The Perfect Pantry

Feta cheese, and a cookbook giveaway (Recipe: baked shrimp with tomatoes and feta)

When I was younger, I learned a lot of what I knew about boys in summer camp, from my girlfriends who had older siblings or whose mothers had had "the talk" before mine ever worked up the courage to give it a try.

Similarly, I learned a lot of what I knew about food from my friends who had grandparents and parents from Italy and Puerto Rico and the American South. Pasta and parmesan, enchiladas and chicken fried steak -- all were new to me.

I didn't know any kids from Greek families, though, so it took years before I learned about feta cheese.

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (Recipe: Broccoli and cauliflower sformatino)

 

When my friend Ben, who goes to the local high school, asked me to give him the test for his Boy Scout cooking merit badge, I figured it would be easy.

After all, Ben had been taking cooking classes with me since he was 12 years old, so I knew that he knew how to cook cool stuff like quesadillas and meatloaf and deviled eggs and vegetable sushi.

What I didn't expect is that I'd have to question him about botulism and E. coli, kitchen safety and serving sizes, or that as part of the test he would have to plan meals for six days of wilderness camping, with no refrigeration.

Six days without ice cream or fresh milk for morning coffee? I could handle that. But six days without Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese? Maybe not.

Gifts for food lovers: Art and craft (Recipe: four-fold gratin)

Part Four of an eight-part series.

My little log house in Rhode Island is the old-fashioned kind, with lumpy-bumpy walls inside and out.

Some logs stick out more than others, as though trees were felled and simply piled up in a rectangle, holes cut here and there, until someone said, "Okay, that's enough -- let's put a roof on it!"

I know the construction wasn't quite that haphazard, but try hanging artwork on a log wall, and you'll know what I mean. Nails or hooks go into the logs that protrude; then the art must be shimmed out on the bottom to make it more-or-less level, or it looks like it's sliding down the wall. And you'd better like the height, because those protruding logs aren't always quite where you want them to be.

Except in the kitchen.

The kitchen has one long plastered wall. No lumps, no bumps, no logs. Perfect for art.

If the food lover in your life has an art wall, or an art corner, or a tiny space above the countertop for a little painting, here are gift ideas galore for art-loving foodies or food-loving artsies.

Grated or shredded cheese (Recipe: zucchini frittata)

I am way above average.

Not in a Michael Phelps way, but somehow, some way, way above average.

I always believed it, but now I have proof.

The average American eats 32 pounds (14.5 kilograms) of cheese per year. And if that's true, I am above average. I'm sure I eat more cheese than that.

My refrigerator always has a stash of hard cheese and soft, white and blue, spreadable and sliceable, and grated or shredded cheese.

For my grated cheese stash, I have Julia Child to thank.

Turmeric (Recipe: saag paneer -- spicy spinach with cheese)

What do margarine, Domino's Pizza grilled chicken, chow-chow relish and monks' robes have in common?

They all get their bright yellow color from turmeric.

What do curry powder, ras-el hanout, hawayij, and tandoori spice rub have in common?

They all get their bright color from turmeric.

One of the world's cheapest spices, in contrast to the very expensive saffron for which it's often substituted, turmeric is used to add color -- in fact, it stains everything it touches -- but it does have its own distinct flavor: earthy, musky, and bitter.

More than 90 percent of the world's supply of turmeric, a member of the ginger family, comes from India; Alleppey (darker, more delicate in flavor) and Madras (lighter, most common in curry powder) are the best grades. It's also produced in China, Haiti, Indonesia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Pakistan, Peru, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

The rhizomes, which resemble the structure of ginger ("hands" and "fingers"), are sold fresh, but more commonly in the West, we buy it dried and ground. Stored in a glass jar or tightly sealed tin, turmeric will keep in the pantry for up to two years. It pairs well with a wide range of foods, including fish, cauliflower, squash, chicken, coconut, beef and lentils.

Do you think that, when Marco Polo discovered turmeric on his travels in China in the late 13th Century, he imagined that some day it would be used to make oh-so-yellow hot dog mustard?

SAAG PANEER
Tart cheese (easy to make at home, as you can see in this great how-to video, or purchase from an Indian grocery) and spicy spinach combine in this classic recipe. If you can't find paneer, use farmer cheese from the supermarket. Serves 6.

