Homemade Unorthodox Stock

Before
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

What I Did Yesterday With All My Freezer Bones

Yesterday I made stock from all the bones in the freezer. They were starting to scare my boyfriend, with whom I happily cohabitate. I can't say that I blame him - he knows I'm not normal, but all those baggies of bones can raise the question of just how far off the beaten path I've gone.

Plus, it was deceiving. The freezer looked full, but it wasn't exactly full of things to thaw for dinner!

Genesis of My Decision to Save Bones in the Freezer

Over the past year or so, I started saving chicken bones in a freezer bag until there were enough to boil away for a few hours with some herbs, garlic, and onion ends (and carrots and celery if they are on hand). The results are amazing - far and above any of that canned, cubed, or boxed crap they sell on supermarket shelves. It's true what has been widely said in the 'foodie' community: water is better than store-bought imitation stock.

What I Did Differently This Time in My Stock-making

This time, I did something quite unorthodox. On a rather recent trip to Hong Meas, a Cambodian-influenced pan-Asian restaurant in East Providence which I frequent and love (and about which I've written before http://whatstepheats.blogspot.com/2008/10/hong-meas-combination-rice-noodle-soup_25.html), the lovely owner Sofia told me a secret of her magic broth. She uses not only chicken bones, but a combination of whatever meat bones she has on hand, which mostly includes pork.

This caused me to start saving pork bones from all the takeout bbq ribs we've been eating from United BBQ, which opened a couple of months ago and now delivers.

I understood the risks involved. This method could have made a stock that tasted like bbq, which obviously would not be good!

Results of My Unorthodox Stock-making Approach

But that didn't happen. What did happen was something wonderful, and something I would definitely do again. I think it's important for the chicken bones to outnumber the pork rib bones, and in this instance I felt some brightening was called for, which came in the form of fresh cilantro (mostly stems).

It can definitely be argued that I am certifiably nuts, but what cannot be argued is the quality of my stock results. I only wish I had as much command over the stock market as I do the stock pot!

Broiled Steak Tips

Broiled Steak Tips
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

We had this last night: broiled steak tips with garlic cloves and jalapenos; spinach and onion salad with feta; mashed potatoes; Jonathan Edwards Zin.

I guess it's rather boring, but it's simple to prepare and easy to clean up. With all this plumbing bullshit that's been going on this week and the frigid temperatures, I want comfort and ease, please!

Happy Baked Sea Scallops!

Dinner: January 6, 2009
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

These scallops were originally intended to be part of a Christmas Eve pasta dish, but the man threw a little fit - insisting that the pasta be made with shrimp, not scallops, because that's how he remembered it from his childhood - so what could I do but relegate these succulent sea scallops to a temporary freeze and rush out to get some shrimp. I found the Salvation Army bells (and the rest of the human race) especially grating that afternoon. I wanted to hit the bell-ringer over the head with his instruments, in fact! Bah, humbug. Hey, I'm human.

We all get a little nuts around the holidays. I can't hold it against the Dinnerman, who can be rather volatile on a good day. Our life histories have ways of surfacing when we least expect them to, in ways we could never anticipate. Mom and dad may have tried their bests, but often what's embedded in the grown-up psyches of their posterity is not what they had planned. I am no stranger to this dynamic. He (or she) who is without blame...right? That's not me. My day-to-day is more often than not speckled with hauntings of my past.

So admittedly, the Christmas Eve shrimp linguini dish I made was made with a little more angst than love. It wasn't one of my best efforts, to say the least.

But these scallops last night? These babies are another chapter entirely. I thawed them out and they smelled so sweet.
I was actually looking forward to cooking as I hadn't been doing much in the way of cooking this past week.

So, when I got home from my first spinning class of 2009, I got to 'work'. I popped some red potatoes in the oven first. I wanted to taste that crispy skin.

Then I spread the scallops on a baking sheet and drizzled a tiny bit of olive oil on them. They got a dusting of the pistachio panko crumbs I am fond of from Whole Foods, and a pat or two of butter. Into the oven they went!

