January 2013 – Many Kitchens

Super Bowl with Many Kitchens

January 29, 2013November 29, 2017, Valentina Rice

Football holds great importance in my household. My husband is a diehard Giants fan and we actually met as the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2008. Needless to say I caught him at a weak moment when his emotions were soaring high. With another Super Bowl under our belts in 2012, the year we got married, it was fairly clear to me that I was one hell of a good luck charm.

Years of dating my husband taught me quite a lot about the game. I can now scream at the TV for bogus calls: “that’s home field advantage, no way was that first down!” or yell out when I see the opposing team foul (because you’re apparently supposed to turn a blind eye when your own guy ‘horse collar tackles’ his opponent).

I can also lay down a mean spread on game day. And since it will never be a meal to garner you much praise — too many eyes glued to the screen — I have learned the wonderful rule of set it and forget it. Big platters, generous portions and let everyone fend for themselves.

This year, several of our producers have shared their game day favorites. We hope you enjoy and may the football gods shine in your favor.

Top Burger Toppings

Texas pickles
Maple syrup glazed bacon
Isot Pepper rubbed into burger pattie
Spicy Garlic infused Vietnamese sliders
Vidalia jam

Get the Recipe: Bitchin’ BBQ Glazed Stuffed Pork Loin

Get the Recipe: Antiguan Jerk Chicken Wings

Tamarind and Sumac Date Chutney

January 23, 2013November 29, 2017, Valentina Rice

Last week I was fortunate enough to have lunch with Louisa Shafia, the woman behind Lucid Food and the author of the upcoming The New Persian Kitchen.

I was excited to tell her about Lezzet Spices and their wonderful Sumac which is so prevalent in Persian cooking and often used by Louisa. Having just come from a meeting with her agent, she had a galley of her gorgeous new cookbook with her so I got a little sneek peek. I’ve already preordered my copy and you can too:

BarnesandNoble.com,
Powells.com,
IndieBound.org,
Amazon.com.

Louisa has also kindly donated a recipe to Many Kitchens featuring sumac which looks delicious!

Tamarind and Sumac Date Chutney
The New Persian Kitchen
Louisa Shafia

This sublime condiment brings together tamarind, lime, ginger, cinnamon, and sugary dates. Once pickled in the tamarind, the dates crystallize and dissolve into a soft paste similar to a chutney. After 6 weeks, the pronounced salty flavor of the sumac will mellow, and you can enjoy this fragrant pickle on everything from burgers to fish to cheese. For an easy hors d’oeuvre, spread it on a cracker and top it with lime powder–seasoned grilled shrimp and a fresh green herb. The chutney will separate slightly over time, so stir it from the bottom before serving to bring out all its tart lime goodness.

Tamarind and Sumac Date Chutney

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients

1 cup Thai tamarind concentrate, strained to remove grit

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more if needed

2 tablespoons sumac

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pound Medjool dates, pitted

Method

1. In a large bowl, whisk the tamarind with the lime juice, sumac, kosher salt, garlic, ginger, and cinnamon. Add the dates and toss well.

2. Transfer the mixture to a clean glass jar and add more lime juice as needed to cover any exposed dates.

3. Seal and store in the refrigerator.

4. Shake every few days to break up the crystallization. The dates will be ready to eat in 6 weeks and will last for about 6 months in the refrigerator.

Bangers and Mash

January 16, 2013November 29, 2017, Valentina Rice

Over the last twelve years, I’ve considered moving back to England a number of times. Each time, my inner Virgo has me putting pen to paper and writing my pros and cons list. Number 2 on the list, right below family and friends, is always sausages. The closest I’ve found to a proper English sausage is from Myers and Keswick; the West Village store that makes me nostalgic for things I didn’t even have growing up. I find myself inexplicably sighing over cleaning products like Persil washing powder, Fairy washing up liquid and even Dettol, a brown disinfectant ubiquitous in 1980’s England.

But back to those bangers. My ultimate comfort food — bangers and mash. All ridiculously simple except for the Onion Marmalade that I insist is dolloped on the top of each plateful and takes hours to make. When my friend Ben moved back to England after 5 years in New York, we convinced our beloved local French restaurant to serve Bangers and Mash to all 60 guests at his leaving party. My offering was the onion marmalade — I think I cried more over all those onions than I did over Ben leaving. The party was a huge hit with the back room of Le Pescadou turned into a British theme park with posters of The Queen on all the walls while we mourned the departure of our good friend.

Whenever I see a jar of something resembling onion marmalade, I buy it and am invariably disappointed. Like goldilocks, I’ve complained of them being too sweet, too salty or too sour. Finding David L. Davis’ stand at a farmer’s market in Norfok, CT, the Vidalia Onion Jam was the first thing I tried from his exhaustive selection. My search was finally over and I never have to shed another tear again (well at least not over onions). I use it on everything from burgers to goat cheese crostini and of course bangers and mash. What a healthy life I lead! Now all I need to find is a sausage to sell on Many Kitchens. As always, email me with suggestions: valentina@manykitchens.com

