Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Last week a group of friends came over to watch the Golden Globes and the squash purée you see before you is one of the things I made. I’ve always loved hummus and thought this recently discovered recipe might offer a nice alternative to that Middle Eastern classic. Here the use of butternut squash and the date (or maple) syrup takes the place of the chickpeas and the lemon—a combination that makes for a sweeter experience overall, as opposed to the tart/tangy quality one associates with hummus. I love anything tart and lemony, of course, whereas I’m generally less drawn to the sweeter end of the spectrum. Still, I figured if there was any occasion that called for deviating from the standard fare, an(other) awards show dinner was it (though the Globe’s co-hosts, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, more than did their part to keep things interesting). And upon further reflection, it also occurs to me that my recently completed journey through Morocco may have awakened in me an appetite for the exotic—something this spread satisfies in a way that hummus (widely available in most U.S. markets now) simply can’t. Which is not to say this dish approximates anything I sampled in Marrakesh, unless you count the way sweetness is featured in things other than dessert there (a phenomenon I encountered at nearly every meal). Whatever the case, this recipe spoke to me.

It’s one I found in Yotam Ottolenghi and Sam Tamimi’s new cookbook, Jerusalem. I’m sure many of you have heard of these two (or at least of Ottolenghi, who is the better known—he was the subject of a recent profile in The New Yorker), but for those who haven’t, this is the third cookbook from the pair (the others are Plenty and the eponymously named Ottolenghi). Either way, the two have understandably become a bona-fide culinary phenomenon in London where they own and operate several restaurants offering a mash-up of dishes inspired by ingredients and recipes featured in that broad swath of the planet known as “the Middle East.” They also do amazing things with vegetables, so if you’re looking for interesting vegetarian options, their books are a great resource (a side note: though Ottolenghi wrote the vegetarian cooking column in The Guardian for many years, he is, in fact, a meat eater, which is perhaps why I tend to find his vegetarian recipes so appealing).

That was certainly my reaction when I came across this recipe, and one I credit at least in part to the presence of the tahini, the Greek yogurt, the garlic, and the sesame seeds—all components I felt had the potential to produce something interesting when married with the natural sweetness of the squash. But I’m getting ahead of myself; before any of those ingredients are introduced, one must first tackle the peeling of the squash and the carving of it into chunks. Once that’s complete, the resulting one-inch (or so) pieces are tossed in a roasting pan with some salt and cinnamon before the whole mixture is slid into a 400˚ oven for 70 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender. Easy stuff, though if you’ve never peeled a butternut squash before (I had not) be prepared to lay down your vegetable peeler and pick up a paring knife instead. This bears mentioning because the shape and contours of the squash are such that much of it is simply not accessible by a peeler’s blade, and can only be reached with the aide of a sharp knife. That said, don’t worry if the knife inadvertently removes some of the vegetable’s flesh (which, unless you have the carving skills of Michelangelo, it probably will); if you’ve selected a very large squash as directed there will still be more than enough to work with.

I point this out because when I emptied the contents of the pan into my food processor (after allowing the squash to cool, something achieved in little more than half an hour), I found I had quite a lot of squash to work with—not so much that it wouldn’t all fit into the bowl, but close to it. And once I whirred it all together with the tahini, the yogurt, and the garlic I discovered I had considerably more than was needed for the ten people who’d be snacking on it. That said, if you were to serve it as a side dish (which, incidentally, is not one of the scenarios suggested by the recipe’s creators), the quantity produced would quite adequately feed four big-eaters. It’s an option I encourage you to consider as the mix of flavors—the sweetness of the squash, the tang of the tahini and the yogurt, and the concentrated hit of sugar delivered by the syrup drizzled across the surface of the spread just before serving (along with those sesame seeds and some chopped cilantro)—offer a welcome counterpoint to, say, a few thick slices of pork tenderloin.

