making an hors d'oeuvre or making history?

today is a historic day, regardless of the outcome. whether you swing left, right, or somewhere in the middle, you will likely be glued to the coverage in some way. it seems election parties are cropping up everywhere, and depending upon what happens, they will either be celebratory or just plain sad.

which candidate you vote for may be a tough decision for some people, but for me, my hardest decision has been what to bring to the election party i am attending. i always feel more pressure than most when it comes to bringing an hors d'oeuvre or appetizer, because when you are a chef people tend to have high expectations. but in this case i also felt some sort of pressure to find a treat that had some sort of election theme to it. or at least a clever name like ba-rock shimp popcorn or mc-candy-caines. but i don't have the stomach for things like that. literally and figuratively.

this time of year, though, funds tend to run low and the last thing i want to do is go out and have to buy a bunch of expensive ingredients all in the name of impressing a bunch of people with my finger foods. so i tend to use my creativity to wow them instead. looking at my (practically) empty cupboards, fridge, and freezer- i quickly took stock of what i could make.

there was risotto for risotto balls- but those require a deep fryer of sorts and are therefore not exactly healthy. beans for bean dip- but i find that a bit boring, plus i think the last time i hung out with these folks i brought something similar. that's when i saw it: spinach, feta, and some puff pastry. puff pastry is one of those things that people just can't say no to. personally, i am not the biggest fan just because i don't find it to be all that visually pleasing, but hey, i need an app- stat.

traditionally, spanakopita is known as a greek pastry that has spinach, feta, occasionally ricotta, onions, egg, and seasoning- all wrapped in flaky phyllo dough. i have made this version, and while it is delicious, i have made my own version that is a little different, and a little more exciting if you ask me.

with the substitution of puff pastry, instead of phyllo, these "spanakopita" will be more like spinach and feta turnovers, mini-style. i also like to add a little chopped red onion (for bite), garlic, Parmesan cheese, and a touch of cream cheese. my version is a bit more finger food friendly, as the traditional version is usually eaten with a fork and knife, like a piece of pie.

without any further ado, here is the recipe i am using for my election party hors d'oeuvre. or as i would like to call it, popeye popovers. i usually make it a bit differently, but according to my pantry, etc...this is what i had, so here it goes.

1.5 pounds cooked spinach (you can use fresh or frozen- frozen is MUCH easier, aka quicker)
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallot, minced
12 oz (1-2 pkg) feta cheese
1.5 cup greek yogurt, or 1 cup cream cheese
a few dashes Tabasco (liberal- if you can handle it) or squeeze of fresh lemon juice- acid is good
salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed
egg wash

pre-heat oven to 400º
mix together all the ingredients, save the puff pastry (obvi)
adjust seasoning
roll out puff pastry and cut into 16 squares
roll out each square individually, brush with egg wash, and place teaspoon of spinach mix
form into a triangle, making sure sides of pastry are sealed well.
once all of the triangles are formed, brush with rest of the egg wash
for best result, place in refrigerator for 15-20 mins, and then place in the oven for 18-25 mins, repositioning sheet tray occasionally.
let cool and serve.

and let freedom ring!

dim sum yum

growing up in and around new york city, i have been very lucky to have been exposed to all sorts of ethnic foods from a young age. it has been said that new york is a melting pot of the world, with people from every country and culture living together and bringing with them their customs and more importantly, their cuisines. and the real beauty of this melting pot is that the quality of the food runs the gamut. you could have the best meal of your life at a huge Indian banquet hall in jackson heights for less than it costs to take a taxi there. or you could go to the most expensive restaurant in the city, masa, and have sushi that will change your life- so i hear...$350 per person is a bit steep for me.

the point is, for me, when i go back to visit i pretty much bee-line it to the cheap, no name, hole in the wall, ethnic joints where you will be pretty much guaranteed a great meal at a great price- something that is not always easy to find in new york. my advice is to know someone who knows what they are doing. personally, i want to know that i am going somewhere that has a reputation- for being good.

i have a few great friends i know i can count on for this; robyn took me to jackson heights once for an indian buffet that was out of this world, sung brought me to korea town for some korean bbq that i still drool about, and mike is my go-to for dim sum in chinatown.

dim sum is the name for a chinese cuisine which involves a wide array of light dishes served with tea. there's usually a good selection of dumplings, shumai, steamed buns, and some great surprises. it's usually a morning/early afternoon event and at certain places, throughout the day. some of the restaurants are vast banquet halls with huge communal tables, but not all of them. the waiters come through with carts or trays filled with a certain dish or a selection, you just point at what you want, and they mark your check. i've been before where you really have no clue what you're eating, which is part of the fun, but only if you are an adventurous eater.

when i arrived in new york last week, mike luckily had the day off. he is a bad-ass chef at a great nyc restaurant called anthos. he is also one of my best friends from culinary school and i love living vicariously through his crazy life. i gave up on the new york restaurant scene, but hearing about the things he gets to do with food sometimes makes me wish i hadn't. anyways, he had the day off (which is unheard of) so i took him hostage and we went downtown to chinatown.

