Roasted Curried Cauliflower Soup

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Roasted curried cauliflower soup with coconut milk by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

I love roasted curried cauliflower and make it often. But last week, I took it one step further by adding some homemade vegetable stock (so easy to make your own - tips here) and some coconut milk, et voilà, this beautiful soup was born.

It's creamy and rich with the lovely nutty flavor of roasted cauliflower, the sweetness of caramelized onions and the warm, spicy flavors of places where the birds never need to fly south.

Cauliflower by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I like to use either grapeseed or peanut oils for roasting veggies because their relatively high smokepoints allow them to withstand the high temperatures of roasting without burning. And that is, as Martha Stewart would say, a good thing.

Curry powder, salt, pepper and grapeseed oil by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Toss the cauliflower with onions (or leeks), salt, pepper and plenty of curry powder and/or garam masala and don't skimp on the oil. I do this tossing right in the roasting pan to save myself from having to wash a mixing bowl. Then roast it until you've got a nice jumbled mess of soft, nutty florets with some nice browning on them.

Roasted curried cauliflower, onion and garlic by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Your vegetable stock provides the base for the soup while the coconut milk adds a wonderful richness and sweet depth of flavor.

Thai Kitchen coconut milk by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Put it all in a pot and let it simmer for a bit before you blend it - I cooked mine on the woodstove for a while. Then I used my immersion blender to get it smooth and creamy. If you do not already have an immersion blender, get one right now!

Cooking the soup on the woodstove by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

I like to top it with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped cilantro. It's good on its own or served over some short grain brown rice.

Roasted curried cauliflower soup with coconut milk by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

-- print recipe --
Roasted Curried Cauliflower Soup
Serves 6

Ingredients

* 1 large (or 2 small) cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
* 1 large red onion, sliced
* 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
* Couple generous glugs of oil (grapeseed or peanut)
* Sea salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 Tbsp Ground cumin
* 3 tsps curry powder and/or garam Masala
* Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
* 1 can coconut milk or coconut cream
* 1 quart vegetable stock
* 1 Tbsp maple syrup
* Cilantro, as a garnish
* Sour cream, as a garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Toss the cauliflower with the spices, a teaspoon of sea salt, a few grinds of black pepper, onion, garlic and oil until well-coated. Turn out onto a thick baking sheet in a single layer and roast, turning several times, for 30-35 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork.

2. Scrape the roasted cauliflower into a pot, add the stock, coconut milk and maple syrup and simmer on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool down slightly then blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed. Top with chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

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Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken Meatballs and Orzo (Avgolemono)

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Greek lemon and egg (avgolemono) soup with turkey meatballs and orzo by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Wintertime with two young'uns is an endless round of illness. We had already weathered several colds and coughs before our older son, Will came down with scarlet fever for the first time last month. Like the croup, it's one of those old-fashioned-sounding sicknesses that I was surprised (and dismayed) to learn still exist.

Everything I knew about scarlet fever came from some of my favorite books from childhood--it's the reason the The Velveteen Rabbit is so callously tossed on the burn pile after years of devoted service (but he also becomes Real so all's well that ends well.)

Boy sleeping with his velveteen rabbit. Illustration by Michael Hague.

It's also what Laura Ingalls Wilder attributes her sister Mary's blindness to in By the Shores of Silver Lake in the The Little House on the Prairie Series even though it's not what actually caused Mary to go blind - she had some sort of stroke, according to Pioneer Girl, Laura's completely fascinating, heavily annotated autobiography that was published for the first time in 2015.

Scarlet fever is also the disease that Beth March catches from a poor family she helps to nurse in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women - a story line Alcott apparently modeled closely on the life of her sister, Lizzie, who died from complications of the illness at the age of 23.


But our pediatrician was not alarmed, nor did she advise burning our son's loveys, thank God! That would have been BAD...

It turns out that the uber dramatic-sounding scarlet fever is really just strep throat with a rash. Our doc explained that of the roughly 20 or so strains of strep, there are four or five that release a toxin that causes a rash - they're known as group A strep (as opposed to the group B strep that women get tested for in the last few weeks of pregnancy. But the doc swabs an entirely different spot for that test - remember, mamas?)

Although it's usually a pretty mild illness nowadays, if you don't treat it, scarlet fever can come back to bite you later in life in the form of rheumatic fever, kidney disease, pneumonia and a few other gnarly problems one would rather avoid. So our pediatrician prescribed a 10-day course of disgustingly sweet, bubblegum-flavored amoxicillin to ensure that Will won't suffer any ill effects from the fever. And we had to battle him three times a day to choke it down.

