Hi, readers and friends! I’m happy to announce that I’ve just launched a new blog, Marge’s Next Meal, a resource for cooks and food lovers! I hope you’ll visit it regularly and leave comments. See it here.

My first entries: bistro dinner for two!

Much love and good eating,

Marge

spring in chicago is anything but soft and warm. it is often cruel, agitated, windy, dark and wet. on such days, it is necessary to hurry home with a bottle of red wine and a hot meal in mind. last week, as i rushed home from the train on a windy, cold evening, i mentally planned out this hearty, healthy and fragrant soup, starring citrusy lemon grass and ground pork. my sister maddy arrived shortly after i got home. i heated the broth for the noodles and slowly chopped the lemon grass, fresh ginger and various fresh vegetables as maddy sat at the counter. we drank wine and discussed things of monumental importance like perfect pizza crust, friends’ failed dates, how much we like eating bread with olive oil, picking out swim suits and what color dress i’d make her wear at sean’s and my wedding next summer.

later, sean, maddy and i slowly ate the entire pot of soup and drank the rest of the red wine, talking until the tea light on the table almost burned out. it was just what i needed after feeling especially punished by the malicious chicago spring.

note: you can easily make this soup vegetarian by removing the pork or replacing it with firm tofu, and eliminating the fish sauce.

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 lb. ground pork
1 T. peanut or vegetable oil
3 c. bok choy (leaves and stalks), chopped into bite-size strips
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 stalk lemon grass, bruised with the side of a knife and chopped into 1/2-in. pieces
2 carrots, shaved into large curls
3 green onions (green and white part), cut into 1-in. pieces
1 large jalapeño, minced
1 T. fish sauce
1 T. sriracha
1-2 t. sugar
1/3 c. low-sodium soy sauce
1 bag chow mein noodles
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, for garnish

heat the broth in a large stockpot until boiling. meanwhile, heat a large skillet or wok to medium-high, and cook the ground pork until well browned. remove it, and set aside. add a little peanut oil to the pan, and add the bok choy. sweat for a few minutes, then add the garlic, ginger, lemon grass, carrot, green onion and jalapeño. cook the vegetables until they start to soften and caramelize slightly, about 5 minutes. you will smell the ginger, lemon grass and garlic start to release their aromas. return the pork to the skillet, and add the fish sauce, sriracha, sugar and soy sauce; cook everything a few more minutes so the flavors meld. meanwhile, dump the chow mein noodles into the broth, and boil them for 2 minutes. reduce the heat to low, and add the ingredients from the skillet into the stockpot.

stir well to combine.

with a pair of tongs, pile a heap of noodles, meat and vegetables into the bottom of deep bowls. then ladle a few large spoonfuls of the aromatic, nourishing and slightly spicy broth over everything. top with torn cilantro leaves, and serve hot with chopsticks and a large spoon. serves 3-4, generously.

sean never eats his free package of peanuts when we fly places. they inevitably end up in the bottom of my purse, leaving me with a surplus of teeny packages of salted peanuts whenever we come home from a trip. in my opinion, a single packet is far too small to serve as a decent-size snack for most people, so i instead thought it would make an easy-to-crush and tasty garnish for a dish of rice stick noodles with vegetables and egg.

the veggies i used here can certainly be swapped out for whatever you have on hand. zucchini, onion, any sort of cabbage, peas, bell peppers–all of these would work well here. as for the sauce, i stuck to a simple base of pantry staples: sugar, fish sauce, sriracha, soy sauce and a little chicken stock to loosen.

