Recipe: Duck Leg-Quarters

I love duck.  It's maybe my favorite protein to eat.  Don't fear the duck.  If you find it in your grocery store, buy it.  Then have me over for dinner.  Or, as Wimpy famously said in the Popeye cartoons...."You bring the duck....I'll bring the dinner."

DUCK LEG QUARTERS

2 duck leg-thigh quarters
salt

That's right....all you need for a delicious main dish is 2 ingredients.

Put the duck on a work surface.  Using a very sharp knife (or a utility knife, like I did), make VERY shallow cuts across the skin about 1/2 of an inch apart.  You only want to break the skin -- you don't want to cut so deep it gets into the flesh.  The knife MUST be sharp, or you will not be able to make it through the skin.  Then turn the duck 90 degrees, and make more shallow cuts exactly the same way and depth.  Sprinkle with salt.

Repeat on the other duck quarter.

Heat a good heavy skillet over medium heat until very hot.  I strongly recommend a cast iron skillet if you have it.  A drop of water should sizzle and evaporate almost immediately.  Put the duck in the skillet, skin-side down.  If you have a splatter-guard (this is a fine screen on a round frame), put it over the pan, or else you may get to clean a mess off of your stove top.  Cook for approximately 6-8 minutes for medium doneness.  If you prefer your duck "well done," then you should really reconsider.  Also, turn the heat on the pan down to medium low after 6 minutes and cook for a total of 10 minutes.

Flip the duck and cook for the same amount of time you cooked the "skin" side (6 minutes for medium, 10 minutes for well done).  Put on a plate and cover tightly with foil for 5 minutes.  Serve warm.

BONUS:  Pour off the excess duck fat from the pan.  Add 1/2 cup of your favorite juice to the pan (orange is traditional, but white grape or cranberry works well, too) while the pan is hot.  Scrape the bottom of the pan to get any tasty browned bits off the bottom of the pan.  Boil on hot until it thickens (only a couple of minutes).  Serve this pan sauce over the duck.

Finally, in the words of Beldar Conehead, "Consume mass quantities."

Recipe: Greek Yogurt coffee cake

This is an adaptation of a sour cream coffee cake.  I had picked up some Greek yogurt at the grocery store and decided to see what it was like and what I could do with it.  Substitute sour cream or regular unflavored yogurt, if you wish.  Also, you can substitute all-purpose flour for the cake flour, but take out 1 tablespoon per cup.

GREEK YOGURT COFFEE CAKE

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 large apple, sliced thin

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Put the first four ingredients in a food processor, and process on a low setting until it is smooth.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl, and mix with a whisk to incorporate.

Add 1/2 of the flour and 1/2 cup of the yogurt into the food processor, and process on low until incorporated.  Add the rest of the flour and yogurt, and process until smooth.   The batter will be thick, so you'll likely have to turn up the speed a bit.

Liberally lubricate a springform pan, and put the batter into it.   Smooth the batter, and arrange the apple slices on the top.  Put into the oven and back for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing the side of the pan, then cool another 30 minutes until serving.

Recipe: Scallion-Parmesean Bread

This is a variation of a recipe initially found at www.injennieskitchen.com.  It's largely similar, but I've included instructions on using a bread machine as well as a couple of other adjustments.

Scallion-Parmesean Bread

4 large scallions (aka "green onions"), chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup shredded Parmesean cheese (or 3/4 cup grated) -- USE REAL CHEESE, NOT THE STUFF IN THE CARDBOARD TUBES.
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 cup warm (roughly 85-90 degrees F) water
olive oil
cornmeal

Put the oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the scallions, and cook through (about 5 minutes).  Remove from heat.

There are 2 ways of proceeding from here.  If you have a bread machine, use Option 1.  If you don't, use Option 2:

• Option 1:  Put the water and scallions in the bread machine.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Using the "dough" setting, mix and knead for about 10 minutes, or until a firm -- but sticky -- dough ball has formed.

• Option 2:  Mix 2 1/2 cups of flour, cheese, salt, and yeast in a large bowl.  Add the water and the scallions, and mix with a spoon until the dough forms.  (It will be very sticky).  Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup flower onto a work surface, and turn the dough out onto it.  Using your hands, knead the dough, working in the additional flour, for 10 minutes.

