skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Ingredients
. Medium Yellow Onion
. Mixed Small Zucchini and Yellow Squash
. Eggs
. Heavy Cream
. Basil
. Fresh Chives
. Goat Cheese
. Parmigiano-Reggiano or Asiago Cheese
Special Equipment
. Heat-resistant spatula
. Oven-proof skillet
Notes from the Kitchen
. Mise en Place, as always was a key helper to making everything move at the right pace.
. Baby zucchini were used in place with nice effect.
. Purple basil was used, as it was handy, but sadly lost its color in the cooking process.
. A wooden spatula (in place of a silicone one) worked fine to move the eggs while cooking.
. The key (to avoiding overcooked frittata) seems to be not doubting yourself when it comes to moving from stove top to broiler.
. Distance from the broiler seems key to quickly create the browned effect.
Note of Less Pertinence but Equal Importance
. Do you know what lives in your broiler?
. Flashlights (and flexibility to lay on the floor with head in close proximity to bottom-broiler of a gas oven) recommended.
. Photo depicted in the book has clearly not been cooked to the specifications—as it likely involved a more last minute placement of lovely green basil ribbons and carefully posed half-moons of squash.
Eating the Results
Laura says: An easy, and filling, evening meal. The dollops of goat cheese were little treasures to be found in a forkful of egg and vegetable. The basil lent a light and refreshing flavor. Equally satisfying cold for breakfast the following morning. Simpler recipes call for sticking the pan in a 350-degree oven, but the quick browning and "puffing" induced by the book's suggested broiler method seems preferable, and not so much more cumbersome.
Claudine says: Agreed. This dish was delicious and, happily, easy enough to make on any weeknight evening. As someone who could live on goat cheese, it was especially nice to discover what a lovely combination it makes with the zucchini and squash. Following the directions in this recipe does produce a beautifully fluffy outcome and is whole-heartily recommended.
Useful LinksCooking School Eggs 101
Incredible, Edible Egg
Ingredients
. Poblano Chile
. Canola Oil
. Small Onion
. Garlic Clove
. Heavy Cream
. Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Special Equipment
. Flame (helpful)
. Heat-Proof Tongs . Paper or Plastic Bag
Notes from the Kitchen
. Quick and easy.
. Broiler method of charring the pepper less than optimal.
. Paper/plastic bag method of steaming pepper effective, but it was not compared against the recipe's paper towel method, which seemed dubious.
. An entire lecture could not adequately cover "When To Tell When Chicken Is Done" for those shy of a little Salmonella poisoning. (Must get over this fear to be taken seriously.)
Notes of Less Pertinence but Equal Importance
. Part of the intent of Everyday Food is to offer satisfying (from a culinary perspective) meals for the average day, so on-hand substitutions seem appropriate, particularly concerning sides: biscuits and side salad, sweet potatoes or herbed quinoa, instead of scallion-cilantro rice, in this case.
. In the interest of uniformity and clarity, there should be a new call to order for cookbook editors: keep consistent the use of descriptions indicating how sauteed onion appears at its desired final stage. See: glassy, soft, translucent, et al.
Eating the Results
Laura says: For a mere few ingredients, the results yielded a pleasant variation in flavor. Although agreed that it could be spicier, the result would make nice introduction to the taste of peppers and Mexican-influenced food for the un-heat-initiated. I would also be willing to substitute a loose, European style fat-free yogurt for the cream to create a more heart-healthy version. Sliced up and reheated -- with extra sauce over the top to keep it moist -- it also made for some much-enjoyed leftovers.
Claudine says: I really liked this recipe. It was quick and easy, as promised. I was only disappointed by the lack of heat. Since it wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be, the creamy sweetness of the potatoes didn't have anything to offset. I would definitely not trim any of the spine of the poblano next time (what little there was) and may try adding half a jalapeno. I will definitely try it with the rice as opposed to the sweet potatoes.
Useful LinksThe RecipePoblano Chicken Twitter Conversation (Oct. 23)
Photo from www.MarthaStewart.com
Ingredients
. Shallot
. Fresh Morels (or other Wild Mushrooms)
. Heavy Cream
. Eggs
. Fresh Chives
Special Equipment
. Individual Baking Dishes
Notes from the Kitchen
. Oyster mushrooms with a few fresh porcini, now widely available, made for a suitable substitution.
. Take care of overcooking the egg yolk; keep an eye on any dish cooking unevenly due to position in the oven.
. Serve with toast fingers, or soldiers, to dip into the yolk and cream.
. Quick and easy.
