EllenFork

Where Y'at Eggs Benedict?!

This morning I awoke with several pangs. One was of hunger, the other was a longing for New Orleans. It's carnival season and I crave everything that entails. I spent four years at Loyola New Orleans, soaking up one of the richest cultures in America like a boozy sponge. So much tradition...and so much partying and feasting! A match made in heaven. New Orleans has some of the best, most soulful food in the country.

Right now I should be standing on the street corner by Fat Harrys with a keg and 100 of my closest friends, a poboy in one hand and some monstrous daiquiri in the other. So, while my liver is probably glad I'm not there this year, my heart is yearning for New Orleans.

Back to the first pang: hunger. I was sure that I did not have any breakfast ingredients, but when  I peered into the deep dark corners of my kitchen I found: some frozen sausages from the farmers market, corn meal, eggs, milk and a can of diced tomatoes.  What resulted was a slightly cajun, delicious version of eggs benedict! I admit that calling this cajun is a stretch, but it certainly had plenty Tony Cachere's Cajun Seasonings, and that counts for something.

Here is my made up recipe, blogging now so I don't forget what is in it. Apologies for lack of pictures, my camera is out of commission today. You'll have to do with this wretched iPhone picture. Hopefully you get the idea..

Saucy, Cajun Eggs Benedict
This recipe serves as many as you like...each serving is comprised of 1 egg, 1 sausage, 1 corncake and as much sauce as you like. Estimate from there. Also, amazingly this only took about 30 min to make, not bad!

Corn Cakes (see recipe below)
Sausages (Mine were Extra Black Pepper Pork Sausages from Emerald Farms at my local farmer's market. These are my favorite sausages ever.)
Fresh eggs
Tomato Sauce (recipe below)

First, start the corn cakes and tomato sauce. Begin heating a pot of water to poach the eggs.

Corn Cakes (makes about 6-8 cakes)

1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 c milk
1 1/3 c corn meal (I used Martha White self-rising)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tblsp vegetable oil

Heat lightly oiled skillet or griddle. Mix all ingredients together. The batter should be a big thicker than pancake batter, but not too thick. Pour about 1/4 cup onto the skillet for each cake. Allow edges to set and better to thicken before flipping.

Tomato Sauce (I recommend doubling this if serving more than 2 people)

1 can diced tomatoes, no salt added
Tony Cachere's Cajun Seasoning to taste
1 pinch dried thyme

Dump can of 'maters into a small saucepan. Add Tony's to taste, and a pinch of thyme. I added a bit extra water because I overdid it with the Tony's...don't forget how much salt is in there! Also, extra water helps because you will want to reduce this. I brought the tomatoes to a boil and let the flavors infuse for a while, allowing the water to reduce somewhat.

Turn off heat and when it's not boiling, scoop out the tomatoes and about half the juice and puree in a small processor. Return to saucepan and further reduce puree until it thickens.

Second, while the sauce is simmering and you are in between batches of corn cakes, begin sausages and eggs.

I simply butterflied the sausages and cooked them in a skillet. Not rocket science. As for the eggs, I added some white vinegar to the pot of simmering water to help them coagulate, and stay together while cooking. I cracked the eggs individually into a glass then gently poured it into the simmer water for about 5 minutes (I actually didn't time them...just drained them with a slotted spoon when they looked right. Right for me is a jiggly yolk, so it will be a bit runny).

Now assemble your "eggs benedict". Layer corn cake, add sausage, poached egg and a healthy slop of sauce. Add a grind or two of black pepper. Eat this IMMEDIATELY!

Also, if you have an ounce of wits about you, you would have had your kitchen minion (or boyfriend) preparing IOBMs (Inside Out Bloody Mary's).

A tasty breakfast out of pantry ingredients...couldn't have asked for more! Except maybe a plane ticket to mardi gras...

A Smashing Bev

Oh, seasonal foods. Root veggies, greens, legumes...you all have a place in my heart. But guess what? I'm ready for spring. No, scratch that, I'm ready for summer. And as much as I would LIKE to eat seasonally at all times, Whore Foods (or Whole Foods, whatever you prefer) is a tempting mistress offering up glistening shelves of berries, tomatoes and produce that does not grow within 500 miles of DC, much less in the winter. Your huge display of mangos and avocados made me quiver with longing for warmer times.

