A Cook and Her Books: October 2012

Monday, October 29, 2012

Satsumas

Satsuma. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Local school officials came up with the best idea they've had in years: a full week off in October. Not just a long weekend for Columbus Day, but an honest-to-gosh week off, bookended with solid weekends. For my family, this meant loading up the minivan and heading to the beach, the sunny Gulf Coast of Alabama, home of squeaky sand, unlimited fried seafood shacks and bountiful produce.

Where I live in north Georgia, the autumn months mean apple season. In L.A. (Lower Alabama), the cooler months mean citrus, and we just happened to be there in the middle of satsuma season. What is a satsuma? Well, it's a kind of mandarin orange, seedless and very sweet. If you're familiar with the now-ubiquitous clementine, then you're on the right track. the satsuma is a little bit softer and quite a bit sweeter than a clemmie.If you're coming from the tangerine frame of mind, satsumas are not nearly as tart, and with a peel that zips away from the fruit. (in other words, the satsuma is a superior fruit)

The friendly and helpful clerk at the Burris Farm Market in Loxley, Alabama, assured me that they were excellent this year, even the green ones, and that satsumas were her favorite citrus. I bought two pounds and I should have bought 20 - they were half-gone when we reached home and completely gone the next day.

Satsumas. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

When I got home with the fruit, while I was still entertaining the idea of cooking the satsumas, I looked through John Besh's beautiful cookbook, "My New Orleans," and saw that he uses satsumas in the Christmas standby, ambrosia. There's another lovely recipe that sounds like it would be worth saving satsumas for ~ Citrus Pots de Creme with Lavener Madeleines.

Satsumas. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books.

What about you? If you're headed to the Gulf Coast, bring me back some satsumas!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Scarecrows

Scarecrow. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

In early October, my family visited Orange Beach, on the Alabama Gulf Coast. While riding around this quaint and quiet beach town, we spied a field of scarecrow at the Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach. We found Waldo, Dorothy, the Tin Man, a pilot, a mermaid and assorted other clever riffs on the scarecrow theme.

Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach, Alabama. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Which one do you like best?

Dorothy and Tin Man Scarecrows. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Scarecrow. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books


Miss Redneck Scarecrow. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Scarecrow. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Waldo Scarecrow. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Ariel Scarecrow. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Snowman Scarecrow. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Scarecrow. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Mermaid scarecrow. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Scarecrow. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Mummy scarecrow. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

For more scarecrows, check out this post from October 2010, and a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Spooky Fruit from Frieda's Produce

Ghost chiles. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Pretty innocent-looking chiles, right? These miniature morsels of molten hellfire are Ghost Chiles, the hottest chile pepper on the planet, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. These red demons, known as Bhut Jolokia in India, where they are grown, top the heat-o-meter at 1 million Scoville units (jalapenos, by comparison, rate 2,500-5,000, and habaneros 200,000-300,000).

The witty folks at Frieda's Produce included the Ghost Chiles in their Spooky Pack, sent to me this week. Accompanying the chiles were a Kiwano (Horned Melon), a Buddha's Hand Citron, and bag of black garlic.

Frieda's Spooky Pack. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

The Kiwano, colored like a Nickelodeon cartoon, is featured in Frieda's Facebook promotion, "Save a Pumpkin, Carve a Kiwano." Check out the clever carvings on Facebook and contemplate your own Kiwano makeover - be sure to post a picture and you could win goodies from Frieda's.

I've only heard about black garlic before today, probably from watching "Chopped," and assumed it was a variety of garlic, but it is actually fermented and aged garlic, which is why I haven't taken it out its packaging. Frieda's advises using black garlic in barbecues and Asian dishes. Any advice from readers out there?

I experienced the Buddha's Hand citron with my sense of smell before my sense of sight. The floral fragrance was released when I opened the box. My kitchen smells great, a good thing, since the Buddha's Hand is really rather creepy. Looks like a claw, doesn't it?

Buddha's Hand Citron. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Giveaway time! Frieda's Produce will send a Spooky Pack to an A Cook and Her Books reader, so just leave a comment with your favorite spooky food (it doesn't have to be a fruit or vegetable) and a winner will be chosen at random on Sunday, Oct. 28!

This contest is now closed. Thanks for entering!

