A cooking memoir? Oh boy.

A blast from the past, when Dunkin was Dunkin Donuts:

What the heck?, you may ask.

When I came back to land-side life in mid-2013, I started a "long winter nights" project at the place on Kent Island to archive favorite recipes and their stories. I listed ~34 recipes about which I knew I had stories and then I added a second page to capture a list of recipes we had collected for Stooges (some of which are on this blog, though not all).  The first group needed their stories; I've done most of them but still have a few to write.  The Stooges/Raconteur/Caribbean repertoire mostly had notes already, so those I just put into the same plastic sleeves as-is; there were another ~24 on that list. I sat down one day in Guilford last year and pawed through a bunch of "maybe's" that I had been piling up - 10 years worth, more or less - magazine recipes, tons of Internet printed recipes from various sources, more very old recipe cards (example: Scalloped Tomatoes taken from a Hunt's can a million years ago) - and began choosing some to add to the binder.

Each binder page has a hole-punched plastic sleeve, the recipe in its original form (THIS includes the Dunkin Donuts napkin from ?1990 ish on which I wrote - scribbled is a better term for it - Mama Stamberg's Shocking Pink Cranberry Relish recipe, as her daughter Susan read on NPR for years), and a piece of white printer paper on which I've written the story - a story - about each. As it stands today, the binder has a little over 50 of these sleeves, but the collection of recipes in various forms - plus a large binder that Susan started - are sitting in a lidded plastic storage box under the futon bed in the loft in Guilford, alongside a stack of Bon Appetit magazines for review, more of the plastic sleeves, a few more selections not yet in the book...you get the idea.

The memoir writing project, focused as it is on houses, has both drawn me away from this effort, and kept it in my peripheral vision - I know the stories contain some nuggets of interest, and of course I wrote the essay about mom and me in the kitchen that was theoretically going to include recipes, also unfinished.

I know this falls under "never enough time" - not enough time in the day, the week, the month, the year - an not enough years left, either. 

Here's an actual recipe, a roasted tomato soup that anticipates tomato season (we no longer grow our own - too much work to ward off the pestilences) but that works with store-bought tomatoes in chilly weather too. From the late, great Gourmet Magazine, August of 2009 (Maggie Ruggiero).  I made this for my niece years ago - not long after Reese was born, in 2013 - and it's a favorite.

ROASTED TOMATO SOUP

Yield: Makes about 8 cups     Active Time: 20 minutes    Total time: 1hr 45m

INGREDIENTS:

4 pounds tomatoes, halved lengthwise

6 garlic cloves, left unpeeled

3 T EVOO

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 t dried marjoram [note: I never use oregano; I always substitute marjoram]

2 t sugar

2 T unsalted butter

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

Accompaniment: parmesan wafers (see below)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350F with rack in the middle.

2. Arrange tomatoes, cut side down, in 1 layer in a large 4-sided sheet pan and add garlic to pan. Drizzle tomatoes with oil and sprinkle with 1/2t salt and 1/4t black pepper.

3. Roast tomatoes and garlic 1 hour, then cool in pan.  Peel garlic cloves.

4. Cook onion, marjoram, and sugar in butter in a 6-8 quart heavy pot over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes, garlic, and stock and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.

6. Puree soup in an immersion blender (or in batches in a standard blender), then force through a sieve into cleaned pot, discarding solids. Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste and simmer 2 minutes. 

Divide soup among 8 bowls and float one parmesan wafer in center of each.

PARMESAN WAFERS

Cooks' note: Wafers can be made 2 days ahead and kept, layered between sheets of parchment or wax paper, in an airtight container at room temperature.

INGREDIENT:

2 ounces ungrated Parmesan cheese, or 3/4 cup store-bought shredded (not grated)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400ºF. Meanwhile, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Grate 2 ounces Parmesan cheese on the smaller (not smallest) holes of a box grater into fine shreds (about 3/4 cup).

2. Spoon the cheese onto the baking sheet in 12 piles (about 1 tablespoon each), spacing them evenly apart. Gently pat each pile into an even 2 1/2-inch round with your fingers.

3. Bake until evenly light golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Let cool for at least 3 minutes on the baking sheet, they will crisp up as they cool. Loosen with a thin knife or offset spatula. If they are not as crisp as you’d like, return to the oven, checking every minute, until slightly darker in color. If making more than one batch, blot the excess oil from the baking sheet with paper towels before reusing.

I'll keep trying to capture some of these here from time to time, and someday I'll finish the binder, too.

