January 28th, 2012 | Side Dishes and Vegetables, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Winter farm share = turnips, turnips, celeriac and turnips. I'd never put much thought into turnips until we joined this winter share. I'd mostly seen them in the supermarket in their huge, gray, unappetizing form. Now we get them from our farmer's root cellar, which sounded soooo romantic on that balmy day back in December when we signed up. Isn't that how the Puritans survived rugged win...
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January 1st, 2012 | Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
As you are well aware, lasagna has a few components. It's a very complicated dish, dear reader. A lot of ins, a lot of outs, a lot of what-have-yous. A lot of strands to keep in one's head. Not really. It's just a lot of layers. Pasta, tomato sauce, ricotta mixture, cheese and whatever other fillings - in this case it's reconstituted dried mushrooms and steamed, chopped spinach.
In...
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December 28th, 2011 | Breakfast and Brunch, Cheese, Pork, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
What do you get with you put together quite a bit of leftover holiday ham, quite a bit of leftover holiday eggnog, and quite a bit of holiday vacation time? A Ham and Eggnog Quiche experiment that could turn out to be either brilliant or vile. Fortunately this turned out on the brilliant side of things.
It's probably because we're still relative ne...
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December 20th, 2011 | Side Dishes and Vegetables, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
We recently joined a terrific farm share and it is
so fun. Each week we go on a little road trip to the farm a few towns away where we get to pick our own vegetables. The variety is actually really great, despite it being December. So far there have been plenty of leeks, cabbage, greens, some fan
tastic Brussels sprouts, squash, turnips and radishes...
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August 15th, 2011 | Appetizers, Nibbles and Dips, Side Dishes and Vegetables, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
We are former city-folk and this was the first blessed summer that I've had the opportunity to grow a vegetable garden since growing up in the 'burbs (I don't count the tomato plants I had on my fire escape in college). I was so eager to get started that I planted the seeds in little peat pots in early April and ...
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June 29th, 2011 | Salad, Side Dishes and Vegetables, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
When we first moved into our new place a few months ago, the garden was looking pretty dead. A closer inspection found dirt and little brown, dead-looking shoots sticking out of the ground everywhere. The following two months were a whirlwind of final papers, commencement activities, and art shows (M.Ed., thanks for wondering...
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April 18th, 2011 | Pasta, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
So, I know I'm like two years late on the whole ramps trend, but I've never been one for following the herd (though I do love imagining the sound a tiny herd of ramps would make...
shuffle shuffle shuffle). Ramps are known as one of the very first vegetables to come out of the ground in Spring. They are just as much a harbinger of the bounteous warmer months as a clam shack reopening on a 45 degree April afternoon.
Primavera...
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April 12th, 2011 | Beef, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
As you may have noticed, YC's been on hiatus for a bit here. Winters are rough, I'm finishing up graduate school, working and living my life. I don't want to be one of those cliche bloggers who says, "Oh dear me. I've totally neglected my blog," but here you have it. Whatever. Blogs are cliche anyway, so no harm done.
Another factor in my neglec...
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January 19th, 2011 | Slow-Cooking, Soup, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
The nice thing about making chili in a slow cooker is that there's less risk of burning the bottom of the pot and therefore less need to watch it closely. You can go about your afternoon and come home to a nice hot bowl of spicy, meaty goodness. It's also pretty quick compared to other slow cooker recipes - 4 hours on high and you're good.
In the winter, when fresh tomatoes are ei...
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January 12th, 2011 | Desserts, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Snow day! There's something about snow that makes me want to bake. I think it's the way the snow drifts in the wind like sifted flour and clumps up along walkways like dough. I have a feeling I'm not alone in this association. Snickerdoodles are a classic cookie from New England and we New Englanders are no strangers to snow.
Snickerdoodles are normally made with just granulated s...
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January 11th, 2011 | Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Sole and flounder are similar in that they're both flatfish and they share similar tastes and textures. They are both also difficult to fillet without a good sharp knife. We got five yellowtail flounder from our fish share last week. We've gotten flounder a few times from the share and often I've not done the best job of filleting. This time however, I got it. Ya...
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December 31st, 2010 | Pork, Slow-Cooking, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
Sure there are millions of pulled pork recipes out there, so why would I post mine? Because.
Because I'm on vacation and we had a big hunk of pork shoulder in the freezer from Kelly Brook Farm that I felt like thawing. Because it's delicious and seems slightly exotic to me to slow cook meats since I grew up in a household where meat was not "done" unless it was gray in the c...
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December 24th, 2010 | Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
Monkfish is a dense and hearty fish. Coated in flour and spices, the finished product has an almost oven-fried quality to it, without the grease.
This week's fish share catch was indeed monkfish. After seeing photos of whole monkfish, I braced myself for an ugly mug when we opened the bag. Instead we found two slimy, headless buggers tangled in their own weirdness. After a pause, my husband said, "What
i...
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December 15th, 2010 | Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
What says, "Holidays!" more than Gingerbread? Cranberries. Well, maybe not, but cranberries are pretty ubiquitous this time of year, no matter the feast. As you know, cranberries are naturally tart and are often simmered into a relish with a good amount of sugar and served as a side dish to accompany turkey or goose. But what about the cranberries who are not satisfied to...
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November 25th, 2010 | Side Dishes and Vegetables, Yankee Cook Recipes | 1 Comment »
Squash, in some form or another is a requirement at the table on Thanksgiving. They are just so perfectly in season and once the winter sets in, it will be a while before something so perfect will be available again. I was planning to steam and mash mine with a little maple syrup and butter this year, but soon thought better of it once I realized that the other sides on o...
