Fearless Kitchen

Recipe: Sauce for Lords

Recipe Source: Anonymous.  An Early Northern Cookery Book.  Rudolf Grewe and Constance B. Hieatt, eds.  Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Tempe, 2001 p. 31

Okay, this one is a little strange.  I'm not entirely sure that it counts as a "fail," but I'm not exactly sure that it's a "win" either.  I think that while it is listed as a sauce it is probably more of a "marinade," and that it was just as likely to be considered as a preservative as anything else.  It is a very strongly flavored sauce and other, similar sauces have included the instruction to rinse off the meat before using it.  That said, this didn't actually taste bad.  It was actually kind of good.  I served it over roasted beef and while people didn't eat a whole lot of it they certainly ate it.

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

A combination of ground cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, black pepper and ginger adding up to 1 tablespoon

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Equipment:

• None

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Serve with roasted meat.

Recipe: Game Hens in an Onion Sauce

Recipe Source: Anonymous.  The Book of Sent Sovi.  Joan Santanach, ed.  Robin Vogelzang, trans.  Barcino - Tamesis, Barcelona, 2008 p. 155

This is another recipe from the week of all medieval recipes.  This recipe dates to the early 1300s and comes to us from Catalonia.  It isn't an easy book to read or follow and it sometimes calls for things that seem very strange - I sometimes wonder if the author was a cook or was copying down something he didn't really understand.  There are quite a few good, useable recipes in this book though, and they help to dispel the notion that humankind only evolved taste buds after the Age of Enlightenment.

What it is, though, is another simple recipe that can be made from things you probably have on hand already.  The original did strongly suggest that partridges be used.  For whatever reason I read that as "game hens" when I was making up my grocery list, which are at any rate easier to find than partridges in most modern American grocery stores.  You could get away with chicken here, or even turkey breast if you're not concerned with historical accuracy.  (In fact, turkey would be really, really good.)  I did use olive oil in place of pork fat to accommodate my own food allergy, but I don't think that's too much of a stretch.  Stuff happens.  Your supply of pork fat could have gone bad, or the dog could have eaten it, or you could have used it all up.

This dish was very well received, which was kind of gratifying.  It did make a lot of sauce.  It's entirely possible that I made more sauce than strictly required, but I'm comfortable with my interpretation.  The fowl seems to be almost secondary to this dish; indeed, the name of the dish is "onion sauce."  ("Porriol" in medieval Catalan, in case you were curious, which of course you were.)  You can certainly use a starch - rice or bread or what have you - to soak up the remaining sauce if you wish.  What is important is that the vinegar and pepper shouldn't be too strong.  That's specifically stated in the original.

Game Hens in an Onion Sauce (serves 12; approx. $1.19/serving)

4 onions, finely minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

2 tablespoons black pepper

1 cup red wine vinegar

2 cups water

4 game hens, quartered

Equipment:

• Large saucepan

1. Heat the oil in the saucepan.
2. Add the onion with a pinch of kosher salt.  Saute until the onion is translucent and starting to brown.
3. Add the game hens.  Brown the meat on at least two sides, taking care to not let the onions burn.  (Why yes, this does require close attention.)
4. Add the remaining ingredients, with more salt if necessary.  Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer until the game hens are cooked through.
6. Transfer to a serving vessel and serve.

Recipe: Red Chickpea Broth

Recipe Source: Martino of Como.  The Art of Cooking.  Luigi Ballerini, ed.  Jeremy Parzen, trans.  University of California Press, Berkeley, 2005 pp. 71 - 2.

You've probably heard all about our Sunday open houses by now, but if you haven't we have these open house things on Sunday afternoons for folks from a group of medieval history enthusiasts.  I serve dinner at these gatherings.  At one gathering a few weeks ago, I was (jokingly) censured for not making any actual medieval dishes that week.  I decided that the next time we met I would serve only documentable, historical dishes from before 1600.  To add to the challenge, none of these dishes were going to be sourced from my favorite cookbook, Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens.  I added that additional restriction because, well, it is my favorite cookbook, and I feel like I refer to it too often.  I've got quite a few other cookbooks on hand and I really feel the need to prove that I can cook something besides tenth century Baghdadi cuisine.

So I went back to my other historical cookbooks.  I wanted to offer at least one vegetarian entree and this one really sprang to mind.  It had the added advantage of using up some of the cans of chickpeas in my pantry, making room for some of the things that are taking up counter space.  In theory, this is supposed to make eight servings, but we managed to get twelve as a side dish out of it.  I didn't need to make any real substitutions, although the measurements are in this case guessed at.  It was incredibly easy to prepare and very tasty to boot.