Bitchin’ BBQ Glazed Stuffed Pork Loin

January 14, 2013, Valentina Rice

Stuart & Co.’s

Bitchin’ BBQ Glazed Stuffed Pork Loin

Ingredients

2 Pounds Boneless Pork Loin, Butterflied
1 Pound Kale washed and chopped
½ Cup Shredded Gruyere Cheese
4 Cloves Roasted Garlic
¼ Cup White Wine
1 Tbsp Stuart & Co Dry Rub
1 Tbsp Vegetable or Olive Oil
½ Cup Stuart & Co. Bitchin’ BBQ Sauce

Method

(This recipe can easily easily be made in the oven as well. For baking, preheat oven to 350F and cook approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes until the internal temperature of the pork is at least 145 degrees)

1. Preheat grill on medium heat
2. Lay pork loin skin side on cutting board and open fully
3. Season inside with salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp of the spice rub
4. Spread the shredded Swiss cheese across the middle flap in one even layer
5. Heat a pan big enough to hold the kale
6. When pan is hot add the vegetable or olive oil
7. When oil starts to shimmer add the roasted garlic and kale, stirring with a wooden spoon
8. When kale starts to wilt, add the white wine and keep cooking kale until all the liquid has evaporated
9. Drain the cooked kale in a colander and squeeze to remove any excess liquid
10. Once the kale has drained, spread it on top of the Swiss cheese in an even layer
11. Close the flaps of the pork loin, then brush the top with the BBQ sauce
12. Flip the pork over and brush the backside with BBQ sauce
13. Tie the pork with butcher twine to hold the shape
14. Place the loin on the grill and cook about 10-15 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature of the pork is at least 145 degrees
15. Remove pork from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing

Antiguan Jerk Chicken Wings

January 14, 2013November 29, 2017, Valentina Rice

This photo was made with Baron’s Hot Sauce- however that might just blow your head off!
(Jerk Sauce will darken the final color of your wings)

Baron’s International Kitchen’s

Antiguan Jerk Chicken Wings

Serves 6 – 8 (as an appetizer)

Ingredients
3 lbs chicken wings
2 ¼ cups Baron’s International Kitchen Caribbean Marinade (Use either our Mild or Hot Jerk Sauce depending on desired level of spiciness, use chart below to vary heat level).

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 300° F.

2. Marinate wings in 1¼ cups of Caribbean Marinade in a gallon-sized ziploc bag for ½ hour, shaking bag occasionally to redistribute marinade (this can be done the night before).

3. Place the wings on a raised grilling rack so that air can circulate above and below the wings.

4. Cook for 2 hours, turning every 30 minutes, baste to the preferred intensity according to the following chart.

** – This intensity level is only for the most adventurous, many will find this too hot to eat.

Serve as a party or dinner appetizer or while watching your favorite sporting event with friends and family!

SUGGESTED SIDES: raw celery sticks and blue cheese dressing, corn on the cob, potato or macaroni salad

New Year’s Eve Dinner, or Practice What You Preach

January 7, 2013November 29, 2017, Valentina Rice

It was all planned. After lengthy discussions (kindly indulged by my great friend and host Ben Pentreath), we had finally decided on Beef Wellington. There’s nothing I like more than planning a menu and Ben’s kitchen in Dorset is not only one of the most beautiful kitchens I know but has the added delight of an AGA oven. I grew up cooking on an AGA and even though you have little control over heat, I feel comfortable with one and was looking forward to attempting my first Beef Wellington after hours spent researching recipes.

Ben and his AGA

The night before, we went for dinner at a friends’ home, which is affectionately known as the Pink Palace. Bellamont Farm deserves it’s own story so I’ll just show a picture of it here and say that it has been a home away from home for me since it was first built almost 20 years ago. In food terms alone, I could write a hundred posts about the most delicious meals at the Pink Palace and December 30th was no exception with Longhorn beef raised on the farm and potatoes Boulangère.

However, the morning of the 31st, after having over indulged on all that juicy, tender beef, our New Year’s meal no longer seemed appealing and a new plan was hatched. We decided to buy ready made fish pie from Dorchester. Imagining that I would write to all of you about my adventures with Beef Wellington, I had a slight panic about buying a prepared dinner until the realization hit me in a Eureka moment. This was exactly what I have been preaching since launching Many Kitchens— supporting all of these producers working hard so we don’t have to. Charlie Bigham’s fish pie is something he has perfected over years and is far better than any I could ever cook. (I still dream of being able to make a chicken potpie that comes close to the one we sell from Pie Corps.)

Suddenly we found ourselves in the unfamiliar position of having all this extra time on our hands. We all lead such crazy lives and the unexpected pleasure of having an extra few hours with nothing to do at first left us a little confused. We resorted to showing each other slightly unfunny videos on YouTube. We ran out between rain showers for a refreshing walk. We even had time to play my favorite board game before dinner. No pots to wash, no last minute preparations, the main course was perfect. I won’t mention dessert which was an unmitigated disaster and only brought home the appeal of leaving it to the experts.

Should you wish to pass the dinner off as your own, you can even transfer from original packaging to your own dish – attempted below:

As resolutions were being shared around the table, I resolved to hunt down the best fish pie in America and convince its maker to let me sell it on Many Kitchens. If you know of one, please email me!

I just have to leave you with a few photos from our walk on New Year’s day, the first sunshine I had seen since arriving in England and I’m hoping was a sign of the year to come.

St. Catherine’s Chapel, Abbotsbury

St. Catherine herself on Chesil Beach

Happy New Year to you all.