Oat Script

I mean post script. I tried the soak overnight method for the oats -- no heat -- and this is my favorite. Thanks Aunt Lynnie! It softens the groats enough to cook them in about fifteen minutes instead of thirty, and this keeps my hands out of the cookie jar while I'm waiting. I use the same amount of water -- four cups for one cup of steel cut oats. Soak overnight. Bring to a boil until creamy, then simmer about 15 minutes until water is absorbed, but the grains have retained their al dente deliciousness. Give it a try!

Obsession

So, my new obsession is steel cut oats.

I know I'm a little late to the party on this one, but YUM! My dear friend and doula was recently talking about this as her breakfast, and I decided to give it a try. I'd always shied away because these delicious little grains take 30 minutes to cook, and well, I'm HUNGRY in the morning! But I sucked it up (sort of -- I'd end up eating cookies and all kinds of other junk) while I waited for them to cook. So Sunday night, I decided to try a method that I saw on the internet -- the overnight cook.  

So, last night, I boiled the water, and stirred in the oats.

I let them get creamy.

I put the lid on the pot and turned off the heat.

I let them sit there overnight, and lo and behold, they were pretty much cooked this morning. There was a bit of excess water, which I cooked off. (Perhaps this method requires less water since there is less direct heat involved? Any Alton Brown-types out there know the answer?)

Then, I topped it off with a bit of butter and a bunch of dark brown sugar.

Yes, yes, I know the sugar practically defeats the purpose of the whole-grain goodness, but oh my. Delish.

Pretty good breakfast for a Monday.

Quote of the Day

What seems like many moons ago, when I was working in publishing, I started to refer to Real Simple as "Real Stupid" like many of my print industry pals. Not nice, not nice, I know -- but kind of funny. I mean isn't every issue 10 great ideas for pasta and how to (re)organize your shoes? Truth be told, I often try recipes from Real Simple because they are, well... really simple. And sometimes yummy. And a lot of times I could use an idea for pasta, even though I have quite a lot of experience cooking it.

My favorite part of the February 2010 issue, however, is the quote on the spine: "A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness." -- Elsa Shiaparelli. Kinda makes me want to don a shocking pink apron in her honor.

gram's meatballs & new year's greetings

happy new year! a little belated, but heartfelt. one can only hope that this year will be better than the last.

as usual with the dawning of a new year, 2010 brings with it hopes of getting in shape, eating better, becoming a supermodel...seems as though each year brings another cunning plan for the diet lifestyle change to bring a resolution to any and all weight problems in the extended cadenelli clan.

even grams gets into the act; in fact, she is probably the greatest instigator of them all! mary dignard, maternal matriarch, eternal watcher of weight(s), and all-around most awesome person ever, apparently has it all figured out, having lost about 40 pounds in the last few years. ('it's easy,' she says. of course, it took her until she was 85 for it to be 'easy,' but who am i to point that out!?)

the details of this effective eating plan are kind of murky, but seem to include consuming mostly fruit, small hunks of italian bread and salumi (ok, i really say 'cold cuts'), and chocolates, the latter eaten rather clandestinely.

since she has 'retired' from any actual cooking, her menu definitely does not include meatballs, unless made by others. this is too bad, because her meatballs have been scientifically proven to be the greatest on earth.

my mother's meatballs are a very close second. mine are pretty good, but never seem to quite measure up. i guess that's just the way it is! but in any case, regardless of the generation making them, the recipe remains about the same. measurements are iffy, since italian meatball-makers would never actually measure anything, but here's the rough idea:

gram's meatballs

breadcrumbs [we always use progresso italian, i must confess, but originally fresh italian bread], handful

parmesan cheese [preferably parmigiano-reggiano] or romano cheese, extraordinarily large handful

eggs, 1 or 2

parsley [preferably italian flat-leaf, definitely fresh], 1/4 bunch or so

salt [i'm in love with maldon] and pepper [freshly ground]

ground meat [all beef, all turkey, or mix of both, or traditional mix of beef/veal/pork], 1 pound

mix all ingredients except meat together in large bowl. add ground beef and combine lightly. this method tends to be easier than adding all the ingredients at once and then mixing, but really, whatever floats your boat.

in my opinion, the secret ingredient of these meatballs is the cheese, as is evidenced by the amount listed. to check seasoning, though, i always cook a little tester meatball patty to taste, as i'm not a big fan of tasting raw ground meat. i tend to go heavier on the cheese and lighter on the breadcrumbs, but each time is slightly different. the texture should be pretty moist. if necessary, you can add a little water, milk, cream, or another egg if the mixture is too stiff. it's a very subjective process :).

when you are happy with the taste and texture, roll into balls of any size you'd like from marble to golf ball. i like to fry them in olive oil and keep them plain. of course, they can also be baked, or dropped into soup or tomato sauce.

always make more than you think you need, because they tend to cause immediate auto-eating. strangely enough, i love them cold the next day. as does da gorge.

over christmas vacation, my lovely and talented mother made an egg yolk-free and gluten-free version, using rice bread cubes soaked in chicken stock and egg whites for binding.

there was still a large amount of cheese involved.

here's to a great 2010!

Holiday Cooking and Baking

Today is the day to start some holiday baking! On the agenda: gingerbread men to decorate with the girls, a batch of regular truffles, and maybe a couple of other things. I don't quite have my traditions nailed down yet. What are yours?

I also need to prepare for Christmas Eve dinner, but I can't quite think about that yet. Uh oh!

Truffles

Well, it took 4 batches, but I got somewhere with the vegan truffles. Great taste -- dark chocolate dusted with cocoa powder, bathed in orange blossom water, rolled in cocoa again and topped with luster dust and a couple of grains of fleur de sel. Weird texture, though -- I couldn't quite get them to set up enough -- even with arrowroot. Maybe not enough? I'll make the real deal next week for my mom, so it will be interesting to check out the differences in texture. Then maybe back to the drawing (cooking) board.

Truffles

Well, I started a little project today. As I've mentioned before, I love to renovate recipes. I am making homemade truffles this year (simple ones, I should say), and I want to make some animal product-free ones for my friend Lori. Lori is a terrific baker -- I secretly think she doesn't sleep because she is also mom of two, and an avid runner and yogi. I have seen her easily draw herself into some pretty awesome poses. Anyway, I digress. Lori has a dairy allergy and a vegan lifestyle to accommodate it, so I don't want her to be left out of the holiday truffle fun. The first task was to make a vegan substitute for heavy cream, which I did tonight, using silken tofu, soy milk and arrowroot. It actually was pretty rich and silky after I brought it up to a simmer! I combined it with some vegan chocolate, coarse sea salt and vanilla -- I'm just not sure of the quantities I used. It is setting up overnight, so tomorrow we'll see if we can take it to the next step or if we're starting over...