Katie Stew | A rich, simmering blend of my favorite things

January 25, 2011
by katie
908 Comments

Wuthering Heights

I’ve always been a reader. And in high school I was a bit of an over achiever. However, there were a few books that I was assigned in school that I just could not bring myself to read. I tried and just could not get into them. One of those was “Tess of the D’Urbervilles”. However, I decided last year to give it another chance. I reread it and loved it. I just don’t think it was the right book for kids in high school. I know I wasn’t ready for it.

Another book that I could not read in high school was “Wuthering Heights”, by Emily Bronte. I cheated and read the Cliff’s Notes because I just couldn’t make my way through it. So, in the continuation of my “give books I hated in high school a second chance” goal, I just finished “Wuthering Heights”. And, as with Tess, I liked it much better this time.

“Wuthering Heights” is a story of love, revenge, and the ghosts of memory involving two families over three generations. It is told through the eyes of Ms. Dean, the housekeeper of Wuthering Heights. The trick to the book is to really make a mental note of all the characters as they are introduced and to pay attention to the relations. Because, this is a multi-generational book and a lot of the people have the same names as their parents, which can get confusing.

But generally speaking, the book centers around Catherine and Heathcliff. It is funny to me that they are often referenced as a great romantic couple, because their tale is terribly dark and they aren’t ever a couple in any official way.

One day, when Catherine was a child, her father brought home Heathcliff, an abandoned child and decided to raise him along with his other children. Catherine and Heathcliff become very close. However, when she becomes a young woman, she discovers Edgar Linton, who is much more civil and delicate. Heathcliff is an unschooled young man with no wealth. When Linton proposes to her, she says to Ms. Dean:

“It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton’s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire… If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it.”

The two of them share a deep love and believe they are made of the same stuff, but she decides to marry Linton anyways. Which, needless to say doesn’t go over well. As Heathcliff and Linton are opposites, they hate each other. Years and dramas go by and eventually, tragically Catherine dies of a broken heart, having had it torn apart by her two loves, leaving the two bitter rivals behind. When she dies, Heathcliff says:

“‘And I pray one prayer–I repeat it till my tongue stiffens–Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living; you said I killed you–haunt me, then! The murdered DO haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts HAVE wandered on earth. Be with me always–take any form–drive me mad! Only DO not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! It is unutterable! I CANNOT live without my life! I CANNOT live without my soul!'”

I love that section. “I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!” It is just so heartbreaking.

Heathcliff was pretty wicked before, but becomes even more so after the loss of Catherine. He spends the rest of his life scheming and wishing ill on the next generation.

The highlight of the book for me is the great drama and emotion of the characters in love. It generally doesn’t go well for anyone in this book, but the characters are all insanely passionate. Passionate, poetic, and single minded in a way that I think must be related to the time period the book was written. Perhaps when you only ever see a dozen people in your life, you are bound to be more intimately attached to them.

Though I didn’t love the book this time, I did enjoy it. I’m glad that I am now in the know with all the references made to this book. And I’ll add, it wasn’t a read that left me feeling relaxed and satisfied. It was awfully dark. In fact, after I finished it, I read another one of the “Southern Vampire Series” to lighten my mind. So this is your warning, you might need a cheesy book after Wuthering Heights.

January 20, 2011
by katie
5 Comments

Turkey Meatballs

Now, when I first heard the words “turkey meatballs”, I wasn’t very excited. Meatballs are supposed to be something… well, meatier. Beef or pork or something. But, I remembered that I do like turkey tacos and turkey burgers and it had just been awhile since I used turkey for my beef substitute.

Picture of Mini Turkey Meatballs Recipe

I was watching Giada De Laurentiis on Food Network and saw her make these. I’m generally not a big fan of her show, but this looked so good, I went out and made it the same week. Since then, I’ve made these meatballs 4 or 5 times. They are light and meaty and incredibly simple to make. I’ve also used ground chicken, which works just as well and is very good.

When I make them now, I generally just eyeball the ingredients and add as much cheese and herbs as I feel like. But, the basic proportions of meat to breadcrumbs to egg are important. The biggest tip that I learned from watching Giada make these is that it is important to add all the ingredients together in the bowl before you add the meat. Create the crumb/egg/seasoning mixture first and then work the meat in with your hands until just combined. This makes the meatballs lighter and not as dense, which was a problem I’ve had previously with making meatballs. It is a great trick.

