Quick Cassoulet

I really, really like Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express. I've written about it here before, what can I say? I am usually leery of cookbooks promising too much, too fast, too-anything, but Bittman is an exception. Without fail, each time I prepare one of his recipes, I think, "this is going to be bland, it's too easy, too plain, too...minimal." I thought that with his cassoulet and was, of course wrong again. When will I learn?

Ingredients
1-2 onions, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
1-2 stalks of celery, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2-1 package of smoked sausage--depending on how much you want, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used organic turkey keilbasa from Trader Joes)
2 cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes (Muir Glen is best and worth the cost)
fresh thyme (you can use 1/2-1 teaspoon dried in a pinch)
bay leaf
a bit of crusty bread (baguette, country loaf, etc), cut into crouton-sized cubes


Heat the oven to 400.

On the stove top warm some olive oil in a pan, add all the veggies and cook until starting to brown, 8-10 minutes. Add the kielbasa and cook for a few more minutes until beginning to brown. Add in beans, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper and cook until warmed through--about 10 minutes.

While the cassoulet is warming, make the croutons. Toss your bread cubes with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Spread on a cookie sheet and put in the oven. They will be crunchy and golden brown in about 10 minutes.

Serve cassoulet with croutons on top.
Serves 4 generously

Tasty!

The Minimalist

Mark Bittman's column in the NY Times is one no self-respecting cook should overlook. Simple recipes that focus on the quality of the ingredients and the quality of a life not spent entirely in the kitchen are what he's all about. He does not sacrifice taste, only excess time. Next time you are having guests, check out this list of 101 quick small bites for appetizer inspiration. Figure out what pantry items are common among the list and get to stocking up so you'll never have to run to the store at the last minute. The best kind of entertaining is the kind where you're free to be with your guests!

The Best Thing Ever Invented

Seriously. I say it every time I make. So does every one else. Admittedly it's a lot of work... but it is so phenomenal, it's worth it. In the words of Ferris Bueller, "It is so choice." There are many parts you can make ahead of time, so the work isn't really an issue. It is the perfect piece de resistance for any holiday gathering. It is TIMBALLO!

Have you seen the movie Big Night starring Stanley Tucci? In the story of two Italian brothers trying to make it in America as restaurateurs this amazing...er...dish..if it can be called that, is the grand finale of a meal that has lasted well into the night and consisted of multiple courses. The crowd of beached diners break out in spontaneous applause at it's unveiling and you will too, provided you aren't the type with inhibitions regarding applauding food.

There are many types and styles of Timballo and just about anyone who has experienced it will wax eloquent if given half a chance (just google it and read the ensuing declarations of love), but I am partial this one...having never tried any others. It's just that good. I would like to say that some day I'll try some of the others, but I can't promise that when this is what they will be serving in heaven.

There are several steps and the recipe is broken up accordingly. The making of the pastry for the crust, the making of the sauce, the making of the meatballs, hard boiling eggs, making pasta.

Give it a try, you will not be sorry, and please don't be put off by the length of the ingredient list and instructions!

For the Sauce

2 oz dried porcini, soaked in 1 cup warm water for 20 minutes

1 cup evoo

7 oz prosciutto, finely chopped

1 clove garlic

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 pound ground veal or pork or a combo of the two

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

Drain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Chop the mushrooms and set aside. Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve and set aside.

In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto and saute until softened, but not browned, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, carrot, onion and celery and saute until golden, 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and the ground meat to the pan and cook, stirring until cooked, 5-7 minutes. Add the mushroom soaking liquid, the tomato paste, stir well, reduce heat to low and cook, covered until slightly thickened, about 1.5 hours. Remove from heat, strain the sauce reserving both the solids and the liquid. Set aside.

(BTW, the above sauce would be magnificent over home made pasta).

For the Pastry

2 3/8 Cups (10.5 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

7 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

About 3 Tablespoons milk

In a large bowl stir together the flour, sugar and salt. With a pastry cutter cut in the butter until the flour is the consistency of coarse meal. Stir in the egg and just enough milk to bring the dough together. Divide the dough into 2 portions, one twice as large as the other (these will be the top and the bottom/sides of the crust). Flatten each ball into a disk and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour (imperative) and up to 8 hours.