Lightly oil (or spray with non-stick spray) a large bowl.  Put the dough in it and cover with plastic wrap so that it won't dry out.  Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size (usually 1 1/2-2 hours, though this will depend on the ambient temperature.

Turn out the dough, and knead it for 1 minute on a lightly floured work surface.  Roll it around a bit, stretching the "skin" on the dough, until it forms a ball.  With a sharp knife, mark an "X" on the top of the dough.

Sprinkle the cornmeal onto a wooden peel (if you have one) or a cookie sheet (if you don't), and put the dough directly on it.  Lightly brush the dough with olive oil.  Allow to rise until doubled in size again (about 45 minutes to 1 hour -- the second rise should take less time than the first),

If you have a pizza stone, move it to the center of the oven.  If you don't, you really should get one.  A large clean terra cotta drip pan from a planter will work, if you have one.  If using a cookie sheet, turn the drip pan over so there's a big flat surface pointing up.  (This is not 100% necessary, but it helps the bread cook a bit more evenly and form a good crust on the bottom.)  Preheat the oven to 550 degrees F. 

When the dough has finished it's second rise, place the dough (or the cookie sheet with the dough on it) directly onto the pizza stone (or overturned planter).  Close the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 450.  Cook for 25-30 minutes.  Remove to a rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into it.

Restaurant review: The "Merry Table" Crêperie, Portland, ME

The food I had for lunch today is disturbingly good at The "Merry Table" Crêperie at 43 Wharf Street in Portland, Maine.

Wharf Street is more of an alley than an actual street and is in the "Old Port" part of the city.  The area is more famous for the heavy drinking that goes on at the bars than anything else, but Wharf Street is a hidden gem.  There are several well-regarded restaurants on it's 2 block length, and I'm happy to say that The "Merry Table" Crêperie has joined their ranks.

My companion and I arrived early on a Sunday afternoon, and there was both indoor and outdoor seating available.  We were immediately greeted by our waitress (who hailed from the Bordeaux region of France).  She was pleasantly chatty with us but did not impose.  She apologized for taking what she thought was too long to bring us our menus and glasses of ice water, but we had been sitting only a couple of minutes, and a menu was posted right beside our table.  (We sat at the table in the left of the picture above.)  The music was initially French pop music (not the annoying club music or anything like that), which was mixed in with some older US pop music, and the volume was low enough that it was not distracting.

The lunch menu included of some sandwiches, but this is a crêperie -- a crêpe restaurant.  There are a large selection of both savory and sweet crêpes on the menu, but my eye was immediately drawn to the Cuban panini.

I first had a Cuban sandwich when living in South Florida for a brief period in the late 1980s, and I still cannot understand why this has not become a nation-wide phenomenon.  The traditional Cuban consists of thinly sliced ham, roast pork, sour pickles, mild cheese and mustard, served on a bread similar to a Hoagie roll.  The entire thing is heated and pressed just until the cheese becomes gooey.

The Cuban panini here is a delicious variation on the theme, using Black Forest ham, Swiss cheese, Dijon mustard, and a type of pickle called a cornichon.  The bread was nicely toasted, and there was just enough cheese to help hold everything together.  The mustard was used sparingly, so it did not overpower the other flavors in the sandwich.  The pickles were heavenly; my only complaint would be that a few more of the pickles would have been nice.

My companion had the Texane crêpe, which was filled with chicken, cheese, and mild chilis, served with sliced black olives, sour cream, and guacamole on the side.  The crêpe was fantastic, with no perceptible heat from the chilis and a nicely mild Southwestern US flavor.

Both meals came with a small salad of mixed greens with some thin carrot strips.  The dressing on the salad was a simple vinaigrette, and it was mercifully used sparingly.  I'm not saying that the dressing tasted bad -- on the contrary, it was lightly sour and tasted wonderful.  However, a pet peeve of mine regarding salads at restaurants is that the dressing is often used too heavily.  You end up with some greens swimming in a veritable ocean of oil and vinegar.  You usually can not taste the vegetables because there is so much dressing.  That was not the case here.  The salad was a delightfully refreshing side.

I decided to splurge a little and have dessert, from the list of sweet crêpes.  The list included Banana and Nutella and Chocolat (filled with chocolate ganache), but I decided on the Crêpe Suzette (sugar, butter, orange, and orange liqueur).  While there was a slightly longer wait than expected for dessert to come, it was well worth the wait.  It was serves simply, with just the orange sauce.  The sauce was not overly sweet, but was also slightly bitter from the orange liqueur.  Dishes such as this are why everyone has heard of a Crêpe Suzette.  It was a wonderful light dessert to finish the meal.

