Cookin' in the 'Cuse

"Last Minute" Duck Confit on Green Lentils

Okay, see it happened like this.  I took out what I thought were chicken quarters to make dinner for my husband--it was late and I just took them from the cellar freezer and put them in the fridge to slowly defrost overnight.  When I woke up and checked on the meat--I found out I had taken out...DUCK.

So, you know, I thought...duck confit.  Tonight.  But if you've ever made duck confit--that luscious, extravagant preparation of duck preserved (confit means preserved in French) in duck fat--then you know that it takes FOREVER.  To begin with, you're going to want to cure the duck for about 36 hours in spices such as cloves, garlic, perhaps citrus peel.

So here it was, 12 noon yesterday, I had thawed duck quarters and confit on the brain.  No duck fat, no time to cure anything.  This is when you find out who your friends are.  If this ever happens to you, do what I did:  call a restaurant you love that you know has duck on the menu and ask them for some fat.  Lots of it.

After setting up a pick up time I soon had a car filled with the amazing, savory aromas of duck fat--it was 2:30 pm.  But here's the time-saver:  because the duck fat from the restaurant was so rich--having been the cradle for previous renditions of duck confit the day before--that I didn't have to cure my duck.  All I had to do was to toss the beautiful fat into a roasting pan--see photo at left, put in the duck, add some extra (basic) olive to make sure they were covered, and cooked them in a 275 degree oven for five hours.  Yeah, five hours, but, then I didn't have to do a thing to them but take them out, season them, and lay them on a bed of green lentils.  Oh. My. God.  With a glass of Bonterra's organic Cabernet Sauvignon I was in heaven. 

The recipe for the lentils was adapted from Maria Helm Sinskey's, The Vineyard Kitchen.

• 1 pound (about 2 cups) green lentils
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 4 cloves
• 2 strips of apple-wood smoked bacon
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 bay leaf--fresh or dried
• 3 cups of water, 3 cups of chicken stock

Clean the lentils, picking out any debris.  Peel and trim the garlic cloves, leaving them whole.  Peel, trim and dice the carrots into cubes about 1/4 inch.  Peel and halve the onion.  Dice one half of the onion finely and take the four cloves and stick them into the intact onion half.  Cut the bacon strips into thirds.

Heat a 4-quart pot over medium heat.  Add the bacon cook until the fat begins to render and the bacon begins to brown.  Turn up the heat and add the diced onion, carrots and garlic.  Saute the vegetables until they begin to brown, season with salt and pepper.

Add the lentils to the pot and saute until the lentils are warm to the touch.  Add the bay leaf and onion studded with cloves.  Add the liquid and bring the pan to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.  Taste the broth for seasoning and add more salt and peppper if necessary.  Cook until the lentils and vegetables are tender, about 30-40 minutes. 

Drain the lentils (reserve some of the cooking liquid for reheating if not using immediately) and cool. Remove the bay leaf, bacon, and the onion half stuck with cloves.  Reheat the lentils with a little of the reserved cooking liquid when you are ready to serve them.  The lentils can be made up to four days ahead--store them in their cooking liquid in the fridge until ready to use.

*The lentils can be made vegan by omitting the bacon and using all water or vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock.

Lots 'o Links on Eating Local

I'm not sure what is in the air but there are a lot of folks talking about the issues of eating locally these past few days.

The CNY ecoBlog points to an article in the local Ithaca paper about eating locally as a New Years Resolution. 

Derrick over at An Obsession with Food (and Wine) raises the issue pointing out a piece on a couple who ate nearly 75% locally with their food stamp allotment.  Given our conversations about whether eating locally and organically is only for the rich--this article seems timely. 

Finally, if you think Java Chicken is the newest way to jazz up your wingz, think again.  Jesse over at the York Staters blog informs us of a heritage chicken breed that was local to our area in the second of their Tastes of the Region series.

Lots to chew on as we contemplate the start of another calendar year--which I'm doing with my newly arrived seed catalog in hand.

The Difficulty of Eating Local in Syracuse in Winter

Scroll down for the recipe.

As this month draws to a close I have come face to face with a harsh reality:  It is too much for me to change my eating habits in order to eat locally in winter in upstate New York.  There, I said it. 

Not that I haven't tried, mind you.  Actually, I've not done horribly it's just that it isn't like it was in August.  I've managed to do okay at breakfast by eating locally produced granola or baking my own scones and muffins using mostly locally produced ingredients.  But the rest of the meals?  And all the holiday parties?  I could have taken this as an opportunity to completely revise my diet but I just couldn't do it.

