Fried Rice

Growing up Chinese fried rice has always been a comfort food for me. Fried rice is considered a snack food by the Chinese and it is never served as a main course, but Americans feel differently. Making it yourself at home is not difficult if you follow a few basic techniques. First of all you do need a wok and always use your largest stove burner for high heat. Second, you must use cold cooked rice, so plan ahead. Third, a 50/50 blend of white and brown rice works the best. Rinse the rice first and allow it to sit in a colander for 30 minutes prior to cooking. Fourth, cook whatever fish, meat or poultry you want to add to the dish first and then thinly slice it. And finally it is best to first parboil all the vegetables you plan on adding in a big pot of salted boiling water. As soon as they are just flash boiled, turn off the heat and hold until ready to drain and add to the stir fry. Variations are endless and actual preparation time is quick – so enjoy.

Whisk briskly:

4      eggs

½     teaspoon of salt

            Heat your wok over medium heat until it evaporates a drop of water on contact. Pour in and tilt the wok to coat:                       

1      tablespoon of vegetable oil (canola)

            Heat until very hot. Add the eggs all at once and as they bubble around the edges, push them to the center, tilting the wok to cook the eggs evenly. Break the cooked eggs into clumps. When the eggs are set remove them to a bowl. Pour into the hot wok and heat until hot:

                        2      tablespoons vegetable oil

            Add to the wok:

                        1     cup thin sliced spring onions or scallions, equal parts green and white

Toss for one minute and then add all together:

            4     cups cold cooked rice

1         teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

Cook the rice for three minutes, tossing all the time to coat all rice grains with the hot oil. Then add and toss:

                Cooked sliced fish, meat or poultry as you wish

                Par-boiled thinly sliced vegetables (carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower,      zucchini, French beans, as you wish)

                Button mushrooms or sliced shitake mushrooms

                1    small can drained bamboo shoots

                1    small can drained water chestnuts

Add soy sauce and drizzle with sesame oil and a splash of rice wine or rice vinegar to your taste. Toss the fried rice to mix thoroughly and serve immediately.

                                

BASF Million-Bottle Wine Cellar, Mannheim, Germany

Top Wines of the Year


Wine Spectator magazine's new issue of the top 100 wines of the year has several surprises. This is the best of times for fine wine from the world over. My three rules for drinking wine are:

Drink what you enjoy.
Cook with the wine you drink.
Keep the value of the wine proportional to the value of the dinner.

My own rule of thumb is to drink any wine rated 90 or higher that I enjoy that costs $20 or less. Rated at number 7 on this year's Wine Spectator list is a beautiful Australian wine, Schild Shiraz Barossa 2008, rated 94, cost $20. Who could live better than this!

Richard Wottrich

Lionfish with Fregola Sarda, Lambrusco, Guanciale


January 30 2011 marked my first encounter with Slow Food Charleston. I was fortunate to have my experience to include a dinner at Trattoria Lucca who is owned by Ken Vedrinski. Chef Ken Vedrinski established himself in the early 1990s as an advocate for farm fresh ingredients heading up the kitchen of the acclaimed Opus Restaurant in the former Swissôtel Atlanta. He went on to garner the only Mobile Five-Star ranking awarded to a South Carolina restaurant at the Dining Room at Woodlands Inn. With the opening of hisTrattoria Lucca, Vedrinski, who learned to cook at the side of his Italian grandmother, has brought his culinary journey full circle.

Lucca - named for the town in Western Tuscany that produces his favorite olive oil - is a tribute to Vedrinski's Italian heritage. A semi-finalist for "Best New Restaurant" in the 2009 James Beard Awards, its menu showcases Lowcountry staples, particularly freshly-netted fish and local produce.

Recently, Slow Food Charleston asked Vedrinski to help raise awareness of the predatory lionfish now patrolling the waters of the East Coast, and he was completely on board.

"I'd just read an article about the lionfish," says Vedrinski. "They eat everything, and are threatening to wipe out the natural species unique to South Carolina."

Vedrinski also read that the lionfish is delicious, and that the best strategy for controlling it is increased consumption, so he's teamed up with guest chefs Mike Lata of FIG and Celina Tio of Julian to prepare a four-course dinner to support this sustainable initiative. The lionfish was the centerpiece of the January 30 event, "Eat the Lionfish", as well as a new dish on Lucca's menu. Local lionfish hunter (and Lucca lionfish supplier) Vic Depuis will gave an excellent presentation on the habitat + history of these voracious fishes.