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November 17th, 2010 | Soup, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Minestrone used to be my favorite soup as a kid. There is something festive about its bright colors and varying textures. With harvest in full swing, we have an abundance of colorful vegetables kicking around. This soup is filled with the full spectrum. I like to throw in a red onion to complement the orange and green shades in the palette. Adding the vegetables in stages allows each to cook to its own ideal textur...
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November 8th, 2010 | Lamb and Goat, Slow-Cooking, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Why choose lamb over pork for a pulled meat dish? Lamb is slightly leaner than pork, though only by 2 grams per 3 ounce serving for a bone-in shoulder cut. Like red meat, it contains more iron than pork, as well as high levels of zinc, potassium, iron and B vitamins. Slightly lower fat and better nutritional value are both good reasons, bu...
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October 27th, 2010 | Side Dishes and Vegetables, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Who doesn't love a little tiny pie? Tartlets take less time to bake than a full sized pie and, thanks to their petite size, they offer a smaller margin of error in bake time. Also, they're adorable.
Butternut squash is in season and widely available in New England this time of year. Simply roasted and served with a pat of butter is divine, but three o...
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October 20th, 2010 | Legumes and Nuts, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Shepherd's pie is traditionally made with ground or minced lamb. So which protein source are we herding here? Lentils. They tend to wander off, as you know. This is a great option for a vegetarian meal that doesn't include cheese. Lentils are supremely nutritious, offering a good deal of iron, fiber, protein and folate. A member of the cruciferous family, kale is practically perfect wit...
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October 12th, 2010 | Soup, Yankee Cook Recipes | 3 Comments »
The key to a good soup is to make your own stock. This is especially true for a chicken soup intended to help ease a cold or flu. Stock from a carton or can just doesn't have the same anti-inflammatory benefits of homemade. There's just something about the chicken fat that gets extracted from the bones and skin that makes homemade chicken stock into something of a high end moisturizer for a sore throa...
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October 4th, 2010 | Soup, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
We are very fortunate to have a
very generous neighbor with a very productive garden. This season, she has bestowed upon us kale, spinach, sorrel, lettuce and, most recently, kohlrabi. After this week's rain, and today's cloudy sky and cool temperatures, now seemed like a good time for a pureed soup. In addition to being warming, pureed soups are great for a light meal...
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September 28th, 2010 | Desserts, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
It's always upsetting when fresh produce begins to go. We bought some lovely nectarines at last week's farmer's market and sadly, due to a week of entertaining and a subsequent plethora leftovers, the nectarines sat, virtually ignored for much of the week until at one point my husband resigned them to the refrigerator. They're not bad, just a little tired. They n...
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September 23rd, 2010 | Appetizers, Nibbles and Dips, Yankee Cook Recipes | 1 Comment »
There is a chill in the air as Summer hangs up its floppy sunhat, puts on a scarf and goes by the name of Autumn again. While it's sad to say goodbye to summer's warm weather and produce, the best has just begun. Fall's harvest brings all kinds of goodies, as you know. Aside from sweet squash and corn, more interesting and, dare I say, exotic fruits and vegetables are being grown and harvested in New Eng...
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September 15th, 2010 | Salad, Side Dishes and Vegetables, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
We're having what may be the final barbecue of the year for us this weekend. After a season of potato salads and coleslaw, I was thinking a lighter side dish might be in order. Cucumbers are still going strong in our area, and so I was reminded of this Eastern European dish. Cucumber Salad is cool and refreshing and makes a great accompaniment to barbecued meats.
This is my husband's recipe. It's satisfying but...
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September 8th, 2010 | Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
We were very fortunate yesterday to be given four fresh, local tuna steaks. The tuna was caught by harpoon off the coast of Massachusetts by a friend of a friend. Bluefin tuna are enormous and can reach over 900 lbs. Needless to say, the gentleman who caught the tuna had lots of excess meat and he invited us to come to his home to try some. He showed us photos of the process an...
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September 3rd, 2010 | Regional Cuisine, Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Seasonality is a wonderful thing. Along with all of the fantastically fresh local veggies this time of year, there are a few other things that are at their peak and lobster is one of them. Lobsters shed their shells in the spring and form newer, softer shells which are much easier to crack.
Fortunately for my family, summer is a big birthday season, which coincides perfectly with lobster season. It's a tradition in ...
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August 25th, 2010 | Side Dishes and Vegetables, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
It's late August and fresh, ripe veggies are being picked in gardens and on farms across New England. The sun and the rain have done their thing, and now the year's very best peppers, radishes, zucchini and tomatoes are ready to leap from their vines (or soil as the case may be) and onto a table near you.
It's lovely really, but it can be tough to tell what ca...
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August 24th, 2010 | Desserts, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
I live in a coastal community, which is peaceful and serene 9 months out of the year. During the 3 months of summer, however, our fair community is inundated with tourists. Absolutely lovely individuals, but this mass onslaught of summer folk increases our community's p...
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August 11th, 2010 | Soup, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Hot. Humid. Availability of fresh, local vegetables. Yup. Perfect conditions for gazpacho.
As you may be aware, tomatoes are best served fresh from the vine at the height of summer, because they taste like - brace yourself - tomatoes! Sweet, juicy, luscious tomatoes. Freshly picked summertime tomatoes are completely different from the crimson, grainy guys found in supermarkets. Fresh local to...
