What's for Dinner?

Half the battle of home-cooking is the question of WHAT? Take turns choosing your weekly menus and the whole family gets engaged. WHEN in the world will you have time to cook given a busy schedule filled with late meetings and kids' activities? Choose some simple recipes and prep a little in advance, then you can put your meals together 'a-la-minute.' If you've drawn a blank, start the week with a Sunday kitchen session, whipping up a batch of 'ground beef starter' that can translate into countless meals throughout the week.

I had a fun time in the kitchen recently with our Secretary of Health, Karen Bowling, making taco salads, a healthy twist to the traditional Taco Salad Tuesday. Jump into the kitchen with us! 

Grilled Chicken Wings

The calendar says January and the mercury says first day of Spring, a perfect occasion to fire up the grill and make merry. Phone a few friends and get grilling. As everyone is tumbling home from their holidays away, it's a great time to reconnect before reality resumes. They will say 'yes! We'll be there!' Make extra just in case. 

Wings are fun and I found this recipe in This is a Cookbook, a stylish cookbook I picked up at my local bookstore. Sriracha and lime? I'm in. These are flavorful-spicy, tangy with their crispy char. The kids love them! There was lots of marinade left behind once I removed the wings for grilling, so I cooked it for a while to thicken into a fabulous dip for the finished wings.

As long as the grill is going, we like to throw all kinds of things on the fire. I pulled a rack of ribs from the freezer and gave them a dry rub while they thawed on a rack in the fridge (thinking ahead!). For good measure, we'll toss a big caesar salad (family favorite recipe in my book) and add a couple of chicken breasts, plus the remnants of a baguette for lovely 'croutons.' Something for everyone. Suddenly we have an impromptu dinner party and I'm the happiest girl in town. 

Grilled Chicken Wings

adapted from This is a Cookbook by Max Sussman and Eli Sussman

1 cup hot pepper sauce (Frank's Redhot!)

1 cup Sriracha sauce

zest and juice of 2 limes

freshly ground black pepper

3 pounds raw chicken wings, cut apart at the joint if whole, and tips removed

Stir the hot sauces together in a large bowl and add the lime zest and juice and pepper. Add the wings and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 4 to 24 hours. 

Build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill to high. Reserving the marinade, remove the chicken from the bowl and grill on the grill rack for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until done. Chicken will be opaque with a lightly charred crust.

Heat the reserved marinade in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it boils, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened while chicken grills.

Pile the wings on a big platter and pass the sauce separately. Serve with lots of napkins and cold drinks.

Serves 6-8

Happy Cooking!

Prosperity in a Pot

“People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas.”--unknown

Fresh food instead of fast, an attainable endeavor that reaps tremendous rewards. Kick off with prosperity-producing provisions, a gorgeous stew of fresh greens which symbolize green paper currency and black-eyed peas which resemble a handful of shiny coins.  It might not make us rich or thin, but it’s easy, aromatic, delicious, and fresh. 

The moment I started planning the New Years Day feast with black-eyed peas on the menu, the crew in my kitchen broke out into song, belting out the hits from The Black Eyed Peas and reminiscing about their performance at The Greenbrier a few summers back. It’s a full blown dance party in the kitchen, cue “Tonight’s Gonna Be a Good Night.”  After a bit of chopping and a long simmer, we have steamy bowls of satisfying soup.  And a perfect start to another great year.

Cue the playlist, gather your group and start chopping.

I hope you’ll enjoy the cooking routine.  When the next holiday season rolls around, you can enjoy and indulge without worry.

Prosperity in a Pot

Loosely adapted from a classic Persian recipe Aash, as shared by my friend Cosima Amelang.  Chop the greens once you get the black-eyed peas simmering

• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus additional for serving
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
• 3 cups dried black-eyed peas, rinsed
• water
• 1 large bunch Swiss chard, leaves chopped and stems reserved for another use
• 1/2 pound fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 large leek, chopped*
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (Sriracha is nice here)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• *for best results with leeks: trim the ends, remove the top greens and reserve for other use.  Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, slice thinly crosswise and rinse well in water.  Lift them out into a strainer to drain.

Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Saute the onion until translucent. Add the turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin and saute 1 minute. Add the chopped ginger and cook another minute. Add the black-eyed peas and enough water to cover (about 2 quarts). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Add the chopped chard, spinach, leek, green onions, and parsley.  Stir well to combine and add additional water if needed just to cover the greens.