Afloat again, at long last

We left Raconteur on the hard for about 19 or so months. We’ve been immersed in the design (summer 2017 to spring 2018) and construction (July 2018 - now) of a house in Guilford, Connecticut designed by our son-in-law Rus and his firm, GRT Architects, and build by the incomparable Rich Gagliardi and an amazing team of builders, craftsmen and artisans. 
It was a loooong time to leave a sailboat on the hard; JP and Susan have overseen and dived into the restoration or replacement of nearly every major system on board: electrical, solar, main engine, dinghy engine, water maker, plumbing...and now I’m here in Grenada to enjoy the results for a few days. We’re in Mt. Hartmann after a few nights in Prickly. We’ve done a couple of moderate walks to dine at Spice Affair and Secret Harbor. Tonight, taxi (vs. very wet dinghy ride) to Nimrods in Lower Woburn for food and cruisers jam night. Our old friends Magus made their way into Mt Hartmann overnight but we haven’t hailed them yet. Off to the shopping bus tomorrow: Food Fair for fruits and veggies, IGA for everything else, then doubles and cappuccino! What’s not to love?
Weather is that wonderful mix of winter warm and Caribbean cool, with regular rain showers and the odd gully washer. 
It’s going to be a short-ish season, probably; JP and Susan will make their way to Europe to see Roger, take a river cruise and see Ken and Indrani in Zagreb in early May. I may get down to the islands for a second visit, or not. Planning on a real sailing season in 20-21, and maybe a discussion about when (if ever) to head north. A few photos of familiar spots, just for a little color.  

Spiced Lamb and Riced Cauliflower Stuffed Bell Peppers

Very tasty keto version of a Mediterranean / North African favorite. Good one-dish meal.

Ingredients
6 red and/or yellow bell peppers
1 lb ground lamb
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp moroccan spice
2 tsp Za'atar
3 tsp Harissa paste
EVOO
2 small onions minced
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 cups riced cauliflower toasted
2 T chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Toast pine nuts stovetop and set aside
Toast riced cauliflower under broiler on baking sheet, ca 10 min., set aside
Set oven to 350F
Mix lamb and all spices thoroughly in a bowl
Brown lamb in 1 T EVOO, separating the meat completely, set aside
Sautée onions in 1 T EVOO until tender.
Mix meat, cauliflower, onions, chopped parsley and pine nuts in a bowl, adding salt and pepper to taste

Cut bell peppers lengthwise, remove stems and seeds, place in large baking dish
Fill the peppers with the mixture, pressing lightly and slightly mounded
Set peppers in baking dish holding them snugly; cover tightly with aluminium foil
Bake for 40 minutes
Uncover and broil until top is slightly crusted, 10 min.

Serve warm or room temperature.

Post Election Italian Sausage Pasta

In times that try men's and women's souls, nothing like pasta.

Ingredients

1 lb mild Italian sausage
1 lb hot Italian sausage
2 small packs mixed portobello / shitake / hen of the woods mushrooms
1 bunch green asparagus
1 large can peeled tomatoes
8 oz chicken broth
2 oz red wine
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
2 chopped anchovies
4 basil leaves, chopped
EVOO
Butter
Salt, pepper

1 lb hard Italian pasta (orechiette, penne or similar)

Preparation

a) in a frying pan, cook the Italian sausage in EVOO until 3/4 done. Let cool and slice in 1/2 inch slices; set aside

b) in a frying pan, lightly sauté the mushrooms in 1/2 butter 1/2 EVOO with salt and pepper; set aside

c) cut the asparagus into 1" segments, discard the bottom half of each stem. In a frying pan over high heat, sauté the asparagus until browned; set aside

d) in a large sauteuse, cook the onion and garlic in EVOO until tender; add the can of tomatoes, the anchovies, the sausage slices, and the chicken broth. 
Bring to a hard simmer and reduce for 20 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and continue to lightly simmer.
When the consistency is just liquid, add the asparagus tips and remove from heat

e) meanwhile, cook the pasta in salt water and drain

f) ladle part of the sauce on the cooked pasta, garnish with the chopped basil and serve, together with reserved sauce in a side dish.

Not creole for a change: Sage and Rosemary Pork Stew

10 May 14

When one starts yearning for familiar tastes, one can go to the omnipresent KFC / ... / ... or hit the cheeseburger in paradise. But island markets yield all the necessary ingredients for comfort food. Here is one example.