For the meatballs

1/2 pound ground pork or veal or a combo

1 egg

1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley

2 slices day-old country bread, soaked in 1 Cup milk

Flour for dredging

Olive oil for frying

In a bowl combine the meat, egg, Parmesan, parsley and milk-soaked bread. Season with S &P. Shape into balls 3/4 inch in diameter. Roll lightly in flour. In a skillet pour olive oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Place over medium-high heat and warm until hot but not smoking. Add the meatballs and cook, turning frequently until browned on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.

For the Pasta

1 pound zitone or penne

1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

If you're a die hard foodie, you might make your pasta from scratch, but never fear, a high-quality store bought pasta will be just fine

Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water for for about 8 minutes--or about 2 minutes less than you would if you were cooking it al dente. Drain and place in a bowl. Add the liquid from the meat sauce and the cheese. Set aside to cool, and then when cool, stir in the eggs.

For Assembly

1 pound caciocavallo cheese, sliced 1/4 inch thick (provolone is a good, easy to find alternative)

4 hard boiled eggs, sliced (you'll think this is weird but it's good--have faith!)

1 egg, lightly beaten for egg wash

Preheat oven to 350.

On a floured work surface rough out the larger disk of dough to fit over the bottom and up the sides (with a slight overhang) of a 12 inch spring form pan. Spoon the meat-vegetable solids from the sauce over the bottom of the dough-lined pan. On top of the meat, layer 1/4 each of the cheese, the hard-boiled egg slices, the meatballs, and then the pasta. Repeat the layers three more times to fill the pan.

Roll out the remaining dough and use to cover the timballo, pinching the edges together with the overhang to seal. Brush the top with the egg wash. Chill for at least 30 minutes or as long as 2 hours.

Bake until golden, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Then release the ring of the pan and slide the timballo onto a serving platter. Cut into wedges, and prepare to die.

Serves 10.

Adapted from Italian Food Artisans Cookbook

Tortilla Pizzas, Revisited

I posted on these a while ago, but they bear a write-up again. Jacques Pepin has a wonderful recipe for quick and simple pizzas that are delicious. Great as an appetizer, simple meal, or dinner for your kids...In these months of busyness and houseguests, you really should give them a try.

Preheat oven to 500.
Oil both sides of flour tortillas with olive oil and lay on baking sheets. layer with fresh, thin slices of tomatoes, or if that doesn't suit your fancy, spread on a bit of your favorite pizza sauce*.
Using a microplane grater, grate a bit of parmesan cheese over the sauce, and then lay pieces of mozzerella (preferably fresh) over that. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until cheese is golden brown and bubbly--about 8 minutes. Sprinkle slivers of fresh basil over the top. Cut into wedges and enjoy.

*A great, quick pizza sauce: 1-2 cloves minced garlic mixed/mashed with about 1/4 t kosher salt, mixed into a 6oz can of tomato paste along with 2-3t olive oil, 1/2 t oregano, freshly ground pepper, and (no matter what you think you think) 1/4 t anchovy paste. Spread thinly over pizza crust.

Maple Vinaigrette!

A great Autumn-tasting salad:
baby spinach
blue cheese, crumbled
pear, chopped
dried cranberries
walnuts broken into chunky pieces

For the vinaigrette:
2t dijon
2t apple cider vinegar
2T maple syrup
1/4 C canola or grapeseed oil
put in a jar and shake...adjust to your preferences. With the above salad I like it very sweet and maple-y...It made me want to eat pancakes while laying in a pile of fallen leaves. Wouldn't that be sticky?

Thanksgiving Ideas

I made a thanksgiving meal this past weekend for family that will not be with us on the actual day, and decided to post the new recipes that were good as well as my old stand-bys.
Turkey
I always make Alton Brown's brined turkey because it is quite simply, the best. Brining is really easy and only requires a bit of work the night before the big day...which of course means your turkey must be thawed! BTW, the juices from this brined turkey are extra tasty so you can make a fabulous gravy by mixing a slurry of chicken or turkey stock with a bit of flour and stirring it into the drippings after the bird is removed. Bring to a boil while stirring and season to taste!
Green Beans
This weekend I tried Alton's green bean casserole. It was good--very similar to the traditional, from-a-can-of-mushroom-soup casserole that has some many devotees, but fresh and therefore much better for you! For a very similar dish that requires a bit more work but is totally worth it, go for green beans with mushroom-madeira sauce--my reigning favorite for this particular meal.
Cranberry Sauce
It's hard to admit, but I love cranberry sauce from a can. I know, so do you. But I usually end up making this cranberry apple sauce because it's fresh, easy and really delicious.

