Rye Cooks

Chicken and Noodles in a Creamy Szechuan Dressing

I don't know how in the world mayonnaise ever got invited to join in the cool Asian crowd, but diversity is good right?  Well, it is really good as part of the recipe I used to make a side dish for a Fourth of July celebration we recently attended.

I wanted to use my cookbooks to come up with a dish using the leftover chicken we had from the previous bbq at our own house.  (Here in Rye, Fourth of July starts on July 1st with fireworks at Playland and basically continues until after dark on the 4th.)  Actually, does anyone know what in the world happened to the Playland fireworks on the 4th?  Did they use up all the good ones?  Was someone late for work?   We they just messing with us?

Anyway, I have a decent cookbook collection.  I know I could make interesting food for the rest of my life using them, yet the addiction to instant recipe searches have almost made me forget the pleasure of looking through the stained and sticky pages of much-loved cookbooks.

Here is a scaled down version of what is called "Chicken, Mein, and Vegetables in Creamy Szechuan Dressing".  I've simplified it so I didn't have to shop for extra ingredients I didn't have on hand and admittedly, I halved the bit about the mayo dressing.  As written, it called for 2 cups mayo and that's just excessive for one pound of pasta.  

1 pound capellini

3/4 cup soy sauce, divided

1/4 cup peanut oil

1 cup mayo 

1 1/2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/8 cup sesame oil

dash Szechuan chili oil (or use any hot sauce)

2 whole chicken breasts, cooked, sliced thin

2 carrots, peeled, chopped into half rounds

1 sweet red pepper, sliced thin

Cook noodles until very al dente (the box of capellini says 2 mins!)  After one minute, throw in the carrots and red pepper so they will quick-cook.

Drain and toss in a large bowl with 1/2 cup soy sauce and the peanut oil.  Stir around to coat evenly.  Let cool.

Combine Mayo with mustard, sesame oil, the remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce and chili oil (hot sauce).  Add to noodles, and add in the chicken.  

Mix gently, using hands if necessary.  Cover and refrigerate until using.  It improves with time, but don't forget to take it our early enough to bring back down to room temp.

If presentation is a priority, toss some sesame seeds on top, and some green sprigs like parsley or cilantro.  Also, if it seems dry, just add some more extra soy/ sesame oil, or peanut oil before serving.

This dish was well received at the party so I encourage you to try.  Of course, it would be great with leftover pork, steak or tofu.

 

 

Dinner on the Cheap

We were thinking of budget dinners to fit into our next show which is about being creative while spending less. Ramen noodles are such a staple for so many households, those with young children, those in college, those in a first apartment while coming home late from that demanding, yet entry level, job.  Packaged ramen are kind of evil and kind of magical at the same time.   

A couple of tips were found on the internet. The noodles are apparently pre-fried, so an interesting suggestion was to set two pots to boiling at the same time.  Boil the noodles in the first pot for two minutes, then drain and finish the final one minute in the other pot.  This way you've sent some of the fat right down the drain.  

Another thing I did was to use two packets of the flavoring for four noodle servings.  Then I added a bit of soy sauce and sesame oil.   Leftover chicken and some chinese mushrooms gave it some much needed protein and a bit of sophistication.  

We did this dish at Suzy's house for the camera and we added some more colorful frozen vegetables.  Trader Joe's has a mix of shredded carrots and broccoli which is a nice update from those tiny, perfect squares of carrots and peas, right?  

This dinner was made from one of the cheapest food on earth (ramen noodles), leftover chicken and a freezer stable (the veggies).  I was happy to have the mushrooms for diversity.

See what lurks in your cupboards.  You do usually have a dinner in the house, you just have to check all the nooks and crannies for the ingredients.

What's your favorite go-to?

Impressed? why yes!

We are so on-target now!  The fourth show is about to air this Friday, the one about fresh spring foods and getting into shape.  And it is still spring!!  

It features lots of local talent so if you live in Rye and want to see it on the big screen, tune in to channel 76 (or 33) on Fridays and Saturdays at 9am, 12am, 3pm and 6pm.  

On top of that, we are already two segments into our next show.  The theme here is "thrifty"; we visited the Rye Presbyterian Church Thrift shop today, which donates thousands of dollars to charities in lower Westchester.   

We are featuring a local favorite, homemade doughnuts from Jerry's Post Road Market, baked into individual ramekins of Banana Foster.  These goodies were topped with a mixture of Goya mango nectar and dulce de leche in an unbelievable flavor combination, all orchestrated by Stephanie Hammer, caterer and personal chef of Rye.  It was a really fun shoot and we are so excited to be stepping up to this faster pace.  

There is serious thought to a fishing segment.  What could be thriftier than catching your own dinner?  Stay tuned, friends!

 

Granola and Anchovies

Today I made two things that do not necessarily go together, but I found that if you indulge in a palate refresher, like a nice cold glass of Fresca, they can be enjoyed within minutes of each other.

