Milk (& Honey)

You could describe me as impulsive.

Which explains why, on an otherwise very focused trip to Whole Foods, my gaze settled on a carton of Hemp milk, with my hand not far behind it. It was only $3, and with all the recent fearmongering about processed soy, not mention actual actual dairy, I decided to try a different kind of milk. (When I brought it home to show Jess, she quipped that it must have been harvested from a "lactating hippie.") They're actually harvested from hemp nuts, the seed of the hemp plant (yes, THAT hemp plant).


So, over a cup of Guatemala with a few delicious vanilla hemp milk spoonfuls stirred in, I got to thinking...


I wanted to explore milk. Hemp milk, soy milk, almond milk, buttermilk, and plain old milk.

HEMP MILK

Hemp milk is an Omega-3 winner! So if you're not a big fish eater, this could be a great way to get those fatty acids.






SOY MILK

Soy is a good source of protein, but can be high in sugar (although I'm sure that any flavors added to soy/hemp milk adds a fair amount of sugar, e.g., Vanilla).




ALMOND MILK

Almond milk has been recommended to me by several trusted (read: hippie) sources as the optimal "milk" product, but I haven't tried it. The chart below shows that it has the least amount of fat and calories of any of the non-dairy milks, but has hardly any protein.




BUTTERMILK

I remember as a little girl, my grandmother would make Southern biscuits from scratch, and dip chunks of them in a cold glass of buttermilk for breakfast. The only time I've interacted with buttermilk since then are in my various attempts at baking - so buttermilk and I don't have the best relationship. Obviously you wouldn't drink buttermilk, or pour it over your cereal (at least I wouldn't). But how it's made is interesting:



COW'S MILK

Researching milk is kind of like researching political candidates. It's hard to find unbiased information. The best source for it, I found, is simply the back of the milk carton. Whole milk is high in fat and saturated fat, which is why many of us have switched to lower-fat versions.

The most interesting thing about researching milk is the myriad of anti-milk websites you'll find. A few:

www.notmilk.com
www.milksucks.com
www.godairyfree.org

It's a little saddening that a food that has nourished humans for thousands of years is now facing such bitter opposition, but then again, artificial hormones and inhumane living circumstances for cows and other dairy animals is a very recent phenomemon. Good luck figuring out anything useful about dairy. In the midst of such confusion about what should be simple nutritional information, I always turn to the tried and true: everything in moderation. I assume that includes dairy.

Below, an interesting comparison of milk from different animals, including human animals!



So, after all this, what have I REALLY learned about milking it?


It's hard to say.

Like any other fevered foray into the world of nutritional comparison, you have a lot of people with a lot of different opinions (and most of them, not surprisingly, want you to buy THEIR superior product).

So I guess it comes down to this: if milk makes you feel icky, don't drink it. If drinking the "milk" of the same plant that's celebrated by High Times magazine gives you the willies, don't go there. If processed soy has you on edge, steer clear. The bottom line is (somebody dust off the old soapbox), being informed about what you put into your body - not to mention eating conscientiously, hard as it is - is, in my opinion, the best way to make healthful decisions.

Speaking of healthful decisions, I have discovered the best granola in the universe. Behold:


It's from the same folks that brought you Milk & Honey Cafe in Wicker Park:

mEGGScellent

You know you've made it big in the blogosphere when you have friends are actually offended-offended!-that you haven't yet had them over for a blog dinner. Cynics would say they're just in it for the free meal, but I believe that they want me and my tiny little blog to succeed (whatever that means).

So when my pal Matt (who was thisclose to becoming my art director, his plans foiled by the Big Agency beauracracy) wanted to come over and bring a lady friend (nay, DEMANDED that he come over as soon as possible), I was happy to put the plans in motion.

As a matter of course, I ask all my blog dinner guests if they have any food allergies or special dietary needs. And it turned out that Britte (the lady friend) is a vegetarian, which gave me a great reason to do a vegetarian post. Matt specifically requested that include guacamole in the meal if at all possible, and I was also recently inspired by a delicious brunch of Chilaquiles, a dish that I had never experienced prior to moving to Chicago, but is completely amazing.


It's fair to say I strayed significantly from the original recipe, but I went with the basic idea: layered tortillas with classic Mexican flavors.

FEARLESS FACTOR: 4. Not very fearless, as lasagna and Mexican are two of my most attempted dish categories. My only concern was that the lasagna would be soggy and have too much sauce/filling.