3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 C cranberries (fresh or unthawed frozen)
1 C water
7 T sugar

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Serve at room temp.
*This is a pretty smooth sauce, but if you don't want any chunks you can blend it up one it is finished cooking.
--Best of Gourmet 2000

Stuffing
I love stuffing. I have probably made a different stuffing every year that I've made Thanksgiving dinner and am still searching for that one that completely knocks my socks off. Here are a few that were close.

Leek and Wild Mushroom stuffing
Country bread stuffing with smoked ham, goat cheese and dried cherries
Savory bread pudding with mushrooms and Parmesan cheese
Apricot and Walnut Stuffing *

* I am a fan of savory rather than sweetish stuffings--so I am admittedly biased. This last stuffing was written of in such glowing terms in a recent issue of Saveur that I had to try it. It was good--much better than I anticipated, but it was less savory than sweet, so while I had seconds, I wasn't dancing in the aisle...but you may be. In the interest of full-disclosure...

Lastly, squash doesn't thrill me so I've got nothing to say about it, and I figure everyone knows how to make sweet potatoes even sweeter and mashed potatoes mashed...so I'll end this long post here. More on desserts later.

Spanish Bean Soup

*Note I have only ever made half of this recipe and it still makes a ton of soup!

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
5 cans garbonzo beans
1 C tomato sauce
1 t garlic salt
1 t pepper
1 t cumin
1/2 t salt
1 t basil
1/4 t oregano
4 links chorizo, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1.5 lbs cooked ham, diced
1 packet yellow rice seasoning (vigo or goya, or alternatively, you can use some saffron and salt to taste)

Boil potatoes for 15 minutes. Add cans of garbonzo beans, draining only 2 cans. Boil for 10 minutes more. Add reminaing ingredients, stir and cook on low for 2 hours.

This is a thick, hearty stew. Definitely a meal all by itself.

Best Easy Soups for Fall

Is the changing weather arousing a desire in you to hunker down with a warm bowl of soup? Here are some tasty, easy soups we've begun making around here.

Split pea and barley
Does that army-fatigue green color turn you off? Think you don't like this kind of soup? Think again. Recipes abound, some people like to throw in a ham hock, some like the addition of bacon and some like to keep it strictly vegetarian, anyway you make it, it's hearty, healthy and tasty!

White bean & chicken chili
I've had many a white chili but this blew all former contenders out of the water. You may think the addition of greens is odd, but it's actually quite fabulous. If you don't have chard, try spinach, beet greens, or if you're a fan, kale.

Roasted tomato
Sounds simple, but I've made this soup at least three times in the past 2 weeks. It's just that good. Tomatoes are plentiful this time of year and this can be made with any kind or a combo of kinds. I must add that as written it is super decadent. I've made it with just 1T of the recommended butter and a touch of half and half in place of heavy cream and it is phenomenal, so save yourself the calories!

Want bread to dip? Think you can't make a beautiful and tasty artisan loaf? I implore you to pick up a copy of My Bread and try it. All you need is a dutch oven (that's a covered pot like you might cook pasta in) and the ability to read. Seriously. (And yes, there are more highbrow ways of making bread, but this method really can't be beat if you've always wanted to give making your own bread a whirl but have been afraid...you can get highbrow with the great Breadbaker's Apprentice down the road.)

Quinoa with everything but the kitchen sink

A fabulous, healthy, tasty and fast meal that everyone (even finicky little ones) will eat!

Preheat oven to 400

2 C quinoa, soaked for 10-20 minutes, then drained and rinsed
3 C chicken stock or water

Add both of the above to a pot, bring to a boil, then cover and turn heat to low. Cook until all liquid is absorbed; about 25 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking do the following:
2 red bell peppers cut into thick strips and layed on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and put in oven.