Sage and Rosemary Pork Stew

Adapted from recipe by PorkBeInspired.com with thanks

Times:

15 minutes prep, 50 minutes cook

Ingredients:

2 pound boneless pork shoulder roast , cut into 3/4-inch cubes – if you have the bone, include it in the simmering phases, then remove before adding the roux
2 T oil
3-4 c veggie broth or water
1/2 c green onions, sliced (or any onion)
2 tsp fresh rosemary
1 T fresh sage (or more)
1 tsp salt, to taste
1/2 tsp pepper or more

2+ c potatoes, cubed (if you can get new potatoes leave them unpeeled)
1/2 pound fresh string beans, cut
Roux:

6 T flour, 4 T butter, I c milk

Cooking Directions:

Heat oil in Dutch oven. Salt and pepper pork cubes and brown over medium-high heat. Stir in onions and sauté in for a few minutes.  Add broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Stir in potatoes and beans (add beans a bit later if you like them al dente); simmer 15-20 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, prepare roux. Gradually stir roux into stew once vegetables are tender. Cook and stir until thickened. Serve with rice, or in a bowl all by itself.

Serves 6

"Baingan Gumbo"

We had eggplants; we had okra.  So we decided to convert an eggplant curry recipe to a combo.  The two were good together.  Make sure you simmer until veggies are very tender.

Ingredients

3 small eggplants, unpeeled, cubed
ca 20 okra pods, cut crosswise 1 1/2 inch segments
2 onions, roughly chopped
3 tomatoes chopped or 300g fresh tomato coulis
1 1/2 inch ginger, minced
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 Tbsp geera or ground cumin
1/2 Tbsp amchar masala or garam masala or anything else you like

Steps

Saute the onions, ginger and pepper flakes until fragrant; add the garlic and spices.
Fry for 3 minutes
Add the eggplant and okra and cook 5 minutes - add a bit of water if needed as you go.
Add the tomatoes and simmer until all vegetables are tender and sauce thickens some. Add salt to taste.

Jamaican Goat Curry

Back in the Caribbean, it is time again for this great and healthy meat, so hard to get in the US, yes GOAT. Here in the form of a Jamaican goat curry, modified with thanks from the recipe by Hank Shaw to reduce cooking time and propane burn.







Ingredients

• 2 lb cubed goat  (goat stew)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 Tbsp allspice (see step 1)
• Salt
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 chopped habanero pepper, or 2 Tbsp Matouk hot sauce
• 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 small can of diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme
• 2-3 cups water
• 5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

Preparation

• Bring the meat to room temperature and pat it dry; salt it
• Mix the Allspice and Curry powder (spice)
• Heat the oil in a pressure cooker over medium high; add 2 Tbsp of spice and heat for 1 minute
• Brown the meat cubes and any bones on all sides, in small batches
• Remove the meat to a bowl and sauté the onions until light brown. Add the ginger, garlic and pepper or hot sauce and heat for 1 minute
• Return the meat, bone and juices to the cooker; pour in the water, coconut milk, tomatoes, thyme and the rest of the spice; stir well
• Pressure cook for 45 minutes 
•  De pressurize cooker, add potatoes and fast simmer for 20 minutes.

• Let cool, skim grease and remove bones

The curry can now be eaten, or better, let to rest and reheated the next day. Served with rice or quinoa pilaw or beans and rice.

Marital Compromise Chili
Coming from Europe, JP is a firm defender of the Texas type chili, with large pieces of meat cut in 1/2 inch cubes. Leigh grew up in Ohio and was used to strictly ground meat. What to do!? This is the recipe we have been using for the last few years without major incidents.

Ingredients
3-4 lb chuck roast or other roasting beef
3-4 medium onions
2 lg cans whole tomatoes peeled
2 sml cans  pinto beans
2 sml cans chili beans
vegetable oil
115 g or 4 ounces chili powder
1 habanero or scotch bonnet pepper, seeded, cut in half
cayenne pepper to taste
salt to taste
masa flour (opt)
trimmings (lettuce, cheddar, onion, fritos(!), hot dogs.....)