Ken Vedrinski's Lionfish
Lionfish with Fregola Sarda , Lambrusco , Guanciale

Four 6-oz Lionfish filets
1 cup all-purpose flour
8 oz Fregola (large cous cous)
1 btl Lambrusco
4 oz Guanciale, cooked & chopped
1 qt chicken stock
2 shallots, finely minced
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 small carrot, diced
1 fresh bay leaf
1/3 cup olive oil
1 beet, peeled & chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Saute shallots, garlic, and carrot in olive oil till soft. Add Fregola, Lambrusco, beets and bay leaf, and simmer until wine is almost gone. Add chicken stock and cook until Fregola is al dente. Remove beet pieces. Add salt to taste. Keep warm. Put Guanciale crust thinly on top of fish and bake at 350 for 6 to 8 minutes. Serve over Fregola.

Recipe courtesy of Slow Food Charleston + Ken Vedrinski of Trattatoria Lucca, Charleston SC - Maggie

Twelve Cookbooks to Live With

If cooking for those you love is part of the fabric your life, then the cookbooks one relies upon become the catalysts for that love. They count. This is not my life list, or top list, but rather is where I go when seeking inspiration or information when cooking. It will change from time to time, as I explore different cuisines and depending upon the season. Enjoy!

Title	Author	Year & Publisher	Comment
Craig Claiborne’s Memorable Meals	Craig Claiborne	E.P. Dutton, 1985	Elegantly simple menus across multiple cuisines
Heartland	Marcia Adams	Clarkson Potter, 1991	To quote Clementine Paddleford, this is “How America Eats”
Jamie’s Kitchen	Jamie Oliver	Hyperion, 2002	Youth will be served
Japanese Cooking, A Simple Art	Shizuo Tsuji, forward by M.F.K. Fisher	Kodansho International, 1980	You cannot ignore Japanese cuisine, if only for an occasional stir-fry
Joy of Cooking	Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer, Ethan Becker		The font of knowledge to answer questions or check a basic recipe
Kitchen of Light	Andreas Viestad	Artisan, 2003	New Scandinavian cooking for my Norwegian
Les Halles Cookbook	Anthony Bourdain	Broomsbury, 2004	Hands down the best French bistro cookbook ever!
Marcella Cucina	Marcella Hazan	Harper Collins, 1997	Authentic and heartfelt regional Italian cooking
Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen	Rick Bayless	Scribner, 1996	The primal source for fantastic Mexican sauces
Simple French Food	Richard Olney, Introduction by Patricia Wells, Forward by James Beard	MacMillan, 1974	Pure country French cooking combined with fascinating insights
The Paris Cookbook	Patricia Wells, Ina Garten's muse	Harper Collins, 2001	Ah Paris! Need I say more?
The Splendid Grain	Rebecca Wood	William Morrow, 1997	Read and learn and enjoy

I own over 350 cookbooks and they come and go from my kitchen. As I explore different cuisines, such as Chinese or German, my list will change. But in the end the books above can and will inspire you and bring smiles to those you love.

Richard Wottrich

Swiss chard, Cannellini Bean, Mushroom and Barley Soup

We just had the 3^rd largest snowfall in Chicago history with over 20-inches on the ground, howling 70-mph winds and temperatures near zero. I have a chicken with herbs roasting in the oven and bourbon on the rocks with a twist in my hand. What could be better than making a Marcella Hazan classic Italian soup? Hazan was born in 1924 in the village of Cesenatico in Emilia-Romagnaand and her recipes have the ring of authenticity. Mario Batali can deliver the panache of Italy across his legions of restaurants, but if you are cooking at home you want Marcella.

I adapted this recipe from her “Marcella Cucina” cookbook published in 1997. This soup comes from the Trentino and Friuli northern regions of Italy. I have returned to this book many times over the years and it never fails to deliver.