So you can imagine our surprise to spot the telltale, sandpapery, red rash all over his trunk again a few nights ago. Another trip to the pediatrician ensued, and after a quick throat swab, she diagnosed him with "scarlatina" - the mild version of scarlet fever.


Will started on another 10-day course of antibiotics (I requested pills this time - a huge improvement over the nasty liquid) and missed the last two days of school before the week-long winter "break." So much for productivity...

But it was not my intention to blather on about antique diseases forever, I meant to share the recipe for this wonderful avgolemono (that's Greek for egg and lemon) soup with you. 

Our friend Phoebe introduced us to it this fall and it is comfort incarnate. I made a pot of this the other night after Will's second diagnosis when we were all feeling sick and tired and it was just the thing. Perked us right up.

Juicing the lemon by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2014

The broth is particularly addictive - you start with a good chicken stock that is flavored with lemon and thickened with egg. The meatballs are spiked with herbs -- mint, parsley and dill as well as finely minced onion. It makes them super fresh and flavorful. And you add lots of orzo cause this is comfort food. The acidity of the lemon brightens the hearty broth and makes the whole mess of flavors shine. Mwah! So good!

3 eggs for the popover batter by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

A good stock makes a big difference so if you can make your own, do. Any time you roast a chicken (or buy a roasted chicken) just put that carcass in a pot of water and let it simmer for a couple hours. I also add some of my vegetable scraps - things like onion and carrot peels, parsley and dill stems - to give it more flavor. Then I strain the solids out and let the stock reduce a bit so that what's left is nice and flavorful. Once it's cooled down, I freeze it in mason jars, yogurt containers or ziploc bags so that I always have stock on hand when I need it.

Chopping parsley to top the Greek lemon soup (avgolemono) with chicken meatballs and orzo by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2016

Important note: do NOT just dump the bowl of eggs into the pot of soup. In order to avoid scrambling the eggs, you first pour one cup of the hot stock into the egg to temper it and then you can add it to the pot and let it simmer a little longer.

This is Greek comfort food at its finest. I hope you like it. Stay warm and stay well.

Greek lemon soup (avgolemono) with chicken meatballs and orzo by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2016

-- print recipe --
Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken Meatballs & Orzo adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Serves 4

Ingredients

* 8 cups chicken stock
* 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
* 1 small onion, grated or finely minced
* 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
* 3 Tbsps chopped, fresh dill
* 3 Tbsps chopped, fresh mint
* 1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup orzo
* 3 carrots, peeled and chopped (optional but they're good!)
* 3 Tbsps fresh lemon juice
* Sea salt
* Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium-large pot. Meanwhile, make the meatballs: put the ground meat, onion, breadcrumbs, chopped herbs, 1 of the eggs, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a bowl and knead (I use my hands) until well-mixed. Shape into one-inch meatballs.

2. Add the meatballs, orzo and carrots to the stock and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the carrots and orzo are tender.

3. Whisk the lemon juice and eggs together in a bowl. Whisking constantly, gradually add one cup of the hot stock to the bowl then gradually add the egg and stock mixture back to the pot, whisking all the while. Simmer gently on low heat until slightly thickened  for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

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Ruth Reichl's New Book - My Kitchen Year

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Cover of My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life is a wonderful cookbook-cum-memoir by Ruth Reichl (it's pronounced RYE-shul, in case you've ever wondered - I looked it up :) Fans of Gourmet magazine will recall with sadness when parent company, Condé Nast abruptly pulled the plug on the magazine back in 2009. But our shock and dismay are but a pale shadow of  what Reichl, who had happily reigned as Editor in Chief for a decade, felt when she was unceremoniously told to clean out her desk.

What followed was a difficult year in which she wrestled with feelings of shock, grief, failure, guilt and confusion. “I did what I always do when I’m confused, lonely, or frightened,” she says, “I disappeared into the kitchen.”

The result, My Kitchen Year is the silver lining of her soul searching - a treasure trove of bright, comforting, homey, and elegant foods that kept the darkness at bay when it threatened to engulf her.

Title page of My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

I devoured the book in two days, finding myself marking almost every recipe for future reference. At a certain point, I stopped inserting post-it-notes and committed to the wiser course of simply keeping the book open on my cookbook stand and flipping through it regularly...

From shirred eggs to grilled cheese with shallots to congee to spicy Tuscan kale to potatoes au gratin to food cart curry chicken to linzer torte to chocolate cake, each recipe whet my appetite for more.

