Posted in Stephen Kolyer, Uncategorized, tagged best coffee nyc, coq au vin, Joe's coffee, Joe's uws, Judie Choate, Judith Choate on June 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The other morning a young man who is an every morning coffee drinker at JOE (along with yours truly), our Upper West Side coffee bar, excitedly reported that he “had the best coq au vin I’ve ever had”. Which was followed by “But I’ve never had coq au vin before – what is it?” And, that in a nutshell is how bloggers and tweeters and facebookers keep restaurants in or put them out of business!
Posted in Stephen Kolyer, Uncategorized, tagged 4th of july, 4th of july cake, american doll, doll with flag, Judie Choate, Judie Choate Blog, red white and blue, stephen kolyer, Stephen Kolyer art on June 30, 2011 | 4 Comments »
With the 4th of July weekend on the horizon, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be American, particularly in these rough economic times with wars waging in distant lands and families splintered. As angry as I get with our politicians and our own inertia to bring about change (can you tell that I was a rabble-rouser in the 60s?), we always conclude that I live in a very extraordinary country – still filled with promise.
One of my not-so-important but irritating peeves comes about when I read about how the populations of other countries are more in touch with the land than we are in America. Yes, we are, for the most part, an urban society finding our nutrition in supermarkets and fast food restaurants. But, I can tell you, the rest of the world is not far behind us in this area and the quaint foraging natives that food and travel writers tend to glorify the world over are a dying breed. I’ll bet that you will find far more American cooks returning to the land for their sustenance than you will find elsewhere in the world. But don’t use the word “locavore” when talking to me, that irritates me more.
Recently I was surfing the net and came across an old article written by Mark Bittman and sent from Pula, Croatia. The article states – segueing from his opening about people picking wild asparagus from the roadside – “For many in this section of Croatia, any free nutrition is good nutrition. And for those who are better off its simply a matter of getting the best food, directly from the land.” Him and Dick Tracy! Isn’t this true for all of us?
I grew up in the Midwest picking asparagus from the side of the road and from the edges of the irrigation ditches. Long after I had grown and left rural life behind my aunt and uncle still went out every spring to collect it. In upstate New York, where we spend a lot of time, people are still picking wild asparagus, ramps, dandelion greens, and mushrooms in the spring, planting gardens, fishing for perch, trout and other local fishes, hunting for deer and wild birds, supporting farmers, and creating town markets. For many of them, this is a way of life that has not changed for generations, for most it is a way of eating well while staying within the confines of a very tight budget, for some it is an acquired addiction, and for a few of us, it is an extravagance that we indulge in to allow ourselves the pleasure of truly knowing what we are eating, no matter the cost.
I know that our experience is not unique. I just know too many people who care deeply about where, what and how they eat. For some this is simply how it has always been while others might not have begun knowing anything about foraging, gardening, agriculture and/or animal husbandry but they have made it their business to find out. And you know what it usually comes down to – the food just tastes better when you have some attachment to it.
One of our dearest friends – who happens to also be our physician – supplies us with wild turkey, venison, and whatever wild birds he can catch. And, sharing a bottle of wine we think of new ways to cook our good fortune. Another friend – also a doctor – takes me by the hand to carefully forage for wild mushrooms. Our postal person brings me morels from the abandoned apple orchard on her road. And, if you are a reader of my ramblings, you know that I dig (a miserably hard job) for ramps every spring and often pickle them for a winter treat. The farm nearby has meadow-raised lamb and goat. Another down the road a piece has the same but also adds beef, cheeses, eggs, chickens and turkeys that were in the coop in the morning – along with maple syrup and hand-knit sweaters and mittens. My good friend, Debbie, is a whiz of a cook with no training and no exposure to 3 star restaurants. She and her husband take their brief week’s vacation with a drive through the central New York wine region, stopping and tasting at every winery they can get to. This all occurs just a couple of hours from New York City with a mix of people who run the gamut from MD/PhDs to those who have never cracked a book with any enthusiasm. We can’t be alone – I know that all over the country there are communities just like ours with a mix of “locals” who really know the lore of the region and transplants who are eager students. Let me know if you agree!