As always your ingredients should be at peak. Don’t try this unless your Swiss chard is exceptional. In the winter I take a tip from Batali and use canned San Marzano whole plum tomatoes. Their flavor cannot be equaled. Crush them in a bowl yourself. Cremini mushrooms work best here I find. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1              pound Swiss chard

¼             cup olive oil

1              cup finely chopped onion

½             cup finely chopped celery

½             cup finely chopped carrot

1              28-ounce can of San Marzano whole plum tomatoes, crushed

1              cup orzo (pearl barley)

2              8.5-ounce cans of cannellini beans, drained (substitute Great Northern white or cranberry beans)

1              teaspoon lemon juice

1              teaspoon apple vinegar

1              pound Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1              cup Friuli white wine

1              cup good chicken stock

2              teaspoons fresh thyme

                water as required

                salt to taste

                black pepper ground fresh

                freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for the table

                toasted bread slices

Directions:

1.    Soak the chard in cold water for ten minutes, drain and wash several times. If there are broad stalks, detach them and dice into small pieces. Cut the leaves in narrow strips about ¼-inch wide. 2.       Put the olive oil in your stock pot and sauté the onions at medium heat until they turn golden. Add the carrots and celery and cook for another 6 to 7 minutes. Garlic is optional. Stir occasionally. 3.       Put the crushed tomatoes into the pot and stir. After roughly 6 minutes add the chard stalks and leaves and some salt. Mix well, turn the heat down to low and cover the pot. 4.       Put 4 to 5 cups of water in another pot and bring to a boil. Put in the barley and cook at a steady simmer for 40 minutes. Slightly under cook the barley so it is a bit chewy. Drain the barley into a small bowl and keep the water. 5.       Taste the chard stalks and leaves. When tender add the white wine, chicken stock, barley, sliced mushrooms and drained beans and stir gently. 6.       Add the barley water to achieve the soup consistency that you enjoy. This soup is meant to be somewhat thick. Add the thyme and salt and pepper to your taste. I usually bring the soup to a quick boil and then turn the heat off until serving. 7.       Serve with toasted bread and Parmesan cheese at the table and of course the rest of the Friuli wine.

Richard Wottrich

The New York Times International - January 18, 2011

North African Seasoning For Top French Kitchens


Alain Ducasse, chef and patron of a world class restaurant empire, has reached out to help 15 North African women, born in the Paris urban neighborhoods, to become chefs.


Richard Wottrich

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts, Shallots and Water Chestnuts

                The Brussels sprout is a cultivar group of wild cabbage grown for its small, leafy green buds. Forerunners to modern Brussels sprouts were likely cultivated in ancient Rome. Brussels sprouts as we now know them were grown possibly as early as the 13th century in what is now Belgium. Production of Brussels sprouts in the United States began around 1800, when French settlers brought them to Louisiana.

                Brussels sprouts, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties. Although boiling reduces the level of the anti-cancer compounds, steaming, microwaving, and stir frying does not result in significant loss. Brussels sprouts and other brassicas are also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.

                1              pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise

                2              small shallots, trimmed, peeled and sliced

                1              can sliced water chestnuts, drained

                2              tablespoons peanut oil

                1              tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar 

                2              tablespoons sherry vinegar

                1/2           juice from one half orange

                                Kosher salt to taste

                                Ground white pepper to taste

Preparation: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar. Blanch the Brussels sprouts for four minutes until they turn bright green and are just tender. Drain and shock briefly with cold water to arrest cooking. In a fry pan heat the peanut oil and sauté the shallots for three minutes. Add the water chestnuts and sauté until they just start to brown. Deglaze the pan with the remaining sherry vinegar and orange juice for one minute. Add the Brussels Sprouts and seasoned rice vinegar and sauté until hot, about two minutes.

Presentation: Serve immediately with snowy white rice and another Chinese dish of your choice. We served this with Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Meatballs.

Paris Market

Oeufs Cocette Aux Champignons

(Coddled Eggs With Mushrooms)

Serves 4

                This recipe is from Frédéric Thevenet at Restaurant Aux Lyonnais (opened 1890) in Paris. Upon returning from Paris this past late October, I have been experimenting with bistro dishes because – well because it represents the best of home cooking. The first bistro owners were not professionally trained chefs, but rather they cooked plats ménager (housewife’s dishes). This is such a dish.