Linzer tort from My Kitchen Year, photo by Mikkel Vang

I've been a fan of Reichl's writing ever since I first read her memoir, Tender at the Bone back when we lived a few blocks' walk from both Chez Panisse and the Edible Schoolyard in North Berkeley, shortly before our older son was born. It's all a bit hazy, to be honest (my mother-in-law calls the first decade or so of parenthood, "The Lost Years," which strikes me as wonderfully apt) but I do remember feeling that I'd found a kindred spirit in Reichl's honesty, compassion and deep love of food.

Potatoes au gratin from My Kitchen Year, photo by Mikkel Vang.

My Kitchen Year is a pleasure on every level - the short, descriptive vignettes (taken from her Twitter feed), the casual, evocative photographs by Mikkel Vang, the poetic and insightful prose and, of course, the recipes. The book also gets extra points for being written and photographed here in my beloved and beautiful Hudson Valley :)

Early in the book, Reichl includes a "Note on the Recipes" that lists the foods that she considers staples - things like capers, mayonnaise, soy sauce and many more. She then breaks the ingredients for each recipe out into "staples" versus the things you'll likely need to make a trip to the store for which she puts under "shopping list". Although I found this distinction a little distracting at first, it grew on me as I went along.

Staples page in My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Here's one of the (many) recipes I earmarked. It's one of the most humble recipes in the book but Reichl's preparation manages to elevate a simple grilled cheese sandwich into something both decadent and sophisticated that doubles as a hearty homage to the allium family.

"Grating cheddar. Shredding scallions. Slicing shallots. Tangled onto buttered bread, melted into a crisp-edged puddle. Lunch!" - @ruthreichl


This book does have one flaw though it's not in the contents - the binding is too stiff to allow the pages to stay open without being held firmly with two hands or a good cookbook stand (I am a huge fan of my cookbook stand and think everyone who cooks should have one.) But that's it!

-- print recipe --
The Diva Of Grilled Cheese from My Kitchen Year
Makes 1 sandwich

Ingredients

Shopping List
* Leeks
* Scallions
* 1/4 lb cheddar cheese
* 2 slices sturdy sourdough bread

Staples
* Shallots
* 1 onion (any color)
* 1 clove garlic (minced)
* Butter
* Mayonnaise

Directions

1. Gather a group of shallots, leeks, scallions and an onion - as many members of the allium family as you have on hand - and chop them into a small heap. Add a minced clove of garlic. Grate a few generous handfuls of the best cheddar you can afford. (Montgomery is particularly appealing), set a little aside, and gently combine the rest with the onion mixture.

2. Butter one side of thickly sliced bread and heap as much of the mixture as possible between the slices. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the outside of the bread (this will keep it from scorching on the griddle). Press the reserved grated cheese to the outside of the bread, where it will create a wonderfully crisp and shaggy crust, giving your sandwich an entirely new dimension.

3. Fry on a heated griddle or in a skillet about 4 minutes a side, until the cheese is softly melted.

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Slow-Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Pork carnitas tacos by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

There's something beautifully simple about braising a big hunk of meat in the slow cooker all day. Especially when said hunk of meat falls off the bone into tender shreds of flavorful, juicy carnivorous bliss that can then serve as the basis for several delicious meals.

You can use this meat in many ways but I kicked off my porcine journey with pork carnitas tacos for a small crowd of family and friends. I started by assembling the ingredients for the braising liquid - a combination of fresh orange juice, tomatoes, garlic, chipotles and spices.

Ingredients for pork carnitas by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

I happened to have some exceptional tangelos courtesy of our friend, Phoebe, who sent us a crate from Florida. Their juice is remarkably flavorful - sweet and tangy at the same time in that hard to describe way of truly top-notch citrus.

Tangelo juice for the braising liquid by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

The chipotles come packed in adobo sauce in a can that I would buy for the label, alone. ¡Vive las morenas! But the peppers do add a wonderful smoky, spicy flavor to the meat.

Chopping the chipotles in adobo sauce by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

I poured our last jar (sniff) of home-canned tomatoes into the slow cooker and added the garlic, the chipotles, the tangelo juice and half the salt. Then I turned to the pork shoulder, clipping its strings, and trimming away the excess fat before rubbing it all over with a mixture of ground cumin, cinnamon, oregano, sea salt and black pepper.

Rubbing the pork shoulder roast with cumin, salt, pepper, oregano and cinnamon before searing by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Although you can certainly skip this step and save yourself the trouble of washing another pot (as the recipe I was working off directed), I seared the roast in a Dutch oven for a few minutes on each side before I put it in the braising liquid in the slow cooker as it does give the flavor a nice little boost.