1 10-oz bag spinach, washed and trimmed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garam masala
Dried red chiles, to taste (1 for a mild dish)
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp ghee or clarified butter
8 oz paneer or farmer cheese, cut into chunks

In a large pot, add first 7 ingredients; cover and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, until spinach is completed wilted.  Add contents of the pot, including all liquid, to the workbowl of a blender, and process to a smooth puree. Place in a serving bowl. In a frying pan, heat the ghee until it is very hot, and add the cheese. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Add to the spinach, and serve hot.

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Onion bhaji
Pumpkin stew
Egg curry
Refrigerator zucchini pickles
Bread and butter pickles

Herbes de Provence (Recipe: marinated bocconcini)

Who was more ingenious, the Provencal cook who first tossed together a few herbs growing on a hillside and gave it a fancy-sounding name -- herbes de Provence -- or the person who thought to market those herbs in an adorable ceramic crock ?

(You have one of those iconic little crocks on your spice rack, don't you? Me, too.)

Herbes de Provence is a bit of a free-wheeling spice blend. Like garam masala, the blend will vary with each cook, and from recipe to recipe in the cook's kitchen.

Depending on who's doing the blending, herbes de Provence might contain thyme, basil, summer savory, fennel seed and lavender flowers, which is what's in the crock in my pantry. If you purchase from Penzeys, you'll get a mix of rosemary, cracked fennel, thyme, savory, basil, tarragon, dill weed, Turkish oregano, lavender, chervil and marjoram. More complex flavor, but no crock.

The common components, spices that grow wild or are cultivated in the south of France and are harvested in the heat of the summer sun, include bay leaf, thyme, fennel, rosemary, chervil, oregano, summer savory, tarragon, mint and marjoram. Orange zest and/or lavender also make an appearance in many versions of the herbes.

If you don't live in France, you've probably purchased a crock of herbes de Provence to make one or two recipes, and because the ceramic pot is so cute, it's remained on your spice rack even though you don't use the contents very often.

So, get your crock out -- here are ten things to do with herbes de Provence:

1. Mix with olive oil and rub on chicken before roasting or stewing.
2. Add a pinch to scrambled eggs or mushroom-filled crepes.
3. Sprinkle a pinch or two on hot coals before grilling.
4. Add a pinch to a vinaigrette.
5. Mix with oil, salt and pepper, and drizzle on garden-fresh sliced tomatoes.
6. Put two parts mayonnaise and one part Dijon mustard in a bowl with a sprinkling of herbes de Provence. Stir together, thin with a bit of champagne vinegar, and use to season potato salad.
7. Make a paste with butter, and smear under and over the skin of a turkey breast before roasting in the oven.
8. Marinate boneless, butterflied leg of lamb in a mix of yogurt, garlic, and herbes de Provence.
9. Rub fillets of fish with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and herbes de Provence, top with a slice of lemon, and seal in a parchment paper pouch. Bake in the oven or steam over a pot of water.
10. Toss with roasted vegetables.

Though my climate zone is far from Provence, many of the traditional Provencal herbs grow well in my garden. I don't have great success with dill or chervil, mostly because they insist upon going to seed before I remember to cut them back, but I get a healthy crop of most of the other herbs every season. In the Fall, when I remember to do it, I dry them on a contraption Ted made for me out of an old screen window.

Maybe I could market my own herb blend.

Herbes de Rhody.

Coming to a farmers' market near you, maybe, some day. Just as soon as I save up enough little crocks.

BOCCONCINI IN OLIVE OIL
Inspired by a recipe in Patricia Wells'  Bistro Cooking, this is a wonderful recipe to make for hostess gifts or summer picnics. Find some pretty jars for packaging, and be sure to make at least one week ahead. The original recipe calls for a semisoft goat cheese, such as Montrachet, but I love to make this with the mini mozzarella balls you find at the supermarket salad bar.

12 oz bocconcini (small mozzarella balls)
1 tsp herbes de Provence
4 bay leaves
12 black peppercorns, slightly crushed (place them in a plastic bag, and hit with a frying pan)
1 to 1-1/2 cups fruity extra virgin olive oil

Place first four ingredients in a jar, and cover with oil. Close securely, and store in a cool place for at least one week and up to a month. I usually store mine in the refrigerator, and bring it up to room temperature before serving. Serve the cheese with crusty bread, and drizzle with a bit of the oil.

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Mediterranean red snapper
Honey-roasted beets
Deviled eggs
Roasted fennel with potatoes and onions

Pie crust (Recipe: empanaditas)

When I was born, my parents took inventory.

Ten fingers. Ten toes. Eyes, ears, nose.

DNA. RNA. PIE.

Wait a second. PIE?