                ¾             cup good olive oil

                4              cloves garlic

                4              tablespoons unsalted butter

                8              ounces spinach, stemmed

                                Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

                8              ounces of mushrooms as you like, quartered

                ½             cup heavy cream

                4              eggs

                1              baguette, cut on diagonal into ½-inch slices and toasted

Preparation: 

Make a garlic confit: Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add two cloves of garlic and cook stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender, 10-15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic to cutting board; let cool. Thinly slice the garlic confit lengthwise. (Reserve the olive oil for another use)

Poke one clove of garlic with the tines of a fork several times; set aside. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat until foamy. Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally with the fork used to poke the garlic (to perfume the spinach), until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the spinach to a clean tea towel and wipe out the skillet. Gather the ends of the towel and twist to squeeze out excess liquid. Set spinach aside.

Melt remaining butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic clove and the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook 5 minutes more. Remove pan from the heat, cover, and let the mushrooms steep for 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Divide the spinach and mushroom mixture equally in four 6-ounce ramekins. Add reserved slices of garlic confit. Crack 1 egg into each ramekin. Transfer ramekins to a shallow baking pan and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Cook until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, about 10-15 minutes depending upon your oven.

Serve with toasted baguettes and salt and pepper the eggs to taste. 

Cinque Terre Lemons

Pork Marinara & Fettuccine

                Every once in a while you nail a dish perfectly. It doesn’t happen often, so when it does I am compelled to immediately record preciously how I prepared it. Italian pasta is meant to be cooked al dente and then finished off by mixing in the sauce, so it adheres to every pasta strand. Pasta sauce is also all about using the ingredients at hand. In this case I had the remnants of a pork rib roast to play with. Pasta is in the moment and always best served immediately after preparation. Try this. It will surprise you.

1                           26-ounce jar of Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil Marinara sauce

1              pound dry fettuccine, cooked

4              cups finely chopped cooked pork 

1              cup chopped Vidalia onion

1              garlic clove, minced

1              strip of cooked bacon, chopped

½             cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1              cup chicken stock

3              tablespoons olive oil

1              teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1              teaspoon white vinegar

1              teaspoon dried Greek oregano

1              teaspoon medium hot chili powder

                olive oil to taste

                salt and pepper to taste

                grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Preparation:  In a large pot of boiling salted water cook the fettuccine until al dente; usually about eight minutes. In a large cast iron fry pan sauté the Vidalia onions in the olive oil until just softened, about three minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the 4 cups of cooked chopped pork and bacon and season with the Greek oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper, and sauté for two minutes. Add the Marinara sauce, chicken stock, lemon juice, vinegar, parsley and stir. Bring to a quick boil and then set to low and cook for ten minutes more. Adjust seasoning to your preference.

In a large pan or bowl combine the sauce with the drained fettuccine. Add a splash of olive oil to your preference. Serve at once with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Richard Wottrich

Black Mission Fig & Red Grape Frisée Salad

This salad of bright flavors pairs well with an omelet for dinner, a bistro chicken fricassee, or a flank steak with mustard cream sauce.

                                2              cups of loosely packed Frisée greens

1              heart of Romaine lettuce, chopped into 2-inch lengths

½             cup of loosely packed flat parsley leaves

½             red onion, thinly sliced

                                6              Black Mission figs, quartered

                                12           seedless red grapes, halved

                                ½             orange

                                1              tablespoon sherry vinegar

                                2              tablespoons olive oil

                                                sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste  

Preparation:  In a wooden salad bowl lightly toss the first six ingredients. Squeeze the juice from the half orange onto the salad. Take a fork and scrape the orange pulp into the salad. Add the sherry vinegar and olive oil and toss again. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.      


Richard Wottrich       

Chicken Fricassee with Two Vinegars

(Fricassée de Poulet aux Deux Vinaigres)

Friends often ask me for recommendations on how to get started in serious cooking and I usually go into a tirade on buying small quantities of the best real food you can afford and then getting out of the way of the ingredients. Then I mention cookbooks from Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) or Jamie Oliver. But for very sophisticated Parisian fare and perfect technique The Paris Cookbook (Harper Collins, 2001) by Patricia Wells (a close friend of Ina) is another terrific choice. Sauces can be daunting to even the experienced cook, but Patricia lays out straight forward recipes that build sublime sauces before you know it. This is such a recipe.