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August 4th, 2010 | Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
One fish, two fish, red fish. No bluefish, but this week's Fresh Catch was indeed redfish, or ocean perch. After many weeks of cod, which I
do adore, I was thrilled when my favorite fish expert pulled a bag of big-eyed, red fish out of the CAFC cooler. Yay!
I made a dish similar to this with last week's sole, using lemon and fresh basil. I loved th...
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July 29th, 2010 | Desserts, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
It's berry season. My grandmother was famous for making a bang-up Strawberry Shortcake. In fact, she would make it every year for my mother's birthday, until the year my mother finally requested a "real" birthday cake. Grandma felt that my mother is fortunate to have her birthday fall during berry season. That and it meant she got out of having to frost a cake. Wise lady, my grandma.
In any case, she made her Str...
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July 21st, 2010 | Pork, Side Dishes and Vegetables, Yankee Cook Recipes | 4 Comments »
I've always been a proponent of balance. Savory and sweet come to mind, but also nutritious and not-so-nutritious. A big dish of veggies is great, but why not add a little cheese or bacony goodness to even the playing field between good and wicked? What would good be if there wasn't a wicked? What would greens be without bacon? Just fine of course, but isn't everything better with bacon? You're getting all ...
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July 15th, 2010 | Desserts, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
I somehow ended up with two quarts of goat milk this week. Funny how these things happen. While goat milk is great to drink on its own - the initial taste is similar to cow's milk, with the tart finish of chèvre - it occurred to me that its salty-sweet, piquant flavor might work nicely mixed into a dark chocolate pudding.
A good amount of dark chocolate (85% cocoa) and a go...
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July 10th, 2010 | Beef, Yankee Cook Recipes | 1 Comment »
This is one of those recipes that's really just a reflection of what we have for dinner when I don't feel like trying, but it actually turns out to be simple and great.
For some reason, a dinner of steak tips, Brussels sprouts (I know, I know! I bought Brussels sprouts out of season. Scandal. I also bought cookies in a box the other day. I don't even know myself anymore.) and mashed ...
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July 5th, 2010 | Lamb and Goat, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
I came across gooseberries and currants at my local farmers market the other day and immediately thought of the goat rib chops we have in the refrigerator from
Riverslea Farm in Epping, New Hampshire. Wouldn't they make a lovely relish?
Not wanting to ruin the goat in case the relish idea faile...
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June 28th, 2010 | Pork, Side Dishes and Vegetables, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
It has been a long few days. I've just completed the first half of the graduate program in which I am enrolled. To complicate things, I'm moving in a few days. It's just the time for simplicity in cooking.
That said, while this dish is quite simple, it's also quite appetizing, as it fills the kitchen with that most comforting of cooking aromas - bacon. The key here though, is to cook the bacon s...
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June 17th, 2010 | Appetizers, Nibbles and Dips, Cheese, Side Dishes and Vegetables, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
Farmers Market season is back. Thank goodness. This time of year, there is an abundance of greens - young kale, chard, lettuces and cabbages - all so fresh and bright, they emit the aromas of spring's sun and rain. You can taste the photosynthesis, they're that fresh.
There are plenty of wonderful things to make with greens. Salads and sautés spring to mind. This quesadilla recipe is like ba...
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June 11th, 2010 | Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
It's fish share day again and this week's fish share was cod. As much as I love creating all of my silly little fish recipes, I still think the best way to enjoy fresh cod is simply baked with butter. Wrapping it in parchment paper allows the fish to steam as it bakes without drying out the meat.
Also, making the papillote, or pouch, is like making a fun little
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June 6th, 2010 | Regional Cuisine, Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | 1 Comment »
We are members of a CSF - a wonderful program that offers shareholders fresh fish, caught locally the morning of pick-up. It's like a CSA, but with fish. This week's catch was flounder - 12 fillets. In case you were wondering, that's a
lot of fish. Fortunately, I was hosting a pot luck dinner the following evening.
There are plenty of lovely ways to make flounder, but I de...
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June 1st, 2010 | Chicken, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
We had friends over this weekend to barbecue and one friend requested that we incorporate my Maple Teriyaki Sauce into the meal somehow. I decided to marinate chicken breast in the sauce and grill it on skewers.
The meat tenderizes and brines as it marinates in the teriyaki sauce. Maple flavor absorbs hints of smoke from the barbecue and fresh ginger adds just a en...
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May 28th, 2010 | Beef, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Sure, this recipe is a tiny bit similar to last week's stuffed chicken. To be honest, I'm feeling a little uninspired these days. It's been a long winter and I'm just biding my time until our farmers market opens. I'm really looking forward to the availability of fresh local produce again.
Veal Scallopine is a quick dish. Cutlets are thin and take only a few minutes to cook, so while this is not necessarily a sum...
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May 23rd, 2010 | Salad, Side Dishes and Vegetables, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Potato salad is the obvious side for a barbecue. Sure you can buy a tub at the market, but it's really not difficult to make at home. This recipe comes out thick and creamy. Red and green onions add color and flavor, and dill mellows out the mix.
It's also a pretty fast recipe. The potatoes are peeled and cubed before simmering, so they cook in less than 7 minutes. It's also great to make in advance, as the longer ...
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May 19th, 2010 | Cheese, Chicken, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Boneless skinless chicken breast is known for being a good source of lean protein, which is just great for boneless skinless chicken breast. However, what lies behind this truth is a seedy underbelly: a mean reputation for being bland and dry. [Shriek!] I like to un-enhealthify things with that kind of reputation. It's like I've said about wonderfully healthy, but sometimes un-loved vegetables like...