Searing the pork shoulder roast before slow cooking by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Once it was browned, I levered it out of the Dutch oven and put it in the  the slow cooker with the braising liquid where it bubbled away for about eight hours (more is fine), filling the house with mouth-watering smells. I turned it several times to ensure that it was submerged equally.

Putting the pork picnic roast in the slow cooker with the liquid by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Meanwhile, I put together a quick brine of apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar and hot water. Then I got out my trusty mandoline and made short work of a red onion that I set aside to pickle for a few hours. I find that pickled onions make a great counterpoint to most things, especially meats.

Making pickled red onions by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Eight hours of cooking time leaves you ample time to prepare your fixings although certain things, like avocado, needs must wait until just before serving, of course.

Cilantro in the salad spinner by Eve Fox, the of Eating, copyright 2015

I happened to have a pineapple to hand because James, my three-year-old, had been hounding me to buy one for weeks and I had finally succumbed, whereupon he promptly lost interest in the manner of children the world over... But I cut it up into a fine dice and then turned the rest into virgin piña coladas which I served with the tacos. And both boys drained their glasses which I counted as a victory of sorts.

Pineapple halves by Pineapple and Coconut via Flickr, some rights reserved. https://www.flickr.com/photos/pineappleandcoconut/

Things were ratcheting up into the usual pre-dinner insanity that takes place here nightly when I took the pork shoulder out and we could not manage a photo of me going at the thing with two forks. But it yielded an impressive pile of tender, shredded meat.

Pork carnitas by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

I warmed up a bunch of corn tortillas by placing stacks of five tortillas, wrapped in tinfoil, in a 350° oven for 10-15 minutes and then leaving them in their foil until it was time to eat them - it worked beautifully. I served the pork carnitas alongside a cavalcade of bowls filled with fresh pineapple, chopped tomatoes, pickled onions, thinly sliced radishes, shredded purple cabbage, this wonderful salty lime mayo sauce, chunks of perfectly ripe avocado, a jar of our homemade salsa, and some lime wedges.

Each warm, little package of tender, flavorful meat was topped with zingy onions, buttery avocado, juicy chunks of sweet pineapple and the cool, fresh cilantro. I ate at least three...

Pork carnitas tacos by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

As for the rest of the meat, barbecued pulled pork sandwiches are definitely in our future as well as maybe some kind of creamy polenta dish with pork. Hallelujah for multiple meals from one one mess in the kitchen.

The recipe below is adapted from Sarah Kate Gillingham's recipe on the Kitchn.

-- print recipe --
Slow-Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos
Serves 8-10

Ingredients

* 1 (4-6 lb) pork shoulder (a.k.a. Boston butt or pork butt) roast - bone-in yields the best flavor
* 3-4 cups of liquid (orange juice, beer, stock or some combination of those things )
* 1 quart of diced tomatoes or tomato purée
* 4 diced chipotle peppers in adobo (I used 2 because my kids don't like spicy food)
* 8 garlic cloves, smashed or pressed
* 2 Tbsps coarse sea salt
* 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
* 1 Tbsp ground cumin
* 1 Tbsp dried oregano
* 2 tsps ground cinnamon
* 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional/to taste - I left this out for the kiddos' sake)

Directions

1. Place half the salt and all of the other spices in a bowl and give a little stir to combine. Cut the strings and remove them from the roast. Using a sharp knife, trim any excess fat from the pork roast, then rub the spice mixture all over the pork roast. Heat a little bit of butter or bacon fat (I keep mine in a jar in the fridge) in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the roast for several minutes on each side, until browned.

2. Place the tomatoes and liquid (juice, beer and/or stock), garlic, peppers and the rest of the salt in the slow cooker then add the browned roast and cook on low for roughly 8 hours, turning every few hours to ensure even cooking. You'll know the meat is done when it is falling off the bone.

3. Remove the meat from the cooker and let it sit on a cutting board or large plate until it's cool enough to handle safely. Using two forks, shred the meat and remove the bone. Save some of the cooking liquid to use for reheating and/or as a sauce. I actually saved all of mine and have frozen it to use next time I make this.

4. Serve the meat with warm corn tortillas, avocado, cilantro, radishes, pineapple, sour cream or lime mayo, tomatoes, pickled red onions, thinly sliced cabbage and the like.