There are a few things I could have done to make it easier and I'll try to implement some of these changes in the new year:

• I could truly eat more out of our root cellar and freezer.  While I'm slowly drawing down these resources--those summer peaches were delicious the other night for dessert--I've not gotten used to looking to the stored food as a place of first resort.
• I could get more creative with the potatoes, carrots, and other winter veggies we have stored.  We have a great resource in Green Rabbit Farm which still has some of these great crops and yet, I've not sought out recipes to try these foods in new ways.
• I could think about restructuring my diet to really shift in the winter--which means that meals like tonight's dinner would be more a treat than expectation.
• This is more difficult to do without knowing that a community of people--in my 'hood and in the blogosphere are doing it with me.

All that said, there were a few victories: 

• A Thanksgiving Feast featuring mostly locally-grown foods.
• I'm shopping more and more at the local food Co-op--and not just because I've been recently elected to the Board.
• I've come to understand that as wonderful as peaches and summer squash taste in December--they still don't hold up when compared to those that are freshly picked.
• I've learned that if there were a real emergency, we could subsist on food produced from within 50 miles of here and do more than just survive.

As it happens, the 2006 Eat Local Challenge has been announced for May.  That is still a mite early for us here in Central New York--no tomatoes!  But it will surely be possible and certainly easier than winter.  I look forward to seeing how others across the country fare as well. 

Recipe for Garlicky Beans, Greens and Smoked Salmon

Tonight's Un-Local dinner took minutes to throw together and was scrumptious.  This is a take on the beans and greens idea with lots of garlic and some smoked salmon.  Note--all measurements are approximations.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan or wok.  Throw in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach and saute.  When the spinach begins to wilt throw in a few tablespoons of white beans--Cannellini beans or great northern.  Do not worry about draining them too much but try not to add the liquid. 

Stir spinach and beans together until the beans begin to releaase their starch.  Tip pan and add a bit more olive oil and a couple cloves of chopped garlic.  Allow the garlic to cook in the oil until fragrant.  Stir everything together and then add about 3 oz of finger-shredded smoked salmon--any flavor, but it must be the kind of smoked salmon or smoked trout that can be flaked.  Stir a bit until the salmon is heated through.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.  Serves one.

Post script:  The salmon was from Cedar Creek Smoked Salmon in the Bay Area, the spinach was from Earthbound Farms (which means, probably California), the beans where from--I don't know.  And I had a glass of Robert Sinskey's Chardonnay (Stags Leap District) to go with it.  But let's hear it for the delicious Syracuse Stretch bread that was on the side!

Celebrating all 12 days

A few confessions:  I'm still writing Christmas and holiday cards; we have no plans to take down our tree until January 7; I'm still doing holiday baking.  What is this about?  It's all about celebrating all 12 days of Christmas--which conveniently allow me to be on time for the celebrations of Hanukkah (at least this year) and Kwanzaa too. 

My friends have come to understand that Christmas cards and gifts will rarely arrive before December 24--I'm simply too busy working to make sure the spiritual engagement of Christmas is available for others.  It is only after the holiday that I really get to attend to it--and since Christmas-tide doesn't end until Epiphany on January 6--I've got lots of time.

So the past few days have been spent wishing I had an industrial size mixer (never thought my large KitchenAid would seem insufficient) and baking up a storm.  Today's shipment of gifts includes these delectable "Deep Dark Chocolate Loaves" from a Cheeseboard Collective recipe.  These are so decadent that I've only eaten a few in my lifetime.  Nothing says "happy holidays" like a whole lotta butter, cream, and chocolate!

Merry Christmas!!!

Ah, blogging has taken a back seat to baking, preaching, pageants and celebrations of all things Christmas.  May the joy of these holy days be yours!

A new blog find

If you check the lists on the side bar to the left you will notice that slowly but surely more blog links are being added.  These represent just a fraction of the blogs that I actually check in on from time to time but I'm particularly excited by the blogs being written in upstate New York.

One of my newest finds is York Staters.  This is a group blog about life and culture in upstate New York--but at least one author is based in Fayetteville.  This blog is all about identifying and celebrating the indentity of upstate.  But you gotta check out their new series on Tastes of the Region.  I won't tell you the food they wrote about but we Central New Yorkers will certainly have some opinions--check it out!

Vinomania Wine Shop

Local Gems of Syracuse is a series of posts designed to highlight the unsung heroes of our culinary life.  Each of them, in their own way, elevates the food scene of Syracuse.

When it comes to buying wine it helps to have a friend in the wine business.  Here in Syracuse we have exactly that in Gary Decker and his shop, Vinomania.  This is the kind of place where you can come to browse and buy, browse and chat, learn, taste, and discover first hand the wonderful world of wine.

If you enter Vinomania in the late afternoon through the evening you are likely to find a handful of folks gathered near the front, talking and tasting wine.  You're also likely to find Gary Decker walking a customer around pointing out what's new and special--and always at a variety of price points.  Gary brings years of experience in the restaurant world to the table and a great love and passion for helping others enjoy wine. 

