Entertaining Part Deux, continued...

Ay, yi yi. I thought I was over blogging malfunctions. Sigh. Apparently not. I apologize for the possibly mistaken post of just a title (it won't let me see my blog so who's to know..) and I also apologize for the font. I try to stick to one type but under "edit", as opposed to "compose", you can't change your font. Silly computers and silly computer programmers. Why can't you predict what I want and need? Anyways, enough of my tangent. Wait no, one more apology--I forgot to photograph the event. Woopsie.

The Menu

first course: mixed green salad with a lemon poppy seed agave mustard dressing

second course: french onion soup with asiago and toasted french bread

third course: steamed artichokes with a garlic lemon butter sauce

fourth course: marinated portabello steaks with provolone

fifth course: pumpkin mousse

There was a bit of shuffling about trying to entertain guests whilst cooking but as long as you are committed to making an evening of it there is nothing wrong with slow food. It gives one time to digest, make room and get hungry again. In fact, there is probably something wrong with fast food, but I digress.

Everything was simple to prepare so there really wasn't a whole lot of kitchen time. Really you are just making sure the onions don't burn as they caramelize, making sure not to over steam or under steam the artichokes, and creating fantastic concoctions of dressings and marinades--the rest practically cooks itself.

The Dressing:

It's not so much what's in the salad sometimes but what it wears. My salad was just mixed greens, red leaf lettuce, grated carrot, black apples (a new type, not old), and feta.

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp poppy seeds

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

3 tsp agave

juice of 1/2 lemon

water to thin

The Marinade

Again, always a hit and always similar to previous recipes but yet different. Let's see if I can remember it.

braggs

olive oil

red wine

lemon juice

agave

cock sauce

basil

chives

parsley

water

I really have no clue what the proportions were or if I am missing something. I usually just pour it all in a bowl, mix it around and douse whatever needs to be marinated generously--the recipe is always slightly different. Be bold, experiment. Empowerment is guesswork with confidence. But no, if I had to guess proportions I would say in descending order: 3 tbsp, 3 tbsp, 3 tbsp, 1/2 lemon, 1 tbsp, 2 tsp, dash, dash, dash, 3 tbsp. Place the mushrooms in the pan you will cook them in, gill side up, pour on top, and let them absorb the marinade. When you are ready to cook them (about 20 minutes before serving) turn them gill side down and cook over a medium flame. When the mushrooms just begin to wrinkle on top they are ready.

Do not buy mushrooms from two different stores. This I sadly discovered to my chagrin. The fresher the mushroom the longer the cooking time. Oh well. Watch for the wrinkles, but not too many because you want a consistency that is at once soft, delicate and sliceable but yet not soggy or overcooked. There is a difference.

Recipe for French Onion Soup in another earlier post, and I won't be going over the Artichokes here...next time.

Pumpkin Mousse

http://frenchfood.about.com/od/desserts/r/pumpkinmousse.htm

I got this from another site (shock!!). Address listed above. I followed it almost accurately, but surprisingly it was the only recipe I could find that was vegetarian (shock!!). But really they all call for gelatin, and we know what that is. Uh huh, ground up horses hooves (gross!!). Never eating jello again right?

I also used my homegrown frozen pumpkin. Because it was homegrown, and because I never put it through a blender or food processor it was a little stringy for my taste.

I have never made mousse before (shock!!), but thought that it would be easy. Maybe I whipped the cream a bit too fiercely but it was too airy for the mousse you get in the restaurants. Do you think they're using gelatin? Another thing for further investigation.

Until then I'll leave you with the mousse recipe I followed:

1.5 cups cooked pumpkin

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup turbinado

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

cook over a medium flame for 5 minutes. cool.

add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

whip 2 cups whipping cream, to stiff peaks

fold the two mixes together, chill for at least an hour. Serve cool.

Entertaining Part 2

Again tonight we will be entertaining some guests. I'm thinking a meal of courses...an app., a salad, a soup, a main course and a dessert. Does that make five courses? Regardless, I'm not going to try to stick to what's in my fridge because there's nothing in my fridge. As of now all I know is my friend Tara likes red wine, chocolate mousse, steak (clearly not in this establishment) and sweet potato fries. Not much to go on but I will do my best.

Vegetable Oil(s)

I don't really know a lot about vegetable oil and was beginning to become suspicious. If you're reading this, you must have had some of the same paranoia: What is it? Is it edible? Is it safe? So I did some research for us, the paranoid food consumers, label investigators, and overly conscious foodies. Where? Wiki of course. Ok I started there and much of the page was incomprehensible sciency stuff so I read other webpages about vegetable oil and have condensed it here for those of you, like me, who are needing to know what's really up with the ambiguously named vegetable oil.