Cook over low heat for one hour, until black-eyed peas are just tender. Season with hot sauce, honey and lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking for 15 minutes to infuse with the seasonings.

Serve, topping each portion with a swirl of olive oil.

Happy Cooking!

Makes 8 servings

Bring on a Sweet '16!

The new year is knocking and I struggle to grasp how the earth spins so quickly. In my quest to slow things down just a little I turn to my kitchen. We all love instantaneous gratification, but there are few things more gratifying than home cooking. Even if it takes a little longer to get dinner on the table, it's time well spent! Invite the kids and follow along on a fun kitchen adventure. Whether you're into planning menus in advance or would rather whip something together with pantry staples, you're in the driver's seat. Break out the new calendar and start fresh. It's going to be a sweet '16! What a wonderful time to turn over a new leaf, start a new habit, break a bad one. 

Some people build long lists of things they truly want to change, while others have trouble sticking with one resolution.  As I ponder the myriad possibilities for new year’s resolutions, I concocted my own list from various sources of inspiration.  In this new year, I decided on a collection of 16 popular resolutions.  Sounds a little daunting.  But I quickly realized that this long-ish list of goals could all be accomplished with one simple action.

Want to save money?  Lose weight?  Spend more quality time with loved ones?  Cook. Cooking for yourself instead of eating out saves lots of money. Cooking for yourself, with fresh ingredients, can be instrumental in achieving a healthy weight. What better way to spend quality time with family and friends than sharing stories over a home-cooked meal? And I think we'd all agree, the family table is the perfect no-phone-zone.

Come along and discover the true joy of cooking. According to my great mentor, the late writer Laurie Colwin,“What you want is an enormous return on a small investment. Almost the only situation in which this is possible is cooking.” Count me in!

Sixteen Resolutions for a Sweet '16, a brilliant plan for bringing cooking into your daily routine

• Save money
• Travel more (cooking brings the world to your kitchen!)
• Stay happy
• Buy local
• Find your love
• Start a hobby
• Help others often
• Slow the pace
• Keep on learning
• Eat five new foods
• Grow a simple garden
• Spend more time with loved ones
• Lose weight
• Cut out processed foods
• Do something out of your comfort zone
• Plan everything

Stop in daily for ideas and recipes that will help make this year the sweetest ever.

Happy New Year and HAPPY COOKING!

Welcome to my Playground

“Learn how to cook--Try new recipes, Learn from your mistakes, Be fearless, and above all, HAVE FUN!”--Julia Child

When my kids were tiny, I was determined to instill the love of cooking in them. They sensed my desperation and showed little interest in the kitchen.  There was the time when I embarked on a handmade gingerbread village with my first three year old.  I was starry-eyed, imagining ours would be perfect, just like the photo in the fancy food magazine.  

OK it was a disaster!  What was I thinking?  Perhaps I should have started with a realistic graham cracker milk carton cabin.

We swore off gingerbread projects for awhile, but eventually each of my daughters has come around to the kitchen and there are no more tears involved.  Now we laugh, even if there’s a mistake. (And we enjoy our coffee table book The Gingerbread Architect ).

One by one, I figured out simple tasks that they could master and followed their lead of interest rather than forcing them.

So we started amassing a collection of kitchen tools that were kid-friendly, if not exactly advertised as ‘for kids.’  Maybe your kids (grandkids, nieces, nephews, neighbors) aren’t quite ready for chopping onions with an 8-inch chef’s knife, but they can stir the onions you chopped as they saute.

They can measure, mix, and mash.  They can also spin salad, grate cheese, peel carrots.   Before you know it, you’ll be having tons of fun in the kitchen with your helper at the ready, and in minutes, all smiles, dinner is on the table.

As Rose, an eight-year old cooking student observed, “A kitchen is a classroom in a cook’s world.”  Math, science, reading, writing, and culture are all covered!  Kids have it all figured out--invite them to the kitchen.

For mess-proof cooking with kids, think BIG.  

Big mixing bowls, even for small jobs, help kids keep their ingredients in the bowl rather than spilling out everywhere.  

Big cutting boards also help contain their mess to a minimum.