Turkey Meatballs

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Handful of chopped basil if you have it.
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano (or a combination of whatever Italian cheeses you have on hand)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey meat (I think the light and dark combo is the best)
3 tablespoons olive oil

Also you’ll need sauce. you can either use store bought or make your own. If you are making your own basic sauce you will need:

1 large can of crushed tomatoes

2 more cloves of garlic

1/4 cup chopped herbs, such as parsley and basil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions:

Add the all the ingredients except the turkey and olive oil in a large bowl and blend. Mix in the turkey with your hands until just combined. Heat oil in large skillet. Shape the turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs and drop in skillet.

Saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Pour off any excess oil. If using store bought sauce, add it over the meatballs now.

If you are making the sauce, push the meatballs to the side and toss in the garlic and crushed red pepper. Once the garlic has started to soften, add the can of crushed tomatoes and the herbs. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, 15 to 20 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

And enjoy! You’ve just made your own meatballs. I also recommend making these in large, doubled batches and freezing half of them for a super fast weeknight meal. You never have to buy frozen meatballs again.

January 18, 2011
by katie
1,174 Comments

Eggplant Parmesan

I saw this recipe on Food and Wine about a week ago and figured it would be an excellent thing to make on my long weekend. However, by the time I got to it, one of my two large eggplants had gone soft, so I had to half the recipe. I didn’t follow this exactly on the measurement front and I’m sure mine was way cheesier than it was supposed to be, but I loved it! It was perfectly comforting and it didn’t even have any meat!

(This picture is from food and wine. Mine wasn’t nearly this elegant, but not bad.)

My boyfriend put it well when he said as we were eating it, when I look at eggplant, it just looks like something I’m not supposed to be eating. I totally get that. It is generally soft and rather grey when people cook it. And, in this baked Parmesan dish, it was still those things. But, despite it’s weird appearance, I loved the way it tasted. It seems almost meaty in its richness and texture. And I think the layering of the eggplant in this dish make it seem almost like a lasagna.

I have finally found a reason to like eggplant!

It was also much easier than I expected it to be. This is a pretty easy weeknight dinner. Sure, it takes a little time to fry all that eggplant, but it was over with pretty quickly. Just start it early. Since mine was a half recipe, it only took 30 min in the oven, but you want to keep that in mind when you are planning out time. I also just used panko instead of real bread crumbs because it is easy and was still satisfyingly crunchy. Also, I don’t see the point of pureeing the sauce. I skipped that step.

However, as an added bonus, the website says you can make it a day ahead and refrigerate it. But, it says to bring to room temperature before you toss it in the oven.

Eggplant Parmesan with Crisp Bread Crumb Topping

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus about 2 cups for frying
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
Two 28-ounce cans whole, peeled Italian tomatoes, drained
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 small eggplants (1/2 pound each), cut lengthwise 1/2 inch thick
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped basil
1 pound lightly salted fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced and torn into small pieces
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Using your hands, crush the whole tomatoes into the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is very thick, about 25 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of olive oil. Season the eggplant slices with salt and pepper. Working in several batches, cook the eggplant over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 8 minutes per batch; add more olive oil to the skillet between batches. Drain the eggplant slices on paper towels.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Arrange one-third of the fried eggplant slices in the baking dish and sprinkle all over with 1 tablespoon of the chopped basil. Top with one-third of the torn mozzarella and sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Repeat this layering twice. Sprinkle the bread crumbs all over the top of the eggplant Parmesan. Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 45 minutes, until the top of the eggplant Parmesan is golden and the tomato sauce is bubbling. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

January 7, 2011
by katie
1,028 Comments

In the Company of a Courtesan: A Novel

After a full week of recipes. I think it is time for a book review.

I borrowed this book months ago from my mother for a plane trip I was taking. I only recently got around to it. (That “to read” pile on my shelf is finally starting to shrink.)

In the Company of a Courtesan is a period piece set in the mid 1500s in Italy. It follows the story of Fiammetta Bianchini, a sucessful courtesan, and her partner and manager, a wily dwarf named Bucino Teodoldo. The story is from his point of view and begins as the two must survive and flee from the burning of Rome. They escape with jewels in their bellies to Florence to attempt to begin a new life.

