Lemony Zest :: Kim Lewandowski

Archive for August, 2008

Back in May, Dan and I took a trip to Jim Thorpe, PA, a beautifully restored Victorian-era town in the mountains of southeastern Pennsylvania. Dan had been there a couple of times before with friends, to go kayaking on the river, but this was my first time there. Here are a few pix of the trip; one of these days, I’ll get a bunch of them put into an online photo album, but here are some for now:

Jim Thorpe, PA

This is an overview of the town from the top of a nearby mountain. The mansion in the upper center, with the red roof tiles, is the Asa Packer Mansion, now a museum; to the right of it is his son’s house, the Harry Packer Mansion, which is now a bed and breakfast inn that hosts murder mysteries, and to the right of that, with a cupola on top, is the carriage house, where we stayed.

You gotta read the story of Mary Hannah Packer Cummings (1839-1912), Asa’s daughter. She was a feminist before her time
Read the rest of this entry »

Last Christmas, my mother-in-law, Barb, gave me a paella kit, among other lovely gifts. She knows how much I love to cook and have people over to cook for, so it was a really cool present It came with a bottle of Spanish extra-virgin olive oil, a bag of calasparra rice, a half gram of saffron, a paella pan and a recipe. So we just had to buy the meats, seafood and some of the veggies, since we used some tomatoes and onions from the garden.

We had two couples over for dinner last night and made the paella, and it was just delicious. I’m going to add to this post later, but I just wanted to get this photo up and show it to my MIL. Thanks, Barb

I learned how to make this dish last summer, and ended up making it almost every Sunday, so we could eat from the leftovers for a few days. We were renovating our kitchen, and I decided I had to become friends with the grill, and at long last get over my fear of lighting it. That fear came from an unfortunate incident when I was about 14 years old and singed my eyebrows because I didn’t know you were supposed to leave the lid open when lighting it Now I know.

Anyway, I came across a recipe for beer-can chicken and then a variation known as wine-butt chicken, because the can goes in the chicken’s butt, don’tcha know? I’m not a beer drinker, so we do the wine version and it’s unbelievably easy and delicious. The steaming liquid from the can flavors and moistens the chicken from the inside out, and look how crispy the skin gets!

It’s also really cool that this recipe illustrates how to extend the use of the grill by using it as an oven.

Grilled Wine-butt Chicken

1 3.5-4 lb. chicken
1/2 cup non-oaky white wine (we usually use Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
1/4 cup fresh herbs of choice, chopped, plus a few sprigs (can be one herb, or a mixture – thyme and basil are favorites of ours)
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 soda can, emptied and rinsed
1 8″x8″ aluminum pan

Light grill and turn burners to high; close lid. Carefully lift skin from chicken breast and insert chopped herbs between skin and meat. Fill can halfway with wine and put in herb sprigs and garlic. Insert can in chicken cavity and stand it up in the aluminum pan, with the can and the two legs acting as a tripod, so the chicken stands up. Tuck wing tips under.

Brush chicken all over with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken in pan on grill and close lid. One hour later, come back and check chicken’s temperature with an instant-read thermometer. It’s done when the thigh meat registers 165*F. Have a friend or loved one hold the chicken with tongs while you remove the can with another set of tongs, and put the chicken, breast side up, on a platter. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grill up some veggies to have with this incredibly moist and delicious chicken. Enjoy

This is my entry in this month’s Monthly Mingle food blogging event, begun by Meeta of What’s for Lunch, Honey? and hosted this month by Sig of Live to Eat. And here’s the roundup of all the recipes submitted for this event. I’ll definitely be trying some of these.

I love this time of year My basil is just out of control and the roma tomatoes are finally coming in strong, so it’s caprese salad or something with pesto regularly now. I also need to get some pesto frozen for the winter. I like to put a tablespoon or so into marinara sauce and this recipe works even with thawed frozen pesto.

This is a really simple recipe, though. Everyone has their own basil pesto recipe, I’m sure, so I’m going beyond that to one of my favorite side dishes featuring pesto – pesto pasta. If your favorite pesto uses an herb other than basil, or cheese other than Parmesan, you can substitute those for the garnish. I like to use rotini pasta, because the crevices catch the pesto and you get a lot in each bite.

Pesto Pasta

1 lb. rotini pasta or other small pasta shape
1 cup basil pesto
1-2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil if needed
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
basil leaves

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook pasta till al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool; remove to a large bowl. Using a large spatula, mix pasta and pesto together, adding 1-2 tbsp. olive oil if needed to loosen up the pesto. Garnish with diced tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and basil leaves.

This is my entry in the food blogging event Grow Your Own, begun by Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes and hosted this month by Jessica of Finny Knits.

I’ve had to start harvesting some of these heirloom tomatoes a bit early, because the birds are starting to go after them. This is a 1.25-lb. specimen of Kellogg’s Breakfast.

It won’t turn red – this is its color. According to the Web site, it will be as orange as OJ on the inside. It’s been ripening on the counter for a few days now. Maybe another day or two and we’ll cut into it. Grilled burgers that night, maybe, with a plate of sliced tomatoes on the side.

Back in June, I won a cookbook featuring honey in an Iron Chef: Honey competition hosted by Joelen of Joelen’s Culinary Adventures. I thought it would be fun to use a recipe from that book to contribute to another blogging event where the idea was to bake small breads, but unfortunately, I was unable to get the entry typed and posted in time.

But I did make the scones And they were delish.

Savory Scones with Honey, Rosemary and Goat Cheese

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups semolina
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup mild herbal honey
1 large egg
1/2 cup cream or whole milk, plus more for brushing scones
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary, divided
5 oz. goat cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, sift together the first five ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, honey, egg, cream or milk, and 1 tsp. rosemary. Whisk just enough to break up the egg yolk and blend it with the honey.

Use a pastry cutter to work the goat cheese into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Mix with a large spatula until the dough forms a ball. Knead gently several times and turn onto a lightly floured board. Knead again, just enough to form a workable ball.

Pat the dough down into a circular shape measuring about 8 1/2 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick. Cut with a knife or dough cutter into 8 or 10 pie-style wedges. Brush the tops with the cream or milk and sprinkle with the remaining rosemary. Place scones onto baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve with more goat cheese and honey, or honey butter.

From Covered in Honey by Mani Niall