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May 14th, 2010 | Cheese, Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
I eat a lot of fish. In fact, we belong to community supported fishery. It's great and there's often a quite a bit left over. I developed this recipe during our winter share, when we had a good amount of excess each week and I wanted to create a decadent and flavorful dish with the leftover cooked fish. For some reason, when I think decadent, I always think flaky.
Briny and sharp, feta adds satisfying tang to white fis...
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May 11th, 2010 | Beef, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
There's something about eating noodles with chopsticks that, to me, has always seemed supremely exotic and fun. I know that sounds provincial, as quite literally
half of the world eats noodles with chopsticks as an everyday occurrence and thinks nothing of it.
Growing up in the 80's though, in suburban New England, films...
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May 2nd, 2010 | Regional Cuisine, Side Dishes and Vegetables, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Fiddleheads, a type of fern harvested before the plant has a chance to unfurl, are as much a harbinger of spring in New England - and as fleeting - as a migratory bird passing through. They come up in the middle of spring, around the end of April and into May, when the soil has thawed and early vegetation makes its presence known.
The flavor is fresh and grassy, and offers a good contrast...
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April 28th, 2010 | Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Whenever we had fish when I was growing up my father would turn to me and say, in a feigned serious tone, "You know what they say about fish, don't you? It's brain food." Oh yes, that's right. It is.
Well, so are some spices. Turmeric, high in curcumin, the compound that gives curry its yellow hue, is said to potentially stave off Alzheimer's and certain cancers. In fact, societies that use turmeric i...
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April 24th, 2010 | Beef, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
I made a lovely locally raised, grass-fed top round roast the other day. I should say, it
was lovely, until I tragically overcooked it. Horrors, I know.
What do you do when life gives you overcooked grass-fed top round roast? Make empanadas. That's what I always say.
This is a good recipe for any leftover beef, overcooked or not. But, if the meat is a little on the dry or tough side, the acidity in the vi...
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April 18th, 2010 | Breakfast and Brunch, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
Strata is a savory bread pudding, made with eggs, milk and cheese. It also makes good use of yesterday's baguette or any other thick-crusted bread that's past its prime.
The important thing is to use a good strong bread and not wimpy sandwich bread, which will turn to goo when combined with liquid. Bread with a hard crust results in a pleasant, varied texture of soft custard, combined with toothsome morsels.
Gr...
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April 16th, 2010 | Desserts, Yankee Cook Recipes | 1 Comment »
It's good to have a chocolate recipe on hand for emergencies and rainy days. The past few days have been awfully rainy and cold here on the coast of New England, and these fit the bill nicely. Sometimes - not often, but sometimes - it's nice to have a rich dessert-type sn...
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April 12th, 2010 | Breakfast and Brunch, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
Sometimes I wish I spoke French fluently. Because the title of this dish would surely sound less awkward in French. But if I went around calling it
Asperge sur le Pain avec l'Oeuf de Canard, it would be
way longer. Also, this dish has nothing to do with France. My husband votes for Duck Egg Supreme. I say only if we can pron...
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April 8th, 2010 | Lamb and Goat, Yankee Cook Recipes | 1 Comment »
We've always been ham people for Easter, and I'd always been just fine with that until the year my parents started serving a spiral cut thing that came with a little packet of high fructose corn syrup glaze. How can you not visualize it spinning on a lathe in a factory? Now that we celebrate on our own, I've become slightly more adventurous, if you can call lamb adventurous.
These are grea...
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April 4th, 2010 | Appetizers, Nibbles and Dips, Cheese, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
I know, I know, I know. Sun-dried tomatoes are a un peu 1992, but I guess I'm a child of the 90's. For years I really didn't care for sun-dried tomatoes, so I missed out on it the first time around. They say your taste can change over time and in this case it certainly has. It's hard to imagine not liking them now.
Goat cheese has a lovely tang and provides the perfect foil for the sweet s...
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March 31st, 2010 | Legumes and Nuts, Regional Cuisine, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
At one time Boston Baked Beans were popular throughout New England as a winter survival food - a nutrient and protein-rich pantry item that could be stored throughout the cold months. Refrigeration has obviously changed things a bit, and we're no longer living on beans all winter, but it's good to keep tradition alive.
It's also good to not constantly import produce and things from halfway around the wor...
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March 28th, 2010 | Lamb and Goat, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
We drove out to the fair hamlet of Rollinsford, New Hampshire on Saturday to hit up the
Seacoast Eat Local Winter Farmers Market. It was a blast and a half. There were winter vegetables, apples, cheeses and meats, along with baked goods, handmade crafts and live music. As tempted as I was to buy a ...
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March 25th, 2010 | Breakfast and Brunch, Cheese, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Quiche is the every-meal. The any-time-of-day item that tends to show up in odd places. Brunch buffets, bridal showers, cafeterias, airport lunch counters. And in many cases, it's not particularly great. I think the problem is that too often, especially in institutional settings, quiche is served pre-plated and cold, which is just a smack in the face to what is, or can be a really good thing....
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March 23rd, 2010 | Beef, Regional Cuisine, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
There's always all kinds of hubbub over corned beef and cabbage this time of year. My grandmother used to make New England Boiled Dinner, which is similar. Made with more winter vegetables, it's a whole meal in itself, including potatoes, parsnips and carrots.
The cabbage and potatoes take on the corned beef's brininess, which is complemented by the sweetness of the carrots and parsn...
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March 15th, 2010 | Regional Cuisine, Seafood, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
This was the final week of our fish share until the next season which starts in the spring. We got a lovely cod. Fresh cod is so delicate, it deserves to not have its flavor masked by other things. In this case, lemon adds a bit of zing and fresh rosemary lends its mellow flavor without taking over the dish.