I had coffee with my lunch, and it was one the best cups of coffee I've had in years.  My companion started with orange juice (which was not fresh squeezed and had no pulp), but switched to coffee also after tasting mine.  The coffee was not too strong, and nicely robust -- a wonderful "sipping" coffee.

The total cost of the meal (2 main dishes, 2 coffees, 1 juice, and 1 dessert) was a reasonable $35.  The prices of the crêpes is slightly higher, in general, than the sandwiches but are well worth the extra couple of dollars if you want to try something a little "out of the ordinary" for lunch.

In addition, for the adventurous, there is a twice-monthly "French Host Table," where you are only allowed to speak French.  There is no set price, and everything is á la carte.  There is also French live music.  This struck me as a wonderful adventure for the linguistically inclined, and a great "lab" exercise for the numerous French students in the local high schools and universities.

In summary, the food is outstanding, and the coffee is fantastic, though the orange juice was a little of a let down in comparison.  The service was very good, though the delay after ordering dessert was a little long.   This is a wonderful find in an "out of the way" place that tourists are likely to miss (unfortunately).

Overall Rating:  8.5 out of 10.

Review of restaurant: Nosh (Portland, ME)

"Nosh" is a Yiddish word meaning "to snack."  This word does not easily apply to the food served for lunch at the restaurant "Nosh" in at 551 Congress Street in Portland, Maine.

I arrived a little early for a business meeting.  There is no obvious sign advertising the restaurant, but a small painted moniker on the glass door informed me I was in the right place.  After taking a table, it took 4 minutes and several passes by the sole waitress working before I was asked if I wanted something to drink or if I was meeting anyone.  After ordering a diet soda, it took another 5 minutes before I got it.

While I was waiting (for my companion and my soda), I took in the atmosphere and decor of the space.  There were several copper-topped tables inside as well as a few tables outside.  The space was utilized very well, leaving a large open area for people to file to the back to place (presumably) take-out orders or to get to the bar.  The furniture was simple, showing clean lines.  The bench that runs the length of the restaurant, though, seems to be set at a slight angle tilting back.  If you sit with your spine touching the back, you're in a semi-reclined position.

My companion arrived, and we ordered.  He had a BLT with a fried egg, and I had a roast turkey sandwich.  (Guess which of us is trying to lose weight.)  We split an order of sea salt and vinegar fries.

Half an hour after we ordered, our food arrived, delivered by someone other than our waitress.  This was not a busy lunch rush, and I was a little disconcerted about the length of time it took to make two sandwiches and some fries.

The fries were hand-cut, and fried in a nice hot oil that kept the fries from getting too oily -- a definite plus, in my book.  They were served in a small bucket, wrapped in parchment paper -- a nice (if somewhat over-used, lately) presentation.

However, the taste was WAY too much.  The sea salt was applied way too liberally, as was the vinegar.  Instead of eating fried potato wedges, it was more like biting into a sour salt-lick.  Not even the catsup or cheddar dipping sauce could cover up the overwhelming saltiness and tanginess of the fries.

My companion's BLT (or N.B.L.T., as the menu calls it), is made from house cured bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and white bread.   He spent the extra $2 to add a fried egg, bringing the sandwich's cost to $10.  It arrived on a plate with a pickle wedge, so don't expect any sides or anything when ordering here.  I tasted the bacon, which was mildly smoky.  It was cooked through, though still rather limp.  The taste was quite nice, though I prefer crispier bacon.  The egg was cooked to over-easy and had a very runny yolk, which made for quite a messy eating experience for my friend.

My roast turkey sandwich ($10) was a cold sandwich and came with a thin smear of cranberry sauce, some fairly soggy stuffing (or dressing), and havarti cheese on whole grain bread.  The taste was pleasant, and it was nice to have a roast turkey sandwich that was cold (not hot) on a warm early summer day.  I especially appreciated the fact that there was both white and dark meat in the turkey (being partial to dark meat, personally).  The turkey was not dried out, but still nice and moist.  The bread was slightly dry, showing that it had been cut for a while before the food was delivered to the table.