as we wandered our way through the chaos of the various street vendors, mike made an executive decision of where we would dine. oriental garden is located at 14 elizabeth st, just off canal. we arrived and were seated immediately. we sat right next to a set of large tanks filled with all sorts of sea creatures that aren't exactly what you see snorkeling off the beach. geoducks, urchins, octopus, clams the size of my head. but these amazing creatures were not what we came for. they are for another visit, i guess. instead we got involved in the dim sum.

among the delicious treats, mike and i enjoyed various dumplings, steamed pork wrapped in lotus leaf with sticky rice, and the heavenly pork buns. it's like a boneless spare rib, wrapped in a cloud. i kid you not. anyways, i meant to take more pictures, but i got distracted by stuffing my face.

an eggplant dish, shumai, and mikey drinking his tea

choke on this

relying on the fruits of the earth can be a little tough here in the tetons, but every now and then there are pleasant surprises from the local farms. earlier this week i was pleased to see jerusalem artichokes along with the usual local fare from blue flax farms in victor, id. jerusalem artichokes are neither from jerusalem, nor an artichoke. they are also known as sunchokes and are actually a tuber root in the sunflower family. they have a similar consistency to potatoes, but the taste is like artichokes, hence the name.

these little nuggets can be used in many different preparations, but they discolor quite quickly once they are cut so it is best to cut them right before you serve them or submerge them in acidulated water after cutting. jerusalem artichokes can be eaten raw in salads, as crudites, or in a slaw. they can also be baked, boiled, or steamed and mashed up and seasoned like potatoes. they have a great crunchy texture, so they are also great in stir fry and soups.

i enjoy having sunchokes around for all of their uses, so i decided to pickle them. here is a quick recipe i got from one of my favorite restaurants in manhattan, city bakery:

1 pound Jerusalem artichokes
2 cups rice vinegar
11/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 large clove garlic, smashed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

Scrub unpeeled chokes slice into pieces about 1/4-inch thick. Set aside.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a small pot.
Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir.
Pour hot liquid over chokes in a nonreactive bowl. Allow to cool on counter.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally 24, and consume within a week.

if you want to know more about this misunderstood tuber, check this out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_artichoke

how bout them apples?

with summer on its last legs, i am actually happy to see the colors of fall showing themselves here in jackson. i usually get out of dodge around this time of year, so it's hard to say if i've ever experienced a real fall in the tetons, but i guess i will take what i can get. the aspens are turning a gorgeous pale yellow, leaves are falling, and it almost feels like being back east.

shocking, i know. but what is even more shocking to me is how good the local apples i have gotten my hands on are. small and tart, yes. i wouldn't necessarily snack on one by itself, but they are great for cooking up in a sauce, stuffing, or delicious sweet treat. i recently made a batch of applesauce with them since it can be used in so many ways: as a glaze, sauce, in baked goods, or just by itself- it's delicious. and using all the different apples gave it tart, complex flavor.

here's an easy recipe for a quick homemade applesauce:

2-3 lbs apples cored, medium dice
(people say to use granny smith, fuji, or gravenstein , but i don't mind using whatever local apples i can get.)
juice of 1 lemon
cinnamon to taste
water
1 T butter

in a large sauce pot, melt the butter and add the apples, stirring occasionally over medium heat
add the lemon juice and simmer until apples are completely soft, about 20-30 minutes
let the apples cool for about 10 minutes, and push them through a fine mesh strainer with a spatula
season the sauce with cinnamon, or whatever seasoning you want

mmm...mint

nothing really reminds me of summer like fresh mint. growing in the garden, growing like a weed. it's pretty much good on anything. go ahead, try it. make a delicious marinade with it using olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper- maybe even a dash of honey. so simple, yet SO good. put it in a salad, on a sandwich, in a cocktail. just not a mojito- those are so 2006.

try something so old it's new- a southside. maybe the best adult beverage since they put bl smooth in a can. there are many ways to make this thing, but only one way to ensure it is damn good and that is to make sure the mint is fresh and finely chopped, muddled, or blended.

1 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (you can use the frozen fake stuff too, but it's just not as good)
2/3 cup simple syrup (not necessary if you use the sugary frozen stuff)
1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves
6 oz gin, vodka, or rum (whatever your little boozy heart desires)
seltzer water
ice

a southside can be mixed several ways. some people say to muddle the mint, lemon juice, and simple syrup to release the mint flavor. if you don't have the patience for that or a muddler, you can put everything but the seltzer in a blender and you get a nice frothy, minty cocktail ready to pour over ice. add the seltzer to taste. or if you don't have a blender, just chop the mint super fine and mix. some of the more mature folks may not even want the seltzer but if you want to make it past 2 of these it might be a good idea.

if you want to learn more about this heavenly creation, check this out

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118738373350801279.html