Breaking Eggs and Sifting Flour

by Tamara Kaye Sellman

I despise throwing food away, but I also know that one’s refrigerator can only hold so much. I’m always reminded of that fact during the holidays.

This is the time of year when everyone tends to indulge in the more expensive items. Besides, throwing away food shouldn’t be an option for this reason alone, but often, home cooks just get tired of what they already have and lack creative ideas for using it before losing it.

I’m not just talking about the big roast beast in the middle of the table, either. We all know how to make soup of that.

I’m talking about all the other goodies that are harder to find a good culinary use for afterward. Every year I get a little better at finding ways to repurpose holiday nibbles so we don’t throw away perfectly good food.

Here are some tips for using those tasty celebratory tidbits left lingering in your fridge after the big party.

• Smoked meats and fish.
  To use right away: Leftover smoked beef or pork can be used in tamale fillings or stirred into a pot of seasoned black beans. You can grind smoked salmon together with breadcrumbs, egg and seasonings in a blender or food processor to make fish balls to accompany pasta Alfredo. A hash of chopped potato, onion and smoked meat or fish is a great way to use up leftovers.
  To store: Smoked beef or pork holds in the fridge for just a few days. Smoked salmon can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks if left as a single piece, but it will deteriorate quickly (lasting just a few days) if you store it sliced.
  To freeze: Smoked salmon can be frozen, double wrapped, for up to 3 months, but it will lose some of its firm texture when thawed. Freeze smoked meats, wrapped in an airtight layer of foil, then bagged, for about 3 months as well. If you can, divide leftovers into individual portions for convenience; you’ll be more likely to use them up.
• Shellfish.
  To make right away: Chop up cooked shrimp, scallops, crab and lobster to make a yummy seafood spread you can layer onto sourdough bread. Leftover clams can be cooked with garlic, white wine and butter and served over linguine. All sorts of leftover shellfish can be united in a red or white chowder and served with crusty French bread. Oysters and clams can also be baked into corn bread or casseroles. To make seafood stock, you can boil shrimp shells, then strain the cooking water to freeze as a ready-made shrimp base, discarding the shells. Other shellfish shells (clam shells and crab shells) can be added to the cooking liquid to give the stock a more robust and ocean-y flavor.
  To store: Use up all leftover shellfish within 2 days. Also, if you’ve had shellfish sitting out on a room-temperature buffet for 2 hours, discard the leftovers. It is always best to buy as close to the amount you think you will need as shellfish is perhaps the most expensive holiday food to serve (and to later throw away).
  To freeze: Cooked clams, mussels and oysters do not freeze well; plan to consume them immediately. Cooked crab, crayfish, or lobster meat can be frozen for up to 4 months if stored in a light brine (4 teaspoons salt to 1 quart water). Scallops, if poached before freezing and packed in their own stock, will keep for 3 months in the freezer. Cooked shrimp can also be frozen, packed in a freezer container, up to 2 months.
• Cheese ends.
  To make right away: If you have a raclette grill or a fondue pot, why not put it to good use? Or make gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches using your specialty holiday leftovers. Or melt small amounts over roasted potatoes, rice, or stir into a cream sauce to pour over pasta. Blend softer cheeses with butter and a hint of horseradish to use as a luxury condiment for burgers and roast beef sandwiches.
  To store: For firm and semi-firm cheeses like parmesan and cheddar, shred the cheese ends and keep on hand in the refrigerator to use in all sorts of everyday cooking applications. Make sure to mark bags or containers with contents and the day they went into the fridge. Other kinds of cheeses require different methods. Fresh cheeses like cottage cheese and ricotta last about a week after opening. Fresh mozzarella has a very short lifespan of only a few days, as do soft cheeses like Brie. Bleu cheese can last longer, between 2 and 4 weeks, if double wrapped.
  To freeze: The cheeses that freeze with the least sacrifice in texture and quality are the firm and semi-firm cheeses. Double wrap these in chunks less than eight ounces in weight and freeze for up to six months.
• Candy canes.
  To make right away: Use candy canes as stir sticks in hot chocolate. Crush them up and add to melted white or dark chocolate for quick peppermint bark.
  To store: Place in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry, dark place. They will last a year this way if your house stays under 72°F throughout the year. Otherwise, consider freezing them.
  To freeze: Store them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to a year.
• Fudge.
  To make right away: Chop up chunks of fudge to sprinkle over ice cream or layer in a dessert trifle with whipped cream, sponge cake, toasted nuts, and a fresh or jellied fruit mixture.
  To store: Homemade fudge and other similar soft homemade candies will last up to 2 weeks at room temperature, up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Wrap it in waxed paper to prevent it from drying out.
  To freeze: Double wrapped in waxed paper, then again in aluminum foil and stored in an airtight container, fudge will keep for several months.