Red Chickpea Broth (serves 12; approx. $0.29/serving)

3 cans (14 - 20 oz cans, depending on what you've got) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3 cups water

10 sage leaves, chopped

1 sprig rosemary, leaves only, chopped

4 - 6 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

Equipment:

• I used a Dutch oven for this recipe.  Any large, wide saucepan will probably do.

1. Combine all of the ingredients in the Dutch oven.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer until the chickpeas are tender but not disintegrating.
4. Transfer to a serving vessel and serve.

Recipe: Renaissance Chicken Wings

Recipe Source: Scappi, Bartolomeo. The Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi. Terence Scully, trans. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 2008 p. 213

Bartolomeo Scappi was a master chef whose great work, referenced above, was published in 1570 AD. By "master chef" I don't mean a winner of some show on cable. I mean this guy was the personal chef to not one but two Popes, as well as a few cardinals. He cooked for the conclave that elected at least one Pope. Now, don't get me wrong. The Reformation was in full swing at this point, but the Pope was still probably the single most influential and powerful individual in the Western world. Scappi was responsible for keeping this man fed.

Now, this time was certainly an era of great opulence and show, at least for the wealthy and powerful. After all, what good was money if it didn't buy you power, and if no one knew how powerful you were you didn't have a whole lot of power at all. Our mental images of this period involve lavish costumes, ridiculously expensive furnishings, tables groaning under bizarre and fabulous dishes that later gave rise to nursery rhymes. There are plenty of fantastic dishes in Scappi, but there are plenty of more prosaic dishes as well. Our author is just as concerned about managing waste as any modern executive chef and his chapter on fowl includes recipes for cooking parts of birds that today we'd probably just throw away. Recipe 147 contains instructions for cooking necks, wings and feet of multiple types of fowl, including ducks and geese.

This is a very simple recipe. It has three ingredients - four if you count the salt, which isn't specified in Scappi. I did make one substitution. The original called for rendered fat to be used, although interestingly it does not call for the fat to be rendered pork fat. (Many medieval Western recipes call for pork fat, and refusal to use pork products in some places and times was interpreted as indicating that the cook or diner's conversion from Judaism or Islam was nominal only.) I used olive oil, because I did not have rendered fat of any kind on hand. I would like to think that Scappi would have used the same substitution if he found himself wanting rendered fat - through use, or possibly because the dog ate it, or whatever.

Basically, though, what you're getting here is a recipe for chicken wings that was certainly used five hundred years ago - all right, four hundred fifty - and still works well today. They didn't have buffalo sauce. Maybe you're serving guests who can't handle spicy food. Maybe you're out of buffalo sauce. Either way, these make a great appetizer or food for the game.

Renaissance Chicken Wings (serves 12; approx. $0.95/ea.)

18 chicken wings, prepared

2 bunches scallions, chopped

5 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Equipment:

• Large saucepan
• Colander
• Large saute pan

1. Fill the large saucepan with salted water and add the chicken wings. Parboil the chicken wings until about half cooked.
2. Drain the chicken wings and set aside.
3. Set aside a handful of the chopped green parts of the scallions.
4. Heat the oil in the saute pan.
5. Add the chicken wings. Saute until the wings are cooked through.
6. About a minute before the chicken is done, add the scallion bits. Saute until the chicken is cooked through and the scallions are limp.
7. Transfer to your serving dish. Scatter with the reserved scallion greens and serve.

Recipe: Potatoes with Peppers and Turnip Greens

Okay, it's been a while since I've posted.  This is not for any lack of material.  No, this is because of Technical Difficulties.  My old computer was starting to show its age.  My husband's Mac developed an unfortunate difficulty that required substantial help from the folks at the Apple store.  He picked up a new one and I inherited the old one once it was fixed, which was great.  I've already gotten used to the differences between them for the most part.  The problem has been finding blogging software that works in a useful way on my site as well as transferring material from the moribund PC to the lively Mac.  I'm testing out a couple of different options for blogging software and am finally ready to start posting again.

Like I mentioned, my difficulties haven't involved a lack of material, which you probably wouldn't believe if you saw how much we've been dining out lately.  (Busy life is busy!)  I have in fact been cooking up a storm.  This is a dish I made last Sunday for our Sunday open house.  I basically felt like I hadn't made enough vegetables, went through and found what was left in our refrigerator.