So on an unseasonably balmy Saturday in February, I decided to make myself a drink that has NO BUSINESS (NO BUSINESS!) being concocted and consumed this time of year. I made...a Raspberry Thyme Smash. And it was delicious. It was from a July 2008 Bon Apetít. Because I care about each and every one of you, I am going to share this recipe.

This photo was taken by my talented boyfriend, Sean Wallace.

Raspberry Thyme Smash from Bon Apetít

• 2 fresh thyme sprigs, divided
• 7 fresh raspberries, divided
• ice cubes
• 1/4 cup Hendrick's Gin
• 2 tablespoons Simple Syrup (see below)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Ok, first thing's first. I recommend making the Simply Syrup first so that it will be nice and cool to make your smash. Simple Syrup is hilariously easy- just boil equal parts water and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into an airtight container and cool. It will last about a week. For this recipe, I used  1/2 c sugar and water, because I always end up with WAY too much Simp. Syr.

Now that's done, throw the leaves of a sprig of thyme, and about 6 berries into a cocktail shaker and muddle it wih a wooden muddler. Or any mashing device you may have. Now add ice, gin, lime juice and simple syrup. Shake this in the shaker until it's ICEY COLD. Don't wimp out on the shakin', make sure its really shook up good. Now strain over ice and garnish with a berry skewered on a thyme sprig.

 

I will warn you: there is a delicate balance of flavors in this drink. You want to taste the thyme, offset the tartness of winter raspberries with simple syrup, and make sure the acid of the lime is helping not hurting the drink. Also, while totally worth it, Hendricks is godawfulexpensive. You won't care too much after you've had a couple though. Just make sure you switch to the cheaper stuff when the delicate flavor profiles become lost on you... it's just common sense.

Salud!

Flower Food

What's up Sunchoke? Aren't you just such a weird little tuber...or should I call you Jerusalem Artichoke? Really though, you look like Ginger Root. This vegetable needs to rethink it's image, or maybe take a deep inward look.

I came across this little guy and some of his friends at the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market last week. I have had an interest in sunchokes for some time, mostly just hoping to come across one in it's purest form.I had no idea that they looked like little people living underneath sunflowers. Really, they are the roots of a flowering plant that very much resembles sunflowers! I immediately snapped up a carton of them and took them home to conduct diabolical experiments.

Actually, I just ended up pureeing them using a recipe based on some hearsay at the Farmer's Market. Here is their story.

Sunchoke Puree

• 1 lb Sunchokes
• Whole Milk
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper

First, wash and peel these little buggers. I used a vegetable peeler, and it was not very easy. They kept slipping through my fingers and hiding behind things on my counter. Once peeled, chop them into smallish chunks and put them in a pan with whole milk. Make sure the milk is covering the 'chokes by at least 1 inch.

Bring to a boil, then allow to simmer until they are soft throughout. Drain the milk, and puree in a food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste. I also added a teeny bit of delicious European butter...because that's how I roll. 

My honest opinion? They were a bit sweet for my taste...the cayenne helped with that a little, but they were very much like weird, mildly sweet tasting potatoes. I used mine as some bedding for Osso Bucco, which you will see very soon, and it definitely meshed well with a hearty dish like that. I would eat them again, but try a new method...perhaps mixing them in with real potatoes. Either way, Sunchokes are a great winter vegetable, easy to find at your local farmer's market and extremely fun to photograph.

Enjoy!

Busy Bee

Hi Friends!

Just wanted to say sorry I've been busy this week and have not updated. However, you should keep checking back...I have several things to tell you about!

These things may or may not include....

SUNCHOKES!!!

WEIRD MUSHROOMS!!!

A DELICIOUS, MEATY WINTER DISH!!!

AND best of all...

A NEW FANCY COCKTAIL!!

So, keep a look out!

E.Fork

A Real Wake Up Call

Ah brunch, the ritual of the city dweller. Brunches across America have captured my love and attention, from greasy spoons to Brooklyn bistros to my own home kitchen. And no matter how innovative a brunch, it never strays too far from what makes brunch one of the best meals of the day: eggs, cheese, bacon, booze... If I could rhapsodize on brunch for an entire post, I would (and I may in the future), but there is a very important recipe I want to share with you, my gentle booze-loving readers. It came to light a few weekends ago, at one of my favorite DC restaurants, the Blue Duck Tavern.