It is a struggle for them to get established in their new city, but they eventually find success and meet many interesting characters along the way.

I thought this was a well written book. It is full of historic information and details about the city. However, I don’t think that it was very much fun. For a book about a prostitute and a dwarf, it wasn’t very exciting. I expected more adventure, romance, and a taste of the erotic. Sure, there was sex and love and betrayal and all of the things that should make for a edge of your seat fun ride, but I thought it was missing the fun.

This is not a book I will pick up again, but I don’t really regret reading it. There were some memorable characters. But, it is long and a little dense and if a book is going to be both of those things, I want more in return.

January 6, 2011
by katie
5 Comments

Pasta with Ham, Feta, and Rainbow Chard

Unfortunately, I’ve been rather sickly this week. Stupid winter cold.

So, when it came time to eat yesterday, I wasn’t really in the mood to cook anything, but was hungry and the leftovers in the fridge weren’t doing it for me. So, I came up with a super fast, easy, and delicious meal. I happened to have some wilting rainbow chard in the fridge that was in need of eating and I still have a freezer full of ham from our epic Thanksgiving. Mix it together and what do you have? Magic. Yummy, interesting, and pretty enough for guests. And all in the space of less than 20 minutes.

Pasta with Ham, Feta, and Rainbow Chard

2 Tbs butter

2 cups chopped ham

about 3 cups chopped chard

1/2 pound egg noodles

feta for sprinkling

First, set water to boil for your pasta. While heating, chop your chard and ham. I used peppered ham. Toss your pasta in to cook. Melt the 2 Tbs of butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add ham to warm through. When everything is sizzling nicely, toss in the chard and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes, until chard is wilted and the stems have softened a bit. When the chard is near finished, pull off heat. The hot pan will finish the cooking. When pasta is ready, toss with the chard, butter, and ham mixture. Should be enough butter to coat the pasta and prevent sticking. If not, add a little more. Sprinkle top of pasta with feta and enjoy!

If you are using regular ham, you will want to add pepper. The saltiness of the ham and the feta should mean that you don’t need to add extra salt. But, season to your tastes.

There you go! A beautiful, yummy meal in no time flat. Try it out. It was excellent comfort food for my cold.

January 5, 2011
by katie
1,144 Comments

Gumbo Ya Ya!

When I was home in Arkansas for the holidays, my boyfriend was with me too for part of the time. We spent time with his family and mine. The night he was with my family, my fam wanted to cook something fabulous. (As if everything they cook isn’t fabulous.) My mom settled on Gumbo Ya Ya. This recipe comes from Mr. B’s Bistro, which is her favorite restaurant in New Orleans. Eating this gumbo made me long for a trip down there. It has been far too long since I have been to N’Awlins, or The Big Easy. I may have to try and swing it this year.

Anyways, this gumbo was amazing. Absolutely. And, it made a ton. You could feed an army with the amount of gumbo this produced. Or, you could feed a large dinner party and then freeze the leftovers and be able to throw another dinner party with it. Seriously.

Also, this is not a recipe you would want to make on your own. This is for cooking with a crowd of people in your kitchen. The reason? The roux. To properly make this recipe, you have to make an epic roux. It is a pound of butter and three cups of flour stirred constantly for an hour over low heat. And I mean constantly. Everyone had to take a turn at the stove. One tip I learned the hard way, be gentle with the stirring. I would get impatient or distracted and end up with splashes of hot roux on my hand, which burned rather uncomfortably. I wouldn’t recommend that part. Ouch.

But, the good part to cooking with a crowd, other than your arm not falling off from the constant stirring, is that everyone else can prep all of the ingredients while you are stirring away! Everything was ready to toss in by the time the roux was done.

Here is the recipe along with some tips from the recipe creator.

Gumbo Ya Ya

Making a roux is tricky business. Some pointers to keep in mind: cook your roux over moderately low heat because too high heat will cause the roux to speckle and if that happens you’ll have to throw it away and start over; add the flour gradually to the butter or oil; you must stir the roux constantly with a wooden spoon, your arm will get a workout; and never, but never leave your roux unattended.