Right away, my parents sensed that something was missing -- the PIE gene, the one that governs the ability to bake fruit pies, cream pies, sweet or savory lattice-covered perfectly-crimped-edges pies.

After extensive testing, the diagnosis was confirmed; indeed, I lacked the pie gene. Oh, I could make a tasty enough filling, but when it came to marrying filling to pastry, I couldn't quite pull it together. I'd always forget an ingredient, or my pie would look great, but the bottom disintegrated. Or the filling escaped from a hole I didn't create.

For years I suffered the indignity of never being asked to bring dessert to a party or potluck. And when I entertained, I would pooh-pooh pie, telling my guests that I just wasn't in the mood to bake, or that I really preferred ice cream or a fruit salad.

And then, in the refrigerator aisle of my local market, right next to Paul Newman's lemonade, I found help for my affliction. Pie crust, ready to unroll and bake!

Could it be that simple? Yes, it could.

Refrigerated pie crust does have a down side; it contains saturated fat that comes from partially hydrogenated lard, as well as both yellow and red food dyes, to which some people are allergic.

On the up side, it's easy to use, delicious, flaky, and freezeable either before or after baking, for up to two months.

From quiche to crostata, cherry tarts to chicken pot pie to chocolate fudge pie, refrigerated pie crust makes it easy to turn the everyday into something elegant.

EMPANADITAS
Great for entertaining; make these ahead of time and freeze, uncooked, in layers separated by wax paper. No need to defrost before baking. [Note: you will have half of the picadillo filling left over. Freeze it for future use, or make a quick lunch of quesadillas with picadillo and cheese filling tomorrow.] Makes 20-24.

1 package Pillsbury ready-made pie dough (2 crusts)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup sliced, stuffed green olives
1/4 cup raisins
1 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 egg (for egg wash prior to baking)

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sauté onion and green pepper until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the beef and break it up well. Stir in the remaining ingredients, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until a good, thick consistency.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick, and cut with a 3-inch cookie cutter or empty can. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each round. Paint the edges of the pastry with water, and fold the round in half. Seal with the tines of a fork. Place on a nonstick baking sheet (or Silpat, or parchment paper, on a regular baking sheet). Brush with egg wash (one egg beaten with one Tbsp water). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Sweet potato pie
Not-just-for-Thanksgiving pumpkin pie
Chocolate outrageous pie
Apple tart for non-bakers
Old fashioned apple pie

Photo from our archives.

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Menu for Hope. Three days left -- and already we've raised more than $33,000 for the UN World Food Program!

For each $10 donation you can earn one virtual raffle ticket good for hundreds of food-related prizes including autographed cookbooks, cooking classes, gourmet foods, restaurant gift certificates, and our own terrific prize, offered with Rhode Island Market Tours:

Item #UE12. Two tickets to SHOPPING FEDERAL HILL: AN INSIDER'S FOOD TOUR, a three-hour walking tour of Providence, Rhode Island's, most famous Italian food neighborhood. Taste your way through "The Hill" as Cindy Salvato, an executive pastry chef and cooking instructor, takes you behind the scenes and into market and bakery kitchens, sampling bread, cheese, antipasto and vino along the way. Good for any scheduled tour before December 31, 2008 (tours run on Saturdays and some weekdays, throughout the year); tickets are transferable but not refundable. This $90 value can be yours for $10 (hint, hint: the more tickets you buy, the more chances you have to win).

This walking tour is great fun -- and what better way to learn what should be in your own perfect pantry?! Cindy tells you which is the best pasta, which store has the best Parmigiano-Reggiano, where to buy the best pannetone, who has the prosciutto to die for. It's real insider stuff!

See the list of fabulous prizes here, then buy your raffle tickets here.

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Bake. Decorate. Donate. It's a simple idea. Bake some cookies. Invite friends, family, co-workers, or neighbors to help decorate. Donate your cookies to a local agency serving people in need, and "give back" while having fun. 

Planning a Drop In & Decorate event? Please let me know (lydia AT ninecooks DOT com) so we can share the fun.

To learn more about Drop In & Decorate Cookies for Donation, including how to host your own party, visit www.ninecooks.com; then stop in at A Veggie Venture, 37 Days, Culinary Types, Nikas Culinaria, Homesick Texan, Food Blogga, The Inadvertent Gardener, Jaden's Steamy Kitchen, La Mia Cucina, One Hot Stove, The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz, French Kitchen in America, Veronica's Test Kitchen, Kelly the Culinarian, shawnkenney.com, Thyme for Cooking: The Blog, Chew on That, Nook & Pantry, Cookthink, Tea & Cookies, Mele Cotte, Cream Puffs in Venice, startcooking.com, Shazam in the Kitchen, The Family Quilt, The Daily Tiffin, Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy, The Budget Bambino, Baking and Books, What's for Lunch, Honey?, The Pink Hobart and Fun and Food.