Of course, the spread is also immensely satisfying in the context Tamimi and Ottolenghi propose: as an appetizer, served with bread. I offered it with warm pita slices, and while I acknowledge feeling a little anxious about how it would be received (in large part because of its sweetness) it was a big hit and largely devoured by the time the main course made its way to the table. For me, part of the appeal can be attributed to the liberal sprinkling of those sesame seeds in the final moments of preparation (use black as well as white if you can find them, for no other reason than they look so good!), along with a few tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro, and it makes as warm and sunny a statement on the plate as it does when it reaches your mouth. In other words, it’s just the thing to brighten up these cold, gray days of winter.

Ingredients:
—1 very large butternut squash (about 2½ lbs), peeled and cut into chuncks (7 cups total)
—3 tbs olive oil
—1 tsp ground cinnamon
—5 tbs light tahini paste
—1/2 cup Greek yogurt
—2 small cloves garlic, crushed
—1 tsp mixed black and white sesame seeds (or just white if you don’t have black)
—1½ tsp date syrup (or maple syrup or molasses if you can’t find date syrup)
—2 tbs chopped cilantro (optional)
—Salt
—Pita or other bread (for serving)

Note: Date syrup can be found at many health food stores and Middle Eastern groceries.

Directions:
—Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
—Spread the squash out in a medium roasting pan. Pour over the olive oil and sprinkle on the cinnamon and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix together well, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and roast in the oven for 70 minutes, stirring once during the cooking process. Remove from the oven and let cool.
—Transfer the squash to a food processor, along with the tahini, yogurt, and garlic. Roughly pulse so that everything is combined into a coarse paste, without the spread becoming smooth (you can also do this by hand using a fork or potato masher).
—Spread the squash purée in a wavy pattern over a plate and sprinkle with the sesame seeds, drizzle over the syrup, and finish with the cilantro, if using.
—Serve as an appetizer with bread (warm pita is ideal) or as part of a selection of small Middle Eastern dishes.

Serves 6 to 8

The post 01/24/13 • SUPER SQUASH SPREAD appeared first on THE RECIPE GRINDER.

From the May, 2010 Cook’s Illustrated (click here to view the recipe)

It’s taken me a while to get this recipe to you, but it’s one that’s been on my mind since early summer. Remember those weeks in the beginning of June, when you still couldn’t quite believe it was light at 8:30 PM and it seemed like those long, warm days would stretch on forever? Well it was around that time that I was treated to a dinner with a Latin American theme—the highlight of which was a platter (or three) of homemade empanadas, filled with cheese and sweet corn, and passed around while everyone was having a pre-meal mojito. Those empanadas were a revelation. Sure, I’ve eaten my share of empanadas over the years, but none had been anything close to these, perhaps because none had found their way to my mouth so soon—or so directly—after exiting the oven. Or maybe it was simply the result of a talented chef, or an extra special recipe, or exceptional ingredients (the corn, as I recall, was particularly good). And it didn’t hurt that the individual making them (the gifted chef, Sebastian Picasso) was Argentine, or that the recipe is one he’s been making, and perfecting, for years. Suffice to say that I ended the meal with one clear directive: learning the art of empanada-making myself.

As it turns out, it’s a lot less intimidating than you might imagine. To start, of course, I asked Sebastian if he’d be willing to share his recipe with me—something he agreed to, but that I ultimately ended up not using, for the simple reason that it was written from the perspective of someone who generally follows his instincts versus a recipe. That wasn’t a luxury I could enjoy my first—or even second or third—time at bat, and so I went in search of a recipe that would spell things out for me more precisely. This I found in the Cook’s Illustrated archive—one I vaguely remembered pausing over (but never actually preparing) while flipping through a copy of the magazine several years back. The recipe was for a streamlined version of traditional beef empanadas (versus the slightly less common corn and cheese type Sebastian had prepared), which also seemed a good thing, as I was curious to see what impact a homemade approach would have on this variety as well. (I have, however, included Sebastian’s recipe for the corn and cheese filling below, as these instructions produced less head-scratching for me, not to mention a terrific alternative to the ground beef standard.)