2 t. vegetable oil
2 carrots, peeled into thick ribbons with a vegetable peeler
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 serrano chile, finely minced
2 whole green onions, cut into 1-in.-long pieces
1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
2 T. sugar
2 T. fish sauce
1/3 c. soy sauce, plus more as needed
1-2 T. sriracha, plus more for serving
chicken or vegetable stock, as needed
1 package rice noodles, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
2 packages airline peanuts (about 1/2 c.), crushed
1/4 c. green onions or chives, chopped, for garnish

in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it slides easily around the pan. add the carrots, garlic, chile and scallions and cook for about 5 minutes until they soften and become slightly caramelized. add the tomatoes, sugar, fish sauce, soy and sriracha to taste. cook until the tomatoes start to shrivel slightly and the sauce has thickened and become bubbly and a little sticky.

add a little stock to loosen the sauce slightly, and drop in the rice noodles, tossing with tongs to coat them evenly with the sauce. taste and adjust the seasoning as needed with soy sauce.

pour in the beaten eggs, stirring continuously to ensure the eggs coat the noodles evenly as they cook. add the peanuts and cilantro right before serving.

heap the noodles into large bowls, and top with green onion or chive. serve with additional sriracha for those who like it hot. serves 2 generously.

Chef Sarah Stegner sowing carrots

on april 16, i had the unique opportunity to help Sarah Stegner, chef/co-owner of prairie fire in chicago and prairie grass café in northbrook, ill., plant an edible garden in the backyard of her north suburban home. the organic gardener, also known as Jeanne Pinsof-Nolan, contributed seeds, granulated organic fertilizer (made from her own recipe of green sand, kelp, bone meal, bloodmeal and dehydrated manure), tools and a great deal of advice as we spent the morning spreading fertilizer, digging furrows and dropping seeds in the ground. we planted carrots and dragon carrots, broccoli rapini, cress, red swiss chard, heirloom parsley, rosemary, basil, speckled lettuce, grandma’s lettuce, shelling peas and snow peas–to name a few. as i rode the red line back into the city for work that morning, my hands still smelled like dirt and it was wonderful.

i’m no gardener myself–the closest i’ve come is potting one or two fresh herb plants on my porch last year–mainly because i live on the third floor of a condo in the city, a far cry from the sprawling backyards of houses in the suburbs. still, the idea of growing and nurturing an edible plant is appealing not only from a cost standpoint, but also due to the persistent sense i have that it will help me gain a deeper respect for my food.

despite my lack of backyard, this year sean and i are sowing several edible herbs–basil, cilantro and parsley. we also will have chives (a perennial plant generously donated from sean’s co-worker), tomatoes and jalapeños. with our south-facing porch and a mild spring so far, we’re hoping for good luck.

although we have yet to pick our first basil leaves, i am definitely getting into the spirit of summertime fare. so here is a recipe for a simple, slightly spicy basil pesto, which i extended using a little fresh spinach. i used this as a quick, fresh sauce for pasta, but it would also make a great sandwich spread or even a simple marinade for fish or chicken. if you take out the tomatoes, the pesto will keep for several weeks in the fridge in an airtight container, with a thin film of extra virgin olive oil on top.

slightly spicy basil pesto

leaves of 2 bunches basil (about 2 c.)
1 c. packed fresh baby spinach leaves
3 T. pine nuts, lightly toasted in a pan until fragrant
2 garlic cloves
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, freshly grated
salt and pepper, to taste
1 c. tomatoes, diced

add the basil leaves, spinach, pine nuts, garlic and red pepper flakes to a food processor; pulse a few times to roughly chop everything. scrape down the sides with a spatula if necessary.

now with the food processor running continuously, stream in the extra-virgin olive oil slowly until it is well incorporated and the mixture forms a paste. add the parmesan and salt and pepper to taste, pulsing a few times to combine. move the pesto to a bowl, and carefully fold in the tomatoes. for pasta, cook according to package directions, returning to the same pot after draining. toss a few tablespoons of pesto with each serving of hot pasta. sprinkle a little extra parmesan cheese on top, and serve immediately. serves 2 with a few tablespoons of leftovers.

when i was a kid, i was never the sort to get upset if my turkey gravy ran into my cranberry sauce at thanksgiving dinner, if the runny egg yolk spilled over the hash browns at breakfast or if the vinaigrette from my salad ran all over the plate, adding a punch of sour to the cooked items sitting next to it. i have always loved to mix fresh ingredients with cooked ones, sweet flavors with salty ones and smooth textures with crisp, crunchy ones. it is part of what makes eating so exciting.

