you can make an infinite amount of meals, of infinite variety, of infinite flavors! Not to mention, it’s a one pot meal which means minimal clean up and something you can set aside and simmer while you do work, knit your hat, or update your tumblr. I’m guessing you’re really excited right now, so I’ll hop to it.

A really good stew in my opinion has some kind of green leaf in it. Why? Well short of salads and a layer of a sandwich, big green leaves don’t get a lot play in most peoples meals. So, unless you’re avidly striving to include them, foliage can be a little frustrating. Soup, I’ve found, is the perfect solution.

For this recipe, as the picture above shows, I used collard greens, chopped them chunk-ily and boiled them separately and before I started the soup so that they are extra tender.

Next you need to decide on a couple more factors

Starch: it could be anything, noodles, rice, potatoes, possibilities = limitless

Protein: meat, beans, eggplant, tofu, quinoa, shrimp, fish, you can soup it all

Flavor Adders: here’s where I like to get slightly exotic, hot peppers, bananas, watercress, miso paste, cherry tomatoes, if it exists, and is an edible with entertains a spot in your meal repertoire, you can soup it.

Spices: for soup? It all works, I recommend seasoned salt, curry, bay leaves, parsley, cilantro, and any blend of smoked paprika or cayenne.

Here’s my example,

I started with onions (one of my favorite flavors) and olive oil in the pot. Then I added the rest of my “flavor adders” and spices: hot peppers, bananas, curry powder, bay leaves, and my new favorite goya sazon! (Super cheap and mysterious because I can’t read the ingredients, perfect.) In the same step toss in the meat, I used tuna steak, so that it cooks up, soaking in the flavor and the oil to tenderize.

Add cups of water until you reach what you deem the appropriate amount of broth for your soup. Once the water level is adequate, add the starches. I chose sweet potatoes, they go fairly well with everything. Boil until the starches are tender.

Once the starch has reached it’s peak, add in the greens. If you boiled them in a separate pot like I did just drain and toss them in the soup. If not then then just go for it, free of any green inhibitions. 

Next, simmer: until it fills your house with it’s heavenly scent, or well, maybe 30 to 45 minutes. Taste along the way, this is incredibly important. You’ll know when it’s ready because it’ll look awesome. 

I like my burgers like I like my men. They need to have substance, compliments, and an accent. If you have those three things, and one egg you can make a burger or patty out of pretty much anything.

Substance: When you think about substance, you need to think about what can you use to make a paste. Is it going to be chicken, turkey, beef, whatever’s on sale? What if it was potatoes and beans? Consider adding potatoes or beans to meat combos as well. Stretches your food budget while adding texture and flavor.

Compliment: When choosing what to put in the burger mixture remember anything you add now you don’t have to add later. I like onions, sweet corn, zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms. 

Accent: There’s a lot of good steak seasonings mixes that work well with beef. Or trying using oregano or Herbes de Provence for chicken or turkey. If you’re using potatoes and beans, go spicy with smoked cayenne, paprika, or chili paste. (It brings another dimension to the otherwise mild reputation the potato has in these parts.)

Time to start cooking,

In the left corner we have the regular ol’potato, dependable and starchy. In the right we have the wine saturated onions and garlic from “How to Use Garlic”, spicy but sweet. Mix your substance (I’ll also be adding red kidney beans) and your compliments together and remember the combination is completely up to you.

Choose your accents or spices and mix them up into a paste-like substance with the rest of the ingredients.For this recipe I used basil, fennel, seasoned salt, and maple pepper. Once you’ve got a sturdy mixture add in one egg to help everything adhere. Vegans you can use some tahini, hummus would work too.

Lastly, form into patties. Keeping them the same size, whichever you prefer, is key to equalized cooking. Grill, pan fry, or bake the patties. I prefer to bake my meatless patties at 375 for 15 minutes and freeze them to use during the week. Cook meats at a higher temperature or for a bit longer, to make sure they’ve been cooked all the way through.

The burgers on the right are the result of the combination I described earlier. The ones on the left have been done with sweet potatoes, corn, red onion, cannellini beans, breadcrumbs, and shallots.

Spices are one of those things that you can add to anything to make it better. Moderation is key, but more important is knowledge. Knowing more about what a spice tastes like, what it pairs well with will decrease spice-anxiety and promote use. So to increase your spice vocabulary and mine, the spice of the week is Herbes de Provence.

