Home fries

Ahh, what’s better that great home fried potatoes? To me, the term means diced potatoes that are pan fried, perhaps with seasonings. They are not hash browns, which are pan-fried grated potatoes (they can be great, but are not the same). They are not French fries, which are deep fried. You can eat home fries with eggs for breakfast, with a burger for lunch, or with roast chicken for dinner. The flavoring possibilities are almost endless.

Home fries

The basics are as follows. Take the desired amount of boiling potatoes (Yukon gold, red skin, etc.) and peel as you see fit. They can be totally peeled, partially peeled, or not peeled at all–your preference. Baking potatoes will work, but are not as good in my opinion. Cut into 1/2 inch dice (don’t be fussy), put in a saucepan, cover with heavily salted water, and bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes until partially cooked. Drain well and set aside. This can be done the day before.

Over medium heat, heat a non-stick skillet that is large enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer. Add the fat of your choice–bacon fat (best!), vegetable oil, clarified butter (ghee), lard–but butter or margarine are not advised. You do not need a lot, perhaps just 1/16 inch at most on the bottom of the pan. When the fat reaches temperature, add the potatoes and toss or stir to coat. They should sizzle gently. Continue cooking, tossing every few minutes, until the potatoes are lightly browned and cooked thru–5 or 10 minutes. Give a final toss with some salt and serve.

Flavoring ideas:

• Chili powder
• Chipotle salt
• Old Bay seasoning
• Curry powder
• Garlic salt
• Cumin

Pasta with summer squash

This is a marvelous dish during the height of summer when your garden or the farmers market is bursting with an abundance of squash. I like to use a mix of squash–zucchini, pattipan, and zephyr (the half yellow, half green ones) but you can mix and match as you see fit.

• 1 lb short pasta fusilli, penne, etc.
• 1 quart squash, cut into bite-size chunks
• 2 c halved grape tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
• 1 handful basil leaves chopped
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• olive oil
• Black pepper
• Grated Parmesan or Romano for serving

In a collander, toss the squash with 1 TB kosher salt. Let sit for at least 1/2 hour. Rinse quickly and pat dry with paper towels.

Put the pasta on to cook.

Hear a few TB olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic and red pepper and let it sizzle for a moment. Add the squash and cook, stirring now and then, until the squash is just starting to brown and is partially cooked. Add the tomatoes and basil, stir, and simmer for a few minutes. Season with pepper, mix with the drained pasta, and serve with cheese on the side.

Gochujang-glazed eggplant

Gochujang is the national hot sauce of Korea. It is spicy, yes, but not super-spicy, and it has lots of flavor. It’s become so popular that you can often find it in the supermarket. It makes a great glaze for eggplant. You want the long, dark-skinned, Asian eggplant for this, although our common globe eggplant would work too.

3 large Asian eggplant, about 1 lb or a bit less
2 TB gochugang
1 TB soy sauce
2 tsp dark brown sugar, packed
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 small or 2 large garlic cloves
Vegetable oil, about 1/3 c
4-6 scallions

Rinse but do not peel the eggplant. Cut off the stem end and then crossways into 3 equal pieces. Cut each piece in half lengthwise and then in half again to give you 4 wedge-shaped pieces (12 total). Toss in a colander with 1 tsp salt and let sit for at least 30 min.

Put the garlic thru a press. Mix the garlic, gochujang, soy, and sugar in a small bowl.

Cut the scallions, whites and most of the greens, into 3-4 ” lengths. Cut each piece lengthwise once or twice to get slivers. Set a few lengths of green aside for garnish.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. It’s hot enough when a small shred of scallion starts sizzling in a few seconds. Add the scallion white and fry, stirring, for a minute or two. Add the green parts and continue frying, stirring, until all is browned. Remove to a paper towel on a plate (chopsticks are great for this task).

Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels–do not rinse. Heat oil again over medium-high and add the eggplant cut side down. Cook until starting to brown, then cook for a few more minutes until starting to soften. Turn the heat down to medium low and add the gochujang mixture. Cook while stirring and flipping the eggplant until the sauce is bubbling, reduced, and just starting to caramelize. Remove to a platter, scatter the fried scallions on top followed by the reserved garnish. Can be served warm, at room temp (my fave), or right out of the fridge.

Note: If your skillet is not large enough to hold all the eggplant in one layer, fry it in two batches then combine in the pan and proceed with the saucing.

Asparagus risotto

This requires constant attention but the results are worth it! It makes a luxurious side dish for many poultry and meat dishes–or just on it’s own! It is vegetarian if you use vegetable stock.