this dish is one example of how to add a different texture to a straightforward rice dish with the mouth-coating addition of an undercooked egg. when the rice is about 5 to 7 minutes from coming out of the oven, i carve out four small gouges in the rice with a spoon, and crack an egg into each one. the eggs bake quickly nestled in the hot rice, and make for a dramatic garnish, along with some fresh herbs and cheese. not only does the runny egg look pretty and add a silky texture, it also boosts the protein content of this nearly vegetarian dish, making for a fine weeknight meal all by itself.

2 t. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 to 1 small serrano chile, minced (depending on how spicy you like it)
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 c. long grain or arborio rice
3 c. vegetable or chicken stock
1 pt. yellow or red cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 eggs
1/2 c. cilantro, rough chopped
several large shavings parmesan cheese

preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. heat the oil in a medium oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. when the oil shimmers and slides around the pan easily, add the onion and chile. cook for a few minutes until soft. add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste and cook for another minute to release that lovely garlic aroma. add the rice, and toast it, stirring frequently until each kernel is translucent.

pour the stock over the rice, and stir to make sure none of the rice is clumping together. now sprinkle the tomato wedges all over the top, and season the mixture with salt and pepper.

cover the pan with a lid or a large sheet of aluminum foil, and place it in the oven. after about 15 minutes, pull the pan out of the oven. about 3/4 of the liquid should be gone. taste the rice to be sure it is almost fully cooked. gouge out four small holes in the rice that are equidistant from one another. crack an egg into each one. cover the pan, and place it back into the oven for another 5 to 7 minutes.

pull the pan out once the egg white is cooked (totally white), but the yolk is still fairly runny. if you’re unsure about the doneness of the egg, pull out the pan, and poke the eggs gently with your finger. the yolk should feel soft and the egg should spring back slightly when you touch it.

to serve, scoop out four equal portions into deep bowls, being careful to keep the egg intact on top. i like to crack the egg slightly with a fork so the yolk starts spilling over the rice as i serve it. sprinkle the top of each dish with cilantro and several large shavings of cheese. serves 4.

cauliflower is an underrated vegetable. it is very forgiving and easy to cook and is a great source of vitamin c, folate and fiber. but that’s enough talk about nutrition. i wanna talk about salty, crunchy-coated cauliflower with melty, browned parmesan cheese and the clean, crisp hint of lemon zest. that’s all there is to this side dish, which also is quite delish tossed with a little pasta. the most time-consuming part of the recipe, to be honest, is cutting the cauliflower into tiny, uniform little trees so they cook evenly and are perfectly bite-size. the rest comes together really quickly. i took inspiration from a similar dish on heidi swanson’s 100 cookbooks blog.

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 head cauliflower, washed, trimmed of leaves and cut into tiny (and i mean tiny) uniform little trees
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 large clove garlic, minced finely
zest of one lemon
3/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c. fresh parsley, rough chopped

heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the oil. toss in all the cauliflower, making sure each tiny tree has some direct contact with the pan. brown the cauliflower for 3 or 4 minutes, toss and repeat to form a nice brown crust on each side. after about 10 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the garlic and lemon zest over the cauliflower and toss to coat evenly. all told, you’ll probably cook the cauliflower about 15 or 20 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces.

once the cauliflower is dotted with brown and slightly crusty bits on all sides, toss in the cheese, allowing it to bubble and brown slightly in the pan before blending it with the cauliflower. you will enjoy a little bit of brown, bubbly cheese–believe me.

shower the cauliflower with fresh parsley, and serve hot. serves 2 to 3

one of my favorites from the evening was the rustic crostini with caramelized onion smeared on top. the basis for this was six or seven onions cooked to the brink of melting with a little butter, salt and pepper. it is a very simple method, and the onions give off the most unctuous, sweet aroma as they progress through the different stages of cooking. the key is to allow the onions enough time to achieve the flavor you want. mark bittman does a wonderful job of explaining the different stages of onion caramelization and how they taste in how to cook everything, referenced in the sort-of table below.