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Saturday, February 20, 2016

Roasted Curried Cauliflower Soup

Roasted curried cauliflower soup with coconut milk by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

I love roasted curried cauliflower and make it often. But last week, I took it one step further by adding some homemade vegetable stock (so easy to make your own - tips here) and some coconut milk, et voilà, this beautiful soup was born.

It's creamy and rich with the lovely nutty flavor of roasted cauliflower, the sweetness of caramelized onions and the warm, spicy flavors of places where the birds never need to fly south.

Cauliflower by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I like to use either grapeseed or peanut oils for roasting veggies because their relatively high smokepoints allow them to withstand the high temperatures of roasting without burning. And that is, as Martha Stewart would say, a good thing.

Curry powder, salt, pepper and grapeseed oil by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Toss the cauliflower with onions (or leeks), salt, pepper and plenty of curry powder and/or garam masala and don't skimp on the oil. I do this tossing right in the roasting pan to save myself from having to wash a mixing bowl. Then roast it until you've got a nice jumbled mess of soft, nutty florets with some nice browning on them.

Roasted curried cauliflower, onion and garlic by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Your vegetable stock provides the base for the soup while the coconut milk adds a wonderful richness and sweet depth of flavor.

Thai Kitchen coconut milk by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Put it all in a pot and let it simmer for a bit before you blend it - I cooked mine on the woodstove for a while. Then I used my immersion blender to get it smooth and creamy. If you do not already have an immersion blender, get one right now!

Cooking the soup on the woodstove by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

I like to top it with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped cilantro. It's good on its own or served over some short grain brown rice.

Roasted curried cauliflower soup with coconut milk by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

-- print recipe --
Roasted Curried Cauliflower Soup
Serves 6

Ingredients

* 1 large (or 2 small) cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
* 1 large red onion, sliced
* 2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
* Couple generous glugs of oil (grapeseed or peanut)
* Sea salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 Tbsp Ground cumin
* 3 tsps curry powder and/or garam Masala
* Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
* 1 can coconut milk or coconut cream
* 1 quart vegetable stock
* 1 Tbsp maple syrup
* Cilantro, as a garnish
* Sour cream, as a garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Toss the cauliflower with the spices, a teaspoon of sea salt, a few grinds of black pepper, onion, garlic and oil until well-coated. Turn out onto a thick baking sheet in a single layer and roast, turning several times, for 30-35 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork.

2. Scrape the roasted cauliflower into a pot, add the stock, coconut milk and maple syrup and simmer on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool down slightly then blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed. Top with chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

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Sunday, February 14, 2016

Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken Meatballs and Orzo (Avgolemono)

Greek lemon and egg (avgolemono) soup with turkey meatballs and orzo by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Wintertime with two young'uns is an endless round of illness. We had already weathered several colds and coughs before our older son, Will came down with scarlet fever for the first time last month. Like the croup, it's one of those old-fashioned-sounding sicknesses that I was surprised (and dismayed) to learn still exist.

Everything I knew about scarlet fever came from some of my favorite books from childhood--it's the reason the The Velveteen Rabbit is so callously tossed on the burn pile after years of devoted service (but he also becomes Real so all's well that ends well.)

Boy sleeping with his velveteen rabbit. Illustration by Michael Hague.

It's also what Laura Ingalls Wilder attributes her sister Mary's blindness to in By the Shores of Silver Lake in the The Little House on the Prairie Series even though it's not what actually caused Mary to go blind - she had some sort of stroke, according to Pioneer Girl, Laura's completely fascinating, heavily annotated autobiography that was published for the first time in 2015.

Scarlet fever is also the disease that Beth March catches from a poor family she helps to nurse in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women - a story line Alcott apparently modeled closely on the life of her sister, Lizzie, who died from complications of the illness at the age of 23.


But our pediatrician was not alarmed, nor did she advise burning our son's loveys, thank God! That would have been BAD...

It turns out that the uber dramatic-sounding scarlet fever is really just strep throat with a rash. Our doc explained that of the roughly 20 or so strains of strep, there are four or five that release a toxin that causes a rash - they're known as group A strep (as opposed to the group B strep that women get tested for in the last few weeks of pregnancy. But the doc swabs an entirely different spot for that test - remember, mamas?)

Although it's usually a pretty mild illness nowadays, if you don't treat it, scarlet fever can come back to bite you later in life in the form of rheumatic fever, kidney disease, pneumonia and a few other gnarly problems one would rather avoid. So our pediatrician prescribed a 10-day course of disgustingly sweet, bubblegum-flavored amoxicillin to ensure that Will won't suffer any ill effects from the fever. And we had to battle him three times a day to choke it down.