Disclaimer: Frieda's sent me this lovely Spooky Pack, but other than that, I was not compensated for this post. My opinions are my own. And thanks for reading.

Smoked tuna spread (to live for)

Smoked tuna spread with crackers. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

It's such a funny notion that a food could be something "to die for." Food should be something you live for, or so I try to say. Like this smoked tuna spread. Each fall, my husband will go on a long-range fishing trip that runs out of San Diego. When he sends the fish to the processor, he usually asks for a small amount to be smoked, which is why I occasionally have smoked tuna in my freezer. Because it's salty and smoky, the tuna is handy substitute for bacon ~ I like to stir a bit of smoked fish in with scrambled eggs; it's wonderful also in my baked potato soup. Try it on your morning bagel (whole wheat, toasted).

And then there's this fish spread, just shallot, mayo, cream cheese, lemon and smoked fish, so easy. I serve it as a dip with crackers, and sometimes as a canape on crackers or baguette slices, so my guests don't have to do all the work themselves.

Smoked fish spread with slivers of smoked tuna. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

This fish spread is so good, folks like to say "it's to die for." Don't say that. Just eat it.

I used smoked yellowfin tuna to make this easy and delicious spread. If you can find buttery and tender smoked albacore, use that. You can use smoked salmon, too.

Smoked tuna spread
adapted from Diane Rossen Worthington's "Taste of Summer"

1 shallot

1 pound smoked fish such as tuna or salmon, trimmed

6 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese

1/2 fresh lemon, squeezed

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a food processor with the metal blade running, mince the shallot. Add remaining ingredients and puree until incorporated. Taste for seasoning. Serve with crackers or sliced baguettes.

Smoked tuna spread with crackers. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

It's a Wrap, #SeriousSandwich

Olive salad. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

This is the finale of Emeril's #SeriousSandwich posts, and like the grand finale of the 4th of July fireworks, it ends with a booming blizzard of color. I've assembled pictures of all my sandwiches, and in a few days, when I have some spare time, I'll link back to the posts.

I want to say a big "Thank You" to Emeril Lagasse for creating such an exciting cookbook and for all the tweets, retweets, shares and pins. It sure does make your day when Emeril singles out your blog for a comment! And I really appreciate your taking time to answer my questions, especially offering your advice for young people considering the culinary profession.

Thanks to Tavia from Morrow Cookbooks for reading my stories and for choosing my blog to participate in the blogalong. This has been a learning experience for me, and a much-needed creative boost.

And speaking of education, thanks go out to Steven Freeman, the photographer for "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches," who talked with me about the cookbook shoot and offered constructive criticism of my pictures. (Just looking at my pictures here, from beginning to end, I can see a difference in how I approach the shot. I hope the results show!).

Thanks to Kamili Hemphill of Emeril's culinary team, for writing such inspiring words about the creative process of cookbook production, recipe writing, and cooking in general.

Thanks go out to my fellow #SeriousSandwich bloggers ~ I've had a great time exploring your blogs and making new friends.

Naan with cilantro-mint chutney. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

New style caldo verde and Eggplant Muffuletta. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Cheddar and green onion biscuits. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Egg salad supreme. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Smoked sausage sandwich with beer-braised onions. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Caprese. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Calzones. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

How to photograph sandwiches. Photo by Steven Freeman

Breakfast burrito with avocado crema. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

The Elvis. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Grilled smoky pimento cheese. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Chocolate wafers with peanut butter fudge. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Almond Poppy Seed cake with lemon Neufchatel. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

As for what's next, I need to tell a little story. In the second week of the blogalong, my family spent a few days in Orange Beach, Alabama, with incomparably beautiful weather (and an iffy wi-fi connection). One afternoon, I went out shopping, and as I usually do, I ended up in a bookstore where I bought a copy of Emeril's "There's a Chef in My World" for my seven year-old.

When I gave Lindsey Lou the book, she read completely through it and remarked on each recipe. She bookmarked a few, like the German Apple Pancake, and the Egg Drop Soup. When she finished reading through the cookbook, she looked at the cover, then she found the copy of "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches," and said that something looked familiar. I explained to her that the same chef wrote both books and his name was Emeril. She hugged both books to her chest and said,

"I just love Emerald."

We're just getting started on "There's a Chef in My World," ~ here's the German Apple Pancake, which was easy, fun and delicious. Thanks, Chef!