COOKING ONIONS
time………..what to expect
20 min………..ivory, softened and still oniony tasting
25-30 min……golden, wilted and sweet, with a slight onion sharpness
40-45 min……browned and starting to melt; onion flavor replaced with sweetness
60 min………..the color of maple syrup, with a jamlike texture and flavor

i suggest you make a lot of caramelized onions at once, because after you’ve prepared them to your desired doneness and used them for whatever you had planned, you will find yourself haunted by their rich sweetness and craving them in other dishes. aside from smearing them on bread, they are great as a pizza topping along with andouille sausage, gruyère and parmesan; smeared on a steak sandwich or atop a burger; folded into bread dough or batter; in omelets; or even to thicken sauces–not to mention one of my favorites: onion soup. and you have plenty of time to get creative because caramelized onions keep for weeks in an airtight container in the fridge. but enough chatter. onto the onions.

6 or 7 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 T. olive oil or butter, plus more as needed
salt and pepper, to taste

place the onions (no fat yet) in a large skillet over medium heat. cover them and cook for about 20 minutes, or just until they lose enough moisture to start sticking to the bottom of the pan. stir in the oil or butter, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. turn the heat down to medium low, and cook, stirring occasionally until they are done to your liking. i cooked these for about 50 minutes and let them cool to room temperature before serving. they were incredibly sweet and smearable–perfect as a topping for crusty tuscan bread that was rubbed with extra virgin olive oil and fresh garlic and grilled.

raw onions

after 20 minutes, plus butter and salt

after 30 minutes

after 50 minutes, melty goodness

this salad is simple to assemble and you can use almost any thinly sliced vegetable you like. i have been on a radish kick lately, and cucumber classically pairs with yogurt and lemon so it wasn’t a far stretch. one technique you may notice in the recipe that’s a bit unusual is that i washed the onion after slicing it. in a salad like this that blends a lot of subtle, complementary flavors, i didn’t want the onion flavor to be too sharp. so i rinsed it briefly under cold water to remove some of its pungency and make it a bit more palatable. then i simply patted it dry with a paper towel and added it to the salad.

1 c. cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 c. radish, thinly sliced
1/4 c. onion, thinly sliced, rinsed under cold water and dried
1/4 c. fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
about 1/2 t. sriracha or other chile sauce
about 3/4 c. plain yogurt

in a bowl, combine the cucumber, radish, onion, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper. mix well, and add the sriracha to taste. this is where your fabulous pink tint will come from.

add the yogurt by the spoonful, mixing well between each addition. it is up to you how much or little you add, depending on how thick you want the sauce. check the salad for seasoning, and let sit in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before serving, so the flavors can blend. note: some of the liquid from the vegetables will ooze out as the salad sits, so be sure to toss it well before serving and drain before serving if you don’t like it thin. this is the perfect accompaniment to my recipe for dhal. serves 2 and is best eaten the same day it is prepared!

often when i’m commuting to and from work, i listen to foodie podcasts like good food with evan kleiman, and the splendid table with lynne rossetto kasper. one afternoon, i listened to an indian man very simply explain to kasper what dhal is: a spicy dish typically made from lentils, tomato, onion and various seasonings and spices. “with dhal, the possibilities end with your imagination,” he said, adding that each family has its own special set of ingredients and technique for preparing dhal. dhal comes from the more generic term dal, which describes any of almost 60 kinds of dried beans, peas and lentils. many families in india will eat lentils at every meal with steamed rice or bread–unsurprising considering that india produces and consumes more lentils than any other country.

but despite any practical reasons for having such wide variations on dhal, i am most struck by the idea that each preparation of dhal is like a unique fingerprint indian food culture. i picture a rainbow of different lentils sitting on platters of all different shapes and sizes, each tinted with different color washes from turmeric or curry powder and highlighted by bright flecks of different aromatics, spices and herbs. i can’t resist food that evokes such colorful imagery. so here it is: my first attempt at dhal. i’m pleased to say that sean and i were happy with the result, and that it tasted even better reheated in the two days following at lunch!