This actually went over pretty well, if I do say so myself.  People were both intrigued and frightened by the purple potatoes.  They came from our farm share and I'm not 100% sure if they can be purchased in supermarkets.  They also make atrocious eating raw.  Cooked, though, they're a treat.

Potatoes with Peppers and Turnip Greens (serves 12; approx. $0.48/ea)

9 purple potatoes, diced

3 Jimmy Nardello peppers (or other very mild long pepper), chopped

3 onions, sliced

5 garlic cloves, sliced

1 bunch turnip greens, washed and chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Equipment:

• Large saucepan
• Colander
• Large saute pan

1. Fill the saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil.
2. Add the diced potatoes.  Par-cook for about five minutes, then drain.
3. Heat the oil in the saucepan.
4. Add the onions and garlic with a pinch of kosher salt.  Saute until the onions are just beginning to soften.
5. Add the peppers.  Saute until the peppers just start to soften.
6. Add the potatoes.  Saute until the potatoes are starting to toast up nicely.
7. Add the turnip greens.  Saute until just wilted - the water from the washing should be quite sufficient to keep the mixture from burning.
8. Transfer to a serving vessel and serve.

Recipe: Georgian-style Salmon with Tomatoes and Herbs

Recipe Source: Cramer, Marc. Imperial Mongolian Cooking. Hippocrene Books, New York, 2003 p. 158

Okay, I will be the very first to admit that salmon is very low on my list of preferred fish. I think I've gotten burned out on it. You know how it is: salmon is on just about every menu. Whenever someone hears that you like fish, immediately they decide to make salmon. It is readily available and it is cheap. Furthermore, a good friend of ours is simply obsessed with salmon. She eats it every day. I'm not kidding. So my eyes usually just glide over salmon when I see it in the store. The thing is, though, like I said it is available very cheaply, especially for fish. The salmon I get from Costco – fillets frozen individually – is decent quality and we need to be including more seafood in our diets. I therefore must learn to swallow my distaste and make salmon dishes that are healthy and filling.

This recipe certainly fit the bill. I made a few changes, as I am wont to do. I served this over some farro; I really like farro and I'm trying to vary our grain intake. I did not use three pounds of salmon. We are three people, one of whom is quite small, and we do not need to eat three pounds of salmon. I used three fillets. I used chili powder for paprika and a combination of cilantro and parsley for the straight cilantro called for in the recipe. (I realize that this is the opposite of my usual modus operandi, but I hadn't planned to make this dish when I did my grocery shopping. I didn't have enough cilantro.) To make up for the lack of fish volume I doubled both the tomato and lemon volumes.

The result was pretty amazing, if I do say so myself. I loved this dish, my husband loved this dish, and my daughter could not get enough of it. There were leftovers, and I ate them the next day for lunch. While this dish was much better warm, it was perfectly adequate served on some whole-wheat pita bread cold.

Georgian-style Salmon with Tomatoes and Herbs (serves 4; approx. $7.14/serving)

1 small package farro, prepared according to package instructions

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 salmon fillets, skinned and cut into cubes

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro

1 bunch chopped fresh parsley

3 red onions, thinly sliced

6 lemons, thinly sliced

6 bay leaves

4 pounds tomatoes, thinly sliced

¾ cup white wine

Equipment:

• Large, deep saucepan or Dutch oven

1. Coat the bottom of the saucepan with olive oil.
2. Sprinkle the fish cubes with salt, pepper and one tablespoon chili powder.
3. Add successive layers of herbs, onions, lemons and bay leaves. Sprinkle with another tablespoon of chili powder.
4. Layer the tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with chili powder and pour the wine over the top.
5. Cover and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.
7. Layer the farro on the bottom of your serving vessel. Pour the contents of the saucepan over the top and serve.

Recipe: Cumin-Flavored Pastries (Nimki)

Recipe Source: Westrip, Joyce. Moghul Cooking. Serif Cookery, London, 2005 p. 38

I've already mentioned the event I catered during the August non-vacation this year. The theme was supposed to be the Silk Road, with cuisines and treats from cultures that were involved with the medieval silk trade. India was certainly part of the silk trade in those days, but I haven't found a good source for medieval Indian recipes. (If you have a good source, could you please pass it along? I'm not kidding.) The event was a cocktail party, meaning that the food needed to be things people could a) eat with their fingers and b) just kind of graze on while socializing and drinking. It also needed to be relatively "neat" food – food that people could eat without fear of dripping on some very expensive and elaborate costumes. I was flipping through the book cited above when I found this recipe, and I immediately said, "A-ha!"