I could go on, and on about why this place is wonderful but instead, just read my Yelp review. This time, I enjoyed a delicious version of scrambled eggs with salmon and creme fraiche, spooned onto a delicious shredded potato cake, but the real highlight of the meal was the Inside Out Bloody Mary.

My interest was piqued by such a title. Inside Out!? I didn't even have a guess as to what that meant. As it turns out, it is basically a spicy martini poured over bloody mary CUBES! The cubes melt into the drink as you drink the liquid, thereby preventing watered down drinks. What a fantastic idea, I thought...so I copied it. And here it is. Luckily our waiter recited the ingredients twice, because we could not understand his incredibly thick accent.

Inside Out Bloody Mary

A few bloody Mary cubes (however many fit into your glass, 2-3)
3 oz good quality vodka (Grey Goose, Stoli, etc)
Splash of lemon
Splash of lime
Dash of hot sauce (I used Louisiana Kitchen)
Spicy Dill Bean (you can buy them in a jar, but my Mom's taste better)

So, let me just get this off my chest...I used Mr. and Mrs. T's Bold and Spicy Bloody Mary Mix. I have had it before, and really, it's very good. If you don't want to use a mix, mix up some tomato juice, prepared horseradish, black pepper, celery salt, worcestershire sauce, etc. Whatever floats your boat.

I procured some perfectly square ice cube trays, which I think is extremely important in the presentation of this cocktail. Looking cool is half the fun on this one, guys. I bought mine at this awesome store in DC called Home Rule. Don't go in there unless you like being broke.

Ok, I need to focus here. So freeze the cubes, it will take several hours from them to become really frozen. Once they're done, run a lime slice around the rim of a cocktail glass (martini or otherwise) and rim with Tony Cachere's Cajun Seasoning (the best!). Throw in the cubes.

Add vodka, splash lime, splash lemon and dash of hot sauce into a shaker filled with ice cubes (made of water). Shake what yo' mama gave you until the shaker has a fine layer of ice coating it and strain over the Mary cubes.

Add pickled bean for a delicious garnish.

May you all enjoy a fancy brunch, no matter where you may consume it.

Splittin' Peas

Hey Guys. What's up. Still cold outside? Awesome, that is SO what I hoped you'd say!!!! Because Soup Season is persisting. It's great for the budget and not so bad on the winter blub layer either, for the most part. So while we wait for the thaw and pretend that that horrrrrible groundhog Phil didn't predict six more weeks of winter, it might be time for more soup.

Split pea soup is one of the most wonderful, economical soups out there. A bag of dried peas, some undesirable pork products (well, mostly) and some root veggies make this dish both hearty and frugal. Oh, and let's not forget delicious. I admit that I was originally disgruntled by the addition of ham hocks, aka pork knuckles. But, when I found a pound of them at my local Harris Teeter for less than five dollars, my suspicions were allayed.

The end result of this soup is surprisingly creamy, smooth and flavorful, given the sparse ingredients. I recommend that you add it to your soup regimen as the winter continues to churn along. Punxatawney Phil isn't budging an inch, that jerk.

Split Pea and Ham Soup

1 bag split peas
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups mirepoix (finely diced onions, carrots and celery, of equal proportions)
1 russet potato, cubed
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
butter
olive oil
salt
pepper
2 large ham hocks

Melt butter and oil in large, heavy bottomed pot. Add mirepoix and cook til translucent. Add thyme and bay leave, then chicken stock, split peas, ham hock and potato. Let simmer, covered, on low for as long as you like, at least 30 min, and until it becomes creamy. As crazy as it sounds, without dairy, it takes on a very creamy consistency. Wait for it... 

DONE! SURPRISE!!!

Anyway, at least 30 minutes is recommended for maximum flavors.  It will be even better tomorrow. Also, I discarded the hocks after stewing. They just didn't appeal.

Well, that was easy. Enjoy some Split Pea and Ham Soup often during this dark, cold winter.