For an excellent resource on storing food in the home kitchen, I highly recommend Janet Bailey’s very useful and easy-to-use book, Keeping Food Fresh.

Tamara Kaye Sellman is a creative writing coach and developmental editor living in Bainbridge Island, WA. She writes the blog, BuzzFood: Feed The Obsession (http://buzzfood.blogspot.com).

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

21st Century Kitchen – by Tamara Kaye Sellman

Cranberries
I am so thrilled that cranberries are now a mainstream, year-round fruit. I grew up eating canned cranberry sauce and didn’t realize how good fresh cranberries were until my mother started to make whole berry sauce. Now you can get dried cranberries year round and they’re used with gusto in baked goods no matter the season. I always throw a bag or two of fresh cranberries in the freezer in November so I can put them into baked goods and preserves throughout the rest of the winter. Though cranberries are typically used for quick breads and relishes or sauces for the Thanksgiving table, any dish that benefits from a tart, colorful element could be a new haven for the bright red fruit. Just make sure you balance out its tart acidity by adding something sweet (sugar, dates, honey, fresh fruit).

Cashews

I’m equally thrilled to see how folks are warming up to using nuts in their cooking. Nuts are no longer relegated to the snack dish but are now being used as healthy, crunchy additions for all sorts of dishes. Cashews, like most nuts, have a high fat content, but don’t be fooled: they are lower in total fat than almonds, peanuts, pecans, and walnuts. They also provide heart-healthy fatty acids, fiber, protein, and a host of minerals. Cashews can be a tad bit more expensive than other nuts due to the labor required to process them. However, you can save money by buying them in bulk or choosing packages of halves and pieces rather than whole cashews. Cashews are often found in southeastern Asian cooking but you can swap out cashews for peanuts in other kinds of recipes with delicious results.

—

What do these familiar fruits and nuts have in common? November 23 is both National Cranberry Day and National Cashew Day. What a pairing! The tart character of the berries, matched with the sweet creaminess of the nut, makes perfect sense when put together. Maybe they should be married every November 23.

Here are three recipes that do, indeed, unite the wonderful flavors and textures of these tasty fruits and nuts.

Festive Spinach Salad

This is a healthy winter salad that goes well with roasted meats or hearty casseroles.

For the salad:

4 cups washed, stemmed baby spinach leaves

1 fresh pear, cored and cut into thin slices

⅓ cup pearl-sized* mozzarella balls, drained well and patted dry

4 large fresh basil leaves, shredded

¼ cup thinly sliced red onion rings

2 large white mushrooms, sliced

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup dry roasted cashew nuts

Fresh bacon bits (optional)

For the dressing:

⅓ cup mild honey or agave nectar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cranberries

¼ cup aged balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons finely chopped shallot

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

Shortly before serving, layer salad ingredients in listed order in large salad or serving bowl. Set aside. Combine dressing ingredients in listed order in blender, or whip by hand, until emulsified. Just before serving, toss salad with dressing. Offer more toasted cashews on the side as a garnish, if desired.

Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish

*If pearl-sized mozzarella balls aren’t available, use cherry-sized or another smaller sized mozzarella and cut cheese into small pieces.

Recipe ©2009 Tamara Kaye Sellman

Cashew Soup with Cranberry Condiment

This is the sort of soup that restores you after a day out in the cold. Perfect to make after turkey hunting, cutting a Christmas tree, skiing or sledding. The warm creamy soup is offset by the tang of fresh yogurt and the tart cranberry condiment.