1/8 C olive oil
2 Italian sausage links (organic), cut into bite-size pieces
2 portobello mushrooms (or 2 C of your favorite mushroom) sliced in 1/2" pieces
2 large handfuls of baby spinach

Cook sausage in a olive oil for about 4 minutes then add mushrooms. Saute all until sausage is cooked through and mushrooms are sufficiently wilted. Add in spinach and stir/cook until wilted (covering the pan can speed this process).

remove peppers from oven and cut into bite-size strips; stir into sausage mixture. Stir in qunioa (you may not want to use all of it--it depends on the ratio of quinoa to veggies you want) and then mix in 4 oz crumbled goat cheese.

Voila!

Nuts for the Holidays

Like the not-so-clever double-entendre? I made these nuts last year and just finished eating them almost a year to date despite the fact that the recipe says they keep for two weeks. (I hate this age of covering your butt to the extreme...but I digress). You may think nuts around the holidays are a bit cliche and passe, and perhaps they are, but they are tasty nonetheless. And super easy. If you make a ton as I did last year and find yourself eating them well into 2010, they are good chopped up on salads or as a snack.

Legal Seafood Asian Salmon

I just made this tasty salmon for dinner. Very quick as far as hands-on time, but there's about 40 minutes of time involved in simmering, marinating and cooking so plan accordingly.

Looking in my fridge for some veggies was a bit disheartening but I came up with a side that went so well with the salmon I will always make them together. I shredded some brussel sprouts and green cabbage and sauteed in olive oil and garlic. Once they were bright green--about 5 minutes on medium high heat, I stirred in about 2 T of the sauce from the salmon and cooked about a minute more. Tasty and crunchy. I served all of this with some Yukon Golds whipped with 1T butter and enough milk to make them smooth.

All in all a fast dinner that was healthy and impressed my hubs. What more can a girl ask for?
VEW

Stocking My Freezer

If there is one comfort to a summer that passes too quickly, it is that the onset of Autumn brings with it an intense nesting instinct in me. Suddenly all the things that I couldn't be bothered with when the sun was shining and the gardens were growing become like long-lost friends with which I can't wait to get reacquainted.

My plans this year are perhaps my most ambitious. Without getting preachy I'll just say that I've learned a lot from reading books, researching, talking with friends and participating in a CSA. The knowledge I've gained demands that I be a better steward of the earth and its inhabitants, as well as my family's health. To that end I'm trying to eat more whole foods, and buy only things that are responsibly grown. I felt like I was doing a good job before, but I want to do more. I've been trying to figure out which staples/snacks in our house I can make from scratch without too much trouble, and thus remove us at least another step from the industrialized food chain. The list will only increase I'm sure, but so far I've been making or planning to make the following things and will post recipes when I am not just satisfied, but thrilled with the results:
Wheat bread for my kids' sandwiches
Artisan breads
Crackers for my husband's snacking
Hummus
Marinara sauce to stave off ordering pizza in a pinch
Various pastas
Bagels
Cheese
Pickles

It's so fun to realize how easy it is to make things that all my life have come in a box or jar or cellophane, and even the most pathetic effort generally bests the store bought version as is usually true with homemade things. Please feel free to share any tips, sites, or recipes that fit the bill!
VEW

The Best Hummus

We eat a lot of hummus around here. I used to make it from canned chick peas until one day, desiring to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible, I wondered if I could find dried chick peas at my grocery store. I did and the resultant hummus was fabulous. I will never go back to canned. Not only do more nutrients remain in the final product compared with canned peas, the texture is unparalleled. This was as good as any restaurant hummus I've had and it was really easy. I make it to taste (I love the addition of freshly ground cumin and I like the tang that the addition of sumac adds), and started out working from this recipe.

If you eat hummus you really must give this a try. Yes, you have to plan ahead a bit since the chick peas require overnight soaking, but other than that, there really is very little time different between cracking open a can and giving your soaked peas a quick soak and boil. Oh, and peas you don't use right away can be frozen after they're boiled, making your next batch even easier than your first. I now maintain a steady supply of ready to go chick peas in the freezer.

VEW

Beet Greens!