This, I guess, is my 4th of July rant – after all is said and done I send greetings for a safe holiday – one filled with family, friends, good food, and reflections on peace and prosperity.
Posted in Recipes, tagged Judie Choate, Judith Choate Blog, salmon, salmon baked, salmon cake, salmon for lunch, salmon recipes, salmon salad on June 23, 2011 | 2 Comments »
We all know that salmon is good for us. But, often what’s good for us, is not what we like. That is the case for me and salmon. I should eat it a couple of times a week but since Steve is allergic to fish with scales and can even get a reaction when I cook it, I use his ailment as an excuse for not cooking salmon very often. And, when I do I try to think of new ways to prepare it. Since I have been in a bok choy and Thai mode lately, I decided to devise a new salmon cake for lunch the other day that would use a little of both. I find it very easy to use the microplane to grate chile and ginger directly into the bowl – use as much of either as you like. This recipe should make enough for 6 good-sized salmon cakes.
1 large egg, at room temperature
1½ pounds boneless, skinless salmon, cut into small cubes
1 cup panko breadcrumbs plus about 3 cups for breading
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
About ½ jalapeño chile, grated
About 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
½ teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 tablespoonDijonmustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Grapeseed oil for frying
Separate the egg. Set the yolk aside.
Place the egg white in a small, shallow bowl and, using a whisk, beat until light. Set aside.
Place the salmon in a medium mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of the panko along with the scallion, mint, cilantro, chile, and ginger. Sprinkle on the paprika and salt and pepper. Add the yogurt, mustard, and lemon juice along with the reserved egg yolk. Using your hands, lift and toss the mixture to blend completely without smooshing the salmon.
When blended, form the mixture into 6 large or 12 small cakes.
Place the remaining panko in a large shallow container.
Working with one at a time, dip the salmon cakes into the egg white and then place in the panko, turning to generously coat all sides.
Heat a thin film of oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the cakes, without crowding the pan, and fry, turning once or twice, until golden brown and just cooked through.
Serve hot on a bed of salad or other greens. (I used baby bok choy leaves, spinach, carrot, and thinly sliced hothouse cucumber in a dressing of rice wine vinegar, a touch of sesame oil, grapeseed oil, orange juice concentrate, and sesame seeds.)
Posted in Recipes, tagged baking brownies, brownies, brownies with nuts, brownies with walnuts, Judie Choate Blog, The Gift-Giver’s Cookbook on June 22, 2011 | 2 Comments »
I don’t bake much in the summer in the city as my kitchen just gets unbearably hot and humid and I get unbearingly hot and grumpy. However, the temperature went from 100º last week to the low 60s this so I threw a batch of brownies in the oven so we could have an evening treat and I would have sweets to bring to my favorite baristas at JOE, our morning coffee bar.
I have been making the recipe since I was a teenager and it appeared in my first cookbook, The Gift-Giver’s Cookbook (written with my close friend, Jane Green in 1970) as Edna’s Brownies. It had been given to my mom by an Illinois cook named Edna Vogel who had used it as her go-to dessert for years. I assume that this recipe has seen more church socials, bridge parties, picnics, and backyard barbecues than we, altogether, can imagine. I think that it makes a wonderful cookie – today I added about half a bag of bittersweet chocolate chips that had become half a bag through my reaching in for a sneak treat. You can also add just about any type chip you like to the mix. I made the bars a bit thicker than usual – no matter – thick or thin – they’re delicious.
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup walnut or pecan pieces, optional
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Generously butter and floured an 11-inch by 7-inch baking pan or coat it with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
Combine the flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle. Beat, on medium, until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. When blended, lower the speed and add the vanilla.
When well combined, gradually add the reserved flour mixture, beating to blend completely.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, slightly smoothing the top.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the sides begin to pull away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and place on wire racks to cool for about 15 minutes. Then, cut into squares, but leave in the pan until cool.