Thank you, Slashfood and BlogHer. Thank you, Chow.com and Goodyblog and Woman's Day.

"Thank you and all your elves, helpers, cookers, decorators, delivery people…EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!! who took part in your 6th Annual Drop In and Decorate!! The cookies are awesome, as usual, I tried to look at all the different ones (I only ate one!!) You didn’t bring any broken ones so I HAD too!  So many different ones this year; so creative! I really, really appreciate all the kind thoughts and special efforts everyone goes to for this holiday “cookie treat” to be such a wonderful success!" Nancy Johnston, Director of the Foster (RI) Food Pantry

Phyllo dough (Recipe: cheese phyllo triangles)

Cleveland, Ohio, stakes its claim as the phyllo dough capital of the world.

Athens Foods, which opened in Cleveland in 1958, makes more than 90 percent of the phyllo dough sold in the United States -- all told, more than five million pounds a year of the paper-thin, flaky dough called phyllo, phillo, filo or fillo.

Phyllo, the Greek word for "leaf", is made of wheat flour, water, and a small amount of oil. Filo and fillo are alternate spellings of the same word. In my local Middle Eastern market, I've heard people ask for FEE-LOH (the correct pronounciation) and FIE-LOH -- and, yes, for FILL-O.

In Turkish, phyllo dough is called yufka ... or youfka.

Though some Greek bakeries sell homemade fresh phyllo, most of us buy it frozen, in one-pound packages that have 24 or more sheets. The Athens brand is available in most supermarkets, including the one in my small town.

Here are a few tips for working with frozen phyllo, from the inimitable Silver Palate Cookbook:

• Let the dough defrost in its original wrapper in the refrigerator for at least two days. When well wrapped and still sealed in its original packaging, defrosted phyllo will keep in the fridge for up to a month, which is preferable to refreezing, which will make the dough tough.
• Be sure the phyllo is completely defrosted before beginning to work with it.
• Have a damp (not wet) towel handy. Unwrap the dough, unroll it, and cover it immediately with the towel.
• Let dough stand for 15 minutes; moisture makes the phyllo easier to handle.

Without phyllo, there would be no baklava, no bisteeya, no spinach pies, no cigars, and no Greek food festivals anywhere, not even in Cleveland.

TYROPITA (Cheese Phyllo Triangles)
When Greg, a member of The #1 Cooking Group, offered to teach us how to make some of the Greek foods from his family tradition (including this recipe), I was thrilled. Time to get over my own fear of phyllo! Once you get the hang of this, you can make wonderful spanikopita (spinach pies), too. Serves 12 or more, as an appetizer.

8 ounces of good feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces
1 cup of grated graviera (or a gruyere-type cheese), grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

12 +/- (17 x 12 inch) phyllo sheets (thawed if frozen). This is about half of one box.
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Make filling:
Combine cheeses, egg, pepper and parsley in bowl with fork. The mixture will be lumpy.

Make pastries:
Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

Place two sheets of phyllo on top of one another, keeping remaining sheets covered with wax paper and dampened dish towel, and cut in half lengthwise. Pile the sheets again on top of one another, and again cut in half lengthwise. This will give you 8 individual strips about 3 inches wide by 17 inches long.

Place one strip in front of you, again covering remaining phyllo with wax paper and dampened dish towel. Lightly brush pastry with melted butter. Put 1 heaping teaspoon of filling in lower corner of pastry, and fold corner of phyllo over to enclose filling and form a triangle. Continue folding (like a flag), maintaining triangle shape. Put triangle, seam side down, on large baking sheet and brush top with butter. Make more triangles in the same manner, using all the filling. (Here's a good illustration of the folding technique.)

Bake triangles in middle of oven until golden brown, 20–25 minutes, and then transfer to rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Teeny tiny lime tarts

Red, white and blue cheese (Recipe: blue cheese souffle)

Stand in front of a mirror, and say cheese.

Are you smiling? No?

Now say cheeeeeeeze.

Are you smiling? Not yet?

Try again. Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze.

By now you're probably giggling.

For me, just the thought of cheese -- soft and gooey, spread on a slice of crusty bread or a crisp cracker -- brings a smile to my face.