I was a skeptic. Worse than that, a non-believer. I had read that beet greens were edible. I may have even read that they were good, but I didn't believe it. I was like my 4 year old who refuses to believe that anything I make for dinner will be remotely edible, let alone palatable. But I finally tried them. I don't remember what sparked it. A conversation with a friend perhaps. Or the fleeting thought as I chopped off a huge bundle of greens from a bunch of beets that I was being wasteful...I really don't know. But now I am a believer. They were so good I went out and bought some more. If you like sauteed spinach I can guarantee you will like beet greens. Same texture, similar taste but without that strange astringent aftertaste you sometimes get with spinach. Furthermore, at least in season, beet represent the greatest value in veggies and the 2 dishes you can get from this one plant are so different, it's hard not to start loving the beet. And all this from a person who last year not only merely tolerated the beet, but tossed the greens with a sneer at the thought of eating them. My apologies to those wasted greens.

Sauteed Beet Greens

Trim greens from one bunch of beets. Submerge in a sink of water to wash. Trim thick, woody ends and ribs. Roughly chop leaves.

In a pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil and add at least 2 cloves chopped garlic. Just as it begins to turn golden, throw in the greens, scant 1t kosher salt and stir. Cook until wilted. Eat. Buy more. Repeat. Become a believer.

VEW

Pick a Leaf Pesto

Tonight should have been a pizza night: My husband is out of town for the second night in a row, I have 3 small children that never seem to tire, today was the first day we had to all be out the door and 25 minutes south of home in the early (for us) morning...I am tired. But I couldn't bring myself to feed me or my kids a bit of dough with a bit of processed tomato and some poor quality cheese. The scene in the fridge wasn't promising. I had a bunch of singlet veggies and not much else. Upon realizing they would all go to waste since we are headed out of town for the weekend I brainstormed the following tasty dish which I will now add to my repertoire of speedy, good meals.

I had some arugula and decided a pesto topped with my random veggies would be good. I didn't really have enough of any one ingredient for a true arugula pesto so I used what I had and it worked well. I always make pesto to taste rather than by measurements, so I will just try to approximate them here.

2 big handfuls of greens: I used a lot of arugula and added about 10 big leaves of basil, 10 leaves of sage and a bit of parsley.
3 cloves of garlic
6T total of nuts: I used pine nuts and walnuts
Process in a food processor then add:
1/3 C extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 C total Pecorino and/or Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt to taste

To this add pasta water to make the consistency to your liking.

To the cooked pasta and pesto I added one whole zucchini, peeled into ribbons with a veggie peeler--my new favorite thing to do since a friend gave me the tip that I think she learned from Jamie Oliver.

This alone was great, but grilled chicken would be good with it for something more hearty, or you can do what I did and saute whatever veggies you have on hand and top the pasta with them. I used some grape tomatoes, red bell pepper and red onion. It was so much better all around than pizza and just as quick.
VEW

Saturday Morning

Interesting that my first post-baby post was about butter and my first post-baby painting is a still life of a doughnut... It's called Saturday Morning. Many such a morning finds my husband running down the street to a little bakery to bring back a "second breakfast" of treats. I used to find the amount of sugar consumed during this period a bit alarming but have since embraced the glee with which my kids receive the treats. I thought the sprinkle doughnut was the epitome of what Saturday mornings are like around here and I wanted to preserve that memory.

VEW

A Simple Summer Meal

A visit to a local farm and neccessity of quick preparation inspired this meal for friends.

Pasta with Roasted Summer Vegetables
Country Wheat Bread with Homemade Butter
Peach Tart with Blueberries and Whipped Cream

In a shallow roasting pan toss:
4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
3 baby eggplants, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 portobello mushroom, chopped
1/4 C olive oil
salt

Roast at 350 degrees for 1 hour, remove from oven and add 1 zucchini sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler and a handful of chopped, fresh herbs such as basil, sage, thyme, oregano and tarragon. Stir to wilt. Toss with fresh pasta.

The bread is self explanatory, for the butter, see post of the same name.