1 lb asparagus, thin spears (~1/2 inch) preferred
2 c arborio or carnaroli rice (do not wash)
¼ c finely chopped shallots or onion
3 c (about) meat, chicken, or vegetable stock
3 TB butter, divided
2 TB vegetable oil
1/3 c grated parmesan cheese
Black pepper

Trim an inch or so off the butt end of the asparagus—this part is often fibrous. Cut the remaining stems into 3 pieces and set the tips aside.

Bring 3 c of salted water to a boil. Add the stem pieces, cook for a couple of minutes, then add the tips. When done to your liking, drain and reserve the cooking liquid. Rinse under cold water and set aside.

Add stock to the asparagus liquid to make a total of 6 c. Put in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.

In a 2 quart heavy-bottomed saucepan, put 1 TB of butter and the oil. Put over medium heat and sauté the shallots for a couple of minutes—they should not brown. Add the rice and stir to coat. Continue to stir for a minute or two and then start adding the stock, about 1/2 c at a time. Stir continuously until the liquid is almost gone. Add another ½ c of stock and continue in this manner until you have used all the liquid. Remove from the heat, stir in the cheese and some pepper. Check for salt and add some if needed, which you probably won’t. Add the asparagus, cover and let sit for a few minutes. Ready to serve!

Zucchini with anchovy sauce

Don’t let the mention of anchovies scare you off. The small amount in this recipe adds a wonderful depth and umami flavor to the sauce. Serve on long pasta, spaghetti is ideal.

4-6 small zucchini or yellow summer squash, 6-8 inches long
4 flat anchovy fillets, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled, 1 clove minced, 2 cloves sliced into thirds
½ c olive oil
1-28 oz can diced tomatoes, or canned whole tomatoes cut up, with juice
1 pound spaghetti
Parmesan or Romano cheese

Serves 4

Cut the stem off the squash and then cut each crosswise into 3 pieces. Stand each piece on end and make 2 vertical cuts to give you 4 wedges. Put into a colander, sprinkle with 2 tsp salt, and mix. Set aside for at least an hour.

Put minced garlic in a 2 qt saucepan with 3 TB of the oil. Heat over medium until the garlic is sizzling, then remove from heat. Let the pan cool down to almost room temperature. Put back on the burner at its lowest setting, add the anchovies, and stir/mash with a wooden spoon until the anchovies are reduced to a paste. Add the tomatoes/juice, a few grindings of pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer. Let simmer, partly covered, for 20-30 min until slightly reduced. The sauce may be done ahead of time. Correct salt if needed.

Put a large pan of water on the stove to heat (for the pasta).

While the sauce is cooking, quickly rinse the squash to remove excess salt, drain, and spread on paper towels. Pat with more towels to remove excess moisture. Heat (medium heat) the remaining oil in a non-stick skillet large enough to hold the squash in 1 layer (or use 2 skillets if necessary). Add the sliced garlic and sizzle until browned, a few minutes. Remove and discard the garlic–the idea is to flavor the oil. Add the squash and cook, turning once or twice, until lightly browned and crisp-tender. Turn off heat and leave squash in pan (but don’t let it overcook).

Cook the pasta until al dente and drain. If necessary, reheat the sauce. Put the pasta in the pan with the sauce and mix well. To serve, put ¼ of the pasta on each plate and top with ¼ of the zucchini. Serve with freshly grated cheese.

Mexican red rice

This is a staple at Mexican restaurants, plopped on your plate next to the refried beans. But with rare exceptions it is but a pale shadow of what it should be, consisting of little more than tomato-tinged rice. It can be so much more, and it’s not all that difficult. It goes well with many non-Mexican dishes, too. It’s very helpful to have a kitchen scale. This is vegetarian if you use vegetable stock.

2 c long-grained rice, preferably Carolina Gold
1-14 oz can diced or whole tomatoes
1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
5 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 or 2 Jalapeño peppers, stemmed and seeded
1/4 c oil
1 c chicken or vegetable stock
3 whole bay leaves
1/2 c frozen peas, thawed

Rinse the rice well and let drain thoroughly.

Drain the tomatoes and save the liquid.

Put the tomato solids, half of the liquid, onion, Jalapeño, and garlic in a blender and zap for 30 sec or so, until fully pureed. Pour into a bowl on your scale–you want 20-21 oz. Either remove some or add reserved tomato juice to get correct weight.

In a heavy bottom soup  pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat and when hot add the rice. Stir until the rice turns a light golden brown, 3-4 min then remove the rice to a bowl. Add the pureed vegetables to the same pot, bring to a simmer, and cook until the raw onion/garlic smell is gone–a few minutes. Add the stock and bay leaves and when simmering add the rice. Stir, cover, and simmer slowly until the liquid is pretty much all absorbed. Turn off heat and add peas. Let sit for 10-20 min then fluff with a fork and it’s ready to serve.