Our refrigerator is never ever without several kinds of cheese that, together or individually, can turn any random set of pantry staples into a wonderful meal. Today I have organic Cow Girl Red Hawk; lovely white mozzarella; and Great Hill Blue, made close to home in Marion, Massachusetts.

Of course there's Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is a constant in my pantry, beloved for its nutty flavor, grainy texture, and the rinds that add character to vegetable soups. For old-fashioned grilled cheese sandwiches, I keep slices of emmental or muenster or cheddar or comte. For newfangled panini or tartines, there's goat cheese from Rawson Brook Farm in the Berkshires, or brie from the supermarket's ever-improving cheese department.

Ricotta or cottage cheese for lasagna, mascarpone for tiramisu. Gruyere for French onion soup. Boursin, for the garlic. If I stand in front of the refrigerator and say cheeeeeeeeeze, all sorts of things will come tumbling out.

What cheeses do you keep in your fridge?

BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S BLUE CHEESE SOUFFLE
Make this for lunch, with a nice green salad. Invite me, and I'll be your best friend. This recipe, from Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten, serves 2-3.

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan (I use parmigiano-reggiano) cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup scalded milk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
3 oz blue cheese, chopped (I use Great Hill Blue)
5 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter the inside of an 8-cup souffle dish (7-1/2 inches x 3-1/4 inches deep) and sprinkle evenly with parnesab. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, the cayenne and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until smooth and thick.

Off the heat, while still hot, whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the blue cheese and 1/4 cup of parmesan, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a Kitchenaid-type stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, onmedium speed for 1 minute, then finally on high speed until they form firm, glossy peaks.

Whisk one quarter of the egg whites into the cheese sauce to lighten, and then fold in the rest. Pour into the souffle dish, then smooth the top. Draw a large circle on top with the spatula to help the souffle rise evenly, and place in the middle of the oven. Turn the temperature down to 375°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes (don't peek!) until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.

Bulgur wheat (Recipe: bulgur with cheese and eggplant)

You're looking at the photo. I know what you're thinking.

Oh, no, here comes the tabbouleh.

If you're a cook of a certain age, you discovered tabbouleh in the Sixties, when "cream" was a rock band and a "big hunk" was a candy bar.

It would have been easy enough to write about tabbouleh, the best-use-of-parsley-as-a-vegetable staple of Middle Eastern cooking, because I first added bulgur to my pantry years ago precisely so I could prepare it for a summer buffet. But then I wouldn't have time to tell you about kibbe and pilaf, and bulgur salads with fruit or chickpeas or nuts.

Bulgur is whole wheat kernels that have been steamed or boiled, dried, and crushed. Also called bulghur, or burghul (in Arabic), it has a tender, chewy texture and comes in coarse, medium and fine grinds. According to author Claudia Roden, in the days before mechanization, bulgur was made collectively; the men harvested the wheat, the women separated the wheat from the chaff. The wheat is boiled for hours in huge pots until it splits, and then it's dried in the sun, spread out on large sheets laid on rooftops or in fields. When dry, the grain goes to a stone mill.

Often, bulgur is soaked prior to cooking, but it's very forgiving. If you forget to presoak, simply pour boiling water over the bulgur and let it stand in a bowl for a few minutes while you are prepping the remaining ingredients for your recipe. One cup of dry yields three cups of cooked, no matter which way you fix it.

BURGHUL BI JIBN WAL BATINJAN (BULGUR WITH CHEESE AND EGGPLANT)
From The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, by Claudia Roden, this Syrian recipe combines bulgur with salty cheese and smooth eggplant. If you cannot find halloumi, substitute feta or mozzarella. Serves 4-6, as a vegetarian main dish or a side dish with grilled chicken and a spinach salad.

1 eggplant (approx. 3/4 lb) cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
1-1/2 large onions, diced
Vegetable oil
2 cups coarse-ground bulgur, washed in cold water and drained
3-1/4 cups boiling water or chicken stock
Black pepper
7-9 oz halloumi or feta cheese, cubed

Sprinkle the eggplant generously with salt and leave in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse, and dry with paper towels.

Fry the onions in 2 Tbsp oil until golden. Add the bulgur and stir. Pour in the boiling water or stock, season with salt and pepper, and stir well. Cover and cook on very low heat for 15 minutes, or until the water as has been absorbed and the bulgur is tender.

Fry the eggplant briefly in hot oil, turning the cubes so that they are lightly colored all over. Lift out, and drain on paper towels.

Stir 4 Tbsp oil into the bulgur. Add the cheese and eggplant, and gently fold together. Heat through with the lid on until the cheese is soft. Serve very hot.