So here’s the first thing you should know about making empanadas: although the process involves three distinct steps (the making of the dough, the making of the filling, and the marriage of these two elements), none are particularly time-consuming and all can be done well in advance of introducing them to the oven. This last detail is an important one as empanadas are ideal for feeding a crowd, but are not the sort of thing you want to be in the midst of preparing as your guests are milling around the kitchen (some concentration is required). In other words, the beef filling can be refrigerated for up to two days (the corn and cheese should probably be called into play the same day); the dough can be made several days in advance; and best of all, the assembled empanadas can be kept in the fridge for up to forty-eight hours before baking. All of which means you can get the heavy lifting out of the way well before your guests arrive, simply sliding the tray of assembled pockets into the oven 40 minutes or so before you want to serve them.

The other thing worth mentioning is that although empanadas are traditionally viewed as a snack or party food in Latin America, for North American tastes—and based on the size of the empanadas produced by this recipe—they work just as well (if not better) as the main event at mealtime. This is true whether you plan to pair the stuffed pockets with a salad and to turn it into a knife and fork event, or to consume them direct from hand to mouth—something for which their self-contained quality makes them ideally suited. Either way, you can pretty much be assured of an appreciative audience: no food seems to put a smile on peoples’ faces faster or more consistently than an empanada.

That’s especially true with this recipe for several reasons. First and foremost there’s the beef filling, which is a mouth-watering mix of ground beef, cooked alongside a quantity of sautéed onions, all of which is flavored with garlic and a variety of spices (cumin, cayenne pepper, ground cloves), and then simmered in the company of a ½ cup of chicken broth to increase the flavor quotient. And that’s just the beginning: once this mixture has had a chance to cool (about 10 minutes or so), you can then introduce the really good stuff—the cilantro, the chopped eggs, raisins, and olives, and the 4 teaspoons of cider vinegar, which along with those chopped olives lends the whole mixture a pleasing bite that also presents the perfect foil to the filling’s meaty richness.

And then there’s the dough, which is both foolproof (a result of CI’s meticulous tinkering and instructions) and pleasingly rustic—this thanks to the addition of the masa harina, a nutty, ground cornmeal typically used to make tortillas. What’s more, the addition of a ½ cup of cold vodka or tequila, sprinkled over the gloppy mixture resulting from the combination of the dry ingredients (the all-purpose and corn flours, the sugar, the salt) and the butter, assures the finished product a light, flakey quality (and no, the alcohol cannot be tasted).

Two quick tips, however, are in order: the first involves the instruction to roll out the dough into twelve 6-inch circles. After several tries, none of which produced anything remotely resembling a perfect circle, I discovered that by gently lifting the dough from my work surface and turning it clockwise a few degrees before once again attacking with my rolling pin, I was more likely to end up with the desired shape than if I simply left the dough in one spot and came at it from different directions. Also, while the recipe’s instructions for rotating the two empanada-filled baking sheets during cooking is designed to ensure even cooking, I still found that the pan located closest to the heat source during the final cooking phase browned faster than the one placed lower in the oven. So keep a close eye on things, or risk a tray of blackened empanadas. And one final note: as good as these empanadas are, I found a touch of added heat made them that much better—a void filled easily enough with just a few splashes of hot sauce. In fact, Alfredo tells me this is the way he grew up eating them in Miami, and if it’s good enough for the Cuban community in South Florida, it’s good enough for me.

Ingredients for beef filling:
—1 large slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
—2 tbs plus ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
—1 lb 85% lean ground chuck
—Table salt and ground black pepper
—1 tbs olive oil
—2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
—4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 4 tsp)
—1 teaspoon ground cumin
—1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
—1/8 tsp ground cloves
—1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
—2 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped
—1/3 cup raisins, coarsely chopped
—1/4 cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
—4 tsp cider vinegar

Ingredients for the corn and cheese filling (courtesy of Sebastian Picasso):
—8 ears of sweet corn, kernels removed from cob
—2 large Spanish onions, thinly sliced
—2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
—1½ balls fresh mozzarella (the drier the better), diced
—1/2 lb of Pawelet Cheese, diced
—24 tbs (3 sticks) unsalted butter
—1½ cups fresh basil, roughly chopped

Ingredients for the dough:
—3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
—1 cup masa harina (see note #1, below)
—1 tbs sugar
—2 tsp table salt
—12 tbs (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
—1/2 cup cold vodka or tequila (see note #2, below)
—1/2 cup cold water
—5 tbs olive oil (for baking empanadas)

Note #1: Masa harina—the ground and dehydrated cornmeal used to make Mexican tortillas and tamales—can be found in the international aisle with other Latin foods, or in the baking aisle with flour. If you cannot locate, replace with additional all-purpose flour (for a total of 4 cups).