For the soup
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds fresh carrots or parsnips (if very thick, cut lengthwise into halves)
1 large onion, cut into wedges
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dash of ground cloves
6 cups chicken stock
1 (9 ounce) can cashew halves and pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup heavy cream (or more, if desired)
1 cup plain yogurt plus additional for garnish
2 green onions, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the condiment
½ cup fresh cranberries
¼ cup toasted cashews
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons freshly zested orange peel
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
Coarse sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Drizzle oil onto large baking sheet. Place carrots and onions, cut sides down, on oiled baking sheet. Drizzle a little more oil over the vegetables, then season lightly with salt, pepper and cloves. Roast 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are roasted through and soft, stirring once halfway through cooking.

While vegetables are roasting, pour stock into large soup pot. Add cashews, dried cranberries, curry powder and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer until cashews soften. Cranberries will plump and soften as well.

When the vegetables are roasted, remove them from the oven and place in blender or food processor. Using a slotted spoon, lift out half or more of the softened cashews from the soup pot and add to the blender with the roasted vegetables (leave some in the stock for a chunkier soup, if you like, or remove all cashews to the blender). Puree, adding heavy cream in a thin stream to blend until soup is desired consistency. Pour pureed veggie-cashew mixture into soup pot and stir well to combine with soup stock. Stir in green onions, then season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Keep soup warm; set aside.

Meanwhile, in blender or food processor, grind together fresh cranberries, cashews, sugar, orange zest, ginger, rosemary, salt and pepper. Set aside.

To serve soup, ladle into individual serving bowls. Top each serving with a dollop of plain yogurt, then sprinkle with cranberry-cashew condiment. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings

Recipe ©2009 Tamara Kaye Sellman

Cranberry Nut Log Confection

Cranberries are so pretty during the winter holidays, their red jewel tones brightening everything from breakfast granola to salads to side dishes to desserts. Here’s a sweet, chocolate-free treat that makes a pretty bring-to-the-party dish.

8 ounces dried cranberries

1 egg, beaten well

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup butter, melted in large saucepan

¼ to ½ cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups crisped rice cereal
2 cups chopped cashews

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut tossed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In small bowl, toss together cranberries, egg and vanilla; set aside. To melted butter, add crumbs and sugar; combine well. Fold cranberry mixture into crumb mixture. Cook over medium low to low heat 5 to 10 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent scorching; add more crumbs, if necessary, to create a good binder. Remove from heat; allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in cereal and cashews, mixing well. Divide mixture in half; shape each half into a 10-inch log. Place spiced coconut on a flat pan; roll each log in spiced coconut mixture. Wrap logs in waxed or parchment paper and chill 2 hours before serving. To serve, slice logs crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins and offer as you would candy or cookies.

Makes 2 logs or about 40 pieces

Recipe ©2009 Tamara Kaye Sellman

Disclaimer: Consume these recipes at your own risk; they do not take into consideration any food allergies that you may have. Kalön assumes no liability if you consume foods, called for or referred to in any way in these recipes, to which you are allergic.

Bio: Tamara Kaye Sellman is a creative writing coach and developmental editor living in Bainbridge Island, WA. She writes the blog, BuzzFood: Feed the Obsession (http://buzzfood.blogspot.com).

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Supermarket Survey

By: Tamara Kaye Sellman

With the holidays fast approaching, we’ll all be checking out the specialty cheeses and the dairy products case for the seasonal items and party favorites we all crave at festive occasions. Fairly new to these departments are four Middle- or Near-Eastern inspired products of varying presentation, flavor and utility: kefir, labne, halloumi and paneer. Don’t pass them up because they’re unfamiliar. I have sampled all of them and can happily vouch for their delicious flavors and textures.

Kefir

The supermarket dairy case has been deluged with many new varieties of yogurt boasting pro-biotic cultures and fiber. What has flown under consumers’ radar these last few years is the reality that they could have been buying kefir all along and getting not only the benefits of these new—and often more expensive—yogurts, but so much more.

Kefir is an enzyme-rich dairy product filled with microorganisms which balance your digestive system (just like these new yogurt brands claim). However, kefir is considered far superior to yogurt for its long-standing nutritional and therapeutic uses. Not only is it a complete protein filled with minerals and valuable B vitamins, kefir contains several major strains of tummy-friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt that work to colonize your intestinal tract in the long-term (whereas yogurt’s bacterial benefits are short-lived). Kefir also provides beneficial yeasts which work to overpower pathogenic yeasts that can accumulate in your body.

