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Winter Cooking
Regardless of the fact that it can be 80 degrees and gorgeous here in Malibu, it is winter. Thanksgiving has come and gone. The infomercials for diet and exercise products remind us, too, that the caloric damage done to our bodies during the winter/Holiday season must be dealt with. Sometimes a hit around the beltline can be as devastating as a hit below the belt. There is nothing like a person with a six pack stomach, all nice and tan on a machine announcing that they can make us look the same in 10 minutes a day, effortlessly (or so they say), pitching me on the television while I am wolfing down the remaining piece of pumpkin pie. That really gets to me. I, as any person responsible for providing food for other people, either at home or at work (or both) must continue to cook for the hungry. I find it very difficult to cook without tasting as I go along. (I had a restaurant in Florida and a superb head chef from Europe who made many wonderful things including a Penne Vodka that people came to eat from far and wide. One day a very, very large woman, who had scarffed down her lunch in less than five minutes, wiping the remaining sauce from the plate with her second basket of bread, said to me as she left: "You know, I did not care for your sauce. You need to taste your food before you serve it to your customers!"I apologized profusely and told her to come back again for a complimentary dessert. The door closed and I thought to myself: "If I tasted everything on the menu every day I would look like you!"But, her words did stick in my mind) So, I do taste, but just a touch to the lips. Well, sometimes, maybe.... just a little more........ Tasting can be trouble, especially in the winter when it is harder to be outdoors. We are cooking for friends and family, opening the doors to relatives of our friends, coming home with groceries brimming from our sports utility vehicles and trying to not gain weight with no time for exercise to boot. It is one of the few times we make things like fudge, peanut brittle, divinity, artichoke cheese dip and honey glazed ham all in the same day. Here is where the tasting can be devastating. A good taste can be a bad taste, if you know what I mean. The only positive thing about heavy tasting is that when it is finally mealtime, you can serve yourself a half- teaspoon of everything while you proclaim, "I shouldnt even be eating this. Im on a diet."You can appear as the super disciplined martyr, torturing yourself with willpower while your guests havent a clue that you have eaten more in the afternoon than they are going to eat cumulatively that evening. Thankfully, even though it is winter, we live in a winter wonderland. Produce abounds. Citrus trees are drooping from the weight of their fruits. The rains have quenched the thirsty roots and the rosemary, basil and lemongrass are singing with turgidity. Tis the season to be jolly, all right, because we can make some awesome party food from fresh and delicious ingredients and spare ourselves the troubling feelings associated with consuming loads of fat. We dont need those "flexpays"for the ab-cruncher-blaster-roller. We are going to create, cook, and taste ourselves right through New Years and we are going to taste until our hearts (and stomachs) are content. And we are going to do it guilt free! Shrimp Gumbo 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup extra dry vermouth 1 cup minced fresh parsley 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano 2 tablespoons paprika 84 ounces crushed tomatoes 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoon granulated sugar salt and pepper to taste 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen okra 1 1/2 pounds freshly cooked cleaned jumbo shrimp (any firm, cooked seafood will do) 2 to 3 cups cooked brown rice Heat the oil in a heavy stockpot over medium high heat and stir in the celery and onion and sauté until golden. Add vermouth and reduce heat to medium. Stir in parsley basil, sage, tarragon, rosemary, oregano and paprika, Sauté 1 minute or so. Stir in crushed tomatoes and bay leaves and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Stir in sugar and season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 1 to 3 hours. To serve: add okra, shrimp and rice to simmering gumbo and serve when shrimp are hot. Serve with crunchy flat bread or over warm crostini. Serves 8 to 10. Mediterranean Salsa 1 cup finely chopped seeded tomato 1/8 cup minced fresh garlic 1/4 cup minced fresh basil 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste Mix ingredients together, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight. Serve with Belgian endive leaves for dipping. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Citrus Salad 2 cups seedless tangerine sections 2 cups seedless purple grapes 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint leaf 8 to 12 ounces fat free lemon flavored yogurt fresh raspberries Toasted Coconut Threads (optional) Toss the fruit together and mix the mint into the yogurt before tossing with the fruit. Garnish with fresh raspberries and toasted coconut. It is also wonderful over slices of fat free pound cake for a quick dessert. Serves 8. |
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