Note of Less Pertinence but Equal Importance
. Came across a recipe for eggs baked in tomatoes, which opens up a realm of options with the baked egg, both more intricate and simpler (just pouring cream over it as suggested in the recipe).
Eating the Results
Laura says: The dish is a bit rich from the heavy cream, but tempered by elegant portion control. Even without the flavorful mushrooms, the substitutes added nice earthy richness. Another great guest breakfast, with its charming individual portions and all-ready-a-the-same-time cooking method.
Claudine says: I love mushrooms, especially in cream sauces, so this dish had an advantage going in. It was a little rich, but I think that may be more welcomed first thing in the morning than at the end of a day spent cooking and eating eggs. It was a body-warming dish, which as the weather turns cool, gains appeal. The medley of wild mushrooms was definitely a more-than-adequate substitute, but I look forward to trying this with morels when I can find them.
Useful LinksCooking School Eggs 101
Incredible, Edible Egg
Here's a taste:
- L: Nope—I like the idea of the sweet with a slightly spicy cream sauce.
less than 5 seconds ago from web - C: Do you think it would be weird to substitute sweet potatoes for the rice?
less than 20 seconds ago from web - L: and scallions. Of course I have none of those; I have biscuits leftover from lunch, so I'll be serving those with a little side salad.
half a minute ago from web - C: is the side just white rice and cilantro?
2 minutes ago from web - C:I still have to get the ingredients on my way home so I'll let you know when I'm close
2 minutes ago from web - Cooking School Tonight: Martha Stewart's Everyday Food: Chicken with Poblano Cream Sauce
10 minutes ago from web
Extra Credit: Hollandaise
Ingredients
. Dry White Wine
. White Wine Vinegar
. Shallot
. Black Peppercorns
. Egg Yolks
. Butter
. Lemon Juice
. Cayenne Pepper
Special Tools
. Fine Mesh Sieve
. Heatproof, Nonreactive Bowl
. Whisk
Extra Credit Review
. The warning sidebar listing no fewer than five ways in which you will potentially destroy the sauce may have been unnecessarily alarming to the first-time Hollandaise maker.
. Just the same, read all the instructions several times before commencing.
. Measure, prepare and set aside all components before starting.
. The white wine and vinegar reduction makes for a more flavorful sauce with a lighter zing, and the fine specks of peppercorn that make it through the fine sieve provide visual appeal.
. We did not have any mixture that cooked to the side of the pot, all the better for the potentially tricky estimation that step might have required.
. The accompanying photos in the book were of great help in interpreting the instructions.
. The butter in the recipe could be reduced by half a stick, at any rate for standard-size "large" eggs.
Ingredients
. Artichokes (medium to large)
. Eggs
. Salmon
. Hollandaise
Special Tools
Slotted Spoon or Fine Mesh Sieve
Notes from the Kitchen
. Artichokes can be steamed well in advance as the hot egg will reheat the meaty heart.
. Cut tops off the artichokes before steaming (this was left unclear in the directions).
. Do NOT discard the unused leaves of the artichoke; enjoy them with a nice vinaigrette.
. See "barely simmering" diatribe below, but note that not hot enough can be as poor for results as a rolling boil.
. Some egg white is inevitably lost to the water; largely left intact is essentially the albumen sac.
. Serve with toast fingers (or soldiers).
Notes of Less Pertinence but Equal Importance
. Go with your instinct. You know how to cook. You know what tastes good. If the last half-stick of butter going into the sauce seems like it's a bit much, chances are, it is too much.. There's little harm in a thicker Hollandaise than is called for, as the thicker refrigerates well and—despite the death-warnings to USE IMMEDIATELY—can be reheated and whisked up the next day for a bagel with lox and Hollandaise snack.
. There is little more frustrating than an instruction as prone to interpretation as "barely" simmering, which by its very definition indicates a condition that exists before simmering, but necessary to identify without verging into the simmering situation, as points that have not yet been achieved tend to be. The only thing more frustrating might be the "continuous soup simmer," which defies all and any effort to effect.
Eating the Results
Laura says: This may be my new favorite way to eat eggs. Each component is just the right size to impart just the right amount of its particular flavor to every bite. And getting a bit of each—yolk, white, Hollandaise, salmon and artichoke heart—was one of the most wonderful mouthfuls ever. It's also inspiring in the relative ease of its composition to create a fun and elegant breakfast treat for guests.