Kefir is, essentially, a drinkable yogurt. It’s thick, flavorful and tangy, a perfect choice for people who like the newer, more tart and thick Mediterranean-style yogurts now popular in American supermarkets and yogurt shops. You can buy it in fruit- or vanilla-flavored varieties or plain. Kefir makes the perfect smoothie base: pour it into your blender, toss in some berries, bananas, mangos, peaches or other smoothie favorites, and you’ll have yourself a delicious breakfast, snack or dessert. You can also pour a little kefir over fruit salad, granola, or warmed apple crisp (instead of ice cream) for a delicious twist on old favorites.

As for the added fiber in today’s new yogurt products? Well, some brands of kefir also include inulin, a pre-biotic soluble fiber which helps to prepare the colon for pro-biotic cleansing, so you could opt for these varieties if they are available. Other brands don’t include inulin, but let’s face it, if you eat a piece of fresh fruit with your kefir, or make a yummy smoothie, you’ll still be ahead of the game!

Labne

A cousin of both yogurt and kefir, labne is a Middle Eastern variety of yogurt cheese that’s now showing up in the dairy case alongside other cheeses from that region of the world.

Labne is, more or less, a super thick yogurt. I was thrilled to discover it because we had been trying for years to make two creamy condiments—raita and tzatziki—at home after eating these delicious items in restaurants over the years. We were always disappointed, however, with the thin results that regular yogurt products gave us when we tried to replicate these recipes ourselves

You can find labne in nonfat varieties, which is great news because it makes such a great replacement for full-fat sour cream without sacrificing the rich tanginess that comes from its thick texture. You’ll definitely feel like you’re sinning when you eat the fat-free variety! Labne, since it’s a concentrated form of yogurt, is extremely high in calcium, as well.

I find it has a tangy dairy flavor that can heighten the flavors and textures of all of your favorite dips and spreads. You can stir it into cooked, seasoned vegetables and meats to create a zesty cream sauce that won’t break down like sour cream (such as for stroganoff). If you toss it with a vegetable sauce for pasta, stir in a little of the pasta cooking water with the cheese to give the finished sauce a melt-in-your-mouth quality.

Perhaps the easiest way to enjoy labne using its more traditional flavor profiles is to spread it onto a small plate, drizzle with honey and toasted pine nuts or pistachios, then use it to top sesame bread or pita slices. Or go the mezze route: drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil and a combination of chopped olives, mint, garlic, lemon zest and tomatoes spiced with sumac, zaatar, dill, cumin or other favorite herbal seasonings.

Halloumi

Of all the products listed in today’s column, this is the most expensive to purchase outright at around $7 a package. It comes all the way from Cyprus, after all. However, you can get several servings out of this salty, nutty cheese, and you can also freeze it, packed in its natural juices and brine, for up to a year. It’s so yummy that you won’t need to worry too much about it going to waste, however; it never lasts long in my house.

Halloumi is essentially a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk. They don’t call this “the grilling cheese” for nothing. Its high melting point makes it a great ingredient for frying, grilling or even raclette. The cheese comes as a dense white brick or ball packaged in its own juices and additional brine. Mint leaves were traditionally used to flavor and preserve it in the past, so you’ll find that, in many cases, the packaged halloumi you buy at the store will have flecks of mint leaf embedded into its surface.

The easiest way to prepare halloumi is to place slices of it in a dry nonstick skillet and cook over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. Sprinkle it with freshly squeezed lemon juice and you’re ready to snack on it as is, or toss it in a cold salad, warm pasta dish, whole grain side dish or casserole, or scrambled eggs for a distinctive meal.

I find the flavor of pan-browned halloumi goes well with pine nuts or walnuts as well as hot steamed broccoli, roasted red peppers and ground lamb; a salad composed of all of these items, and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, makes for a very easy and satisfying lunch or light dinner. Halloumi also makes a delicious meatless kebab substitute.

Paneer

These are the cubes of cheese you find in the rich sauces of Indian cuisine. In fact, it is the only cheese commonly references in Indian cooking. Paneer, like halloumi or fresh mozzarella, doesn’t melt. It’s a simple farmer’s cheese that uses acids instead of rennet to give it its texture, which resembles firm baked tofu. Salt is usually not added so it’s naturally lower in sodium than most cheeses.