First of all, check out the label, become a detective. Check ingredients and check out how the oil is processed. Sometimes the label will be just as ambiguous as the name of "vegetable oil" revealing nothing of any use--a blend perhaps, or the clever use of commas and "or". However, sometimes they'll just come right out and tell you it's soybean or some other such oil that doesn't have the same ring of health as "vegetable". I also shall warn you to never buy the cheap stuff. I used it for years in baking but now I know better. That stuff is extracted using a petroleum derivatives, hexane, and some fishy chemical process. Stick to the processing that has been used for centuries, pressing the seeds until the oil comes out.

And that hydrogenated stuff? Another big no-no. Never touch. Lard is probably healthier than that. Though of course I am not advocating for lard. I once was forced by a boss of the local B&B I was working at to use lard in her "traditional family recipe" for biscochitos. I gagged almost the entire time and tried using gloves, to no avail. I touched it. Slimy and disgusting. Never do that either. Back to hydrogenated oils: you can't digest them, they'll make you fat, and there is another ridiculously complicated processing that goes on in production that includes atoms (hydrogen clearly), chemicals and very high heat making this clearly very unnatural and something to be scared of.

There is a reason to be suspicious. In my opinion, cough up the extra few dollars and get yourself a quality oil. Some oils are better for high heat, like coconut, palm and butter. (One day I will do a whole entry extolling the wonders of butter but for now, you must simply forget everything you've ever heard about it being unhealthy and just trust me. Food of the Gods.) Some oils you should never really heat at all like flax oil (see below). Everyone's favorite, EVOO (or extra virgin olive oil for those of you not in the foodie acronym know, elite class) should really only be used at medium heat. If it starts popping at you, it's too high.

Then there's the debate of saturated versus unsaturated. Some saturated fat is probably good for you. I mean, butter and coconut oil is saturated *gasp*. You can't possibly tell me that coconuts are bad for you. It's kindof like when these pharmacy students gave a presentation in our health theory class about the horrors of natural remedies, like grapefruits? Give me a break. People are just scared of getting fat, and no wonder with the obesity epidemic. Then there's also the "polyunsaturated" versus the "monounsaturated". Apparently both will lower your cholesterol, so you probably shouldn't worry about the nuances of specifics. And then there's HDL versus LDL cholesterol, and then I'm just confused. I think the real trick here is to go with what seems the most natural and least processed.

Another important oil related topic is omega 6s versus omega 3s. Most experts (I should ask for their credentials or maybe read their studies because it is a bit fishy) say we need 3s and 6s in equal proportion. Apparently omega 3s are not found in the oils we consume when cooking or baking which are omega 6. Omega 3s are mostly found in fish, but the catch? One would have to consume four pounds of fish daily to consume 3s and 6s in the same proportion. And unless you're a pescaterian (which I am not) that would be really hard to do. The only solution: flax oil. Flax oil is a vegetarian source of omega 3 fatty acids but it tastes slightly revolting and you can't cook with it as it turns rancid. When I was consuming it on a regular basis my skin was literally sparkling. The oil would seemingly seep out of my pores and catch the light--never had better skin in fact. Then my stepmother told me that some famous actress used flax oil to gain weight for some movie and that was it. I couldn't consume it with the same health enthusiast vigor. I now take capsules and notice no real effects on the skin. It's really just a nod to doing the right thing, I don't think one flax oil pill in the morning could possibly do much. (I was consuming about 2 tablespoons a day).

The skinny? Do: pick natural products (no crisco for instance), make sure the processing is also natural (pressed for instance), consume all types of oils, choose reputable brands, read labels and spend the extra buck for a quality product that won't clog your arteries. Don't: consume hydrogenated oils, vegetable oils, lard, four pounds of fish a day (because that's gross), or worry so much about getting fat from oil consumption (as long as it's quality and you're cooking it correctly you have nothing to worry about).

Politics & Policy

Follow this link for a witty and informative year-end piece on food and the inherent impact getting it to our tables by Ari LeVaux, a Placitas, NM resident.

http://www.hcn.org/wotr/2010-the-year-of-food-politics

Entertaining Continued

My friend Ivy says, that the Chinese say, that whatever you do on the first day of the New Year will be what you will be doing the whole year. I sure hope this is true, because I cooked a delicious meal, shared it with friends, made new friends, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. (I know what you're thinking--the Chinese have a totally different calendar...how can you transfer their superstitions? Well, mostly because I've heard it before and second because it encourages us to set an intention or tone for the year to come.)
The challenge was to not buy anything other than what we had in the fridge. Marcos did go out to buy a bottle of wine but that doesn't count because we weren't cooking with it. The menu was stacked polenta with portabello mushrooms, roasted red bell pepper and three cheeses, with a spinach salad on the side. Simple yet elegant. Wouldn't be in the kitchen all day, in fact only started cooking 2 hours before their arrival, and only because I was making the polenta from scratch.

Polenta

I use thick ground corn grits from South Carolina...if you don't have access to such delicacies there is usually a thicker grind grit, hopefully yellow corn, available at your gourmet or natural grocer. When I don't have any available from SC, I either call my Dad to send more or buy them in bulk from my local coop.