While the waitress did deliver a second diet soda to my table without my asking (or her asking me), the service was otherwise very lackluster.  In truth, it would have been nice for that second glass to be an ice water instead of another soda.  We did not see her otherwise until she came to clear our table and drop off the check.

Other offerings on the sandwich board are considerably less healthy than my food.  It includes a Pig Belly Reuben (roast pork belly, cheddar, carmelized onions, and russian dressing on grilled rye bread for $10.50) and a somewhat disturbing Nosh Burger (blue cheese, cured bacon, fried egg, and roast garlic jam for $8).

The prices on the sandwich board are not unreasonable for the portions you get, though the portions could easily be made a bit smaller with no ill effect.

Nosh also offers tapas-style dining in the late afternoon/evening from 4:00 PM -- 12:45 AM.  Items include tempura bacon and fried cheese curds.  Something tells me this is NOT a place to go to eat if eating healthy or losing weight is your goal.

Overall, I found my sandwich tasty (if a little too big for lunch), but the fries were almost inedible due to the over use of sea salt and vinegar.  Prices were reasonable, but the service was almost non-existant.  The lay-out is nice, and it did not get noisy even as it began to get busy.

RATING:  5.5 out of 10.

Steak and Brown Rice Enchiladas

The recipe can also be found here.

I was too busy cooking to take too many pictures, sorry.  Also, I'm new to it.  As I get used to it, there will be more pictures, I'm sure.

STEAK AND BROWN RICE ENCHILADAS

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup brown rice

1 cup sharp cheese (Robusto from Whole Foods, Cheddar, etc.), in 2 portions

1 8-oz sirloin strip steak

salt

garlic powder

1 pablano pepper

8 flour tortillas

oil or non-stick spray

1 16 oz. jar of salsa (I like Candeleros Wild Autumn Salsa, if you can find it)

Boil the water.  Add the rice.  Cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low.  Simmer for 35-40 minutes until the rice is done.

While this is cooking, take the whole pablano pepper and (if you have a gas stove) put it directly over burner turned to "high."  If you have an electric stove/oven, you'll want to use the broiler or a toaster oven set to "broil".   

Cook for a few minutes on each side, until the outside is completely charred.  Remove to cool.

This is the pepper roasting.  Again, if you have a gas stove, you can just put it directly on the burner.  I wouldn't do this with electric, though.  That'd be asking for trouble, since the pepper would likely stick to the electric element and burn quickly in the places touching it.  Better to cut it in half and stick it skin-side-up as close to the broiler it as you can get.

Sprinkle the steak with salt and garlic powder.  Cook the steak for 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness and size of the steak.  This can be done in either a very hot pan or under the broiler.  Remove the steak to rest for at least 5 minutes.  Longer is fine.  Once completely rested, slice thinly against the grain.

Take the charred pepper and run cold water over it, rubbing it with your fingers.  This will remove the "skin."  Remove the seeds and as much of the inner membrane as you want.  (The membrane is where the "heat" in a pepper is, though there isn't a lot in the pablano.)  Chop the pepper after all the skin is removed and chop it into small (approx 1/4 inch) pieces. 

When the rice is done, put the rice, the pepper, and the steak into a large bowl.  While the rice is hot, stir in 1/2 of the cheese.  The rice should be hot enough to melt (or at least partially melt) the cheese.

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Lightly oil or use the pan spray to give a light coating to a large (8x12 or 9x13 depending on the size of your tortillas) baking disk.  I prefer glass for this, personally.

Heat the tortillas until they are very malleable.  Evenly divide the rice mixture between the tortillas.  Place the mixture toward one side of the tortilla, and roll each into a cylinder.   As you roll each one, put it in the baking dish so that it lays against the "short" side of the pan.  When all 8 have been rolled and put in the pan, top with the salsa.  Sprinkle the other 1/2 cup of cheese across the top.

Put the enchiladas into the oven, and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely melted and they are heated through.  Serve warm.

Lemon Pudding Cake recipe

I don't have a picture of this (I've not made it recently), but this has been pretty popular with everyone I've shared it with.  It works well with any citrus (orange, lime, etc.).

The recipe is here.  Let me know your impressions, variations, etc.

Food blog started

This is to share my recipes, impressions, reviews, etc., of all things food-related that comes to mind. If I like something, I'll let you know. If I don't like something, I'll certainly let you know. Your comments/suggestions/emails/etc., are all welcome, but please try to keep it on topic.