While we're on the topic of fresh herbs vs. dried, I find fresh rosemary to be far le...
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March 7th, 2010 | Side Dishes and Vegetables, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
There are hundreds of ways to make mashed potatoes. Skin on, skin off, simply boiled and mashed, butter added, cream added, garlic added, etc. There are as many variations as their are cooks and deciding which route really depends on your personal preference and what you're serving it with.
I came by the technique of double-cooking mashed potatoes accidentally when I was r...
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March 5th, 2010 | Beef, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Like many children of the 80s, my mother worked full time and cooked every dinner. Although my mother was (and is) an expert at getting home at 5 and having a nutritious and interesting dinner on the table by 7, it was decided at one point when I was in elementary school that my father would make dinner one night per week, in addition to his weekend morning pancake and bacon feasts.
This meatloaf made a regula...
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March 3rd, 2010 | Cheese, Pasta, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Making lasagna is like planning a wedding. There are thousands of varying traditions and just as many ways to go about it. Some say location and food are most important, others say music and color scheme. In the end, you just need to decide what's most important to you.
Some prefer their lasagna with lots of veggies, others like it with beef. I like lasagna to be r...
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March 1st, 2010 | Chicken, Soup, Yankee Cook Recipes | 3 Comments »
Somehow, whenever I'm feeling under the weather, no matter how tired I may feel, I find myself in the kitchen making this soup. Partly because for me, cooking is a relaxing activity and I hardly notice the effort, but also because I see chicken soup as a valid cold remedy. Honey doesn't hold a candle to schmaltz in soothing a sore throat.
The thing with using chicken soup as a cold remedy is that not ...
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February 25th, 2010 | Soup, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
French onion soup can be either really great or really not so great and it all depends on the quality of ingredients. Imagine how hollow it could be if the stock was made from a bullion cube, the bread was a slice of HFCS laden supermarket "French bread" and the whole thing was topped with a waxy, mass-produced domestic "Swiss" cheese (I'm going to sound like a total che...
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February 24th, 2010 | Beef, Slow-Cooking, Soup, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
It is raining, cold and windy here today. There are whitecaps out on the water and raindrops on the windows. It's the perfect weather for making a nice soup. Homemade stock makes all the difference with soup. Sure, it's easy to open up a carton of beef or chicken stock, but it's just as easy to ma...
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February 21st, 2010 | Salad, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
As you know, avocados and mangoes are not native to New England, so this post kind of flies in the face of my whole local theme, but oh well. It's winter in New England. Fruit must come from somewhere and mangoes and avocados are among my favorites.
I devised this salad a few years ago when I was on a bit of a pine nut kick. I've since decided to cool it on the pine nuts until more informa...
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February 20th, 2010 | Regional Cuisine, Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Yesterday was fish share day. We picked up the last 5 lb bag of beautifully fresh native Northern Shrimp of the season from our Community Supported Fishery. Northern shrimp are the only shrimp native to New England and from what I understand, they're only around in the middle of winter. So this is the end of the line for us until next year. How exciting! What to do,...
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February 17th, 2010 | Pork, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Why have pork chops when you can have pork tenderloin? This question came to mind tonight when we were enjoying our Roasted Pork Tenderloin, which to be quite honest, makes pork chops look like chopped liver (which, isn't really an insult coming from me, since I actually
like chopped liver, but that's another post).
Pork can be difficult. Overcooking dries out the meat and underco...
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February 16th, 2010 | Legumes and Nuts, Pork, Yankee Cook Recipes | 1 Comment »
We are quite literally snowed in today. So, I made my good ol' snowed in standby of White Bean Chorizo Bake.
I like to keep local fresh (not smoked) chorizo on hand in the freezer because, as strange as it sounds, it's pretty versatile. The spice goes well with most sweet vegetables and adds zip to mellow things like white beans or potatoes. The idea for this dish is similar to cassoulet -...
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February 13th, 2010 | Desserts, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Teacakes. Is it not the most adorable word? It conjures images of flowery tablecloths, delicate china and smiling aunties.
Tarragon is a social chameleon. The Gatsby of herbs. It gets along just as well in sweet dishes as it does with its more common savory partners. This recipe demonstrates the former. Lemony, sweet and dense, Lemon Tarragon Teacake is the perfect showca...
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February 11th, 2010 | Pork, Slow-Cooking, Yankee Cook Recipes | 4 Comments »
Nope. This is not a traditional New Englandy-type dish, but what can I say? We're living in a global society and this is the world wide interweb, after all.
Start with ribs that have good marbling. As the fats melt away, the ribs transform into tender nuggets of fallin...
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February 9th, 2010 | Chicken, Salad, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Whenever I roast a chicken, we always have lots of meat left over. Reheating is fine, but not ideal because the meat tends to dry out.
This recipe makes good use of the leftover dark and white meat from roasted chicken without the nee...
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February 6th, 2010 | Appetizers, Nibbles and Dips, Cheese, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | 7 Comments »
One of my favorite things to do for dinner is to make a few types of appetizers. It's especially fun if you plan on having friends over to watch a movie or sporting event (a-hem) on television. My favorite appetizers tend to be flaky, savory treats. Dips and things are great, but there's something decadent about having something that tastes like it came from a pastry shop.
These fit the bill nicely. Only a few ingredients ...
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February 4th, 2010 | Breakfast and Brunch, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
I really miss the farmers markets. During the summer months we keep the kitchen stocked with fresh local vegetables and fruits - especially berries. This time of year though, the only fresh berries around are very tart, bathed in pesticides and have traveled thousands of miles.