What is it about this dish that so piqued my imagination? It's the cumin, of course. Cumin is one of my favorite flavors in the whole world. It's the spice I'm most likely to increase when using a recipe. I don't know why it's my favorite spice these days but it is and I simply cannot get enough of it. It's got a nice, pleasant flavor, warming and enticing. It was clearly perfect cocktail party food. I did have to make a few changes. Since this was an ostensibly medieval event (I couldn't get actual medieval sources for some of the recipes) I couldn't use chili powder. (Chiles existed in period, but not in India.) I also had to tweak my usual garam masala mix. One of the changes I made to that mix involved turmeric – I figured that it would give the finished product a pleasant color, which could be problematic given that a) I was not deep-frying the pastries and b) I was going to have to freeze them and bring them from Boston. I also used olive oil for the ghee to keep costs down and because that's what I keep on hand.

Personally, I was delighted with these little pastries. My husband and child were equally enthusiastic when I did the test run. I will say that these were at their absolute best fresh from the oil, but they survived being frozen and re-heated in the Big Green Egg very well indeed.

Nimki (Makes enough for about 6 people; approx. cost per serving not available)

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup water

Vegetable oil for frying

Equipment:

• Mixing bowl
• Rolling pin
• Pizza cutter
• Large skillet
• Slotted spatula
• Plate
• Paper towels

1. Combine the flour with the spices and salt in the mixing bowl.
2. Add the oil and combine well.
3. Add the flour gradually and mix to form a firm dough.
4. Knead 10 – 15 minutes.
5. Allow to rest, covered, at least 30 minutes.
6. Roll out the dough very thin. Use the pizza cutter to cut out roughly diamond shapes. (Freehand cutting is not my strong suit, but that did not affect the flavor!)
7. Heat the vegetable oil in the skillet.
8. Working in batches, fry up the pastries. Do not overcrowd the pan. As the pastries become brown, evacuate them to a plate covered in paper towels with the slotted spatula to drain off the excess oil.
9. Serve.

Recipe: Pasta with Leeks, Peppers and Corn

I've got a confession to make, and it's shocking even to me. I'm finding that I really don't want to cook. I guess I've been a little under the weather and I look at the kitchen and say, "Ugh, not again." It's not so much the cooking, because I can make things (like this dish) in half an hour or less. It's that it just doesn't seem worth it to dirty all those dishes for two people, especially when I'm tired and not feeling well. My center island, where the food prep actually happens, has become a storage shelf despite my best efforts to the contrary so I find myself getting frustrated and feeling crowded. That makes cooking not so much fun.

Of course, none of this gets me out of cooking. My husband has been adamant that we Eat Out Too Often and while I disagree, I do think he's got a valid point. We have been dining out more frequently than is necessarily good for us, largely but not entirely for social reasons. I'm trying to lose weight – not terribly successfully, it's true – and eating at home gives me more control over our diets. Eating at home is also usually cheaper than dining out too, and so I cook. Grudgingly and with a lot of cursing, but I cook.

I think that I'm just feeling a little burned out. Once I get the kitchen in tolerable shape and find a new, fresh source of inspiration I'll almost certainly be good to go again.

Anyway, I came up with this on one night when the Spouse absolutely insisted on eating at home. We'd come home late from the mall – I forget why we went – and I was not in the mood to be cooking, but it had to happen. I went through the fridge and found a bunch of farm share produce that needed to get used up and this is what I found. I was cursing the whole time I was cooking this because I truly had no interest, but in the end I really liked this dish. I wanted more. My husband wanted more. I think that the key here was the corn. It was an unusual flavor, especially in a pasta dish, and I think that it really grabbed me. The peppers didn't really thrill me – they had a kind of a bitter flavor that just didn't do it for me – but overall this dish was a delight.

Pasta with Leeks, Peppers and Corn (serves 4; approx. $1.13/serving)

1 box whole-wheat penne, prepared according to package instructions

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ear of corn, kernels only

1 leek, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped

Equipment:

• Wok

1. Heat the oil in the wok.
2. Add the leek and garlic. Sauté until the garlic just threatens to turn color.
3. Add the bell pepper. Sauté until softened.
4. Add the corn. Cook 3 – 5 minutes.
5. Transfer the pasta to your serving bowl. Add the vegetables and toss to combine.
6. Serve.