Note #2: The alcohol in the dough is essential to the texture of the crust and imparts no flavor—do not substitute for it or omit.

Directions for the beef filling:
—Process bread and 2 tablespoons chicken broth in food processor until paste forms, about 5 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add beef, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and pulse until mixture is well-combined, six to eight 1-second pulses.
—Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, cayenne, and cloves; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beef mixture and cook, breaking meat into 1-inch pieces with wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add remaining ½ cup chicken broth and simmer until mixture is moist but not wet, 3 to 5 minutes.
—Transfer mixture to bowl and cool 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, eggs, raisins, olives, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour. (Filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Sebastian Picasso’s directions for corn and cheese filling:
—Saute onions over low heat with 2 tablespoons of butter until softened but still firm. Add the corn and cook briefly, then add the garlic and stir well. Set aside and let cool.
—Once the corn mixture is cool, add the cheese and mix well. Season with salt and more butter if needed. Add the basil, stir well, and let rest for one hour. NOTE: Make sure the filling is cool before placing in the dough rounds, as a warm mixture will cause the dough to fall apart.

Directions for the dough:
—Process 1 cup flour, masa harina, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and process until homogeneous and dough resembles wet sand, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 2 cups flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into large bowl.
—Sprinkle vodka or tequila and water over mixture. Using hands, mix dough until it forms a tacky mass that sticks together. Divide dough in half, then divide each half into 6 equal pieces. Transfer dough pieces to plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Directions for assembly:
—Adjust oven rack to upper- and lower-middle positions, place 1 baking sheet on each rack, and heat oven to 425˚.
—While baking sheets are preheating, remove dough from refrigerator. Roll each dough piece out on lightly floured work surface into a 6-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick, covering each dough round with plastic wrap while rolling remaining dough.
—Place about 1/3 cup filling (either the beef mixture or the corn and cheese) in center of each dough round. Brush edges of dough with water and fold dough over filling. Trim any ragged edges. Press edges to seal. Crimp edges using fork. (The formed empanadas can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days prior to cooking.)

Directions for baking:
—Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over surface of each baking sheet, then return to oven for 2 minutes. Brush empanadas with remaining tablespoon oil.
—Carefully place 6 empanadas on each baking sheet and cook until well-browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Cool empanadas on wire rack 10 minutes and serve.

Makes 12 empanadas

The post 09/13/12 • DREAMING IN EMPANADAS appeared first on THE RECIPE GRINDER.

From Canal House Cooking, vol. no. 6

It’s still hard to believe that Spring is here already. And by “Spring” I don’t just mean the official, calendar-defined season, but rather the one marked by the appearance of small green buds on just about everything — even that sad little shrub I pass on my way to work each morning that I figured was surely destined for the trash heap. Here in NYC there’s new life everywhere (leaves! flowers! weeds!). The sun is out when I leave the office at the end of the day, and people are sneezing and complaining about their allergies. That’s the Spring I’m talking about, and in keeping with the winter-that-wasn’t that only just ended, it seems to have arrived earlier than usual.

I was reminded of just how much earlier this past Sunday, when our friends Anthony and Sarah (Podge, to those who know and love her) invited us for Easter lunch at their place in East Hampton — a meal we were able to enjoy outside, with the waves of Gardner’s Bay lapping at the shore beside us. That alone would have been enough to make the afternoon memorable, and I haven’t even mentioned Podge’s cooking! These are new friends, but it didn’t take me long to figure out that when Podge offers to cook you a meal, or a snack, or just about anything, you say “YES!” because she’s a natural in the kitchen. And by “natural” I mean she’s the kind of cook who’s so confident and intuitive where her skills are concerned that she doesn’t have to crack a cookbook to whip up something special. Instead, she goes to the market, sees what looks good, multiplies it by what she’s in the mood for, and presto: a meal you’re destined to still be thinking about many days after.