Vinomania carries a broad selection of wine--lots of organic wines, Finger Lakes Wines and bottles from just about every major wine growing region in the world.  It is a small shop when compared to some of the others around but it is intensively stocked--great selections, always new shipments, and Gary can pretty much get you anything that is not in the shop.

On a regular basis Vinomania hosts wine tastings on Saturday afternoons.  They vary by theme--organic wine was a recent one.  And these tastings are never just wine--these are opportunities to have some good food along with the wine.  Did I mention these are free?

If you have some cash to spend, though, check out the four-part wine tasting course that Vinomania will host in January.  For four Tuesdays, beginning January 10, 2006 you can learn about a variety of wines, tasting about 5 per session, eating great food, and learning it all from Gary, the "wine professor" himself--all for just $100. 

What I have come to love about this shop is the sense that as soon as you enter, you are among friends.  There are no dumb questions.  The advice is free flowing.  And if you time it right and Gary's wife is in a baking mood--you'll get a bit of something yummy to eat while you browse--she makes a mean sweet potatoe pie!

Vinomania is open Monday from 4 - 7pm, Tuesday through Saturday from 11 - 7pm and is closed on Sundays.  It is located in Nettleton Commons near the ramp to 81 North at the corner of Willow and Pearl.

Vinomania, 313 Willow Street, Syracuse, NY, 13203, 315-422-8466.

It's the little things

Many years ago I learned a lesson that has been forever seared into my memory--always have a little something on hand in case someone drops by.  I've never forgotten meeting a person in their home only to be greeted by offers of hot coffee, tea and, perhaps a slice of warm coffee cake, the smell of cinnamon still wafting through the air.

Scones are really more my speed--with tea and milk thank you, please--reminding me of moments spent having afternoon tea beneath the shadows of Winchester Cathedral in England, or Friday Afternoon Tea each week in college in Massachusetts.  They are quick, simple pleasures that look like great effort but exude warm welcome with minimal work--scones are classified as quick breads, after all.  Indeed, with the help of a food processor to cut in the butter, these are easily made while getting ready for the day--15 minutes of prep time, 15 minutes of baking in the oven while I shower, and say another 5 to brew the tea and set out some jam.

And while I know there are a plethora of scone mixes out there, and fancier recipes to prepare, may I implore you to please make them from scratch.  There is no time or quality gained from using a mix.  If you keep currants or raisins on hand for your cereal and some cream or half and half for coffee, then you'll usually have everything you need to whip these up.  These are made using the classic recipe from the Joy of Cooking (new and old versions) and is fail proof. 

 

Is it just a luxury--clean food?

It is a recurring question that gets at the heart of the food justice movement--"is eating organic a luxury only for those who can afford it?  The ways things completely flip just blows my mind. 

It used to be that being svelte was a sign of prosperity and today's thin "ideal" was a mark of poverty.
It used to be (for Anglos) that having fair skin was a mark of prosperity and having a tan was a mark of working class status.
It used to be that eating simply prepared, minimally processed foods was a sign of limited resources and eating imported, convenience foods was a mark of upward mobility.

Food and class are inextricably tied to each other.  But why it should cost more for food to be left in its natural state to travel fewer miles to a dinner table than to process it within an inch of its life in order to traverse thousands of miles defies all logic (well, that is, unless you are a shareholder or owner in industrial farming). 

To follow a great conversation on these issues check out this post over at Green Blade: Justice Journal.  Here is a community (based in Ithaca, NY) that is wrestling with these issues in some deep ways.  I think there is a solution to be found in engaging these issues in community.  Perhaps we can rev up this conversation in Syracuse too.

Some Comfort Food to take the Chill Off

By now it must be apparent that there are certain dishes I turn to for comfort food and, well, because they taste so darn good.  Quiche is an obvious one but grits and polenta also rank high up there.

The other night, after watching the snow fall ALL DAY, I decided that some creamy polenta was the way to go. This dish did the trick.  The polenta is one of the classic recipes made with milk and finished with a couple of tablespoons of marscapone cheese and a handful of Parmigiano Reggiano.  The sausages were tasty chicken with feta and spinach that I picked up from a recent jaunt through Trader Joes.  So with all the creaminess of the polenta and the savoriness of the sausages the only thing left to add was the sweetness of caramelized onions and roasted red and yellow peppers. 

The trick with the onions is this:  cook the sliced onions and roasted peppers in a bit of olive oil, SLOWLY.  I mean, about as long as it takes to make the polenta--35 minutes.  If you cover the cooking onions and peppers with some damp parchment paper and leave them alone save for two or three stirs during the whole cooking time, you'll come up with the sweetest onions you've ever tasted.  Oh, this dish is a riff off of a favorite breakfast dish I used to eat at Rose's Cafe in the Marina District of San Francisco.  I think it works at any time of the day.