So you can imagine our surprise to spot the telltale, sandpapery, red rash all over his trunk again a few nights ago. Another trip to the pediatrician ensued, and after a quick throat swab, she diagnosed him with "scarlatina" - the mild version of scarlet fever.


Will started on another 10-day course of antibiotics (I requested pills this time - a huge improvement over the nasty liquid) and missed the last two days of school before the week-long winter "break." So much for productivity...

But it was not my intention to blather on about antique diseases forever, I meant to share the recipe for this wonderful avgolemono (that's Greek for egg and lemon) soup with you. 

Our friend Phoebe introduced us to it this fall and it is comfort incarnate. I made a pot of this the other night after Will's second diagnosis when we were all feeling sick and tired and it was just the thing. Perked us right up.

Juicing the lemon by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2014

The broth is particularly addictive - you start with a good chicken stock that is flavored with lemon and thickened with egg. The meatballs are spiked with herbs -- mint, parsley and dill as well as finely minced onion. It makes them super fresh and flavorful. And you add lots of orzo cause this is comfort food. The acidity of the lemon brightens the hearty broth and makes the whole mess of flavors shine. Mwah! So good!

3 eggs for the popover batter by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

A good stock makes a big difference so if you can make your own, do. Any time you roast a chicken (or buy a roasted chicken) just put that carcass in a pot of water and let it simmer for a couple hours. I also add some of my vegetable scraps - things like onion and carrot peels, parsley and dill stems - to give it more flavor. Then I strain the solids out and let the stock reduce a bit so that what's left is nice and flavorful. Once it's cooled down, I freeze it in mason jars, yogurt containers or ziploc bags so that I always have stock on hand when I need it.

Chopping parsley to top the Greek lemon soup (avgolemono) with chicken meatballs and orzo by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2016

Important note: do NOT just dump the bowl of eggs into the pot of soup. In order to avoid scrambling the eggs, you first pour one cup of the hot stock into the egg to temper it and then you can add it to the pot and let it simmer a little longer.

This is Greek comfort food at its finest. I hope you like it. Stay warm and stay well.

Greek lemon soup (avgolemono) with chicken meatballs and orzo by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2016

-- print recipe --
Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken Meatballs & Orzo adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Serves 4

Ingredients

* 8 cups chicken stock
* 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
* 1 small onion, grated or finely minced
* 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
* 3 Tbsps chopped, fresh dill
* 3 Tbsps chopped, fresh mint
* 1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup orzo
* 3 carrots, peeled and chopped (optional but they're good!)
* 3 Tbsps fresh lemon juice
* Sea salt
* Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium-large pot. Meanwhile, make the meatballs: put the ground meat, onion, breadcrumbs, chopped herbs, 1 of the eggs, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a bowl and knead (I use my hands) until well-mixed. Shape into one-inch meatballs.

2. Add the meatballs, orzo and carrots to the stock and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the carrots and orzo are tender.

3. Whisk the lemon juice and eggs together in a bowl. Whisking constantly, gradually add one cup of the hot stock to the bowl then gradually add the egg and stock mixture back to the pot, whisking all the while. Simmer gently on low heat until slightly thickened  for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

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Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Ruth Reichl's New Book - My Kitchen Year

Cover of My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life is a wonderful cookbook-cum-memoir by Ruth Reichl (it's pronounced RYE-shul, in case you've ever wondered - I looked it up :) Fans of Gourmet magazine will recall with sadness when parent company, Condé Nast abruptly pulled the plug on the magazine back in 2009. But our shock and dismay are but a pale shadow of  what Reichl, who had happily reigned as Editor in Chief for a decade, felt when she was unceremoniously told to clean out her desk.

What followed was a difficult year in which she wrestled with feelings of shock, grief, failure, guilt and confusion. “I did what I always do when I’m confused, lonely, or frightened,” she says, “I disappeared into the kitchen.”

The result, My Kitchen Year is the silver lining of her soul searching - a treasure trove of bright, comforting, homey, and elegant foods that kept the darkness at bay when it threatened to engulf her.

Title page of My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

I devoured the book in two days, finding myself marking almost every recipe for future reference. At a certain point, I stopped inserting post-it-notes and committed to the wiser course of simply keeping the book open on my cookbook stand and flipping through it regularly...

From shirred eggs to grilled cheese with shallots to congee to spicy Tuscan kale to potatoes au gratin to food cart curry chicken to linzer torte to chocolate cake, each recipe whet my appetite for more.

