Waste a Good Ham Bone? Never!

My father was one of so many siblings, I can’t even name them all for fear I will forget somebody.  I have close to fifty cousins, spread all over the country now but when I was growing up we all packed into my grandparents’ home on Sundays and holidays. My dad’s family was loud, raucous and fun.

There was a steady stream of one or more ma tante, mon uncle and a cousin or three visiting at the modest bungalow on Providence Street in Chicopee. A big pot of something simmering on the stove top always at the ready. A favorite of mine was Mémère’s soupe aux pois, a creamy yellow pea soup she made anytime she served ham to the holiday hordes of children and grandchildren.

This year at our house, Farmer Paul glazed the perfect Easter ham. That ham bone was way too inviting not to cook up a crockpot of Mémère’s creamy soup. This is one of several recipes my grandmother used to make her pea soup.  Like most good cooks, she liked to mix it up - even when she made an old favorite.

Next time you have a good ham bone, don’t waste it!

Mémère’s Soupe Aux Pois
1 pound package yellow split peas
3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
1 clove garlic, grated
2 carrots, chopped or grated
1 meaty ham bone
1/2 teaspoon dried summer savory (or marjoram)
1 Bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated or minced
1 celery stalk, grated or chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Rinse split peas in a medium bowl with cold water. Drain and place peas in a 4 quart or larger slow cooker.  Add remaining ingredients.

Cover and cook for 5 hours on High or 7 hours on Low.  Remove ham bone, remove and chop about 1/2 cup of the meat and return chopped meat to cooker. Continue to cook an additional 25-30 minutes. Serve with fresh ground pepper, a sprinkle of parsley and a crusty batard or, if you have enough ham leftover, a tasty ham and pickle salad sandwich.

Lemony good artichoke hearts!

Just the word lemon causes my taste buds to perk up. There are all kinds of lemons... Lisbon lemons are small and seedless. Eureka lemons are the most common. Meyer lemons are a sweeter variety and have a hint of orange flavor. There are even pink lemons and thanks to a good friend with a yard full of tropical fruit trees, I've been lucky enough to try one!  

Lemons are the most common flavor enhancer after salt and pepper. Lemons yield more juice at room temp than a lemon that is cold. However, since lemons are susceptible to mold it’s best to store them in the refrigerator crisper drawers. To maximize your juicing, leave your lemon out for a couple of hours before juicing. Roll the room-temperature lemon on the counter and apply light pressure with your hand as you roll it. Then cut and squeeze.

The zest is also an amazing flavor enhancer. But for today’s recipe all you need is the juice. So if you're jonesing for a lemony rich appetizer or super tasty vegetarian dinner? Look no further.

ARTICHOKE HEARTS FRANCAISE 

1 can (14-oz) quartered of halved artichoke hearts, drained 

1/2 cup flour

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup olive oil

1/2 of one garlic clove, finely grated

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/2 stick unsalted butter 

Place artichoke hearts in a colander to drain. Season flour with salt and pepper. Add half of the chopped parsley to beaten eggs. Dredge artichokes in flour, then place floured artichokes in beaten egg mixture. Place on a lightly floured plate while preparing pan for cooking.

Heat saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic. Cook garlic to light brown. Test oil by drizzling egg mixture into it. Place artichokes into hot oil. Cook until golden brown on each side, turning only once. Remove cooked artichokes; keep warm. 

Drain nearly all of the oil from sauté pan and return pan to stove. Add lemon and white wine to de-glaze and reduce. Place artichokes on a platter. Add butter to lemon-wine mixture. Swirl until melted. Drizzle over artichokes, sprinkle with a little more chopped parsley and serve immediately as a first course for four or place artichokes over cooked pasta before adding the Francaise sauce as a main dish for two. 

Cream vs. Tomato = Sox vs. Yankees?

There’s only one real chowda according to old New Englanders. New England clam chowder is cream-based, and traditionally thickened with oyster crackers. Modern chowder uses flour or cornstarch as a thickener and most restaurants serve oyster crackers as a garnish. No tomatoes allowed. Here's a little known fact: in 1939 a bill that made putting tomatoes in clam chowder illegal was introduced in the Maine legislature. 

While cream or milk based clam chowders have been around since the mid-18th century, no mention of any tomato based chowder has been found that predates the late 1890s. Rumor has it that the addition of tomatoes in place of milk originated within the Portugese immigrant community in Rhode Island, where tomato-based stews were already a traditional part of Portuguese cuisine. 

Everyone knows about the Yankees-Red Sox feud, for over 100 years known an one of the fiercest rivalries in sports and often a subject of heated conversations. So it should come as no surprise that even as far back as the 1930s scornful New Englanders took to calling the tomato version "Manhattan-style" clam chowder because, in their view, calling someone a New Yorker was an insult. Some things never change! 