This tart was great. It reminded me of a peach cobbler but was much more elegant. It looks beautiful and had my guests going back for more. I used regular peaches and added blueberries after I removed the tart from the oven. Serve with freshly whipped cream.
VEW

A Foddie's Rock Star

Ever wonder the difference between snails in your garden and escargot? Novella Carpenter did and the answer she found may surprise you. You can read the whole thing here.
VEW

Quintessentially American...Unfortunately

My husband is off on a camping adventure. He does this every year and I am glad for the outlet it gives him. It is one of the handful of times that he ventures into a grocery store alone to pick out his provisions for the following few days; something I'm sure he relishes as my voice is surely nowhere in his head telling him to put down that over-processed, sugar-laden thing he has picked up precisely because he was not allowed to have it during his childhood either. I exaggerate a bit. He actually comes home with quite healthy snacks, knowing that in order to feel good on the many miles of hiking he'll be doing he can't subsist on Pop Tarts and Cheez-Wiz.

As I watched him unload his bags yesterday I noticed something odd. A plastic pint-sized container of whole, already peeled garlic. "What are you doing with that?" I asked him perplexed. He shrugged, but I'm sure he has a gourmet (by camping standards) meal in mind. He is after all, quite spoiled by good food, as I am fond of reminding him when he complains about my addition of flax seed meal or some such thing that he finds a little too healthy in his scones, cookies, etc.

He packed a few pungent cloves and left the rest of the container on the counter, perfuming the entire house with its manhandled, I'm-so-handy stench. I studied the label. There had to be the equivalent of 4 heads of garlic cloves packed in there--all perfectly peeled. It had cost him ninety cents. That's a lot less than buying the actual heads of garlic would cost. Interesting considering the heads of garlic are sold in bulk: no packaging costs, no labeling costs, no labor of peeling and putting into container and pressing on a lid costs. I have passed these containers many a time in the store and thought, albeit fleetingly, of grabbing one to save myself the extra, what? 5 seconds? it takes to peel a clove myself. Seeing the ridiculousness and utter un-need of such things I always pass them up. Besides, prep is one of the joys of cooking. Its meditative quality is calming...when you're not rushing. These nude cloves of garlic presuppose rushing. I began to hate them. And then I noticed something in small print: Product of China.

WHAT?

I began to feel very superior for not having brought this contraband into my house. Do we really need a country half way around the globe peeling our garlic and flying it around the world just to save us mere seconds? I laugh at the sheer ridiculousness that is our food system. How did it come to this? Can I boycott such things by standing in the produce section with a little sign? Then again, do these nudies even deserve as much thought as I've already given them?
I am sure my husband did not notice this little tidbit of information, and I like to believe that if he had he too would have passed on this purchase (especially having just finished The Omnivore's Dilemma and finally having jumped, at least partially, on my bandwagon).

Is there a better argument for buying local as much as possible? Better yet, grow your own Victory Over Stupidity garden and be sure to plant lots of garlic. I will. More on that next Spring.

VEW

Butter!

Lest I give a false impression with the title of this post, let me just make plain that I have a slight fear of butter. It is the same fear I have of bacon, but idiosyncratically not of things like whipped cream or summer sausage. I use butter as little as possible in my cooking, despite that fact that it makes all things better. I think I simply fear that if I were to really let go with it, because I cook so much, I would quickly condemn myself and those I feed to a life of clogged arteries and excess cellulite. With that being said however, I feel that if one if going to use butter, better that it is in its rawest form--fresh butter on warm bread for instance, which is what this post is about.

I love making butter from scratch. It is so easy and so satisfying and SO GOOD. There is a great demonstration of how to do it from Saveur Magazine's web site (which is my reigning favorite food site btw). Basically, you just whip heavy cream until the solids separate from the liquid (buttermilk), wring out in cheesecloth, wash it, and then mash in some salt. Voila. You can do it with a mixer but it really is nice to do it by hand with a whisk...if you like that kind of thing.

I made two kinds: one with unhomogenized, grass-fed, organic cream and one with plain organic cream. The grass-fed cream smelled quite ripe and I worried that the butter wouldn't taste that great, but the whipping process mellowed it and it came out well. I have yet to do a side-by-side taste test as promised in an earlier post, but I really am curious so I will soon. The grass-fed cream butter was slightly yellower than the other--a by product of the grass, rather than grain diet of the obliging cows.

If you are a fan of the butter you get with good bread at good restaurants, you must give this a try as it blows even those away.

-VEW