So, without further ado, my Layered Mexican Casserole with Fried Eggs and Guacamole.


INGREDIENTS

7-8 flour tortillas (or you could use corn tortillas, which I would have preferred, but couldn't find that day)
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 jar or can red enchilada sauce
1 small can diced green chiles
1 can refried vegetarian black beans
1 red bell pepper
1/2 large red onion
1 T. olive oil
1 bunch fresh cilantro
Eggs (2 per person or however many you want)
1 T. butter
2-3 oz. crumbled queso fresco
salsa
sour cream

FOR GUACAMOLE

2 whole ripe avocados
1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeded and finely minced
1/4 red onion, finely minced
2-3 T. chopped cilantro
1/2 c. grape tomatoes, quartered
juice of 1 lime
(you're technically supposed to use 1-2 cloves of fresh minced garlic, but I forgot, and it was still good)
salt and pepper

STEP ONE:

Preheat the oven to 375. In a 9 X 13" glass casserole dish, begin to layer the flour tortillas. I did this by tearing the tortillas into half-moons (placing 4 half-moons for each layer), alternating with keeping the tortillas whole (2 whole tortillas per layer). Sounds confusing, but the pictures will clear it up. Bottom line, it really doesn't matter how you do it. Chilaquiles are supposed to be rustic and imperfect. On top of the first layer, spread a few spoonfuls of the refried black beans. Top with about 1/2 c. red enchilada sauce and the entire can of green chiles.







STEP TWO:

In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over medium high. Cut the bell pepper and onion into small pieces and saute them until they're lightly caramelized and tender. Place another layer of tortillas in the dish, and spread the onion/pepper mixture evenly over the top. Pour about 1/2 c. green enchilada sauce on top.






STEP THREE:

Add another layer of tortillas, and spread more refried beans on top. Top with more red enchilada sauce, and the crumbled queso fresco. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes, until the cheese is mostly melted and the edges are bubbly.




STEP FOUR:

Melt the butter (one small chunk at a time) in a pan over medium heat. Break the eggs into the pan, cooking them "to order," i.e., cooking them for each person then serving them immediately. I fried them on both sides, so that the edges were a little brown but the yolk was still runny. Of course you could scramble them, poach them, or cook them any way you like.



STEP FIVE:

Halve the avocados and scoop out the green part, discarding the skin and pit. Add the minced jalapeno, onion, salt, pepper, tomatoes, and cilantro. Mash with a fork until desired consistency (I like it a little chunky). Squeeze in the lime juice and stir (this adds flavor as well as prevents the avocado from turing brown).





STEP SIX:

I served this with Spanish rice from a box, so if you want to do that, cook the rice according to the package and put a scoop on each plate. Cut the casserole into 8 pieces, and place a piece on each place. Top with the fried eggs, some salsa, a spoonful of the guac, and a dollop of sour cream. Garnish with some cilantro if you want.




THE JUDGES' VERDICTS:

MATT: I thought it was really good. Except that I feel like I had to scoop my fork around to get one bite that contained everything. [I edited this quote for length, but it relied on Matt's elaborately illustrative fork-bulldozing around his plate. Point well made. As Jess says, "If it ain't mixed, it ain't fixed."]

BRITTE: I thought it was great. But I think could be even better if you added a crunchy element. [I agree...any thoughts on what I could add? My first thought was tortilla chips but my second was jicama.]

ROSS: I will answer this question as Padma Lakshmi. [He begins to speak in Padma's signature sedated drawl.] I thought it had a greeaat balaaance of flaaaavor. I loooove the Mexicaaaan influuuuence.

PHOTO NOTE: Ross came in from surfing as I was halfway through cooking. I posted this to prove to skeptics that Great Lake surfing is real.


JESS: I'm sick and tired of you telling me how to eat my food. [I told her to stop mixing her dish, which I thoughtfully and artfully arranged on her plate, into a mushy trashpile.] But other than that it was great. I loved it. If it ain't mixed it ain't fixed. It's...MIX-ican!



MY VOTE ON MY DISH: I give it a 9. I think that people would definitely pay $10 for this at a brunch restaurant. I'm proud of myself. And I'm shocked that I didn't ruin the guac.


Thanks for reading! More soon...

I Have a Muffin Top...and I'm Proud

Baking, as you all know, is my culinary Achilles' Heel. Or should I say, HAS BEEN my Achilles' Heel.

