Swing Eats

Turnips.  The enigmatic root vegetable.  Deceivingly peppery with a pretty fuchsia exterior and a perfectly white interior.  Typically for root vegetables, I either roast them or mash them.  Look at this picture, root vegetables appear imperfectly beautiful.  I thought celery root would make for a good flavor pairing with the turnips, given its intense celeriac character.  Keeping it simple with rustic, with a dash of nutmeg, garlic, and white pepper for a hint of fall.  Here's the final product which I find rustic and comforting. Mashed Turnips with Celery Root Ingredients: turnips: 2, peeled and cut into uniform medium cubes celery root: 1, peeled and cut into uniform small cubes butter: 4 tablespoons salt, white pepper, nutmeg, granulated garlic to taste milk or half and half: about 1/2 cup Directions: In a large pan, bring salted water to a boil.  Add in the celery root first (takes longer to cook, and that's why we want to cut ...

This week's blog theme is chocolate Valentine's desserts.  My mind automatically goes to chocolate, then to panna cotta, then figuring out how I can incorporate Nutella into it.  Normal progression of a normal person's thought pattern, right?  I wanted to keep to the traditional panna cotta recipe, using sour cream to finish it, giving it a delicate brightness.  I figured that could serve Nutella well.  And it does.  This recipe turned out to be very simplistic in its measurements and minimal in it ingredients (no added sugar needed!), even though it looks super-fancy.  Just the plain Nutella panna cotta is plain brown.  I put a rich Nutella and butter "chocolate button" on top with a sprinkling of chopped toasted hazelnuts for aesthetic and to add textural and flavor intensity.  How I finished it reminds me of an old childhood favorite candy, Toffifany.  (I found an old  1978 Toffifany commercial , "not too good for YOU!") ...

Happy Halloween!  Trick or treating is really the best part of Halloween.  However, as adults we find other means besides candy to indulge.  Well, at least we have the best intentions.  Looking at the seasonal produce, I saw so much squash.  And spaghetti squash has a special quality about it.  Once it's cooked, it breaks down into a spaghetti-like texture.  I know it's an old trick, but it doesn't get old.  It's easy, nutritious, takes on whatever flavor you give it, and everyone can enjoy it.  I am partial to spaghetti, with lots of oregano.  And spaghetti squash goes even better than pasta with oregano.  Please take a look at an old blog post of mine about the chemistry of oregano and another great recipe:  Spaghetti. With Lots of Oregano .  Use a strong oregano that you can smell - the stronger, the better.  I kept it really simple: roasted the spaghetti squash for best flavor and to ensure even cooking; tosse...

So continues Food Network's Fall Fest with squash. The first thing to come to my mind, as I sure most people's minds, is butternut squash soup. With good reason. It's comforting, warm, hearty, rich, and not that difficult to make. Most soups start with a mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery), which creates the aromatic foundation. Then add in cooked tender squash, stock, seasonings, and puree. That simple. Well, I find the most difficult aspect is the handling of the butternut squash. Every time I break one down, I curse at myself for not buying a cheap work horse cleaver from the Asian market. Hence I prefer to roast the butternut squash split in the oven. Then it works it easy to scoop out and add into the stock pan. Roasting adds a great depth of flavor from the Maillard reaction: the browning reaction (think meats, caramel, etc) that breaks down proteins and carbohydrates into small tasty flavor molecules. I add the mirepoix on the baking sheet to roast with the squ...

Pumpkin is such a quintessential autumn ingredient and has become ubiquitous.  " Panna cotta" is Italian for cooked cream and it is generally a simmered cream, sugar, and gelatin mixture that is eaten after chilling in the fridge and set up.  It is one of my favorite desserts - so luxurious.  I took the standard recipe and replaced half the cream with pumpkin pulp, used brown sugar instead of white sugar, and added in traditional autumn spices.  I thought a brittle would compliment the texture well, and using raw pumpkin seeds/pepitas works perfectly.  Yes, the brittle is a "technical" component, meaning that for best results, use precision: weighing the ingredients, monitoring temperature, and working fast.  Just read through the ingredients and instructions twice before trying it.  You can do it, I have confidence in you.  Notes: glucose can be found at any baking/candy supply store and most craft stores; allow 4 hours to set; makes 6 serving...

I have a small old-school Weber grill I haven't used in.... months.  Grilled peaches - something I've always wanted to make and I knew now was the time.  The assortment of peaches at the farmer's markets right now are amazing.  Grilling the peaches caramelize the sugars and make them even more juicy.  There are plenty of recipes of grilled peaches with either ricotta or mascarpone cheese.  To be honest, I never know which one to use.  I know I always have Greek yogurt in my fridge.  I'm sure you do, too.  I added a little bit of honey, vanilla, and a little vanilla to compliment the grilled peach.  (Note: if you don't have a grill, you can pan-sear the peach for caramelization.) Ingredients: 2 peaches, just ripe 1 cup Greek yogurt, plain 2 tablespoons honey of your choice 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (preferably paste) zest of 1 lime (reserve some for garnish) Directions: Preheat grill.  Cut each peach length-wise and remove pit....

I appreciate simplicity in food. I see it as a testament to how good ingredients truly are. I went to the farmer's market the other day and found a perfectly imperfect tiny basket of tiny tomatoes of varying shades of red and yellow. The tiny fresh mozzarella cheese balls happen to be the same size of the tomatoes. I find that ratio is key for a successful insalata caprese and using tiny tomatoes and tiny mozzarella works perfectly. Ingredients: 1 basket of tiny tomatoes 1 container of tiny fresh mozzarella balls 4-6 basil leaves cut into very thin strips (chiffonaded) 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste Directions: Wash and dry the tomatoes. Cut in half. If there are large ones, cut into fourths. Place in a medium/large bowl. Drain the fresh mozzarella balls. Cut those in half and add to the tomatoes. Add in the cut basil and olive oil. Gently toss until somewhat combined. Give a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Serve immediately and e...