Preparation
Roughly chop the onions and fry over medium high in large heavy pot like LeCreuset until fully transparent and slightly golden, using 2 tablespoons of oil. Remove and reserve. 
Cut the meat in large cubes, removing any excess fat or nerve
In small batches put the meat in a food processor and give 3 to 4 VERY short pulses so that the meat is shredded but not ground.
Brown the meat in same heavy pot, in 3 or 4 batches, using 2 tablespoons of oil for each batch. Throw away any excess liquid between the batches. 
Reduce heat to medium low
Return all the browned meat and the onions to the pot. 
Mix in chili powder.
Add 2 tomato cans and about a quart of water, habanero, 4 dashes of cayenne pepper.
Crush the tomatoes as needed with a spoon, mix well
Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer 3 hours or longer. Stir every 15 min or so. If grease appears on the top of the pot, spoon off or add a teaspoon of masa flour, or both.
Add beans and simmer another hour
Prepare trimmings, eat
If time is available, let cool completely and reheat very slowly the next day! Freezes well.

Pumpkin Ginger Curry Soup

This is the current version of a soup made many times on Raconteur from island pumpkin, and most recently made land-side from a Halloween pumpkin (uncarved!).  It was served as the starter for a roast lamb dinner in Chester, MD (on Kent Island in the Chesapeake) on the day we turned the clocks back this Fall.

2 Tbsps olive oil
1-2 onions, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2-4 Tbsps fresh ginger, grated or minced
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 Tbsps curry powder of your choice (we used medium-hot Muchi)
2 - 2 1/2 lbs. pumpkin or winter squash, cubed
5-6 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup coconut milk (heavy cream can be substituted, but we really recommend the coconut milk!)

Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat.
Add onions, carrots, ginger and garlic and fry, stirring occasionally, until the onion is transparent but not brown.
Add curry and stir for a minute or so.
Add pumpkin and continue to fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring to coat with the onion mixture.
Add stock or water and boil gently until vegetables are soft.
Remove from heat and let cool until not dangerously hot.  Puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor or blender.
Add coconut milk and a pinch of salt and bring to a simmer.
Serve garnished with a small dollop of sour cream or heavy cream and chopped fresh cilantro.
In the islands, we served it with a drop of hot pepper sauce on the dollop of cream.

Quinoa Pilaf
Always in search of less starchy side dish alternatives, we developed this pilaf as a variation of a Giada De Laurentis recipe.  The flavors and textures are rich, varied and complementary, and the ingredients (either the vegetables sauteed at the beginning or the fresh vegetables / herbs added at the end) can be adjusted to what you have on hand, or flavors you especially like.

Ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 large shallots
1 small sweet red pepper
1/4 red hot pepper
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup red quinoa
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup homemade chicken broth
handful of chopped garden fresh herbs e.g. rosemary, basil, parsley and thyme

Preparation
Optional: Toast the pine nuts on low heat in a frying pan.
Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the shallots, the peppers, pine nuts and garlic. Cook until onions are transparent, ca. 7 minutes. Rinse the quinoa. Add quinoa and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Add the broth, bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer until the broth has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, ca 15 min. Add the chopped herbs, mix and let sit for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mid-century modern cocktails in Trinidad

So one night while we were at Crews Inn in Trinidad, we had what we call a "heavy hors d'oeuvres" cocktail party for folks on two other boats, Rocking Horse and Receta (in Grenada a few weeks later, we added a fourth R, Richard Cory, to this mix, if you can believe it).  Anyway, I was in a mid-century mood, and so made cocktail meatballs adapted from a Southern Living magazine recipe, and I made my mother's famous-in-our-family Party Cheese Ball.  The latter is one of those recipes that came directly from one of the large American food conglomerates (Kraft) and started appearing in the late 50's to help sell various products.  In the case of the cheese ball, they actually managed to hit TWO Kraft products - Philadelphia Cream Cheese, and Cracker Barrel Cheddar.  My mom started making them in the late 60's, so I'm guessing that's about when the recipe first appeared.  The Party Cheese Ball photo below is actually stolen from a blog about retro food - you can find it here: http://www.midcenturymenu.com/ - because I forgot to take my own that night.  Normally, the cheese ball is rolled in chopped pecans or walnuts (the Hough family favors the latter), but as I had none on hand, my cheese ball for the cocktail party actually looked like the one in the photo. I must say, as almost always happens when this particular cheese ball appears, the guests were doing some very serious scarfing.  I did spice up the meatballs a bit in honor of our Trinidad locale, and they were pretty popular too.  Just in case anyone was feeling the need for something slightly more healthy (those mid-century types were definitely not worrying too much about calories, fats, or processing), I also offered a veggie tray with salt or Adobo season "sin pimiento".  I included my now-favorite item for a veggie tray, raw Christophene (a.k.a. chayote, if you are looking for it in your local market.

So now for the recipes.