1 lb. (4 sticks) unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 red bell peppers, in medium dice
2 green bell peppers, in medium dice
2 medium onions, in medium dice
2 celery stalks, in medium dice
1 1/4 gallon (20 cups) chicken stock
2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 lb. andouille sausage, cut into 1/4 inch-thick slices
3 1/2 lb. chicken, roasted and boned
hot sauce to taste
boiled rice as accompaniment

In a 12-quart stockpot melt butter over moderately low heat. Gradually add a third of the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add a third more flour and stir constantly 30 seconds. Add remaining third of flour and stir constantly 30 seconds. Continue to cook roux, stirring constantly, until it is the color of dark mahogany, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Add bell peppers and stir constantly 30 seconds. Add onions and celery and stir constantly 30 seconds. Add the stock to roux, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add all remaining ingredients except chicken, rice, and hot sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer gumbo, uncovered, 45 minutes, skimming off any fat and stirring occasionally. Add chicken and simmer 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning with hot sauce. Serve over rice.

Yield: about 6 quarts

Enjoy!

January 4, 2011
by katie
1 Comment

Buttery Shortbread Cookies

One of the cookbooks I received for Christmas this year is Sarabeth’s Bakery. I am excited about this book. The first thing I decided to make was her “Buttery Shortbread”.

Also for Christmas, my mother gave me a cookie cutter in the shape of Arkansas. I believe it is part of her ongoing plot to lure me back to my home state. But, I was excited to give it a try. I came across this Buttery Shortbread recipe. It looked easy and I have to tell you they turned out absolutely amazing. And the fact that they were shaped like Arkansas (for the most part) was just extra fun.

Buttery Shortbread

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup of superfine sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

grated zest of 1/2 lemon

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Position racks in the center and top third of oven and preheat to 350F. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper.

Beat the butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until the butter is smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the superfine sugar, then the vanilla and lemon zest, mixing until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low. In thirds, add the flour and salt. Mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl to be sure the dough is well combined, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and kneed briefly until smooth. Dust the work surface and the top of the dough with flour, and roll our the dough into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Cut out the cookies with a cookie cutter and place one inch apart on the cookie sheet. Gather the scraps, roll out, and cut out more cookies until all of the dough has been used. Refrigerate the cookies until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Bake, switching position of the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the edges are very lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the cookies lightly with the granulated sugar (the sugar will not stick if the cookies aren’t hot). Cool completely on the pans.

Enjoy!

January 3, 2011
by katie
4 Comments

Christmas Morning Cheese Strata

For as long as I can remember, Christmas mornings were filled with presents and fun and the wonderful smells of breakfast coming from the kitchen. My dad would be in there cooking bacon and eggs, maybe pancakes and sausage, or if we had been very good, Belgium waffles. And as he would be cooking away, the rest of the family would be ripping into our gifts and yelling back and forth for him to come join us.
This year, we did something a little different.

(the night before)

A few days before Christmas, my mom and I were flipping through one of the new cookbooks that Santa had been so kind as to drop off early for my mom. It was called Radically Simple.

As we were flipping through, we came across a recipe for cheese strata with spinach, Procuitto, and basil. We decided it was the perfect thing for Christmas morning. I assembled it the night before and when we got up in the morning, before opening gifts, we popped it right in the oven. It was perfectly done just as we finished with the gifts.

(toasty wonderful)

Let me tell you, this is my new favorite breakfast dish. Other than the incredibly easy assembly and cooking, it was unbelievably good. Allowing the dish to rest overnight gave the bread time to soak up all of the eggs and when it baked, it puffed up like a big souffle. It was cheesy and tasted of the salty Procuitto with that tangy kick of basil. It was really yummy. I am afraid I’ll have to throw a brunch soon just to have an excuse to make it.
However, the best part was that my dad was able to just relax and hang out all morning with us and not miss any of the unwrapping. It was a wonderful Christmas morning, and I fell in love with this recipe.

(How could we pass on pictures as pretty as this in the cookbook?)