Emeril's German Apple Pancake. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

You may also want to visit my fellow #SeriousSandwich bloggers, all 21 of them:

It's been an absolute pleasure reading these new-to-me blogs and cooking through Emeril's new cookbook!

Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed on this blog are mine, based upon my personal experience. Morrow Cookbooks provided me with a Cookalong Kit including an advance copy of "Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches." In addition, upon completion of the #SeriousSandwich cookalong, all participants will receive a small grocery reimbursement and a complete library of Emeril's cookbooks.

This post is part of #SeriousSandwich, a blogalong sponsored by Morrow Books,
marking the publication of

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (Morrow, $24.99)

If you love cookbooks like I do, you gotta follow The Secret Ingredient Blog from Morrow Books.

with the exception of the book cover; that belongs to Morrow Books,

and Steven Freeman's photo from "How to Photograph Sandwiches."

The essence of good cooking, #SeriousSandwich


Almond poppy-seed pound cake with lemon neufchatel. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Chef Emeril Lagasse works with his culinary team to produce his cookbooks, like his newest, "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches," (Morrow, $24.99) When I ran into problems baking the Almond Poppy Seed Pound Cake with Lemon Neufchatel, Kamili Hemphill from Emeril's culinary team came to the rescue and I took the opportunity to ask her a few questions about creating the recipes for cookbooks like "Kicked-Up Sandwiches."

Q. What is the process for selecting and testing the recipes for the book?

A. Well ,when Chef Emeril begins a project, he already has a list of new recipe ideas (or old favorites) that he wants to be a part of it. As the testing process goes along, some ideas will stay the same and make it into the book and some ideas will change into something better… and every now and again certain ideas or recipes will get dropped if they just don’t measure up to the others. Then, when he gets to a point where he can step back and look at the list of recipes that are completed, it is easy to see where the gaps are. He will then brainstorm with us, the culinary team, to come up with additional ideas to round out the collection.

It’s a very organic process and the book really kind of writes itself as we go along.

Testing involves actually cooking recipes as well as writing them several times and using ingredients we are able to gather from grocery stores or farmer’s markets. We stay away from getting ingredients from restaurant purveyors because the recipes are for the home cook. Once the recipes have been cooked, they are evaluated for taste and flavor, texture, authenticity, appropriateness for the project and visual appeal.

Almond poppy seed pound cake. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Q. Do you have any tips for getting the best out of Emeril's recipes?

Hmmmm, good question. That really depends on the recipe. You have to be able to understand which ingredients in the recipe contribute to its essence, no pun intended. Successful cooking relies heavily on technique, an understanding of ratios, and a bit of understanding in regards to chemistry.

The wonderful thing about a well-written recipe is that it should eliminate guesswork on the part of the cook by being able to describe to the cook what he or she should be looking for.

Descriptions that include how long certain steps may take, appropriate temperatures, measurements, size of pan, specific cooking tools, specific ingredients, etc. One of the most important pieces of advice I give to people who are cooking from a recipe is to read it through several times before beginning to make sure they can understand the recipe. A person should be able to imagine it.

Practice is essential when it comes to cooking. At its very core, it is a craft.

I would certainly recommend that a person cook a recipe as-is first before making substitutions. That way a person can judge from their own experience what can be successfully changed. It takes a very experienced cook to make that determination by just reading a recipe. Now, I’m sure you know there are a lot of bad recipes and badly written recipes out there. So really, you have to try them first, and then adjust.

Almond-poppy seed pound cake. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Q. I'm working on improving the pictures for my blog, do you have any tips for making food look better on the plate and page?

A. Well, good pictures are many times a matter of taste. Chef Emeril’s taste regarding food photos definitely involves authenticity. He likes pictures of his food to be as natural as possible and photographed while it’s still fresh, i.e. photographed immediately. You will notice that you might get a glimpse of steam, or see that the cheese is still melty, or recognize sheen from the olive oil, or you might notice the delicious beauty in food where every cut or dimension isn’t exact.

It should look real… and good enough to eat.

Close-up photos usually work well so that the viewer can focus in on the food and not be distracted by other things. Also, for you, since photography is an expression, think about which photos of food you like and why. Then incorporate those things into your own work. (They should be) your own expression.