Braised leeks and fennel

An easy and tasty side dish that goes with many meals.

2-3 leeks
1-2 fennel bulbs
2 TB butter
1/2 c dry white wine

Cut the whites and light green parts of the leek in half lengthwise and then slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Wash well as leeks tend to accumulate grit. Halve the fennel bulbs and slice thinly. Melt the butter in a 10″ skillet and stir in the vegetables. Cover and cook slowly for 10-15 min. Add the wine and S&P to taste and cook uncovered until the wine is almost all evaporated. Serve hot.

Caramelized onions

This is a very useful and tasty ingredient to keep on hand. It freezes perfectly well and can be used in so many ways–in omelets, on pizza, in salads, a topping for steaks and burgers, etc. It’s easy to make although you must be attentive to get good results. The long slow cooking completely removes the hard onion taste and results in a slightly salty, slightly sweet relish with plenty of umami. These freeze perfectly well.

The cooking process reduces the volume by quite a bit, as the photos show. From 2 qts raw onion expect about 1-1/2 c caramelized onions. You’ll need a heavy-bottomed 12 inch skillet with a cover. Allow about 45 minutes for the cooking.

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2 quarts yellow or white onions peeled and sliced into thin half-rings
1/4 c butter, olive oil, or a combination
1/2 c water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Put all ingredients in the skillet and bring to a moderate simmer. Cover and cook, stirring every few minutes, until most of the water is gone. Uncover, reduce the heat, and continue to cook. Regulate the heat–it will depend on your stove–to maintain a very gentle simmer. The water will soon be gone. Continue a very slow cooking action, stirring about every 5 minutes. The onions will continue to reduce and start to slowly turn brown. This is the danger zone–too-high heat or not enough stirring and the onions will burn, ruining them. Cook until the desired level of brownness is achieved. The photo shows a medium brown but you can cook a bit longer for a deeper brown with more intense flavor.

Hash browns at home

A lot of folks, myself included, would think of these as a treat to have when eating breakfast at a diner. But they are so easy to make at home, so why wait? They are a simpler version of the classic Latkes and are a favorite accompaniment to breakfast.

2 c finely chopped potatoes*
2 TB minced onion (optional)
2 TB bacon fat or vegetable oil (not butter)
3 TB heavy cream (optional)

If using onions, mix with the potatoes. Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet, medium heat. When a speck of potato starts to sizzle, add the potatoes. Use a spatula to shape and press them into a pancake no more than 1/2 inch thick. Let cook, undisturbed, until the bottom is nicely browned, 5-10 minutes. Flip over (easier if you cut the pancake in half first). If using cream, dribble over the potatoes. Continue cooking until the 2nd side is browned. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

* about the size of a raw navy bean, or a bit smaller

Eggplant Parmesan

Like most simple dishes, this is dependent on highest quality ingredients. If you use pre-grated cheeses your result will be meh. Be sure you have a chunk of fresh, preferably local mozzarella and some real Parmesan (that is, from Italy). Breading and browning the eggplant gives a better taste and texture than simply using the bare eggplant slices.

2 medium size globe eggplant, as fresh as possible.
1 quart best marinara sauce, I like either Nellino’s or Rao’s (see Note 1 below)
10 oz fresh mozzarella
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg
flour
fine dry breadcrumbs
About 2 dozen fresh basil leaves

Peel the eggplant and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle with salt and set in a colander for an hour or so. Rinse and pat dry. You can omit the salting step with super-fresh eggplant.

If you did not salt the eggplant, sprinkle with salt; then dredge in flour followed by beaten egg and then crumbs. Brown both sides in 1/8″ of olive oil. You do not have to cook it thru, just a browning.

Working a few at  time, roll the basil leaves tightly and slice thinly (see Note 2 below).

Cut the mozzarella into 1/4 inch slices and then into stick-of-gum sized pieces.

Spread a little sauce in a 12″ square baking pan. Layer half the eggplant, half the basil, half the cheeses,  and half the remaining sauce. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 min until cooked thru and bubbling a bit at the edges. Let sit for 5-10 min before serving.

Note 1: I find some jarred sauces, such as the ones I mention, to be every bit as good as almost all homemade sauces, and better than many. They certainly are convenient! The downside is price – you are not going to get really good sauce for a few bucks a jar.

Note 2: It’s a common misconception that one should tear basil leaves rather than cut them for best flavor. This is not so. If you are interested in the details, click here.