When cool, store, airtight, at room temperature, for up to a week.
Posted in Recipes, tagged cooking mussels, fresh mussels, mussells recipe, Mussels, seafood, Thai Coconut Mussels, thai cocunut, thai style mussels on June 20, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
We are big mussel fans – they’re cheap, meaty, filling, and fun to eat. Distinguué French ladies usually open one and then use the half shell to gingerly lift the meat from the shell. Trés elegant, n’est-ce pas? Following form, I usually prepare them in the traditional white wine/shallot/parsley mix only because I really love the broth sopped up into crusty bread. Steve prefers his over a bed of spaghetti to slurp up the broth.
But, the other night I felt the urge to try something different and since I had a fresh coconut about that I had pounded open and grated, I decided to do a take on Thai flavors. I used “lite” coconut milk, but feel free to use the stronger stuff – it does have more flavor. I always use chicken stock with canned clam broth as I think it balances the flavor.
For this dish, I served mine over some leftover baby spinach and Steve had a bowl of steamed jasmine rice on the side with his. This should feed to 2 hungry eaters.
1 cup clam broth
1 cup “lite” coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock or canned nonfat, low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Thai red chili paste or to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, peeled and minced
½ jalapeño chile or to taste
1 tablespoon minced lemon grass or 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
Salt to taste
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed clean with beards removed
3 tablespoons freshly grated coconut meat, optional
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Combine the clam broth, coconut milk, chicken stock, and chili paste in a large pot. Place over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the chili paste. Add the garlic, shallot, jalapeño, and lemon grass and bring to a boil. Season with salt, lower the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes or long enough for the flavors to blend.
Add the mussels, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook, lifting the mussels up and about occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until all of the mussels have opened.
Stir in the mint and cilantro and serve.
Posted in Recipes, tagged baking cupcakes, cream cheese, cream cheese frosting, Judith Choate, red velvet, red velvet cake, red velvet cupcakes on June 17, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Here’s another great addition to summer picnics and barbecues. These cupcakes seem to be a favorite for kids, big and little, alike. You can top them with any frosting you prefer but this cream cheese recipe seems to be the winner. With the 4th of July coming up, these are a perfect red, white, and blue dessert with some blue sprinkles on the frosting.
Makes 2 dozen
2½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons red food color
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Set aside.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle. Beat, on medium, until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. When blended, lower the speed and add the sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla.
When well combined, gradually add the reserved flour mixture, beating until just blended. Do not overbeat.
Line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners. Carefully spoon the batter into the paper cups, filling each about ⅔ full.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and place the pans on wire racks to cool for about 5 minutes. Then, remove the cupcakes from the pans, place them directly on the wire racks and let cool completely.
While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting.
When cool, top each cupcake with a generous coating of the frosting, swirling it around with a small offset spatula.
Store, airtight, in a cool spot for up to 2 days.
Cream Cheese Frosting
12 ounces full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle. Beat, on medium, until very light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat to blend.
Slowly add the sugar, beating well to incorporate. When all of the sugar has been added continue beating until very light and fluffy.
Use as directed in the cupcake recipe or as frosting for any chocolate cake or cupcake.
Posted in Stephen Kolyer, Uncategorized, tagged asparagus, bbq crabs, Crabs, crabs on grill, fingerling, fingerling potato, grilled asparagus, Judie Choate, Judith Choate, soft shell crabs, Soft shell crabs on grill, stephen kolyer on June 15, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Well, just as we all expected, New York went straight to summer from our long, miserable winter. No spring to speak of – just rain and cool days – enough warmth to bring May flowers but not much else. Returning from San Francisco last week we walked off of the plane to 95º and steaming sidewalks. So, we immediately took to the country where we are usually guaranteed weather at least 10 degrees cooler. And, of course, it was just as hot there but that meant we could leave the kitchen and get the grill going.