[A note on baking the Almond Poppy Seed Pound Cake - this is a terrific cake, but it must be baked according to the directions. Use cake flour and sift it before measuring. It can be made without the poppy seeds, but it's much better with them. They're like freckles, and what kid isn't cuter with freckles?]

Kamili Hemphill on the shoot for "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches." by Steven Freeman.

Thanks, Kamili, for taking time to share your knowledge with my readers and me!

With the exceptions of Emeril's book cover, that belongs to Morrow Cookbooks, and the picture of Kamili Hemphill, provided by Steven Freeman.

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (Morrow, $24.99)

If you love cookbooks like I do, you gotta follow The Secret Ingredient Blog from Morrow Books.

This post is part of #SeriousSandwich, a cookalong to celebrate the publication

Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches.

For more great #SeriousSandwich posts, follow #SeriousSandwich on Twitter.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Smoked sausage sandwich with beer-braised onions, #SeriousSandwich

Smoked sausage sandwich with beer-braised onions. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

One of the delights of cooking from Emeril Lagasse's newest cookbook, "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches," (Morrow, $24.99), is finding little extras along the way that will kick up sandwiches and help out around the kitchen. For example, the beer-braised onions on this Smoked Sausage Sandwich with Beer-Braised Onions. These little morsels of joy would be fantastic alongside any kind of meat or sausage, without without the bun. As for the sandwich, the Muenster cheese and stone-ground mustard in conjunction with the sausage and onions really stacks up the flavor.

Just like Emeril's Caprese Sandwich is a taste of summer, this hearty sandwich is a taste of fall, perfect for tailgating, or maybe picnics at the pumpkin patch.

Pumpkins. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Look for more great stories and recipes from "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches" right here on A Cook and Her Books, or follow #SeriousSandwich on Twitter. You may also want to visit my fellow #SeriousSandwich bloggers, all 21 of them:

It's been an absolute pleasure reading these new-to-me blogs and cooking through Emeril's new cookbook!

This post is part of #SeriousSandwich, a blogalong sponsored by Morrow Books,
marking the publication of

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (Morrow, $24.99)

If you love cookbooks like I do, you gotta follow The Secret Ingredient Blog from Morrow Books.

with the exception of the book cover; that belongs to Morrow Books.

Smashed chickpeas on naan with cilantro-mint chutney, #SeriousSandwich

Smashed chickpeas on naan with cilantro-mint chutney and raita. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

From time to time, folks will ask me why I love cookbooks and cooking, and I find it difficult to say why or how they are interesting to me, they just are. From my first cookbook, The Winnie-the-Pooh Cookbook, to my newest, Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches, I find stories and pictures that hold my attention. The dish above, Smashed Chickpeas on Naan with Cilantro-Mint Chutney and Raita, isn't pictured in the book, so I guess it was the idea of Indian spices and the tender flatbread known as naan that piqued my interest. With the added advantage of being a vegetarian entree, I was in, and the recipe did not disappoint, I could eat this any time of day.

Fragrant mustard seeds, garlic, fresh ginger, and crushed red pepper are sauteed with tomatoes, chickpeas and red bell pepper, then seasoned with turmeric, cumin, cardamom and coriander. The mixture is rough-smashed then served on flatbread with the cooling cucumber-yogurt mixture known as raita, and a coconut-milk based sauce flavored with cilantro and mint. It tastes as good as it smells.

I've written before that my world is small, but my kitchen is big. I'm an armchair traveler, and with the benefit of technology and some excellent cookbooks, I can bring the world into my kitchen. As for this dish, even though I didn't grow up with Indian food, and I live in a town without an Indian restaurant, I can taste a bit of the culture in my home.

And here are two more reasons why I've enjoyed cooking from "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches" - recipes with multiple components are concisely written, and esoteric ingredients are rare. I occasionally order spices from Penzeys, but I get weary of reading cookbooks that ask me to mail order or seek out specialty ingredients. And shopping at Whole Foods is not an option for me with my suburban supermarket choices, so Emeril's attention to readers with limited options is noted and appreciated.

Stay tuned for more great sandwiches from:

This post is part of #SeriousSandwich, a blogalong sponsored by Morrow Books,
marking the publication of

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (Morrow, $24.99)

If you love cookbooks like I do, you gotta follow The Secret Ingredient Blog from Morrow Books.

with the exception of the book cover; that belongs to Morrow Books.