Yes, friends, I successfully baked (!).

While working [read: perusing Smitten Kitchen] one afternoon, I came across this delicious recipe. It actually looked manageable. No completely random ingredients, no 1/8 tsp. measurements (SO annoying), no creaming together of butter and sugar. In fact, the recipe called for no butter at all, and the Smitten Kitchen post suggested subbing olive oil for the vegetable oil, which is exactly what I did.

Olive oil, yogurt, lemon, and blueberries are among my most favorite foods in all the world, so I thought this cake was most certainly for me. I opted for the whole-milk Greek yogurt (YIKES - it's really high in saturated fat, as I discovered when I got home and read the label - next time I'll definitely use 2%. I don't think it will compromise the moistness of the cake).

The cake (or, as I repurposed it, muffins) was super-easy, and came out incredibly moist. In fact, the strained yogurt actually made the muffins heavy - they felt like a large apple in my hand, yet retained that crucial spongey cake-ness.


I was quite proud of myself, and the muffins were a hit (I brought them to work after eating three in one sitting, vowing that those muffin tops wouldn't lead to a very different, but related, kind of muffin top (check out this great commercial about Muffin Tops from none other than my very own agency).

In other news, I'm reading an amazing food-centric book, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. It focuses on where exactly our food comes from (and makes the great point that it's a shame that the answer to that question needs an investigative journalist at all). I'm halfway through, but the book runs the gamut from an examination (expose?) of the corn industry, Big Organic (to my utter horrow, organic food turns out to be little more than a marketing tool), and industrial farming. If you've ever wondered about the origins of what's on your plate, this book is for you.


Check out the official website.


And finally, it's Bloody Mary season! Well, for me anyway, it's always Bloody Mary season, but there's something about the first few sunny days of Spring that make you want to go celebrate Suday brunch on a breezy patio, and sip a perfectly executed drink. Last weekend at Deleece, they had a Bloody Mary on special, made with cucumber-infused vodak, which I took to mean a flavored vodka (something like Absolut Citron, but with Cucumbers).

Turns out, cucumber-infused vodka hasn't been invented yet, at least pre-bottle, but I did find this great recipe if you're inclined to make vodka infusions at home (which, by the way, I think would make a fabulously chic hostess/party gift). The drink was amazing - and I finally learned how to use the close-up feature on my camera (hence the mouthwatering detail in the photos).

More soon, and thanks for reading!

Risotto (?)

Most people think about their meat first when planning a meal. I, however, almost always start "noodling" (as they say in ad-agency lingo) on a side dish first.

This particular meal was inspired by - as you can probably guess from the title - Risotto. This was my second attempt at risotto, the first resulting in The Risotto Calamity of 2006. But since then, I've TiVo'd many a Barefoot Contessa, so I felt confident that I could make it without a hitch. I also had an outstanding lobster risotto at Viand, one of those downtown places that caters to the 40-plus business traveler crowd, but has an unexpectedly legit menu.


Without spoiling the ending of this post, let's just say "without a hitch" could be an overstatement.

Read on to get all the details of my Baked Salmon with Lemon-Leek Risotto and Arugula.

INGREDIENTS

SALMON:
3 Salmon filets
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper

RISOTTO
2 c. Arborio rice (NOTE: this made an absurdly huge amount of risotto - maybe just use 1 cup if you attempt this)
1/3 stick butter
1 T. olive oil
1 medium leek
juice of 2 lemons
zest of two lemons
salt and pepper
3/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated

ARUGULA
4 c. fresh arugula leaves
2 T. olive oil for the dressing
1 tsp. mustard
salt and pepper
1 T. sugar
2 T. white wine vinegar
squeeze of lemon juice

SAUCE
2 T. butter
1 T. flour
1/4 c. white wine
1/4 c. half and half
juice of one lemon
3 T. chopped fresh parsley
freshly grated parmesan (a little bit)
salt and pepper


STEP ONE:

In saucepan, heat 4 c. chicken broth (don't let it boil). Slice the leeks, then chop them into small pieces. Place them in a bowl of water to make sure they're extra clean. In a large Dutch oven or cooking pot, melt 1/3 sick butter and 2 T. olive oil (these measurements, again, are for 2 c. risotto), and saute the leeks (taken out of the water and shaken dry) until they soften and begin to turn translucent. Season them with a little salt and pepper. Add the Arborio rice, stirring it around in the butter, oil, and leeks until the grains are coated and begin to turn slightly translucent.