Recipe: Cranberry Meatballs, Trinidad Style

First prepared: Onboard Raconteur at Crews Inn Marina, January 2013

 

2 pounds ground chuck  

2 large eggs  

1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs  (Note: I use Panko, because I prefer it for everything that calls for breadcrumbs - expensive item in the Caribbean)

1 teaspoon salt  

1/2 teaspoon pepper  

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder  

1/2 teaspoon onion powder  

1/2 teaspoon thyme  

1 (16-ounce) can cranberry sauce  

1 (12-ounce) jar chili sauce  

1/4 cup orange marmalade  

1/4 cup water   

2 tablespoons soy sauce  

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar  

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Note: I added a liberal dose of Matouk's West Indian Hot Sauce, readily available in US grocery stories (or at least the ones I frequent)
 

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Shape mixture into about 54 (1-inch) balls. 

 

Cook meatballs, in batches, in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned (about 5 minutes); remove meatballs from pan, and drain well on paper towels. 

 

Stir together cranberry and chili sauces and next 5 ingredients (including the Matouk's) in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, and cook, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes or until smooth. Add meatballs; reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes or until centers are no longer pink. 

 

To make ahead, place cooked meatballs in a zip-top plastic freezer bag, and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated.

 

This made enough for seven at the cocktail party, and for one leftover meal for the three of us.

Recipe: Party Cheese Ball

First prepared: Chillicothe, Ohio c. 1969

 

2 8 ounce packages, Philadelphia Cream Cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (the sharpest Cracker Barrel you can find)

1 tablespoon chopped pimiento (in a jar)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh green pepper (use green, not other colors)

1 tablespoon chopped onion

Note: My mom always uses the whole small jar of pimiento, and at least half a green pepper and a like amount of onion, and so do I.

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (maybe this is a Kraft product too?)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

cayenne pepper and salt to taste

chopped pecans or walnuts for covering the ball

Soften both cheeses, or use a food processor (this produces a more homogeneous but equally tasty result), and combine.  Add the pimiento, green pepper, onion, Worcestershire, lemon, and cayenne pepper and salt to taste.  Roll the ball in the chopped nuts if desired (it's good with or without, in my opinion, but the nuts makefor a slightly prettier presentation and a tiny bit more sophistication in the final product).

Wrap the ball in wax paper and then in foil and refrigerate; be sure to take it out well before you plan to serve it - an hour or even a little more.

 

Mango Muffins

So, it's not yet mango season in the Caribbean, but we found the fruit guy who sets up under a grove of mango trees on the road from Chaguaramas to Port of Spain, and he was selling two varieties - most likely from Indonesia!  They were getting very ripe, and we were still up to our ears in work after getting Raconteur back in the water, so I called on my elusive baking skills, and found a recipe for mango muffins.

 

I was just assembling the ingredients, and realized - oops - no milk.  It is impossible to buy fresh milk in the Caribbean, though the UHT stuff is widely available, and I sometimes keep powdered milk, but I had none of the above on board.  I did, however, have a can of coconut milk; I hailed our friends Ann and Steve, Steve did a quick Google, and he discovered (on Food Network, which is a reasonably reliable source, we find) the following quote: "Substitute coconut milk for the liquid and half of the fat in your favorite blueberry muffin recipe", so that is indeed what I did.  The recipe makes 18 muffins (I used the semi-disposable aluminium muffin tins), and of course sent a few to our friends for their contribution. I renamed the recipe to acknowledge the substitution; you can go back to using milk and the 1/4 cup of oil if you like, but this worked splendidly, if I do say so myself.

Recipe: Caribbean-Style Mango Muffins

First prepared: Onboard Raconteur at Crews Inn Marina, January 2013

 

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar or 3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup of a combination of coconut milk and vegetable oil
1 cup coconut milk
1 egg
1 -1 1/2 cup mango, pulp of (2 very ripe mangoes) Note: we had one large mango and it yielded a little more than a cup and a half, thanks to our onboard Mango Wranger, Susan.  I used it all)

Cut and peel two very ripe (soft to the touch) mangoes and reduce to soft pulp and juice. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine oil, milk, and egg.  

 

Mix liquid ingredients with dry until just moist and stir in the mango pulp.
 

Fill greased muffin tins, or paper muffin cups two-thirds full.
 

Bake at 400°F for 15-18 minutes Note: In my boat oven, these took a full 20 minutes, and they were still quite tender.
 
They are done when they are brown on top and a tooth-pick inserted into the center comes out clean.