So, I followed the recipe pretty closely. However, I changed the bread. Instead of using white bread without the crusts, I used slices of french bread and left the crusts on. Also, I didn’t have quite enough procuitto for the recipe, so, I crumbled some leftover bacon on the top. I would recommend that. It gave a nice extra texture. Also, keep an eye on the strata. We did ours in a convection oven and it was done in 45 minutes. If we had left it any longer, it would have been overdone, but it was perfect.
Enjoy the recipe!

January 2, 2011
by katie
0 comments

Christmas Eve Stroganoff

Happy holidays to all!

I have had a wonderful holiday season filled with family, friends, and many gastronomic delights. There were a number of new recipes that I tried that I look forward to sharing with you over the next few days of catch up posts.
I’ll begin with the amazing Christmas eve dinner that I helped my mother create. We had one of my favorites. Beef stroganoff.

We used a recipe from Bon Apetit. Let me tell you, making beef stroganoff with tenderloin is a decadent thing. The meat was rich and tender, and since you don’t have to use sour cream, you don’t have to worry about the sauce separating. I really enjoyed this recipe and on a big pile of buttered noodles, it was a big hit with the crowd.
I think we stuck pretty close to the recipe with one exception. We added a big dash of worstershire sauce. I think it helps the beef taste… Beefier. Richer. It gives an extra darkness to the flavor.

Bon Apetit’s Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients:

1 2 1/2-pound piece beef tenderloin, well trimmed, meat cut into 2x1x1/2 inch strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 pound small button mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 cup canned beef broth
2 tablespoons Cognac
3/4 cup crème fraîche or whipping cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

12 ounces wide egg noodles
1 tablespoon paprika

Preparation:

Pat meat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat until very hot. Working in batches, add meat in single layer and cook just until brown on outside, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped shallots and sauté until tender, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes. Add button mushrooms. Sprinkle with pepper and sauté until liquid evaporates, about 12 minutes. Add beef broth, then Cognac. Simmer until liquid thickens and just coats mushrooms, about 14 minutes. Stir in crème fraîche and Dijon mustard. Add meat and any accumulated juices from baking sheet. Simmer over medium-low heat until meat is heated through but still medium-rare, about 2 minutes. Stir in chopped dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide noodles among plates. Top with beef and sauce. Sprinkle generously with paprika.

My mother set a beautiful table for this meal and my whole family really decorated the place right. It looked and felt and tasted like Christmas should.

Happy Holidays.

December 14, 2010
by katie
973 Comments

A Secret Word

Yesterday, I finished “A Secret Word” by Jennifer Paddock. This was another book from my aunt. The appeal for me was that it was written by someone from my hometown. Jennifer Paddock is from Fort Smith, Arkansas and the story begins there.

The story follows three women through fifteen years of their lives. It begins in high school when all three girls experience a tragedy together that links them for the rest of their lives. At least that is the premise. Though their lives intersect a time or two throughout the rest of the book, I felt that the premise was lacking. For example, the characters are never all in the same place again throughout the whole book.

While it was fun to read the writer wax on about my hometown and locations within it, I didn’t feel that the story was very interesting. Sarah and Chandler are from privileged backgrounds and eventually leave Arkansas for New York and trips to Italy, while Leigh is left behind in Arkansas to work in a store and dream of bigger things. One of the girls experiences tragedy, another experiences the heavy weight of an ordinary life without hope, and the last just seems to be floating pointlessly through her life on her absent father’s credit card.

It isn’t that their individual stories aren’t interesting, they’re passable. The issue is that it is supposed to be a story about these intersecting lives, and I didn’t think it led anywhere. There wasn’t a climax or an ironic meeting of the characters. Things just worked out in the end better for some people than others. And it didn’t help that two of the characters were best friends. So, much of their stories were heavily related. The third girl was just doing her own thing. I felt like there should be a more balanced attention to the relationships of the three characters and more common interactions.

The appeal for me is the hometown references. I was surprised to see it rated 4 stars on Amazon. Apparently a lot of people loved the book. I am sad to say I’m not one of them. It was readable, but they are not characters or stories that will stay with me. I’m not sure what the “secret word” was in the story. Maybe that is the problem. I just found it lacking overall. The story was weak. The writing was weak. I wouldn’t recommend it to people.

But, I’m just one opinion. Seems I’m the odd woman out on this one, if ratings count for anything. Maybe it will be your favorite book. However, it wasn’t mine.