While the scallops cooked and perfumed our home with their sweet, sweet perfume, I prepared a salad of romaine lettuce, red onion, chick peas, grated carrot, thinly sliced jalapenos, tangerine zest, tangerine supremes, olive oil, and a splash of cider vinegar.

Yumminess on a plate!

Car 'faux' nara

Car 'faux' nara
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

I made this for lunch yesterday. Improvisation is my strong suit. Perhaps I should have pursued a career on stage! (Not kidding here...)

This was so simple: hot al dente linguini tossed w/ an egg, a splash of olive oil, a bit of butter, some diced soppressata, grated romano cheese, crushed red pepper, and the last few cherry tomatoes.

It hit the spot!

My First Picanha - Why We Love Casa Brasil

Dinner: December 16, 2008
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

As all three of my regular readers may know, the Dinnerman and I frequent a fantastic rodizio restaurant called Casa Brasil, just over the bridge in East Providence.

Owned by Joe and Rose Barros, the family-run Casa Brasil has been open since 2002, and a regular haunt of ours since 2004. They feature a plentiful hot and cold buffet (for sale by the pound to go if you want) and if you desire, the full-blown 'churrascaria' thing - that Brazilian display of pageantry where meats are carved onto your plate at your table until you flip your 2-sided spool from green to red.

The usual procession includes bacon-wrapped chicken, turkey, and sirloin; chicken wings; smoky kielbasa; pork loin; pork ribs; beef short ribs; big pieces of sirloin; something called 'flap meat'; garlic-rubbed tri-tip; and if you get lucky, rarities such as chicken hearts and home-made Brazilian sausage. But the star of the show, at least in the Dinnerman's mouth, are the big hunks of the Brazilian cut known as 'Picanha', which is not a common cut of beef in this country.

According to Wikipedia, Picanha is also known as 'rump cover' steak, and is considered quite a delicacy in South American countries, especially Brasil. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rump_cover

We go through phases with Casa Brasil - we can go for months without a single visit, but then we'll venture out for an early dinner one Sunday and we are hooked. Like true addicts, we then return each week. We dream about the meats, we can't take our minds off of them!

And the buffet! It offers the perfect sides to all that animal protein: the delicious and authentic feijoada; the tutu beans; the rice; the Brazilian salad of tomato, green pepper, and onion over which we have been instructed to sprinkle farofa (toasted manioc flour with crumbled bacon) - these are the perfect accompaniments to this hedonistic feast.

Joe is the front man - the jovial native of Rio de Janeiro who happily greets and informs his hungry customers. He has been known to bring us a dish of this or that, telling us how he made it, where he got the ingredients, how it should be eaten. Rose, his lovely and beautiful wife, is just as present and integral but not as overtly so. She creates many of the dishes on the buffet, and keeps everything running so smoothly. Their daughter Amy waits tables and is sweet as can be. And interestingly, their son Jason works at the same hospital as the Dinnerman, who sees him often. This is a solid family who pour themselves, heart and soul, into all they do. They are in the perfect location too, as East Providence has such a large population of Portuguese. At Casa Brasil, you hear more Portuguese than English.

Back to my point - not that I ever have a single one!

This past Sunday, per our prior request, Joe brought out 3 beautiful slabs of Picanha for us to take home and cook - complete with instructions and baggies full of just the right amount of salt and flour to execute the operation to perfection.

It could not have been more simple - one hour before roasting, I rubbed the gorgeous meat with salt from baggie number 1. Then, right before shoving into a 350 oven, I tossed the meat in flour. So simple - 45 minutes later, we had dinner.

Granted, my beans and rice don't compare to Rose's feijoada, and I don't think I've ever seen brussel sprouts at Casa Brasil. But the man and I were so damn happy with that Picanha!

Thanks, Joe! And happy birthday to Rose (yesterday, December 18th, was her 50th, but she looks younger than my 35 years). I hope Joe was able to fulfill his desire of getting her drunk. He makes the best Caipirinhas, so I don't know how he could have failed...