Cookbooks with colorful illustrations or step-by-step photos engage kids and give them confidence.  A few favorites:  

Salad People, Pretend Soup, and Honest Pretzels, all by Mollie Katzen 

Rick and Lanie’s Excellent Kitchen Adventures by Rick and Lanie Bayless

Cooking on a Stick by Linda White, for campfire cooking fun

CHOP CHOP: The Kids’ Guide to Cooking Real Food with Your Family by Sally Sampson (also available as a magazine subscription)

Counter Intelligence The Best of April’s Kitchen (Smart, Delicious Recipes from my Family to Yours) by Yours Truly

Tools with comfortable handles are great for kids.  They also love colorful gear--mix and match a rainbow of tools.

Cooking is contagious -- spread the love!

Ode to the KitchenAid

My mother marked the arrival of her fourth baby in 1963 with a sparkling stainless steel stand mixer. Hands-free, she could mix cakes from scratch for birthdays, cookies for school parties and church bake sales, and her still-famous roll dough. The KitchenAid rescued this busy mother and curated untold thousands of batches of good things.

Some mothers quiet their fussy babies with a drive around the block, a lullaby in the rocking chair, or with a hopeful pacifier. My mother turned on the KitchenAid mixer, with me, the fifth baby, on her hip. I know this, not because she has told me or because there are photos to prove it, but because to this day, the gentle hum of the KitchenAid mixer makes me feel at ease. It whisks away stress. It restores calm.

When the word came that her mixer ‘quit,’ we kids sprang into action and bought her a new one. In this new age of mail order, it was a one-click transaction, we received our thanks and that was that.

Mom turned 85 last year and it was decided that she needed to downsize from the big house where we were raised, across the street from the ocean, our forever home. We sorted through the decades of photos, memorabilia, the old prom dresses, the shelves of books, each of us selecting a few keepsakes. “Who wants this?” my sister asked. It was a KitchenAid box with the spiffy new logo and image of a white stand mixer. I opened it to find mom’s original mixer, the one that quit years ago. Abandoning the photo drawer, I pulled the shiny mixer from the box, inspected it, and clutched it like my firstborn. 

Mom is happily settled into her new home, a manageable 2 bedroom condo with a perfect kitchen, across the street from the ocean. Her white KitchenAid is dusted with flour from the Thanksgiving roll dough. The Original now graces my counter in the hopes that she will fire up as she once did, making cakes by the batch and singing me her sweet lullaby.

Butter Horn Rolls

Recipe adapted from Duncan Hines Adventures in Good Cooking and The Art of Carving in the Home. I promise, these are worth the effort!  

Makes 3 dozen

• 4 cups unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons ‘instant’ yeast (Rapid Rise)
• 3/4 cup butter at cool room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk at room temperature
• additional flour for the work surface

Whisk together the flour and yeast in a medium bowl.

Cream the butter, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl, preferably using a stand mixer and the paddle attachment. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour in the eggs and milk, then add the flour/yeast mixture. Mix together on low speed until well blended. (Draping a kitchen towel over the whole mixer will help prevent the flour from flying out). Scrape the bowl down to the bottom to ensure everything is well incorporated. (OR get a Sideswipe paddle attachement for KitchenAid!)

Cover the bowl with a clean towel and allow it to rise until doubled, about one and a half hours.

Fold the risen dough with a large spoon or scraper. Transfer to a one gallon size zip-top bag and chill at least 6 hours or up to 3 days.

For Crescent Rolls:

Roll out one third of the dough on a well-floured cloth to a 1/4-inch thick round. Cut the dough into 12 triangles (like a pizza). Roll each triangle into a crescent roll shape, starting at the outer wide end. Place the rolls 2-inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cover each sheet with a clean towel and allow the rolls to rise until doubled, about one and a half hours.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to a basket. Serve warm.

Discover a New Recipe

How do you get a room full of kids (and their reluctant cooking teacher) to eat their just-harvested beets? Whirl them into some homemade hummus! When I was invited to cook with a group of students from SCRATCH, a community garden program focusing on youth who bring their farm to the table, I couldn't believe my luck. They arrived with about a bushel of beets which we scrubbed and roasted and then let the food processor do the work of turning our golden hummus into a hot pink discovery. Then it disappeared just as magically. These happy growers are amazing kitchen hands and I can't wait to see what they harvest next. Happy Cooking!