Linzer tort from My Kitchen Year, photo by Mikkel Vang

I've been a fan of Reichl's writing ever since I first read her memoir, Tender at the Bone back when we lived a few blocks' walk from both Chez Panisse and the Edible Schoolyard in North Berkeley, shortly before our older son was born. It's all a bit hazy, to be honest (my mother-in-law calls the first decade or so of parenthood, "The Lost Years," which strikes me as wonderfully apt) but I do remember feeling that I'd found a kindred spirit in Reichl's honesty, compassion and deep love of food.

Potatoes au gratin from My Kitchen Year, photo by Mikkel Vang.

My Kitchen Year is a pleasure on every level - the short, descriptive vignettes (taken from her Twitter feed), the casual, evocative photographs by Mikkel Vang, the poetic and insightful prose and, of course, the recipes. The book also gets extra points for being written and photographed here in my beloved and beautiful Hudson Valley :)

Early in the book, Reichl includes a "Note on the Recipes" that lists the foods that she considers staples - things like capers, mayonnaise, soy sauce and many more. She then breaks the ingredients for each recipe out into "staples" versus the things you'll likely need to make a trip to the store for which she puts under "shopping list". Although I found this distinction a little distracting at first, it grew on me as I went along.

Staples page in My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Here's one of the (many) recipes I earmarked. It's one of the most humble recipes in the book but Reichl's preparation manages to elevate a simple grilled cheese sandwich into something both decadent and sophisticated that doubles as a hearty homage to the allium family.

"Grating cheddar. Shredding scallions. Slicing shallots. Tangled onto buttered bread, melted into a crisp-edged puddle. Lunch!" - @ruthreichl


This book does have one flaw though it's not in the contents - the binding is too stiff to allow the pages to stay open without being held firmly with two hands or a good cookbook stand (I am a huge fan of my cookbook stand and think everyone who cooks should have one.) But that's it!

-- print recipe --
The Diva Of Grilled Cheese from My Kitchen Year
Makes 1 sandwich

Ingredients

Shopping List
* Leeks
* Scallions
* 1/4 lb cheddar cheese
* 2 slices sturdy sourdough bread

Staples
* Shallots
* 1 onion (any color)
* 1 clove garlic (minced)
* Butter
* Mayonnaise

Directions

1. Gather a group of shallots, leeks, scallions and an onion - as many members of the allium family as you have on hand - and chop them into a small heap. Add a minced clove of garlic. Grate a few generous handfuls of the best cheddar you can afford. (Montgomery is particularly appealing), set a little aside, and gently combine the rest with the onion mixture.

2. Butter one side of thickly sliced bread and heap as much of the mixture as possible between the slices. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the outside of the bread (this will keep it from scorching on the griddle). Press the reserved grated cheese to the outside of the bread, where it will create a wonderfully crisp and shaggy crust, giving your sandwich an entirely new dimension.

3. Fry on a heated griddle or in a skillet about 4 minutes a side, until the cheese is softly melted.

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Thursday, February 4, 2016

Slow-Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos

Pork carnitas tacos by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

There's something beautifully simple about braising a big hunk of meat in the slow cooker all day. Especially when said hunk of meat falls off the bone into tender shreds of flavorful, juicy carnivorous bliss that can then serve as the basis for several delicious meals.

You can use this meat in many ways but I kicked off my porcine journey with pork carnitas tacos for a small crowd of family and friends. I started by assembling the ingredients for the braising liquid - a combination of fresh orange juice, tomatoes, garlic, chipotles and spices.

Ingredients for pork carnitas by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

I happened to have some exceptional tangelos courtesy of our friend, Phoebe, who sent us a crate from Florida. Their juice is remarkably flavorful - sweet and tangy at the same time in that hard to describe way of truly top-notch citrus.

Tangelo juice for the braising liquid by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

The chipotles come packed in adobo sauce in a can that I would buy for the label, alone. ¡Vive las morenas! But the peppers do add a wonderful smoky, spicy flavor to the meat.

Chopping the chipotles in adobo sauce by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

I poured our last jar (sniff) of home-canned tomatoes into the slow cooker and added the garlic, the chipotles, the tangelo juice and half the salt. Then I turned to the pork shoulder, clipping its strings, and trimming away the excess fat before rubbing it all over with a mixture of ground cumin, cinnamon, oregano, sea salt and black pepper.