STEP TWO:

Add chicken broth one ladleful at a time, stirring the rice constantly over medium heat. When most of the liquid has been absorbed, add another ladleful. Continue to do this until the rice has become creamy, but the grains are still al dente. (More on this later.)





STEP THREE:

Zest two lemons, and squeeze the juice into a bowl. Stir this into the risotto a few minutes before it's done cooking.




STEP FOUR:

Preheat the oven to 375. In a shallow baking dish, place the raw salmon, and season with salt, pepper, and about 1 T. olive oil, rubbing the olive oil evenly over the fish. Bake for about 15 minutes, until fish flakes with a fork.



STEP FIVE:

Wash the arugula and spin or pat it dry. Place it in a large bowl. In a small mixing bowl, combine the juice of two lemons, 1 T. olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1 tsp. mustard. Whisk until combined. Just before serving, pour over arugula and toss to coat evenly.




STEP SIX:

To make the sauce, melt 1 T. butter in a large saucepan. Add 1/4 c. white wine, juice of one lemon, and 1/4 c. half and half. Cook until reduced by about half, and stir in 3-4 T. chopped fresh parsley. Add 1-2 T. grated parmesan, and stir to combine.





STEP SEVEN:

Place about 1/2 c. risotto on the plate and top with a piece of salmon. Spoon a few tablespoons of the sauce on top, then top with the arugula.



THE JUDGES' VERDICTS

ROSS: The salmon was really well-cooked. The other flavors complemented the salmon, but didn't over power it. And the salmon was also really warm - sometimes it seems like fish comes out not that hot. And it wasn't overcooked - it was still really tender.

TAYLOR: I thought this was awesome. I wanted to know how much cream went into the risotto. Elizabeth's answer - none - was both surprising and educational (the creaminess comes from the constant stirring stripping the starch out of the rice). I would definitely eat here again.

JESS: I loved the risotto. The tangy flavors were really great. The salmon peeled apart perfectly. I have no bad comments considering I ate all the leftovers.

MY VOTE ON MY DISH:
I give it four stars, and let me explain.

First, I can't eat salmon because I'm allergic to it, so, as a disclaimer, I can only make an educated judgement about the "risotto" and arugula. I put risotto in quotes because I'm 95% sure that I completely ruined it.

Don't get me wrong, the flavors were great - the lemon and leek were delicious. But the texture was suspect, and I think that's because I overcooked it. I actually remember the point in time when I tasted the risotto and thought to myself, "This is al dente. Maybe I should quit while I'm ahead," but then I proceeded to cook it for about 15 more minutes, until it was teetering on the edge of mush (it had the consistency of rice pudding, which, while delicious, isn't what I was going for).


I also looked up "risotto tips" online later, confirming my overcooked theory. I also learned that if you add the parmesan cheese too soon (which I think I might have), it can become oily and grainy. I didn't notice that it was oily or grainy, but either way, you're supposed to stir it in right before you serve it, off the cooking heat.

I was hyper-aware of my risotto blunder considering we were watching Top Chef. By the way, did was anyone else totally disappointed in the lack of creativity in this last challenge? I mean, you choose your favorite movie and then make a meal inspired by it - how cool is that? - and Spike chooses "Good Morning Vietnam" and makes VIETNAMESE FOOD??!! So unexpected!


It got me thinking: what would I make for that challenge? Well, my favorite movie is, of course, Clueless.


It takes place in California, so I'd probably do something in the "California Cuisine" genre - something light, with avocados - maybe halibut in parchment paper with lime and cliantro - a Mexican influence. And for dessert, well - there's a part in the movie where Cher describes what she's eaten that day: "I feel like such a heiffer. I had two mochacchinos, five M&M's...." So maybe a Mocchachino Mousse with crushed M & M topping? And as an appetizer or amuse bouche, Chef and Dionne spend a lot of time in the mall, so maybe a gourmet bite-sized twist on "mall food" - perhaps an impossibly tiny, doughy warm pretzel, with a Meyer-lemonade-vodka shot on the side?

This is what I'm talking about, people! CREATIVITY.

Ultimately, boring old Manuel was banished by Padma - can't say I'm saddened by his departure.


Thanks to my guests, and thanks for reading! Till next time...