Hot Pink Hummus

We made a double batch of classic hummus, then scooped out half and added the beets to the processor. A couple of swirls of the machine and gold turned to the most amazing pink

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 (15-ounce) can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for storing
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 small beets, roasted until tender and peeled

PULSE the garlic in a food processor to mince. Add the drained chick peas, lemon zest and juice and boiling water. Blend for 3 minutes, scraping the side of the container after 1 minute. Add the olive oil, salt, and beets and blend until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and drizzle the top with a bit of olive oil to keep from drying out. Refrigerate for up to 1 week

Blackened Mahi Mahi

Growing up in Florida with the warm Atlantic ocean in my backyard was the best possible environment for a kid, except when it came to dinner.  I flat refused to savor its bounty when it was served on my plate.  This delicacy, fresh from the salty sea, was a near-daily offering and I would have no part of it.  Eighteen years of no.

Then I went to college, an hour and some change from my beloved playground.  I craved the salt, missed having sand between my toes.  I longed for my mom’s home cooking and forgot all about her spectacular fish dishes.  I craved home.

When my older sister moved to the Virgin Islands, I couldn’t wait to visit her.  Independent college student, going to the Caribbean!  I invited my surfer boyfriend/now husband, and off we went to ‘America’s Paradise’ for a Spring Break getaway. Every day adventure and a return to home cooking.  It was such a treat to eat ‘real food’ for a change.  

One night my sister and her husband offered to treat us to dinner out to their favorite little restaurant, The Fishnet.” On our way there, I wondered if I would let my guard down and give fresh fish another try.  It had been a few years since my mom had tried to force feed me.  Maybe this was the time?

We entered the quaint fresh air eatery with a fishnet draped above, serving as a roof.  We were seated at a four-top overlooking the sparkling sea.  Paradise. The waiter in his island t-shirt and tattered ankle-length jeans served us tropical drinks as I ogled the plates passing by.  “That looks delicious!  I’m having THAT!” I decided.  It was the house specialty, the day’s freshest catch, completely encrusted in a sheath of spices. “Do you even like fish?” my sister asked.

At that moment, I completely got swept up in the ‘when in Rome’ phenomenon and placed my order.  “I’d like the fresh catch, blackened,” I said, feeling incredibly grown up.  No one was there cajoling me, mom wasn’t there forcing me.  This was my decision and it felt really good.

Still smoking hot from its cast iron skillet, this gorgeous, crispy black filet was elegantly delivered before me.  Cracking my fork through the aromatic crust, I took the first bite.  Tender, flaky, crunchy, spicy.  Delicious.  From that moment, I realized that I had been missing out my whole life. I mentally apologized to my mom, one of the best cooks on earth, for all those years of rejection.

Returning home for a summer visit, I asked mom what she was planning for dinner.  “I have some fish,” she said apologetically.  My eyes lit up.  “Where’s your iron skillet?”

Looking ahead to an upcoming trip home to the coast, I offer you a taste of fresh fish that is sure to convert you! How sad that when I fell in love with fresh fish, I also moved far away from the coast.  Lucky for us in Charleston, we can head to Joe’s Fish Market for really great fish and service to match.

You can find brothers Joe and Robin Harmon behind the counter at Joe's Fish Market year-round. Robin took a quick break to wave my "30 Days of Kitchen Fun" calendar and I hear he's quite a fisherman when his work schedule allows.

Blackened Mahi Mahi

Most firm-fleshed fish work well in this preparation.  At Joe’s, the mahi mahi came highly recommended.  It cooked up perfectly!  Though commercial ‘blackening’ spice blends are available, they often contain a lot of salt.  I prefer to blend my own.

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme 
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 four to six ounce skinless firm fleshed fish filets (halibut, salmon, mahi mahi work well)

Heat the oven to 375. Mix the paprika, thyme, salt, cayenne, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a large plate or pie pan. Brush the fish on both sides with the olive oil. Carefully dip the filets into the seasoning mixture, turning to coat each side. 

(If using smaller filets, you may have some spice mixture remaining--stir it into the liquid for cooking rice or quinoa, or discard if not using right away)

Heat a large cast iron skillet(12-inch) over medium-high heat. When the skillet just starts to smoke, add the filets and cook for 2 minutes.  Carefully turn the filets over and transfer the skillet to the oven and finish cooking for about 5-7 minutes--the fish will feel just-firm when pressed at the center.  (Cooking time will vary depending on oven and thickness of fish).