At the grocery store, you’re likely to find paneer in the freezer or in specialty cheese cases in its firm form. A softer variety, chhana, is also widely available in India (in fact, they call it “cottage cheese” there), but it’s not commonly found in American supermarkets at this time.

Paneer is good for building protein into vegetarian dishes and it has a special affinity for vegetable sauces. A popular way to enjoy paneer is to stew it in a curried spinach mixture or sauce of green peas or garbanzo beans. Because of its high melting point, you can also use paneer in kebabs or grill or broil it before adding it to dishes. You can sauté it like you would halloumi, but use some fat (I like clarified butter, or ghee) and definitely do the work in a nonstick skillet so that it doesn’t break up.

You can also eat paneer as is, so you might explore chopping it up cold and tossing it with salsa, guacamole, hummus or other dips for added texture. The paneer will absorb whatever flavors its matched with but does not lend a lot of extra flavor itself, save for a nice, if subtle, hint of dairy.

Bio: Tamara Kaye Sellman is a creative writing coach and developmental editor living in Bainbridge Island, WA. She writes the blog, BuzzFood: Feed The Obsession (http://buzzfood.blogspot.com).

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Food Chat

by Tamara Kaye Sellman

Diana Abu-Jaber is the author of Origin, The Language of Baklava, The Language of Baklava: A Memoir, Crescent, and Arabian Jazz. She often writes about issues of identity and culture. Abu-Jaber, born in Syracuse NY, teaches at Portland State University and divides her time between Portland and Miami.

Kalon Kitchen: What is it about food that draws you to write about its connections with your family?

Diana Abu-Jaber: My father has a passionate love of cooking: he’s very talented in the kitchen and it was his life’s dream to own a restaurant. When my sisters and I were growing up, he used his cooking as a way to teach us about his native country, Jordan. For Dad, frying felafels or grilling shish kabob was a very direct and intimate way of sharing the flavors and experiences of his own childhood. We had great dinner parties every weekend where friends and family would gather and tell stories about their past over the dishes. In this way, stories, memory, nurturance, and food all became closely intertwined in my own imagination.

KK: Many would point to Julie & Julia as the catalyst for so much food writing these days. However, writing about food (whether fiction, nonfiction or poetry) seems to be more than just a trend set off by a popular movie. What is it about food writing that appeals to readers, in your opinion?

DAJ: Food writing appeals to the senses in such a compelling way and it helps remind us that there is something honorable, creative, and inspiring about food. There’s so much shame and negativity about food in our culture, in large part, I think, because Americans have such a struggle with obesity and over-eating. We eat and eat and feel terrible and unfulfilled. It’s so liberating to reaffirm the pleasures and importance of food, as well as to be able to recognize and connect to this experience through the pleasure of reading. Proust, MFK Fisher, Laurie Colwin, and Ruth Reichl were all enormous inspirations for me when I began thinking about food writing-in large part, because they were so intelligent about the significance of food, addressing its emotional and personal elements, as well as its sensual and physical aspects.

KK: Describe a perfect comfort food meal with a loved one.

DAJ: I just had it at a friend’s house the other day. The basic categories are fairly broad for me, inviting infinite variations: some kind of slow roasted or braised meat: pork tenderloin, roast chicken, pot roast; plus, some kind of lightly-steamed vegetable: broccoli, fennel, green beans, squash; plus, some kind of garlic mashed potato, gratin, or polenta. And of course a big round red wine. Preferably this all happens on a cold night in a warm house filled with day-long cooking aromas and a lit fireplace and a table filled with delightful, unpretentious friends with senses of humor and excellent stories!

KK: If you could change one thing about American food culture, what would it be?

DAJ: The way we’ve been separated from our food by the industrialization, shipping, and processing of ingredients. We should all live very close to our food-it should be growing outside our windows and bubbling on our stoves. Food should be as fresh and alive as possible. Living things do not come in boxes.

Bio: Tamara Kaye Sellman is a creative writing coach and developmental editor living in Bainbridge Island, WA. She writes the blog, BuzzFood: Feed The Obsession (http://buzzfood.blogspot.com).

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!