Since the soft shells didn’t know that it was already summer, they were still on the spring menu. Lynn, my buddy, had ordered up a mess of them and managed to pick enough asparagus before it bolted in the heat. What a feast we had – soft shells, asparagus and green garlic, and fingerling potatoes – all off the grill. We finished with some Pierre Robert and La Roche cheese that I had picked up at Zabar’s and a handful of the first strawberries of the year.
You can find hints for grilling soft shells in a June 2010 post. For the asparagus and garlic, I simply tossed them with olive oil, fresh lemon zest, and salt and pepper. The potatoes were par-boiled and then doused with evo and cracked black pepper. So simple and sooooo good!
Posted in Uncategorized on June 13, 2011 | 8 Comments »
For the last couple of years, my best buddy, Lynn, and I have been building a dream. Where it is headed neither of us knows but we do have a beginning, mainly through Lynn’s ingenuity. Sitting on the top of some beautiful acreage owned by Lynn and her husband, stands a movable shepherd’s hut permanently placed on the frame of an old hay wagon. The hut is positioned with a view that is remarkable. The Catskills loom to the front and the Adirondacks rise to the hind side. My best doggie friend, Lena Mai and I paid a visit in preparation for summer the other day. The hut is furnished with a very comfortable futon, a chair and small table, and a kite to fly….the lighting is a gas lamp and flashlights and there is always lots of reading material…picnic spots abound and a huge grill is just a skip away. . As you can see, we found it ready for guests! Another hut has just been finished and is awaiting its placement somewhere equally inviting. They are both awaiting guests – we’re hoping writers and artists looking for a peaceful setting in which they might create imaginary lives. We will eventually have a cook wagon and then the fun will really begin!
Posted in Stephen Kolyer, Uncategorized, tagged Chris Choate, Judie Choate Blog, Judith Choate, the Taco Guys, the taco guys san fran on June 10, 2011 | 9 Comments »
As I told you earlier, we were in San Francisco for a couple of weeks to celebrate the wedding of our son Chris to his best girl, Heather. What I didn’t know was that I was to be part of the crafting team preparing the décor for the outdoor celebration. Stacks of tissue paper were to be turned into flowers, a job that you couldn’t pay me to do but when assigned by your daughter-in-law-to be, you craft! When it got too much, I decided that I would do my impersonation of Queen Elizabeth and turned the tissue paper flower into my wedding hat! Heather, the bride to be, and Canada, our granddaughter, joined the fun and Steve caught it all on “film” as we preened in the loo (because of its great natural light, it is also known as Steve’s west coast studio)! The sad after-thought to these hundreds of hand-made flowers is that, although the tables sitting in a meadow at Rush Ranch {where the wedding took place} looked charming filled with paper flower centerpieces in the morning sunlight, they disintegrated in the afternoon’s downpour.
So, the wedding was celebrated in rain – everyone tells us that rain on the bride is a good omen for a long and happy marriage. The atmosphere was as casual as can be with many of the guests camping on the grounds and lots and lots of little children (one meadow was filled with tents and toys). The celebrant was Chris’ best buddy, Doug Collister, who placed them under a huge oak tree that kept the marrying group fairly dry but the rest of us got soaked. The less hardy souls took to the hills after the ceremony but lots and lots of people stayed to party. The champagne and wine flowed and then the taco truck appeared and the feeding frenzy began. The line was long but Chris’ brother worked it, keeping everyone’s glass full while Chris got out of his “wet” suit and donned bright orange shorts and a sombrero. I’m here to tell you that the tacos were well worth the wait! These were not your average tacos – we had duck, beef, pork, mahi mahi, shrimp, even a blt! We plied the truck cooks with champagne and they just kept feeding the crowd until it was time to build the bonfire, toast marshmallows, and let Dave Matthews sing the kids to sleep. What a way to begin married life!
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Judie Choate Blog, Judith Choate Blog on June 3, 2011 | 2 Comments »
I apologize for getting behind on my posts but we have spent the last couple of weeks in California celebrating our son’s marriage. Chris and his bride, Heather, had a casual and fun celebration complete with taco truck and rainstorm. Pictures and story will be posted shortly.