Rather than going that route, I like to either freeze a few pints in the summer when they are ...
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February 2nd, 2010 | Side Dishes and Vegetables, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
I've said it before and I'll say it again - Brussels Sprouts get a bad rap. But it's unfair to judge them. It's not their fault they get steamed sometimes. Doesn't everyone?
The little fellas can be as bitter as they are sweet, and steaming brings out the bitterness. Pan-frying has the opposite effect - the sprouts form a crisp, flaky exterior, with creamy, smooth inner layers. An...
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February 1st, 2010 | Beef, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
We drove out to a nearby farm yesterday to stock up on all natural, hormone-free locally raised meats. Once we got there, we both remembered the organic chicken awaiting our attention in the freezer at home and it just didn't seem as pressing to buy a plethora of meats. After driving an hour, we ended up getting beef tips and andouille sausage. Someti...
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January 29th, 2010 | Regional Cuisine, Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Madeira loves Crustaceans. Oh yes. They go way back. Madeira is what brings that aromatic sweetness to Lobster bisque and Lobster Newburg.
This dish is inspired by Lobster Newburg. We used 5 lbs of freshly caught Northern Shrimp from our fish share. Feel free to substitute the shrimp for lobster, but the little red guys work just as well and have a more tender textur...
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January 28th, 2010 | Side Dishes and Vegetables, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
I was visiting with a friend in New York a few years ago when the subject of dinner came up. We discussed going to a nearby fondue restaurant and, as much as I love cheese, I pointed out that maybe we should opt for something a little healthier with vegetables and protein, etc. My friend, who is a dietitian replied, "Cheese is a protein."
Case closed. That is why it's great to be friends w...
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January 22nd, 2010 | Regional Cuisine, Seafood, Soup, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
This week's
Community Supported Fishery catch was cod. We currently have a freezer full of fish cakes and we've roasted quite a few fish whole since signing up for the CSF. So I decided to set Wayback Machine to 2006 and go over to my trusty recipe box for ideas. I had worked on this recipe for a while before settling on the right proportion of...
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January 21st, 2010 | Cheese, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
There's something wonderful about the way broccoli and feta go together. Feta's brininess brings out a sweetness in the broccoli that otherwise might go undetected, and the textures work well together too.
This dish is really easy to make, but seems decadent and complicated because of the filo. It's also a good dish to make if you've opened a package of filo dough and have a few sheets left over...
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January 19th, 2010 | Chicken, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
While boneless skinless chicken breast can sometimes be dull and dry, this recipe is not. Brining meat helps to soften the muscle tissue and leads to a more tender and moist texture.
As the chicken soaks in brine, the dried sage reconstitutes, infusing the water and lending a subtle flavor to the chicken. The olive oil also imparts its flavor on the chicken, in addition to keeping the meat fro...
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January 15th, 2010 | Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
We had our first pick-up of shrimp from our fish share this week. A five pound bag of these little fellas, freshly plucked from the ocean only hours before. Very exciting!
This recipe is basic but delicious. The shrimp are cooked whole and peeled at the table. It's not necessary to devein because of their small size. Tender and sweet, they don't need much additional flavor, ...
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January 14th, 2010 | Breakfast and Brunch, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
I've always said that brunch is the most important meal of the week. While I am a big fan of eggs (Total understatement. I'm egg's no.1 fan. Egg has stopped answering my phone calls. Legal action has been taken. It's gotten messy.) and could probably go for a nice scramble any morning, I'm also woefully aware that one egg contains 60 - 80% of the recommended daily maximum intake of cholesterol, so just think of how two...
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January 13th, 2010 | Beef, Slow-Cooking, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
This holiday season, I was given the greatest gift of all. A slow cooker! Yay! I decided to christen it with short ribs.
The meat melts down over the course of hours, turning into rich, tender bits of falling-off-the-bone loveliness. I like to use vegetables that hold their shape well, like mushrooms and onion...
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January 8th, 2010 | Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Last night was fish share night for us and we got a lovely whole cod fresh from waters outside our house. Once scaled and filleted we had about 2 lbs of meat. Not bad at all.
Cod is a meaty white fish with a delicate flavor. It lends itself well to a variety of preparations, but I like it simply done to let the meat speak for itself. This recipe uses simply butter, olive oil and lemo...
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January 6th, 2010 | Side Dishes and Vegetables, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
I noticed the other day that the past few posts have been looking a little on the off-white to brown side of the food spectrum.
In my own defense, it's winter here. Fresh veggies are not as easy to come by unless you don't mind bringing them in from warmer climes. Which I kind of do. However, you need to get at least five servings of vegetables per day - not just seasonal root veggies.
...
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January 2nd, 2010 | Desserts, Yankee Cook Recipes | 3 Comments »
These are somewhat lower in fat (sour cream replaces some of the butter), higher in protein (walnuts) and higher in fiber (raisins) than your average chocolate chip cookie.
The recipe also calls for slightly less sugar than most, but the addition of raisins makes up for the sweetness. Corn syrup and sour cream lend a delicate fluff to the texture whic...
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December 31st, 2009 | Pork, Sauces, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
A briny cured ham complements sweet winter vegetables nicely, making this a great choice for a holiday meal. So we decided to say so long to the aughts with a festive ham.
Maple is a cured ham's natural best friend and cognac adds another layer of mellow sweetness to the glaze. We topped off the meal with baked yams and a...