Claudine says: Really delightful. The four different flavors, to my surprise, made a wonderful combination. I wouldn't have thought to pair eggs and artichokes (or artichokes and smoke salmon for that matter) but it made for a truly remarkable dish. Keeping a few rows of leaves intact to create the basket for the poached egg, Hollandaise and smoked salmon, makes the dish look quite fancy and the end product belies the ease of creating it. And, as with most artichoke dishes, half the fun is in the deconstruction; people like to be involved in the making of their meal, even if it's just taking an artichoke leaf off to dip in Hollandaise and egg yolk.
Useful Links
Steamed Artichokes with Poached Eggs and Hollandaise Recipe
Cooking School Eggs 101
Incredible, Edible Egg
Ingredients
. Aromatics (butter, leeks or onions & garlic)
. Chicken Stock
. Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes
. Carrots
. Fresh Ginger
. Herbed Croutons (garnish)
. Watercress (garnish)
Special Equipment
. Immersion Blender
Notes from the Kitchen
. Having a quart of homemade stock in the fridge makes a big difference. (And is a cost-effective way to get a good chicken breast dinner, plus lots of stock, out of a single chicken.)
. Leeks used for carrot soup and onion for tomato, worked well for each.
. Canned tomatoes work so well in the recipe that there seems little need to go fresh.
. The scent of the fresh ginger while cooking the aromatics is invigorating.
. A relatively quick and easy set of soups to make.
. Garnishes are entirely optional, adding visual appeal rather than imparting any notable texture or flavor.
Eating the Results
Laura says: The tomato soup had such incredible creaminess that it was hard to believe it came from the aromatics alone. It should replace that Campbell's soup can for late-fall and winter lunches of tomato soup with grilled cheese. The carrot ginger soup benefited from the extra sweetness of the leeks, with the refreshing zing of fresh ginger, while providing a heartier meal in a bowl than its vegetable base might imply.
Claudine says: The tomato soup really stood out among all the soups we've made. It was creamy but light at the same time. I am surprised that, though both are vegetable-based and contain little protein, they are rich and hearty enough to be a meal, not just an opening course. I look forward to adding both the tomato and the carrot ginger soup to my fall dinner rotation.
Useful LinksBasic Chicken Stock
Ingredients
. Roux (butter, onion, flour)
. Chicken Stock (for veloute sauce base-spinach)
. Milk (for bechamel sauce base-cauliflower)*
. Spinach or Cauliflower
. Heavy Cream
*The recipe called for whole milk, but in the interest of certain individuals of higher cholesterol levels, we opted for skim-plus milk, which, from the taste, seemed an adequate substitution.
Special Tools
. Fine-Mesh Sieve
. Flexible Spatula
. Immersion Blender
Notes from the Kitchen
. Mise en place (preparing ingredients first) is effective.
. Try to remember to bring your own knife (Laura).
. When effectively skimmed during the cooking stage, the chicken stock will not have that satisfying layer of fat to peel off; instead you must gently skim the thin floating fat off the top.
. The translucent or glassy stage of the "sweated" onion is much easier to determine (to the untrained eye, ahem, Laura) in a stainless steel pot.
. Cauliflower florets need to be chopped very finely to cook thoroughly; stem sections should cook for longer than the extra 1 minute suggested.
. As with all our soups, without a pot taller than wide, evaporation eventually wins out during the cooking process, requiring, in the case of the cauliflower soup, additional milk in order for the vegetable to cook until soft.
. The cauliflower stems never actually got mushy before we gave in and just pureed it. It worked out just fine. No pun intended.
. Rinse the pot in which the spinach is blanched—ours had grit, even after 2 thorough washes of the raw leaves.
. Cut all stems off of the spinach; the fibrous mass just ends up plugging up the sieving process.
. Passing the final soup through the fine sieve makes it incredibly smooth, and thus well worth the effort.
. Heating the serving bowls is an excellent idea, but on a cold February evening, the soup still got cold quickly. Solutions?
Notes of Less Pertinence but Equal Importance
. What exactly is the consistency of cream?
. Is it any surprise that the artist created the cream design
in the spinach?
. Do the gentlemen actually recall this precious soup at all?
Eating the Results
Laura says: The most interesting thing was comparing the two bases for the soup—milk versus stock. The richness of the homemade stock really punched through the spinach, balancing perfectly a sometimes-overwhelming vegetable. And the cauliflower had such silkiness that the creaminess was eased of any heaviness. Long gone are my assumptions that a vegetable puree soup is a simple matter of using the hand-blender.
