Supper, Creative Comfort Food

I heart grains. It started with rice. I’m pretty sure my grandmother is to blame. She was married to a farmer and would tell us to remember to eat lots of rice to support the family. I asked her what kind of rice and she said, “Any kind. Just eat rice.” And we did. There was rice at nearly every meal—no matter the meal. There was also gravy. Rice and gravy. Just typing the words makes me happy.

I have grown to love all grains and have found that the preparing them in the “pilaf style” brings out the natural nutty yumminess. It can transform white rice to something that can be served as a side dish on its own—sans gravy. Not that I have anything against gravy.

The pilaf method simply means sautéing the raw rice or grain in a little fat (butter or olive oil) with some finely diced onion. This is also known as “frizzling”—a combination of frying and sizzling. (Note: frizzle may not be a culinary term, but it is a fantastic word. Sadly, I cannot take credit for it.) During frizzling, each grain kernel is coated with the fat along with the natural sugars released by the aromatics. It’s a subtle little action that leads to big flavor in the end.

This sauteing of the grain is also the first step in making risotto. But with risotto, the hot liquid is added gradually and the arborio rice is stirred continually.For a pilaf, the liquid is added all at once, brought to a boil, reduced to a simmer–then pop on the lid and cook for the required amount of time for the specific grain.

I use the method with all grains—quinoa, bulgur, couscous, brown rice. Coating the raw grain in fat and aromatics prior to cooking brings out the best in any grain. For this post, I used a brown Jasmine and wild rice mix I found at my local produce stand. I served it standing at the stove straight from the pot as a side with sauteed drum and braised napa cabbage. Aromatic nuttiness doesn’t begin to describe this rice. The kernels of the wild red rice were the yummiest part. I’d swear they were pecans. Amazing.

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As the week rolls to an end and my brain sputters to a halt, I rely on leftover ingredients in the refrigerator and pantry to magically combine into new and ingenious dishes. I call these meals Bits and Pieces. You know…you’re standing in the refrigerator door moving things around and suddenly…wham! You experience a stroke of genius (or luck), and you’ve got a handful of ingredients destined to be a great dinner. These meals always seem so delicious. I’m not sure if it’s relief from knowing dinner is done or if it’s because you’re using ingredients that were perhaps headed for “other destinations.” (There is a chicken salad reference that could be used here, but I don’t use such language in my blog.)

The bits and pieces I found recently led to this amazing salad—and that’s saying a lot because I’m a tomato snob. For about eight weeks in the summer, Louisiana produces a little orb of goodness called a Creole Tomato. But it’s March, and alas, there are no Creole Tomatoes. I picked up Campari tomatoes at the grocery store to use on pizza and had a few leftover. My fridge search also yielded some goat cheese. Then I pinched some basil from a plant on the patio and balsamic and olive oil from the pantry. Dinner is done.

Campari Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic

Campari tomatoes, quartered—note: tomatoes are best room temp not refrigerated
Goat Cheese, crumbled
Basil leaves
Balsmic vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse salt

Pile the tomatoes on the center of a large platter. Crumble the goat cheese on top. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Give it a sprinkle of salt. Try not to eat it standing at the counter.

Mexican night rolls around in our house about once a week. I swore I would not be a mom who kept a rigid weekly menu. I didn’t want my kids to moan, “Oh great. It’s meatloaf night.” (Nothing against meatloaf…I happen to love it.) But as after-school activities began to consume our time, I then understood the beauty of a fixed menu. When the dinner decision is pre-set, my brain gets a break. And relying on weekly supper standbys keeps us out of the drive-thru line.

Our Tex-Mex menu is more inspired some weeks than others. But it always includes this Southwest Seasoning. It’s great with ground beef tacos, but I also use it to make fish tacos or grilled shrimp quesadillas. This seasoning mix is meant to take the place of those little envelopes of taco seasoning. I’m not sure if it’s an economical savings, but it’s certainly tastier. By making it yourself, you can control the sodium and play with the seasonings. In our house, it’s not too spicy but heavy on the cumin. It definitely tastes fresher and allows you to use higher quality spices. You could even put it in an envelope and give it a fancy name! Or not. Go ahead and make it taco night tonight…you probably have the ingredients in your pantry to make a batch now.

Southwest Seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon granulated onion
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container (or envelope). For ground beef tacos, brown meat and add seasoning mixture and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat. Simmer on low for about 10 mins. For other Tex-Mex dishes, sprinkle the seasoning on your protein of choice (shrimp, fish, pork tenderloin) and sauté or grill. Then use the meat in tacos, quesadillas, burritos, etc.

The above recipe makes about the same quantity found in one of the little seasoning packets. I usually quadruple the batch so that I have some on hand. If you do this, use 2-3 tablespoons per pound of meat.

During the three-years I spent procrastinating about food blogging, my main excuse was the first post. What would it be about? Doesn’t it have to be groundbreaking? A friend said, “All you do is talk about food. Just write something.”

In culinary school, there was one topic that came up often. When you’re tasked with peeling six bushels of carrots, you need some good conversation to pass the time. Gathered around a prep table, peeling away as our fingers turned orange, someone would raise the question, “What would be your last meal?” It sounds morbid, but it’s actually a common question among culinarians. Journalists ask it often when interviewing celeb chefs. It’s fodder for chef challenges on reality TV. It’s definitely a thought-provoking question—especially when you’re closing in on bushel five of carrot peeling.

The answer to the question is often very simple. Simple food, that is. A burger made with ground chuck, cooked medium rare with mom’s potato salad. A rib eye, bloody with creamed spinach. Fried chicken thighs and waffles. Of course, there were a few who claimed they wanted a dish that was finished with a foam or prepared via baume or some other molecular technique. I suppose they felt, as a culinary student, they should lean toward such fare in order for their answer to be gastronomically correct. However, when pressed, one such student admitted that he really wanted three eggs, over easy, with cheese grits.

The point is that it doesn’t matter if you’re a chef or home cook, when it comes to eating, we choose from our heart

My last meal? Roasted Chicken and Au Gratin Potatoes. I’d also have a Cucumber and Creole Tomato Salad. For dessert, Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting.

For this post, I’ve included my technique for the chicken—it’s based on the Zuni Café roast chicken. It’s a very basic method that is very accepting of flavor additions like herbs and spices. It can be changed up for the season to keep it interesting—like sage in fall and citrus in summer. However, the majority of the time, I prepare it just as it’s written here. And it’s divine.

Now it’s your…what would be your last meal?

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Pilaf Method aka “The Frizzle”

Campari Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic

Campari Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic

Southwest Seasoning (no envelope required)

Southwest Seasoning

But First, a Word About My Last