Serve with Fruit Salsa (recipe follows)

Fruit Salsa

If I was in our Florida backyard, I’d grab some mangoes for this salsa. In West Virginia summers, I pick fresh peaches. Pineapple works in the off-season.

• 2 cups chopped fresh fruit
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 small Roma tomato, chopped
• 1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (or to taste)
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

Toss the fruit with the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add the chopped tomato, bell pepper, green onions, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro. Stir gently to combine. Serve with the fish.

Fried Rice, Your Way

“The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.”--Albert Einstein

Whenever I need to jumpstart my recipe repertoire, I turn to the library.  Sure there are some hundreds, even thousands of cooking blogs and websites, many of which I turn to daily.  However, nothing quite compares to thumbing through a great cookbook.

My cookbook collection grows exponentially every time I visit the library.  My shelves overflow with great cooking titles, yet I can never get enough.  I love visiting the ‘new arrivals’ section, bring several home, and without fail fall in love. There are some I find I couldn’t live without and purchase a few from time to time, finding room on my crowded shelves.  The Seductions of Rice by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid is a top-ten in my collection, and I first discovered it at the library.

My cooking education began at my mother’s knee and continues today with every book I read.  I’ve been accused of reading cookbooks like novels and it’s absolutely true.  I can’t get enough. I’m currently entrenched in Mark Kurlansky’s new book International Night, soaking up the flavors of cultures from across the globe. Fascinating facts and trivia mingle with recipes in this hefty tome penned by Kurlansky and his 14-year old daughter Talia.  My kind of book!  

The Kurlanskys present a culinary world tour to us hungry readers, marching us along from Andalusia ‘where two continents meet’ to Japan ‘a very crowded island nation with the world’s longest life expectancy,’ stopping along the way to sip, sample, and stir in every corner of civilization.

I’m swept away and suddenly realize it’s time to cook dinner.

I turn to The Best Homemade Kids’ Lunches on the Planet by Laura Fuentes and find a perfectly delicious no-fuss Fried Rice recipe.  The headnotes are right up my alley--‘no measurements to follow and just some simple rules: use leftover rice.’ I just happen to have cold rice from last night’s dinner and only a few minutes before everyone’s starving.  Then I can quickly get back to my awaiting stack of books.

Better-Than-Takeout Fried Rice

tweak according to your whim and what you have on hand

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups mixed chopped vegetables (I’m going with carrot, green onion, and frozen peas)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3/4 cup cooked diced chicken or tofu , or a handful of cashews
• 3 cups leftover cold cooked rice

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add the egg and let sit until it bubbles and just the center remains uncooked. Carefully turn the ‘egg pancake’ and cook another minute until done.Transfer to a plate and cut into small squares.  Set aside.

Add the vegetables to the skillet and stir to coat with the residual oil. Reduce the heat to medium, drizzle with the soy sauce and cover.  Cook 1 minute to quick-steam the vegetables. (Depending on type and size of vegetables, time may vary). Add the chicken or tofu and toss to combine.

Add the rice and stir gently to combine. Cook, covered, for 3 minutes to heat the rice through. Then uncover and cook a few extra minutes, if desired, to sear rice.Gently fold in the cooked egg and serve with chopsticks.

Serves 4

Sunshine in a Glass

Fresh squeezed OJ is nature's gift to get us through the dark days of Winter. It will fix what ails you, just sweet enough and rich with pulp, it's like drinking sunshine. Growing up on the East Coast of Central Florida, sandwiched between the warm Atlantic Ocean and miles upon miles of citrus groves, fresh squeezed OJ was a weekly ritual at our house. On Sundays, we would stop at a roadside stand to buy our supply of fresh citrus. I still remember the simple sign "Juicing Oranges" and a farmer in his Sunday overalls and fedora would load a bulging brown grocery sack into the back of our station wagon. At home, we cut them in half and took turns squeezing a bushel of golden fruit. The pulp and tiny seeds escaped from the juicer into the pitcher and into each awaiting glass. I just picked up a sack of Florida oranges in my West Virginia grocery store. I am ready for Winter.