                 1             fresh farm chicken, 3-4 pounds, cut into 8 pieces (*see note)  

                                sea salt, to taste   

                                fresh ground white pepper, to taste               

                 3             tablespoons extra virgin olive oil     

                 4             tablespoons unsalted butter             

                 1/3         cup best quality white champagne vinegar    

                 1/3         cup best quality red wine vinegar   

                 1/3         cup of the white wine you are having with dinner       

                 2            shallots, finely minced      

                 3/4         cup tomato sauce               

                 1 2/3      cups chicken stock             

                 1            cup heavy cream

Preparation:   1. Pat the chicken dry and liberally season it on all sides with sea salt and white pepper. 2.  In a deep skillet, combine the oil and butter, and heat over moderate heat. When the fats are hot but not smoking, add the chicken, skin side down, and brown until it turns an even golden color, about 5 minutes. Turn the pieces and brown them on the other side, 5 minutes more. Carefully regulate the heat to avoid scorching the skin. (This may have to be done in batches.) When all the pieces are browned, use tongs (to avoid piercing the meat) to transfer them to a platter. 3. Pour off and discard the fat in the skillet. Off the heat, add the two vinegars and deglaze the pan. Add the wine. Add the shallots and cook, covered, over low heat until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a large warmed platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. 4. Add the tomato sauce and stock to the skillet; stir to blend thoroughly. Add the cream and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet, cover and cook over low heat, turning the pieces from time to time to absorb the sauce, for about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, and serve.

Presentation: I served this with steamed Broccolini and two pieces of chicken per serving and poured the sauce on! A side salad of flat parsley, Romaine leaves and frisée, quartered black figs, sliced red onion and halved red grapes with vinaigrette was perfect.

* Start with the chicken at room temperature. Patricia notes that if you can't find a fresh farm chicken, a free-range or organic chicken will do. I bought an organic chicken at Harrison’s Poultry Farm, Inc. in Glenview for $5.60. Patricia serves the dish over rice or pasta. I used sherry vinegar instead of champagne vinegar, seasoned with dry tarragon, and added thin sliced white button mushrooms in Step. 4.

Jack Daniel’s Squares

Makes 12-16 Squares

These bourbon-spiked brownies hale from the holiday cookie contests Sharon used to host at the A-Plus Talent Agency, Inc. Christmas party, held at our home on 1845 N. Dayton St., in Chicago in the late 1980s. As one of the erstwhile judges, I can attest that many of the submitted confectioneries were truly dismal, but these spiked squares always brought raves. I personally happen to prefer my Jack on the rocks with a twist, water back.

Squares
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup all-purpose flower
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons Jack Daniel’s whiskey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Icing
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon Jack Daniel’s whiskey
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation: 1. Heat your oven to 350°. 2. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan. 3. For the squares: In a bowl combine the granulated sugar, pecans, flour and cocoa and stir until thoroughly mixed. 4. Add the eggs, whiskey, vanilla and melted butter, mixing until smooth. 5. Pour the batter into the buttered pan and bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes. 6. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack. 7. For the icing: In a bowl, combine the confectioner’s sugar, chocolate, butter, whiskey, milk, and vanilla. 8. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and spreadable. If the icing is too thick, add more milk, a teaspoon at a time. 9. Coat the tops of the squares with the icing and serve cold or at room temperature.

Pavés du Mail

This classic bistro dish of pan-fried steak and mustard cream sauce is simple and quick. Bistro cooking is based upon utilizing humble ingredients that are exalted via supreme saucing techniques – simple fare – glorious results. In Paris this dish would be done with flat iron steaks (flat blade) or hanger steaks. Either is fine, but I would suggest picking up a flank steak when on sale. The flavor is terrific.

1 pound flank steak
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon cognac or brandy
¼ cup heavy cream
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 white button mushrooms, slice thinly
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley

Preparation: Season the flank steak with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a 12” cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak and cook, turning once, until browned and cooked to the desired temperature, about 6 minutes for medium rare. Remove pan from the heat. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Pour off and discard all but one tablespoon of fat in the pan.

Add most of the cognac to the pan and stir, scraping browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Return pan to medium-high heat and cook for 20 seconds. Add the cream, mustard, and sliced mushrooms, season with sea salt and pepper, and cook, stirring vigorously, until the sauce just thickens. Stir in the remaining cognac.

Slice the flank steak on a slanting angle against the grain. Display several thin slices across the plate and pour on the sauce. Garnish with the minced parsley. Add freshly ground pepper and serve. Pair with a whole leaf Caesar salad.

Richard Wottrich