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December 28th, 2009 | Cheese, Pasta, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Cheese platters are like the theater and you my friend, are the director. Your job is to entertain and indulge your audience. Who doesn't love discovering a new cheese? This is your opportunity to share your discoveries with guests. I always go for variety in taste and texture. At least one mild, one medium and one strong. At least one soft-ripened (b...
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December 27th, 2009 | Appetizers, Nibbles and Dips, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
These are great little party nibbles and they're really easy to make too, which is good because they tend to go fast. The shiitake mushrooms bring a good bit of mushroom flavor and the white mushrooms carry the rest - very civilized of them. As they bake, the pastry rises around the mushrooms, forming a shallow cup. The mascarpone acts as an adhesive as it melts, leaving behind the rich flavor of cream.
I norm...
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December 23rd, 2009 | Breakfast and Brunch, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | 6 Comments »
I started making this last Spring. We had quite a lot of oatmeal in the house and with the weather getting warmer, we were eating hot oatmeal less frequently. I decided to make it into a cold cereal that could be enjoyed in warmer weather. We really liked it, so I made another batch, bagged it up and gave it to our friends, who also enjoyed i...
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December 22nd, 2009 | Chicken, Sauces, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
Chicken au Naturel gets its name from its simplicity. Sure, chicken can be roasted with all sorts of herbs and spices that will lend additional flavor to the bird, but sometimes it's nice to let the flavor of the meat speak for itself. This recipe uses just butter, salt and pepper. The key to getting the chickeny-ness out of the chicken without a rotisserie is to flip it every so oft...
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December 16th, 2009 | Pasta, Sauces, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
Vegetable Garden Pasta gets its name from the raw veggies that star in the dish. The pasta sauce takes less than 20 minutes so that the tomatoes and carrots retain their vitamins and minerals. A quick, covered simmer allows the vegetables to soften in a shorter amount of time than tomato sauce recipes that stew uncovered for several hours. Give the sauce a quick mash, to ge...
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December 14th, 2009 | Pork, Side Dishes and Vegetables, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
A good nutritional rule of thumb is to try to have at least one serving of fruit or vegetable from each color of the rainbow every day. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet. White? I guess potatoes get the shaft in this scenario. Either way, this dish covers two of the six - or three if white counts. Beets and cabbage a...
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December 10th, 2009 | Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
This week's fish share catch was a 30 inch, 4 lb pollock. I'm not a huge fan of filleting fish because it's a lot of work for a bland result. Like meats, fish cooked bone-in has far more flavor than a boneless fillet. It's like comparing a piece of whole roasted chicken to a boneless, skinless chicken breast prepared the same way. Mea...
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December 8th, 2009 | Soup, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
It's been a relatively warm autumn here and our neighbor's garden is still producing kale. She had kindly brought some by a few months ago and I made this lovely soup out of some Italian sausage we had in the freezer and some rice and lentils we had on hand. I wasn't expecting much, but the soup turned out to have that rare combination of being hearty and light at the same time.
Our neighbor mentioned the other day that the kale is still going strong, and so she invi...
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December 4th, 2009 | Beef, Regional Cuisine, Soup, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
This type of meat stew washed up on the New England shores with the colonists. If the Puritans hadn't already been making it in England, they likely learned it from the Dutch (the Puritans, who eventually landed in New England, originally fled to the Netherlands before leaving for America).
On a trip t...
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December 1st, 2009 | Turkey, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
As much as I love Thanksgiving and absolutely savor the leftovers, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Last night we finally polished off the last of the stuffing and cranberry sauce, but we still had about four cups of dark meat left and I try not keep cooked poultry for more than a few days. I'd thought of making a tetrazzini, but it seems a little heavy and besides, we felt like a change in flavor profile.
This dish is like a cross betw...
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November 30th, 2009 | Pork, Soup, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
After what's beginning to seem like weeks of heavy Thanksgiving leftovers, I decided it was time for a light meal. I wish I could be one of those people who can be satisfied with a light cleansing soup of just boiled vegetables, but I'm not. Call me greedy. Call me anemic. Either way I need protein and iron, even if it's just a small amount to round out a meal.
Today was farmer's market day and I picked up some love...
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November 27th, 2009 | Turkey, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
We hosted Thanksgiving this year and what a blast! I didn't get a lot of pictures from the process, which started on Monday, but I wanted to share a few of my recipes with you anyway. All of the vegetables came from local farms and everything was made from scratch, which was why the process took a few days, but it was so fun and
so worth it! I've been making the Cranberry...
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November 21st, 2009 | Pasta, Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | 3 Comments »
This is a hearty, nutritious pasta dish that can be made in under a half hour. Pine nuts contain vitamins A, E and K, niacin and folic acid. Arugula also offers vitamins A, K and folic acid along with calcium, iron, zinc and potassium and salmon offers omega-3. The sweetness of the pine nuts compliments the smoked salmon's briny tang, and the Mornay sauce mellows the arugul...
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November 19th, 2009 | Pork, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
This is a good dinner to make if you don't have a lot of time or energy for prep-work. A few minutes in the kitchen and then you're free as a little bird while the meat slow-cooks in the oven. Slow-cooking is great for tough cuts of meat because it gives the connective tissue a chance to melt, turning the meat buttery and soft.
Steamed fingerlings are easy too. No chopping or pe...
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November 17th, 2009 | Regional Cuisine, Soup, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
This dish is inspired by the Three Sisters, a term referring to the farming practice of companion planting, which was employed by the Native Americans of the Northeastern United States to grow maize, beans and squash. The three plants were grown in a mound in order to allow for optimal nutrient distribution to the plants and soil - the bean plant produces nitrogen in the soil which th...