Last week, we visited with my aunt who is talented in many home arts, mainly she is a quilter, turning out fabulous creative blankets with complicated and intricate designs.  

She is also a very good cook and she gave me a recipe for homemade granola, which I made this afternoon.  You may not think you need to make your own granola, but you do. 

Preheat oven 325 degrees

3 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts (chopped)

1 cup pumpkin seeds (I couldn't find any, so I doubled up on almonds and pecans)

1/2 cup coconut flakes

3/4 cup honey or maple syrup

3/4 cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup chopped dried cherries/cranberries/whatever you like

In a large bowl, mix oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, maple syrup or honey, oil butter, salt and cinnamon.  Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until golden brown and well toasted.

Transfer to a large bowl and add the dried fruit.  Toss to combine and store in an air tight container.

 

The other dish I made was a family favorite, strangely enough: Pasta with Anchovies and Breadcrumbs.  I had fresh homemade breadcrumbs, purchased in Little Italy, (yes, yes, they are easily made at home, but wouldn't you?  For $2.50?  Yes, I believe you would.  

I'm not going to print the recipe now, but if I receive any comments asking, then I sure will respond with the recipe.  Suffice it to say it involves very few steps, While boiling the water for the pasta (we had angel hair), the sauce is begun by lightly browning garlic in olive oil and then adding a can of tomato paste.  Anchovies are put into a small saucepan with some olive oil and gently cooked until they fall apart. Then add the anchovies to the sauce, combine with the pasta and top off with a tablespoon of breadcrumbs.  It's so good.  If you would like more specifics, just ask!

Waffling

With renewed energy, we have been working hard to bring you the third episode of Rye Cooks, on Rye's public access channel (that's either 76 on cable or 33 if you have Verizon). You'll also be able to watch on your computer, I'll provide the link and hopefully you will be able to just click on that tv icon on the right hand corner.

When we first realized that we have been at this for a year, we were a bit disconcerted.  Did we think we would have had 12 shows in 12 months? We had so very many ideas and tons of forward momentum.  It would seem that (almost) 3 shows does not really meet our goals.  But there was so much more to this than we could have imagined.

Our skill set has grown exponentially in the past year.  Suzy learned all kinds of technical applications, and I have learned that being engaging is more important than getting all your ingredients right the first time.

Luckily, being human and imperfect is what is I am good at. There are so many other blogs and tv shows that will tell you how to get everything just right. On professional television, they do lots of takes, they have staff to clean up spills, and they have big teleprompters that the hosts read from.  I know, because I went to see both Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart during the past year.  

They also have people who run out with little brushes to fix skin imperfections that have cropped up during the breaks(Martha), and when something doesn't work, they do it again, keeping the studio audience clapping just like we never saw the bit just a minute ago (that's more Rachael). Being part of those studio audiences would have been fun for me anyway, but checking out how they get it done it made it much more interesting.

We have interviewed lots of people around Rye, even if we haven't used any of that information on the show, it has been valuable.  We've talked with the man in charge of the food service in all the Rye City Schools. We spent time with the woman in charge of education at the Rye Historical society and had a fascinating conversation about cooking over an open hearth. For a crowd. We've met fabulous people at RyeTV and the Rye Middle school, took part in an awards ceremony and earned our very own Margie, and yes, there were other entries.

The title of this post does not refer to any lack of dedication to giving you an entertaining look at food and people of Rye, it refers to the fact that we made waffles a while back for a cooking segment to be used in our upcoming show, the audio was poor, so we did it all over again. This time it worked out really well and hopefully you will see it soon on Episode 3!

 

 

The Baking Throw Down

Another snow day.  Well, the tease of merely a "delay" for the elementary school so that a broken pipe could be fixed, and then an early dismissal for the rest of the school district.

After the pick up, a few kids assembled at our house, which happens kind of rarely.  We don't have a finished basement, attic space or any sort of "playroom" that affords privacy. When the kids were young, I equated heading down into one of those basement rooms to watch the kids play as a form of parent purgatory.  Now, the thought of that degree of privacy just seems wrong. "Heyyy, I just thought I'd throw in some whites, anything I can get you guys?"

What we do have is ingredients.  And a double oven.  So, the kids split up into teams, one made a Sour Cream Coffee Cake, from Bon Appetit, the opposing team made Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies.  I voted for the coffee cake, even though they were both delicious.  

I love this coffee cake.  It makes a big enough recipe (baked in a 13 X 9 pan) to feed a crowd.  It is perfect when we are invited to someone's house for brunch or for a ski weekend.  

I just checked my recipe so I could quote you the right magazine, and I can't believe it is from 1987.  I tore out a page from a magazine more than 23 years ago.  Was I really thinking about coffee cake way back in my senior year of college?  