1 1/2 c. green lentils
1 1/2 t. curry powder or turmeric, divided
salt, to taste
1 t. cumin
1 T. ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
2 small carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. fresh ginger, minced
1 serrano chile, minced
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 t. garam masala
1 c. white rice, cooked, with 1 T. butter melted in
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lemon

bring 3 c. water to a boil, and add the lentils. simmer for 18 minutes, until tender. once it’s cooked, stir in 1 t. curry powder and some salt to taste. meanwhile, in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat, toast the cumin in the oil or clarified butter for 2 or 3 minutes until fragrant. tiny bubbles will form, looking something like this:

turn the heat up slightly and add the onion, carrot and a bit of salt. cook the vegetables until tender and slightly caramelized. add more oil as needed if the spices start sticking to the pan.

add the garlic, ginger, chile, black pepper and garam masala. cook for another 4 or 5 minutes until the flavors have melded. your kitchen will smell warm, perfumy and inviting, with a hint of cinnamon.

scrape every last bit of the cooked aromatics into the lentils, and mix well, adding water as necessary if the lentils have become too dry as they’ve sat. add the cilantro, saving a bit for garnish, and the lemon juice.

to serve, make a bed of rice on a plate. top with dhal and sprinkle with reserved cilantro. you can serve dhal as a side dish to almost anything. this dish was delicious with my crunchy cucumber-yogurt salad, which sean and i ended up pouring over the top. the tangy yogurt and crunch of the vegetables added a nice contrast and cooled our mouths a little. the best part about making dhal is that three days after you make it, you will still smell a hint of cinnamon, cardamom and turmeric when you walk into your house. it will warm you instantly.

i found a recipe for keema–a traditional minced meat dish of India and Pakistan–one afternoon as i desperately sought inspiration for an oversupply of ground chuck in my freezer. the solution to my beef surplus was, thankfully, not another night of spaghetti and meat sauce, but rather a comforting and fragrant combination of ground beef and veal, fresh tomato, onion, fresh ginger, garlic, chiles, garam masala and lemon juice all nestled inside warm indian flatbread. you can use any sort of ground meat you like in this dish. also, some of you may notice that i omitted the peas–a traditional ingredient in this dish. i did this for three reasons: my fiancé sean, my dad and my best friend maggie. you’re welcome, picky loved ones.

i am embarrassed to say that this was my first time buying garam masala–a blend of ground spices that often includes coriander, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper and turmeric. but after tasting the subtle yet savory spice it lends to meat, i will happily include it much more often in my culinary adventures.

1 medium onion, minced
1 t. canola oil
salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 lb. ground chuck
1/2 lb. ground veal
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 in. fresh ginger knob, peeled and minced
i medium vine-ripe tomato, diced finely
1-2 t. fresh or jarred green chiles, minced
1 t. garam masala
4 pieces naan
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
4 lemon slices, for garnish

in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in canola oil with a little salt and pepper. when it’s softened, turn the heat up to high and add the ground beef and veal; cook the meat until browned, about 7 minutes.

add the garlic, ginger, tomato and garam masala. cook for another 6 to 8 minutes, to allow the tomatoes to cook and the flavors to combine. check for seasoning, and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. remove from the heat, add the lemon juice and cilantro, and mix well to combine.

while the meat cooks, wrap the naan in aluminum foil, and heat in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 200 degrees F. to serve, pile a generous heap of the meat mixture onto the puffy naan and top with a few more cilantro leaves for garnish. serve with lemon slices so everyone can add more juice just before digging in. no forks are necessary here. simply heap together the soft naan like a taco and prepare for large, messy bites. i served this with a simple side salad of baby spinach, green onion and radish with lemon vinaigrette (you’re allowed to distribute forks for the salad). serves 4.