Claudine says: Though the book says any of the vegetable soups can be made either as a "veloute-based" (stock thickened with roux) or "bechamel-based" (with milk instead), my instinct tells me that the milk vs. stock pairings we chose (stock with the spinach to balance the strong flavor and milk with the cauliflower to underline the creaminess) really worked out well. If we had switched the pairings I have a feeling the spinach flavor might have been overwhelming. But maybe the cauliflower would gain from the flavor of the stock, in which case, are all soups better as veloutes?
Useful Links
Chicken Stock
Photo from www.MarthaStewart.com
Homework Review: Lesson 1.1 How to Make White Stock
. One pound short of chicken (according to our bathroom scale and Laura stepping on and off, with and without a bag of chicken parts); no effect on stock richness, likely do to the inclusion of whole legs and thighs in the stock making.
. Certainly don't try to do the stock and the soup in the same day.
. Bag and freeze chicken backs and wings from fresh cut chickens; also bag and freeze leftover fresh aromatic vegetables from other soup recipes.
Ingredients
. Chicken Stock
. Whole Chicken
. Pasilla Chiles (or Chile Negro)
. Fresh Tomatoes
. Corn Tortilla
. Green Cabbage
. Cotija Cheese
. Fresh Cilantro
. Ripe Avocado
. Lime
Special Tools
. Fine-mesh Sieve
. Flexible Spatula
. Cast Iron Pan (optional, but recommended)
. Blender or Food Processor
Notes from the Kitchen
. If you are a little short of the 8 cups of homemade stock, finish with water. (Not tried with less-rich store-bought stock.)
. Suggested 4 1/2 pound chicken is probably accurate; 4 1/2 pounds of chicken parts (4 breasts, 4 legs) was a little heavy on the chicken. (And, yet, there were no leftovers 2 days later.)
. Cast iron works beautifully for toasting the chile, broiling the tomatoes and cooking the combined mixture.
. To split the toasted chiles, cut top and lay flat on cutting board. Insert knife and run along the fold of the flattened chile.
. Larger tomatoes (2 small "beefsteak" were used) needed about 7-10 minutes broiling under the flame of a gas oven.
. As much as the pureed chile puree looks fabulous as-is, pushing it through the sieve is worth the extra work. (The strained liquids provide not just intense flavor but a creamy texture.) . Push chile puree through a sieve in small batches to maximize liquid extraction.
Special Note on Garnishes
. Red onion was omitted, accidentally, apparently not missed.
. Double the cabbage to feed 8.
. Sliced jalapeno, especially grilled first, would have added a nice bite. (This recipe is not spicy.)
. Fried tortilla strips were worth the homemade effort, but made easier, and perhaps better, by the use of an electric deep fryer. Fry for 3-4 minutes.
Notes of Less Pertinence but Equal Importance
. When purchasing ingredients with non-English names, be sure to look up (beyond the Cooking School book) the ingredient. Or, if you want the extra exercise, you can run back and forth to the store after you've returned home the first time not having seen any of the many dried peppers labeled "passila." (That would because they are also known as chile negro.)
. We kept the solids from the chile-tomato-onion puree and plan on trying them out as a spread, perhaps with some leftover cotija cheese toasted on tortillas?
. With the garnishes, the soup is easily a full meal in and of itself.
. For drinking a hoppy amber or IPA beer goes well, although its not as spicy as you might expect.
. Topped off well with strawberry merigue buttercream cupcakes for dessert.
. Note that the Everyday Food recipe for Tortilla Soup is not the same soup. Without the chile puree, it loses a lot of its magic.
Eating the Results
Laura says: I may have found my new favorite soup, well, at least until the next lesson. The richness was truly intense. In fact—as shocking as this is coming from me--I would try halving the 2 Tbs of coarse salt from the enriching of the broth. The creaminess added by the chile puree created a perfect testure, and the rich and sweetness was balanced perfectly with the tanginess of the lime and the fresh crisp of garnishes like cilantro and cabbage. (I did not miss the red onions as a garnish, perhaps others did.) I was also surprised that my restraint in not pulling out some sour cream was rewarded by far better results having just a sprinkling of the shredded cotija cheese.
Claudine says: I loved this soup as well. I wasn't going to mention it, but since you brought it up... I did taste the salt when I heated up my leftover soup the next day. I think that one needs to keep in mind the saltiness of the various garnishes (I think the cheese may have been salty enough) and adjust the seasoning during the cooking process. I would like to make it again with boxed TJ broth and see if you can taste the difference through the chile puree. It would definitely entice me to make it more often on weeknights if that substitution worked.
Useful Links
Chicken Stock
Photo Glossary of Dried Chiles
Notes on Tortillas