While the name might be French, its origins are questionable. Provence I presume? Well, since this is a spice blend, or several spices sold as one mixture there’s going to be variation too. What we can normally get our hands on is a hodge-podge of fennel, savory, thyme, and lavender.

Did I mention lavender? Don’t be afraid of flowers. I know it’s a strange concept, but let’s break this down shall we?

Flowers are beautiful. Things that look good generally taste good, so we can draw our first parallel. Next, spices are nothing more than dried leaves, sometimes seeds, so why shouldn’t the flower be used as well? Lastly, teas like chamomile and jasmine are excellent as well the result of soaking flowers in hot water and drinking the essence. Embrace the power of the flower, you won’t regret it. 

Herbes de Provence is the perfect edition to chicken or fish whether you’re baking it in the oven or pan searing. Try adding it to potatoes when baking, mashing, or sauteing for a light, sweet, citrus-esque burst of flavor. Whose taste buds wouldn’t want to go on a trip to France in the Spring? My personal favorite is Herbes de Provence on purple potato or red potato home fries!

Garlic is an amazing thing. So I’ve been told by every Italian in my family. “It helps the blood” is often what I hear, and since that sound like a line from The Godfather I’m going to have to insist that it’s true. Moreover, garlic is incredibly tasty and adds a distinct earth-bound spice to dishes.

In my experience, cooked and uncooked garlic have entirely different flavors. The former pungent, sharp, the later is smoother, more mild. I love the taste of garlic, and hail to the trifecta of garlic preparation which allows me to use it in virtually anything I cook. In order to use garlic all the time, you only need to know three things. How to open, how to saute, and how to roast. Let’s dive right in,

After removing the stalk with a knife, break up the garlic with your thumb. At this stage you can do one of two things with your garlic,

To move onto chopping up the raw garlic simply crack the case by applying pressure to the clove with your palm. Sandwich the garlic between the broadside of a knife and a hard surface like a cutting board. Remove the skins and slice or chop.

To start the roasting process put the cloves in an oven safe pan. But, before exploring roasting let’s finish up talking about what you can do with the raw stuff.

For a great addition to homemade hummus add raw chopped garlic to chickpeas and olive oil. Blend until creamy! Or for a flavor-filled start to a stir-fry add to oil and other vegetables in a pan.

If you cook the garlic and other vegetables (onions and shallots are featured above) on high heat you might want to consider adding wine and letting the alcohol cook out. The result is a sweet and caramelized mixture. For example, I added the garlic and onions in the picture above to mashed sweet potatoes to make baked burgers. (Which is another post waiting to happen.)

But now let’s finish up the roasted garlic,

It’s easy to remember, a few little stabs in each piece and a drizzle of olive oil. Broil on low until you can see the flaky shells start to brown or char.

Be mindful when things broil. I’ve burnt many a piece of toast when I set the oven for boil on high and become preoccupied for 5 minutes. Take this out whenever it looks best to you, just be careful there isn’t too much charring or the taste will be less roasted and more burnt. 

Once your garlic is roasted, it should look like the picture to the left. Let this cool and you’ll be surprised to find the skins come off easily after roasting. The image to the right shows the garlic without its casing.

You can chop this and add it to anything you would raw garlic. Instead of a bright flavor you’ll get more of a smokey one. The recipe I chose to feature the roasted garlic in is a useful topping which works as a salsa, omelet add-in, salad dressing starter, or spread.

Since you’ve already roasted the garlic let’s make this Red Pepper Topping,

Flip the cut peppers around in some olive oil and spices of your choosing. I like salt, pepper, and basil for this. Broil them on low until they look like the top right picture. Personally, I like to start roasting skin-side down and then flip when the inside of the pepper is tender because it is easier to tell when the skin-side is done cooking.

Next blend peppers, whole, and roasted garlic. Can’t blend? Then try finely chopping the garlic and the peppers for a chunkier topping which still tastes great. 

The last image is the topping ironically topped with some pesto I made from basil, and sunflower seeds. Yet the red pepper topping works well on its own. For a salsa just dip some chips, for a dressing just thin out with your favorite vinegar and a splash of water or juice, for a spread just refrigerate and smear on toast.

I’m hoping you will come to find, the more you read, that the possibilities are endless.