So here it is almost a week later, and I’m still thinking about Sunday’s meal — and not just how it tasted, but also the wonderful smell it produced, specifically one of roasting pork which wafted our way as we walked through the door. I don’t quite know how to describe that smell other than to say that it was intoxicating in the way that only the scent of sizzling fat mingled with herbs and other seasonings can be intoxicating. (Easier would be to describe the reaction it produced in our gang of five guys, as each of us was briefly transformed into a chest-beating Neanderthal, ready to fight each other for our share of the kill.) I am happy to report that we all managed to return our tongues to the interior of our mouths, and to conduct ourselves (more or less) like gentlemen. It was, after all, a meal that called for savoring . . . not to mention a knife and fork.

All of which is a (very) long way of saying that the early arrival of Spring has put me in mind of the sorts of sociable foods one is drawn to when the weather gets warm — things ideally suited for a picnic, or a drink with friends. Things like this pimiento cheese spread, which I stumbled upon recently while thumbing (and, yes, once again salivating) through vol. 6 of Canal House Cooking. As has already been well documented on these pages, I have a particular weakness for anything in the butter family, so the book’s section devoted to crackers and cheese naturally drew my attention. So, too, did the words “Southern classic,” which is how the authors, Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton, describe this little snack, and which immediately brought to mind memories of my grandmother’s kitchen in Virginia.

Like most everything I’ve cooked from Canal House, the recipe is fuss-free, with a logical focus on end results versus a complicated set of instructions designed to impress. (Both authors are working moms, and while they clearly know and love food, they also understand the need for getting things done with a minimum of drama). For the home chef, that translates to recipes that are short and sweet, ingredients that are easy to source, and a final product that delivers the maximum payoff with a minimum of sweat. I think of it as very sophisticated home cooking.

So in the case of this recipe, all of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery, and probably already reside in your refrigerator or pantry. Assembly, too, is just as user friendly. There’s a little grating (the Cheddar cheese, the yellow onion), a bit of chopping (the drained pimientos), and a small amount of mixing (the previous three ingredients, along with the cream cheese, the mayonnaise, and the various seasonings). To ensure that this last step is as easy as promised, though, be sure to let the cream cheese soften a bit before mixing — or prepare for a concentrated bicep workout. In any case, once blended, transfer the mixture to a small croc or ramekin and allow to chill for at least an hour.

As written, the recipe has a pleasant bite, with the chopped pimiento, the onion, and the cayenne pepper nicely rounding out the sharpness of the Cheddar and offering the perfect counterpoint to the combined flavors of the cream cheese and the mayo. Still, if you want a little extra kick (as I did) consider adding a teaspoon of prepared horseradish to the various ingredients listed below — for me it proved just the thing in the company of all that creamy richness. Either way serve the spread at room temperature, alongside old-school buttery crackers, such as a Ritz or Club Cracker, and accompanied by a glass of whatever you like, and you’ll have the makings for a perfect spring evening.

One final note about quantities: as written, the recipe makes 2 cups of cheese — which, based on my experience, is enough for 12 large appetites. On the day the photos shown here were taken, I was cooking for an army and doubled the recipe. For the record, I ended up with enough for two armies.

Ingredients:
—8 oz extra sharp cheddar, finely grated
—One 4 oz jar pimientos, drained and chopped
—1 tsp grated yellow onion
—1/2 cup mayonnaise
—1/3 cup cream cheese
—1/2 tsp salt
—1/4 tsp pepper
—Pinch of ground cayenne
—Club Crackers (or some such), for serving

Directions:
—Put the cheddar, pimientos, onions, mayonnaise, cream cheese, salt, pepper and cayenne in a medium bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until it is well blended and the cheddar becomes creamy. Refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Makes 2 cups

The post 04/12/12 • EASY CHEESE SPREAD appeared first on THE RECIPE GRINDER.