Generally, I feel about 28 years old so stuff like this comes as a bit of a shock.  Well, it is nice to have a teenage daughter whose friends come over to bake.  They even did a stand up job of cleaning up today.

Bar Taco, Port Chester, NY

On this quintessential winter day, Suzy and I found the perfect summer restaurant.  It is Bar Taco, located at 11 Willet Street, Port Chester, NY.

It was fantastic in the dead of winter and it is going to be the perfect place to go this summer.  It is decorated in a really laid back surfer style, huge photos on the wall, lots of unfinished wood everywhere: the huge bar, the tables and benches, everything it seems.

Big windows and a triple wide garage door open up to a patio with a sitting area including blue fleece blankets for wrapping up around the firepit.

It makes me want to have a party there.  Just for existing, for using the waterfront the way it should be used, for having great margaritas in a small unassuming rocks glasses. 

For having fried fish tacos, 3 for $7.

Maybe a launch party for Show #3??

 

Mochi Madness

Hey, thanks for sticking around through the long absence!  We took a little trip, you know, to get out of town, visit the family. Well, a long trip, to Hawaii......just saying Hawaii always makes me feel like a game show host. It sounds like it will definitely be the ideal vacation, no matter what.

It was ideal, in many ways, despite rainy weather, we checked almost everything off our wish list.  

The kids and Drew took surfing lessons, we went to Pearl Harbor, toured a cool submarine during the long wait, swam, well, hung out with dolphins, (no swimming involved, although we were all made to wear life jackets for the waist deep water), watched the surfers on the North Shore and found some really beautiful beaches.

But, ahem, the above.  What are they?  Once you know, you can't unknow it. Then you will book that trip to HAWAII just to get your mitts on a dozen or so of them.

Mochi, emphasis on the CHI, if you want to sound like a local, mo-key if you want everyone to realize you are a north easterner just off a 12 hour flight and have Oprah's list of favorite things folded up into your carry-on.

They are scoops of ice cream wrapped in a rice paste.  The chewy texture of the rice paste is a perfect complement to the creamy delicious-ness inside. They are found in an almost hidden but crowded place called Bubbies in Honolulu.  But wait, their website says they are sold to Whole Foods. Maybe you don't have to go half way across the world, check out White Plains, or Greenwich!!  I will go and report back.  

Then you can wait until they re-stock and then you can go also.

Aloha,

 

Japanese Gardens and the Third Grade

My third grader is in the midst of a wonderful social studies component in which Japanese culture is examined.

She is already entranced with the Japanese, in no small part because the food is so closely related to her Chinese heritage and also, the time spent in her friend's home whose toys and accessories reflect that combination of edgy and adorable that is pure Japanese kitch.

Anyway we, I mean she, needed to create a Japanese garden in a shoebox, including water, flowers, a path and a bridge.  My older daughters, have done this project before so I was familiar with needing to create "water" that could be carried up three flights of stairs and remain for a couple of weeks on display.

In the past we used blue-ish hair gel squeezed into a small dish.  Not bad.

But yesterday, I was not up for one more trip to CVS....because they now have self service check out (hmmph!!) which really slows me down.  But that's a different entry.

At home, I reached for the Karo light corn syrup and we mixed in just the right amount of blue food coloring to create a lovely shade of ocean.

As an added benefit, in the morning we found that it had hardened up a bit and it would travel easily.

I am pretty proud of us, her, us, whomever....her garden in a box is beautiful and peaceful and it was nice to be a part of the creation.

Harvest on the Hudson

This weekend we went out for an anniversary dinner at a place far, far away in Hastings on the Hudson.  Funny how you can go 20 miles from Rye and it is a matter of 3 highways to get there.  Harvest is known for sophisticated, local, organic offerings.

Although we had a 6:00pm reservation, (NO laughing, why oh why would be go to a place on the Hudson river, surrounded by gardens in the dark?), it was quite crowded with three simultaneous parties in progress.

We must have had that, please, please, it is an anniversary dinner, no kids screeching look about us, so the hostess seated us only somewhat near a sedate celebration of a 60th birthday.  Our corner table was lovely, the waitress had a actual opinion on the food and she steered us very competently through a delicious meal.

Appetizers were portabello mushroom polenta and figs with a balsamic glaze.

I can't believe I have gone so many years without appreciating the fig.  I claim to dislike only raisins, but really other similarly textured foods, olives and dates come to mind, make me physically uncomfortable. I always assumed figs were in the same back-of-the-neck-crawling category.

The first time I had figs was a couple of years ago, when we were invited to a dinner at the celebrated Rao's on 114th Street.  At that time, the figs were served plain and were allegedly fresh off a tree from the backyard of the owner of the restaurant. I say "allegedly" in a purely conversational sense, of course...! 

Now I have a craving for halved fresh fig, a small scoop of gorgonzola and a drizzle of balsamic.  How long do you think it takes to grow a fig tree?