Recipe: Braised Tofu

Recipe Source: Mowe, Rosalind. Culinaria Southeast Asia. H. F. Ullmann, 2007 p. 44

Yes, I feed my kid tofu. What about it? I didn't set out to give her tofu, of course. I fully intended for this to be a grown-up meal one Friday night. We wound up going out to dinner. I then intended to serve it at a Sunday open house but ran out of time and energy. Finally I decided to feed it to the offspring. I was sick of giving her food cooked by someone else – frozen ravioli, that sort of thing – and wanted to give her something I made myself. I didn't know she'd like tofu, but I was reasonably confident. Tofu that isn't masquerading as something it isn't – such as steak – is actually a very acceptable protein source.

So I offered her the tofu, and she sat with as much patience while I prepared the dish as a nineteen-month-old child can muster. Then I gave her the tofu. She looked at it a little suspiciously, but when I told her she could use a fork she was delighted. Then she tried the tofu and it was all over. She was hooked.

I will say this, though. While Fearless Baby was quite excited to use the fork, she still considers utensils to be novelty items. Eventually she became frustrated by the slow pace of eating with a fork, threw the offensive utensil on the ground (where it was thoroughly cleaned by the dog before I could intervene) and dove in with both hands. This was messy. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, I'm just saying that forewarned is forearmed.

I made a few changes, as is my wont. I increased the garlic and ginger because I like those flavors. I used firm light tofu instead of soft because of personal preference. (Actually only the firmness was personal preference; the market I chose that day didn't have firm regular tofu.) I increased the mushrooms slightly to avoid having excess left in my fridge – besides, mushrooms are healthy and filling. I omitted the rice wine because of a brain cramp. I also added some carrots and tomatoes, both for the sake of using them up and because they are two of Fearless Baby's favorite foods.

Braised Tofu (serves 4; approx. $2.28/serving)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 package firm light tofu, drained and cut into bite-sized pieces (Bite-sized pieces for an adult will be different from bite-sized pieces for a baby.)

5 carrots, peeled and diced

2 scallions, sliced

1 ounce garlic paste

1 ounce ginger paste

1 6-oz package crimini mushrooms, chopped

2 teaspoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

3 tablespoons water

1 pound plum tomatoes, chopped

Equipment:

• Wok

1. Heat the oil in the wok.
2. Add the tofu. Fry on all sides until lightly browned, then evacuate.
3. If you need more oil in your pan, add it.
4. Add the garlic, ginger, scallions and carrots. Sauté until fragrant.
5. Add the mushrooms. Sauté until tender.
6. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, water and tomatoes. Sauté until the carrots are tender.
7. Return the tofu to the pan. Stir to combine, let the tofu and the vegetables reach the same temperature, and serve.

Recipe: Pasta with Peppers and Mushrooms

This is the dinner that I made when I was canning all those tomatoes. It is actually a very simple dinner to make, which was my goal. I really didn't feel much like cooking at that point, but I was ravenously hungry and it was late enough at night that I didn't think we'd find acceptable food outside the home. I therefore hunkered down to make this and I really didn't think I'd care for it. Was I ever wrong! This was actually quite delicious and both my husband and I ate far more of it than we really intended to.

The yogurt may seem like an odd addition. I threw in a few more hot peppers than was probably strictly necessary and I wanted to tame their heat. Dairy is a great way to kind of rein in chili peppers. Throwing it in after cooking had stopped kept the fat-free yogurt from curdling, which is always a threat, but allowed it to come up to a reasonable temperature with the rest of the food.

Pasta with Peppers and Mushrooms (serves 4; approx. $2.34/serving)

1 box whole-wheat pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, roughly sliced

1 bell pepper, diced

4 green chili peppers, chopped

1 pound plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 package beech mushrooms, roughly chopped

1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt

Kosher salt to taste

Equipment:

• Large saucepan
• Colander
• Wok

1. Fill the large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions and drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in the wok.
3. Add the onion, garlic, chilies and bell pepper. I usually add a little salt to the onions, but it's up to you. Sauté until the onion is colored and softened.
4. Add the tomatoes. Sauté until the tomatoes are very soft and the mixture is very liquid.
5. Add the mushrooms. Sauté until the mushrooms are cooked, which shouldn't take very long at all.
6. Remove from heat. Add the still-warm drained pasta and the yogurt. Mix very well, until you can't identify the yogurt anymore.
7. Serve.