Rubbing the pork shoulder roast with cumin, salt, pepper, oregano and cinnamon before searing by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Although you can certainly skip this step and save yourself the trouble of washing another pot (as the recipe I was working off directed), I seared the roast in a Dutch oven for a few minutes on each side before I put it in the braising liquid in the slow cooker as it does give the flavor a nice little boost.

Searing the pork shoulder roast before slow cooking by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Once it was browned, I levered it out of the Dutch oven and put it in the  the slow cooker with the braising liquid where it bubbled away for about eight hours (more is fine), filling the house with mouth-watering smells. I turned it several times to ensure that it was submerged equally.

Putting the pork picnic roast in the slow cooker with the liquid by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Meanwhile, I put together a quick brine of apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar and hot water. Then I got out my trusty mandoline and made short work of a red onion that I set aside to pickle for a few hours. I find that pickled onions make a great counterpoint to most things, especially meats.

Making pickled red onions by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

Eight hours of cooking time leaves you ample time to prepare your fixings although certain things, like avocado, needs must wait until just before serving, of course.

Cilantro in the salad spinner by Eve Fox, the of Eating, copyright 2015

I happened to have a pineapple to hand because James, my three-year-old, had been hounding me to buy one for weeks and I had finally succumbed, whereupon he promptly lost interest in the manner of children the world over... But I cut it up into a fine dice and then turned the rest into virgin piña coladas which I served with the tacos. And both boys drained their glasses which I counted as a victory of sorts.

Pineapple halves by Pineapple and Coconut via Flickr, some rights reserved. https://www.flickr.com/photos/pineappleandcoconut/

Things were ratcheting up into the usual pre-dinner insanity that takes place here nightly when I took the pork shoulder out and we could not manage a photo of me going at the thing with two forks. But it yielded an impressive pile of tender, shredded meat.

Pork carnitas by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

I warmed up a bunch of corn tortillas by placing stacks of five tortillas, wrapped in tinfoil, in a 350° oven for 10-15 minutes and then leaving them in their foil until it was time to eat them - it worked beautifully. I served the pork carnitas alongside a cavalcade of bowls filled with fresh pineapple, chopped tomatoes, pickled onions, thinly sliced radishes, shredded purple cabbage, this wonderful salty lime mayo sauce, chunks of perfectly ripe avocado, a jar of our homemade salsa, and some lime wedges.

Each warm, little package of tender, flavorful meat was topped with zingy onions, buttery avocado, juicy chunks of sweet pineapple and the cool, fresh cilantro. I ate at least three...

Pork carnitas tacos by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2016

As for the rest of the meat, barbecued pulled pork sandwiches are definitely in our future as well as maybe some kind of creamy polenta dish with pork. Hallelujah for multiple meals from one one mess in the kitchen.

The recipe below is adapted from Sarah Kate Gillingham's recipe on the Kitchn.

-- print recipe --
Slow-Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos
Serves 8-10

Ingredients

* 1 (4-6 lb) pork shoulder (a.k.a. Boston butt or pork butt) roast - bone-in yields the best flavor
* 3-4 cups of liquid (orange juice, beer, stock or some combination of those things )
* 1 quart of diced tomatoes or tomato purée
* 4 diced chipotle peppers in adobo (I used 2 because my kids don't like spicy food)
* 8 garlic cloves, smashed or pressed
* 2 Tbsps coarse sea salt
* 1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
* 1 Tbsp ground cumin
* 1 Tbsp dried oregano
* 2 tsps ground cinnamon
* 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional/to taste - I left this out for the kiddos' sake)

Directions

1. Place half the salt and all of the other spices in a bowl and give a little stir to combine. Cut the strings and remove them from the roast. Using a sharp knife, trim any excess fat from the pork roast, then rub the spice mixture all over the pork roast. Heat a little bit of butter or bacon fat (I keep mine in a jar in the fridge) in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the roast for several minutes on each side, until browned.

2. Place the tomatoes and liquid (juice, beer and/or stock), garlic, peppers and the rest of the salt in the slow cooker then add the browned roast and cook on low for roughly 8 hours, turning every few hours to ensure even cooking. You'll know the meat is done when it is falling off the bone.

3. Remove the meat from the cooker and let it sit on a cutting board or large plate until it's cool enough to handle safely. Using two forks, shred the meat and remove the bone. Save some of the cooking liquid to use for reheating and/or as a sauce. I actually saved all of mine and have frozen it to use next time I make this.

4. Serve the meat with warm corn tortillas, avocado, cilantro, radishes, pineapple, sour cream or lime mayo, tomatoes, pickled red onions, thinly sliced cabbage and the like.

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