Go to Casa Brasil. If you appreciate meat and family, you'll love it. And seriously, the Caipirinhas can't be beat. They have the perfect balance of sour to sweet. I abhor drinks that play to the idea that the American palate sways toward the overly sweet. These are not that way. They are great.

We'll see you there on Sunday.

Casa Brasil
545 North Broadway
East Providence, RI 02914
(401) 434-8500

My Casa Brasil pics on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21569696@N07/sets/72157606892082954/

Cod with Pesto and Mustard Panko Crust

Cod with Pesto and Mustard Panko Crust
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

I made this for dinner the other night. I went to Whole Foods early in the morning in the driving rain - so early that not all the fish was out yet. The cod looked fantastic, though, so it was a no-brainer.

I've become such an afficionado of this fish-cooking process. At Whole Foods, there is a display of flavored panko crumbs and spice rubs at the fish counter. One day, the fish guy suggested that I rub pesto on the fish and then top it with some crumbs. He said the mustard flavored crumbs went well with cod. The first time, I didn't listen and bought the pistachio crumbs - I'm such a rebel. Without a cause. Scratch that. I have a cause. More than one, actually. But I digress...

The pistachio/pesto combo was fabulous. This time, I tried the mustard, which was good too. But I must say I prefer the pistachio.

Try this! The potential combinations of fish and panko crumbs are multitudinous, and it's such an easy thing to do!


(Apologies, folks, for the disjointed nature of this post and the angry nature of last night's. Tonight there are 2 rather intoxicated people in the room who will not stop talking to me, and last night I was the drunk person experiencing an unfair, unpleasant, over-a-year-long-now scourge and it was the 'biggest' full moon. I guess that means it was the closest full moon, as I can't imagine that the size of our lovely satellite has changed...)

Angry Pork Chops

Dinner: December 10, 2008
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

I've been pretty uninspired of late. This is no doubt in part related to the cold, the rain, and the darkness that falls earlier each night.
I'm sure it's also because of the situation in my condo building involving a certain business that fills our halls (and homes, in our case) with acrid cigar smoke each night. But I digress...

The pork chop moniker comes from the party we had last Saturday night. We'd picked up the catering, laid out the booze, and everything was all set to go. That is, until Kenny came by and said that we needed to put out some nuts or some chips or something. This, of course, was something I had suggested as well, but, you know how it goes.
So, I furiously popped pan after pan of popcorn, and instead of just a sprinkle of kosher salt, doused it with curry powder and cayenne pepper! Angry popcorn was born. A mistake? Maybe. Will I do it again? Probably not. Did it work on the popcorn? Not really.

But it worked just fine on pork!

Hope your week has been less angry than mine.

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts

Dinner: November 12, 2008
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

This is a very simple meal, of which I make a version most weeks.
Sometimes I use a whole chicken, but this time I just did breasts.

I rub kosher salt into the chicken several hours before cooking and let it sit in the fridge as I find this makes the meat tender and the skin crisper.

I've begun to roast brussel sprouts, garlic, and cubed potatoes ahead of time so I can haul my butt to the gym and not have to rush to get everything done when I get home. I just douse them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and throw them in a 375 degree oven until they start to brown. The brussel sprouts tend to brown more quickly than the potatoes so I use separate pans - unlike when I roast potatoes with carrots, for example.

The chicken gets a quick pass under the broiler until the skin starts to brown, and then I turn the oven to 375 for about 20 minutes or until done.

Simple! I usually serve this meal with a salad including bitter greens, red onion, and sheep's milk feta.

Plan B

Dinner: November 13, 2008?
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

Look at what we will be nibbling on for a while!

This was so easy it doesn't really warrant instructions. Rub kosher salt into a 2-3 lb pork loin roast. Let sit in fridge all day. Wrap with bacon and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Roast in a 375 degree oven (I used the convection setting).