1 cup polenta, dry, thick ground corn

Salt (the water and the grits to taste)

Garlic (I used only what was available to me...the innards of a bulb of garlic, just enough:)

Basil, dried about 1 Tbsp

1 quart water (start with 2 cups though and slowly add more)

Boil two cups of water with a couple dashes of salt. When the water is boiling stir in the grits. It is important to stir because if you forget this step your polenta/grits will be lumpy. Add in the garlic, minced. Add in the basil and more salt. Stir again. The water will be absorbed quickly. Add more, stir. Continue adding more water and stirring when necessary. If you don't stir your grits/polenta will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Taste them and add enough salt to make it hard for you not to eat them all right now. Let them stand to cool and dehydrate. Cooking time is about 30 minutes but if you want to cook them a little longer they'll taste even better. You want them to cool and dry out as much as possible so forming them into cakes is easy, also if they're a little too wet the oil will splatter and pop in the pan. Cooking them at night and then refrigerating yields the best results. You can even put them in plastic cylindrical containers that will help form them into the classic polenta shape. Don't use glass because you'll have a time getting them out and the shape thing won't work out. I didn't do this because I wasn't sure what I was cooking exactly...and it was tasty nonetheless.

Now you have to fry them. Simply shape them into cakes, heat the oil in the pan (olive, medium heat, bout a tablespoon), drop them in. Make sure you're wearing an apron to prevent the splatters from marring your clothing. This part will take longer than you think. Don't flip them until they start to brown around the edges and hold together. Don't overcook either as they won't still be moist in the center. But they'll taste great regardless, and your friends will be impressed that you made your own polenta.

I roast my bell peppers over the open gas flame of the stove. If you do not have a gas oven then you have to broil them in the oven. Once the skin starts to blacken, remove from flame and let cool. Remove the skin either by hand or in a brown paper bag (by shaking), do not run them underwater as that removes some of the oils that are so tasty.

Pictured here are also two of the three cheeses I used. Tucumcari Feta and Tucumcari Green Chile Jack. (Both made in Tucumcari, New Mexico) The third was an Amish Blue, quite tasty as an accent cheese.

Sorry for the hand blur in that picture...obviously I wasn't taking the pictures this time, for the most part. You must marinate the mushrooms, this makes them juicy and delicious. I marinated mine in the following..

Mushroom Marinade

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 heaping teaspoon of garlic chile oil

3 tbsp. braggs

3 tsp. agave nectar

Lemon juice

2 teaspoons marjoram

water

splash leftover NYE champagne

I think that's all I used. I usually just mix stuff together following the Ayurvedic principles of taste: something salty, something sweet, something spicy, something bitter and something astringent. Works like a charm. Make sure you pour the marinade over the gills of the mushroom and then cover it. I usually have them marinading in the frying pan I will use. You will also cook them in the marinade making them extra tasty. Marinade for at least 20 minutes, cook for about 10 minutes over a medium flame.

Spinach

Spinach was my first layer, the bed of greens. I simply wilt the spinach in a bit of lemon juice, the water left on the leaves from washing and salt and pepper. Make sure to cover the leaves while they cook to maximize the steam. I typically will throw in some garlic but I had already used my supply in the polenta. Oh well, I didn't miss it anyways. Also the wilting of the spinach is only a matter of minutes, if you steam them too long they will start to deteriorate. Wilt only until they all begin to turn a darker green.

Polenta, Portabella, Roasted Red Bell Pepper & Three Cheese Stack

At this point you've done all the prep work and you can just stack it up. Start with the bed of greens, stack one polenta cake, layer with the green chile jack, then the portabella, next feta, then the bell pepper, then the Amish blue, then, if you're a New Mexican, strips of roasted green chile, finally top with another polenta cake (this may not fit exactly so just tilt it onto the side of the stack). If you like your food steaming you should throw the stacks into a warm oven before serving. So tasty...wish I had some pictures that weren't blurry :(

Spinach Salad (per each)

A handful of washed spinach

Chopped carrots

slices of pear

crumbled feta

halved walnuts

Drizzle with olive oil, braggs and cider vinegar for dressing

I know it sounds like I was in the kitchen all day but I wasn't. Started cooking at 5, guests arrived at 7, exactly when I was ready to plate. It may seem like a lot of steps but it's worth it. I even forgot the onions. In the past I have sliced onions so that the circles remain in tact, then fried them on a low heat to caramelize them. This adds a nice slightly gourmet touch. enjoy!

Entertaining

The challenge: to entertain guests with only the items available in the fridge. (Partially because everything is closed on new year's day, and partially because it's a challenge. I once heard a professional culinary artist (accent on the "i", pronounced like the Spanish "i") say that a real cook/chef used all the items available in the fridge. Pancakes with pickled cauliflower anyone?)