Sunday, August 30, 2009

Reading List and a first fall recipe

The past week or so, time has been in short supply. As a result, complicated meals just were not in order. Also the weather in Chicago feels like full-blown Autumn already: low humidity, cloudy and cool days, brisk winds, low temperatures all around. It makes me nervous about the idea of an early frost- not just for my beautiful potted plants outside, but the effect it would have on the millions of acres of farmland in the upper Midwest. I don't think people understand how a bad harvest one year will affect the price of everything from flour to vegetables to meat and dairy. So keep your fingers crossed that frost won't show it's face until the early part of October.

Anyway. In my free-time, which is often most abundant while taking public transit to and from work, I have been reading a really fantastic book (especially for somebody like me who would rather be spending that time in a kitchen). Heat by Bill Buford is extremely entertaining so far. It follows the experience of the author as an amateur cook in the kitchen of a very famous New York chef. The story also slowly explains the background of the famous and eccentric boss. I've found it not only very informative about the life of restaurant workers behind the house, but cooking and prep techniques. It is pretty straight-forward and comes off as stream-of-conscious writing, though it is very well-written. The diction is not at all elevated, so I feel it is pretty accessible to most people.
While reading it, I was reminded to mention it in this blog as well as my all-time favorite cooking-fiction book Mediterranean Summer by David Shalleck. That book, which I have read probably 5 or 6 times now, never ceases to entertain and inspire my personal cooking adventures. Though I love to cook and have a good time doing it, his life upon a private yacht for a summer on the Mediterranean is just a wee bit more fun. I'll keep imagining though! Check it out though. I seem to keep giving away the book and have bought it now at least three times...

Anyway. Quickly before I have to go. The other night I made Lentil Soup and Wheat Bread. Delicious.

Lentil Soup
3 pieces of bacon
1 Onion chopped into small-ish pieces
2 medium carrots peeled and chopped into small pieces
2 Tb minced garlic (or 4-5 cloves minced)
1 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz usually)
2 bay leaves
2 Tb paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup green lentils (dry)
4 1/2 cups chicken broth/stock
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup dry white wine OR generous splash of vermouth
3 Tb balsamic vinegar

1. In a large stock pot, fry up bacon until the fat has been rendered and the bacon is pretty crispy. Remove the bacon. Use the remaining grease to cook (on medium heat) the onions until they are soft and fairly transparent. Add the carrots and continue cooking until they are softened slightly. Add garlic and tomatoes, continue cooking for a few minutes until very aromatic.
2. Add lentils and cook covered for about 8-10 minutes until the lentils have been browned slightly. Put in the paprika, salt, and pepper (more can be added at the end if flavors aren't right balance for you). Add in the broth and water- bring to rolling boil.
3. Once boiling, add the vermouth. Cook for 5 minutes or so before turning down to low heat.
4. Add bay leaves and continue cooking covered for about 30 minutes
5. Remove bay leaves. Ladle about 3 cups of soup into blender and puree for a few minutes. Add back into remaining soup.
6. Add balsamic vinegar and any salt/pepper that you feel it needs.

The lentils have an interesting texture to me. It took a little bit to get used to them, honestly. They are close to feeling like baked beans, but a little more dense. Maybe a little closer to black beans but smaller. Anyway. Some recipes add in thyme instead of paprika. The one I made did, but then I added paprika in my own bowl. It was much better- though I was wishing that the thyme was not a part of the recipe. I also thought that maybe instead of paprika, ground cloves might be kind of delicious in it as well. I used a spanish onion (yellow) and kind of thought that maybe next time I'd use a white onion that would have a little sharper taste to it after all that cooking down. I also never waste perfectly delicious and crispy bacon and added crumbled bits on top of mine. Yum.
And in case you are wondering, Lentils are an clean and plentiful source of protein. So you don't need to worry about adding chicken or anything to your meal for the night. Hooray for a balanced meal in a pot!

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