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November 16th, 2009 | Desserts, Yankee Cook Recipes | 8 Comments »
This idea came to mind the other day when I was trying to think of what to do with some leftover Thai curry paste. We'd had our fill of savory-spicy applications, so I thought using it in something sweet might be interesting. Chocolate takes on spice very well and coconut goes nicely with curry and chocolate, so I dec...
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November 12th, 2009 | Chicken, Sauces, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
I'd never seen a dried chipotle pepper until last week. As much as I enjoy criticizing its overuse in recent years, I'd never actually cooked with chipotle. Since it was available at that moment, I picked some up without a plan. Then, over the weekend our cilantro plant was looking a little heavy for its new pot, so I decided to prune it back and make guacamole.
What's better than guac and chips? Guacamole and tos...
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November 10th, 2009 | Beef, Sauces, Yankee Cook Recipes | 3 Comments »
I ran into a vegetable I'd never seen before at the farmers' market the other day. Lush and green with little yellow flowers, it looked almost like broccolini. I asked the vendor what it was and he replied, "Summer Jean."
He said that although you could eat it raw, it's best cooked in stir-fries. He described it as lemony and peppery, and that the stalk has the same texture as a potato, rather than being stringy like othe...
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November 9th, 2009 | Desserts, Regional Cuisine, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Who doesn't love apple pie? Especially this time of year when the apples are fresh and sweet. I got the apples for this pie at a local orchard. Normally I like to use McIntosh apples for pie, but I heard recently that Northern Spies are good for pie because they keep their shape well. This turned out to be true - the slices even stood up to a good toss with the other filling ingredients without breaking.
Another i...
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November 8th, 2009 | Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Fresh produce in November? In New England? It
can't be done!
Oh, but it can, my friend. It can. After our local farmers' market shut down for the season at the beginning of October, I was just so bummed. I've since been supplementing trips to a local farm to buy what's left of their dwindling harvest, with runs to the conventional grocery store. While the super market hasn't been all bad - you can find some things grown locally and/or organically - the produce is j...
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November 4th, 2009 | Chicken, Seafood, Soup, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Back when we used to live in a more urban area, my husband and I liked going to a local Malaysian restaurant for Prawn Mee and Tom Yum soups on rainy Sundays. It's been a while since we've had a nice spicy, fishy noodle soup, so I thought I'd try to make my own at home using the curry paste left over from the
tofu curry I made a while ago.
Once again, I'm not claiming this to be in ...
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November 1st, 2009 | Regional Cuisine, Salad, Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | 3 Comments »
Thursday was
fish share night and we got a big, headless, gutted hake. There was a lot of meat on this one. My husband once again, kindly filleted it. The fish yielded six large servings. I cut the excess into fillets, oiled them, put them into zip-top bags and stored them in the freezer for later use. I also made a lovely fish stock from the bones, fins...
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October 28th, 2009 | Desserts, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | 6 Comments »
Shortbread is a minimalist. Containing only three ingredients: butter, flour and sugar, simple is what shortbread is all about. In fact, Simple
would be Shortbread's middle name, if it wasn't mononymous already. That's how minimalist shortbread is.
I made these the other day for a friend who avoids butter. Instead, I used Earth Balance, and they came out great. The final product had a nice buttery flavor and a rich texture.
Dairy-Free Sho...
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October 28th, 2009 | Cheese, Side Dishes and Vegetables, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | 2 Comments »
Beets and Brussels sprouts are so nutritious, but they each have a bad reputation, especially among those who don't care for vegetables. My theory on folks who say they don't like vegetables is that they were probably served plates of boiled, flavorless, or worse, canned veggies as a kid. For those who say nay to veggies, I recommend giving them one more try by adding a flavorful cheese or bacon and cooking in butter ra...
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October 26th, 2009 | Cheese, Pasta, Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
Mac and cheese is traditionally made using a combination of Cheddar and American Cheese, which, while I'm on that topic, I'd like to just put this out there,
is not actually cheese.
I'm sure you already figured those little individually wrapped squares from the pre-sliced cold cut section of the supermarket were not lovingly stacked on shelves in a mountain cave and aged ...
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October 22nd, 2009 | Seafood, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
We are members of a CSF -
Community Supported Fishery. It's similar to a CSA, but instead of produce, it's fish that comes fresh from the ocean that morning. Whatever is caught is what we get. Today's catch was pollock.
This dish is similar to meuniere, except I added fresh tarragon to the butte...
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October 22nd, 2009 | Cheese, Pasta, Yankee Cook Recipes | No Comments »
I felt like having a hearty comfort-food type lunch today, and so I decided to make baked penne with salami in the sauce and pecorino romano and blue cheese (for a nice melty effect) on top.
The result was a satisfying combination of flavors. The sweetness of the tomato sauce combined with the occasional peppery cube of salami worked nicely with the blue cheese from Jasper Hill Farm, an artisanal cheese maker in Vermont. I'd...
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October 21st, 2009 | Vegetarian, Yankee Cook Recipes | 1 Comment »
I've been thinking of making something out of the tofu we have in the fridge, a can of coconut milk in the cupboard and a yellow chili from last week's farmers market. So I stopped by our local natural ...
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Winter farm share = turnips, turnips, celeriac and turnips. I'd never put much thought into turnips until we joined this winter share. I'd mostly seen them in the supermarket in their huge, gray, unappetizing form. Now we get them from our farmer's root cellar, which sounded soooo romantic on that balmy day back in December when we signed up. Isn't that how the Puritans survived rugged win...