I left it in for approximately 45 minutes, then let it rest for about the same amount of time before cutting into it. The center was a little pink, which I love, but freaks some people out (including one who lives with me). Those people can eat the ends!

Winner, Winner, Chicken (Liver) Dinner!

Dinner: November 13, 2008
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

I've been lacking confidence in everything about myself all week - especially my cooking ability. The title of this post is really stupid, too, I think.
In reality, everything I've made has been delicious: the oven-roasted salmon, the asparagus, the roast chicken, the potatoes and brussel sprouts.

But that didn't stop me from worrying yesterday about my first attempt at chicken liver ragu - so much that I cooked a bacon-wrapped pork roast as a backup!

The ragu over pappardelle was delicious, by the way, and very easy to do. I think cleaning the livers was the hardest part; it was not straightforward to me exactly what needed to be cut away.

Whatever I did worked, and that's all that matters in the end I suppose.

To make this, I took a pint-sized container of chicken livers and cleaned them. One of the livers had the gall bladder still attached, which had to be removed. I trimmed the shmutz and blood vessels and hard things off the liver lobes as best as I could. I was struck at the variation among the different livers in size, texture, color - everything.

Anyway, then I sauteed the livers in olive oil with some minced garlic and onion, salt and pepper until they were no longer raw-looking.
I added a splash of red vermouth and a splash of dry red wine and simmered for a couple of minutes. Then I cheated by dumping in a quart of my meat sauce I had thawed from my freezer stash. I suppose it's not really cheating; I'd made that meat gravy from scratch. It just seemed too easy. I then simmered the concoction for about a half hour. It smelled so rich and delicious and tasted even better!

I wanted to make this with dried porcini mushrooms and not have it so tomato saucy. But my man has both an issue with mushrooms and a strong affection for pasta with red sauce, so, you know, I have to please my audience! He's a customer who is worth keeping satisfied, for sure.

Don't be afraid of liver!

Pistachio-crusted Cod

Dinner: November 6, 2008
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

I made this for dinner last Thursday. Originally I had meatloaf planned for that night, but the rainy warmth called out to me for something less 'cold-weather hearty'. Plus, the man was feeling bloated, he said, and we really haven't been eating as much fish as I like to.
This couldn't have been more simple. I approached the fish counter at Whole Foods and asked for a couple fillets of cod. As I was perusing the selection of seasoned panko crumbs next to the seafood case, the fish guy said that the mustard variety went well with cod. But they were out of that flavor, and I already had the pistachio panko in my hands. He said a customer reported that the pistachio crumbs went especially well on fish with a layer of pesto underneath, so our dinner fate was sealed in that instant.

It could not have been more simple. I simply placed the cod in a foil-lined baking sheet, salted and peppered it lightly, then spread it with a thin layer of store-bought pesto, and sprinkled with the crumbs. Into the oven it went - convection set to 375 - until it looked done. (Sorry about that, maybe 20 minutes? I use my senses and not the clock to cook.)

Meanwhile, I made a pot of brown rice. I sauteed garlic, a shallot, and a jalapeno in some olive oil until it started to brown ever so slightly. I then added a splash of cider vinegar, some home-made chicken stock, and the brown rice. This simmered away for a while, and when it was almost done I threw in a drained and rinsed can of black beans.

The broccoli was simply steamed.

This entire meal was ready in well under a half hour with minimal prep work. It was light but filling, and the leftovers tasted great the following day!

I can't take full credit for the pesto-pistachio combo, but that's what it's all about - the give and take of bits and pieces that lead to the creation of your own thing - in cooking and in life!

Fried Egg with Pesto

Fried egg w/pesto...
Originally uploaded by whatstepheats

Just thought I'd offer you a view of what I ate this morning, on top of some leftover brown rice and black beans.

In other news, my abs are really sore from taking a Pilates class last night - my first one in months. I used to go 4 times a week, but seem to have replaced that with spinning of late.

I do love the burn, however.

Hope you all are having a fantastic Friday and enjoying the brilliant orange maple leaves as much as I am.