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

2 bacon strips

1 celery ribs, chopped

1 small onion, grated

4 small potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup water

1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice

3 teaspoons reduced-sodium chicken bouillon powder

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups lo-fat half-and-half, divided

2 cans (6-1/2 ounces each) chopped clams, undrained

In a large heavy bottomed pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. Saute celery and onion in the drippings until tender. Stir in cubed potatoes, water, clam juice, bouillon, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Combine flour and 1 cup half-and-half in a small bowl until smooth. Gradually stir into soup. Bring to a simmering (not rolling) boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in clams and remaining half-and-half; heat through (do not boil). 

Drop 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter into hot bowl of chowder. If desired, garnish with bacon crumbles or coarse ground black pepper. Serves four.

No time to bake from scratch?

Too busy to bake? Think again. 

These little gems will rock your taste buds. Go ahead, volunteer to donate a bake sale item; bring a treat for your book club; make the best picnic brownies ever; or just be the coolest mom in the neighborhood. All it takes is three ingredients and 25 minutes. That's it. Done.

Today was World Nutella Day. 

NUTELLA BROWNIE BITES

1 small jar (1 cup) Nutella 

10 tablespoons flour

2 eggs. 

Mix it up and divide batter evenly into 10 lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes. Chopped hazelnuts baked on top optional. 

Absolutely fabulous.

Baking Sweet Memories

My dad came home after serving as a Marine in the Korean conflict and took a job as a tire builder in the same factory as his own father and several of his brothers. It was a good job but it seemed as if he spent a lot of time either on strike or laid off. French fries and pies was how my parents stretched our food budgets during those lean days. 

As a child, I never felt as if we were missing a thing at the dinner table because of my father’s pies. While my father wasn't a baking aficionado, he knew how to make a mean pie crust and a darned good lemon filling.  

Dad passed away more than twenty years ago. My favorite color has always been yellow. I think it might have something to do with the sweet memories of baking lemon pie with him! 

ROGER’S LEMON MERINGUE PIE 

Pie Filling

1 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups water

2 large lemons, juiced and zested (reserve 1/4 teaspoon for meringue)

2 tablespoons butter

4 egg yolks, beaten

Your favorite 9 inch flaky pie crust, pre-baked

Meringue

4 egg whites

6 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lemon Filling: Using a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching, until mixture comes to a boil. 

Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Add butter, remove from heat and continue to stir until butter melts in. Let cool 5 minutes then pour filling into baked pastry shell.

Meringue: Using a large metal bowl (copper is best but stainless will do), whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust. Sprinkle top of meringue with zest. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

Holyoke Holiday Irish Soda Bread

2013 is only a day away and already the calender is crowding up with things to do, places to be, and people to see. 

January will see me hooting and hollering as we celebrate the second term inauguration of President Barack Obama. 

February will be a frenzy of activity between Groundhog Day, Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day prior to the winter doldrums setting in and I get serious about using that time to plan this year's work projects.  

Before you know it, March and St. Patrick's Day will be here. And anyone who lives in western Massachusetts knows what that means...the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day parade!

Here's a challenge for my friends of irish ancestry: If you can manage to convince me there's better St. Patrick's Day parade than the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Parade, I will bake and overnight my version of Irish soda bread to your door in plenty of time to accompany your traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner. 

Or better yet, come to Massachusetts to attend the parade and I will set a place at our table for you!

CRANBERRY IRISH SODA BREAD

4 cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter flavored shortening (or margarine)

1 cup eggnog 

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 egg

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons whole milk

Preheat oven to 365 degrees F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper, lightly spray parchment with butter flavor cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and shortening. Stir in dried cranberries. Mix in eggnog, vinegar and egg to make a soft, moist dough. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured board. Divide dough into two equal rounds and knead lightly (five or six times each). Place rounds on prepared baking sheet leaving adequate expansion space between each round. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with the milk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. 

Ethiopian Kapusta?

Cooking fabulous cabbage dishes crosses just about every cultural divide. From continent to continent, cabbage is a cross-cultural culinary staple. It’s inexpensive and with a few added ingredients, you can whip up delicious and healthy main entrees, sides, and even dessert. If you’re daring, Hungarian Sweet Cabbage Strudel makes for an interesting sweet treat.  

Cabbage is an economical vegetable; easy to find in any supermarket and it gives you a big nutritional bang for your buck. Cabbage possesses phytochemicals including sulforaphane, which studies suggest help protect against cancer-causing free radicals, and indoles, which help metabolize estrogens. Packed with vitamins K and C, it’s also an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, folate, manganese and Omega 3 fatty acids.

Farmer Paul’s cabbages are early this year. Our entire garden has had an accelerated harvest because of the heat. There’s only so many golumpki I’m willing to roll in an evening and with two kinds of cabbbage this year, I needed to find a few new recipes. This tradidional Ethiopian dish fit the bill. And oh boy, is it tasty!

ETHIOPIAN CABBAGE AND POTATO (Atakilt Wat)

1/2 cup olive oil

4 carrots, coarsely grated

1/2 onion, finely grated

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 head cabbage, shredded

5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 cup canned vegeatble broth 

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the carrots and onion in the hot oil about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, turmeric, and cabbage and cook another 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in broth. Add the potatoes; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are soft, about 20 to 30 minutes.