Good Enough to Eat (33 page)

Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll into large balls, placing them 2 inches apart on a parchment-covered cookie sheet. Press each dough ball with back of dinner fork dipped in cold water to make crisscross design. Bake until cookies are puffed and slightly brown along edges but not on top, 10 to 12 minutes (they will not look fully baked). Cool cookies on cookie sheet until set, about 4 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 7 days.

For the meatballs: Combine bread and half-and-half in small bowl, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes.

Mix all meatball ingredients, including bread mixture, in medium bowl and pepper to taste. Lightly form meatballs, ½ tablespoon at a time; you can make these larger if you like, or even smaller. A good way to prevent the meatballs from sticking together is to cover the top of a large sheet pan with a layer of cling film. Resting the meatballs on this will cushion them and prevent them from getting flat on the bottom. Chill them in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes, covered, before frying.

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in large pot for cooking pasta.

Meanwhile, heat ¼-inch vegetable oil over medium-high heat in large sauté pan. When edge of meatball dipped in oil sizzles, add meatballs in a single layer. Fry, turning several times, until nicely browned on all sides, about 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the meatballs, regulating heat as needed to keep oil sizzling but not smoking. Transfer browned meatballs to paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Repeat, if necessary, with remaining meatballs.

For the sauce, discard oil in pan, leaving behind any browned bits. Add olive oil along with garlic; sauté, scraping up any browned bits, just until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, bring to boil, and simmer gently until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil; add salt and pepper to taste. Add meatballs and simmer, turning them occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm over low flame.

Meanwhile, add salt and pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente, drain, and return to pot. Ladle several large spoonfuls of tomato sauce (without meatballs) over spaghetti and toss until noodles are well coated. Divide pasta among individual bowls and top each with a little more tomato sauce and 2 to 3 meatballs. Serve immediately with grated cheese passed separately.

For a healthier version, substitute fat-free buttermilk or plain yogurt for half-and-half, ¾ pound ground white-meat chicken plus ¼ pound ground pork for the meat, and 1 egg white for the egg yolk. Instead of panfrying the meatballs, place in a single layer on an oiled sheet pan, lightly spritz with olive oil spray, and broil for 3 to 5 minutes until browned on top. Turn meatballs over and brown again, and then heat through in sauce as above. Substitute whole wheat or Jerusalem artichoke pasta for the spaghetti.

Heat oil in large pot until shimmering, then add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic, veal, and sausage, and cook until lightly browned. Add spices and herbs, and cook additional 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, beer, and tomato paste, and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Add beans and cook 10 minutes to heat through.

Heat oil in large pot until shimmering. Add onions and celery, and cook until translucent. Add garlic and chicken, and cook until lightly browned. Add chilies and spices and herbs, and cook additional 10 minutes. Add chicken stock and beer, and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Add beans and cook 10 minutes to heat through.

To prepare dough, put flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Add butter and pulse in five 1-second bursts. Add lard and continue pulsing until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, four or five more 1-second pulses. Add 6 tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition. Test dough to see if it will hold together. If it doesn’t, add another tablespoon water, and pulse again. Repeat if necessary. Turn dough onto a board, and squeeze together. Divide in half and make two flat disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill in fridge at least 30 minutes.

Remove dough from refrigerator. It should be cool but still rollable. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 425°F.

Roll one dough disk on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Place dough in 9-inch Pyrex regular or deep-dish pie pan.

Gently press dough into sides of pan, leaving portion that overhangs lip of pie plate in place. Refrigerate while preparing fruit.

Peel, core, and cut apples into ½- to ¾-inch slices and toss with ¾ cup sugar and lemon juice. Add zest, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Turn fruit mixture, including juices, into chilled pie shell and mound slightly in center. Roll out other dough round and place over filling. Trim top and bottom edges to ½ inch beyond pan lip. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan lip. Flute edging or press with fork tines to seal. Cut four slits at right angles on dough top. Brush egg white onto top of crust and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake until top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F; continue baking until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack; cool to almost room temperature, at least 4 hours.

For a healthier version, replace 1½ cups of flour with whole wheat flour, and freeze half of the dough for use at a later time. Take the sugar in the filling down to ½ cup. Make a topping of ½ cup rolled oats, ¼ cup sliced toasted almonds, and ¼ cup demerara sugar, mixed with 2 tablespoons melted butter, and sprinkle this on top of the filling instead of a top crust.

In small saucepan, heat contents of can of soup with can of milk over medium heat, stirring to combine. When bubbles start to appear, turn heat to low and keep saucepan on heat while making sandwich. In skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Place slices of bread in butter, sliding them around to coat. Place cheese slices on top of bread slices and let cook until cheese begins to melt around the edges. Flip one slice of bread on top of the other slice of bread, taking care not to press down on the sandwich. Flip once or twice to ensure even browning and that the cheese is completely melted. Cut sandwich in half diagonally, which makes for easier dunking.

Preheat oven to 250°F.

Cut tomatoes in half, toss in olive oil to coat, and arrange cut side down on oiled sheet pans.

Add onion or shallot on top of tomatoes. Sprinkle with herbs and liberally salt and pepper. Roast approximately 1½ to 2 hours until skins are loose and flesh is soft.

Peel skins off tomatoes and discard. Dump the contents of the sheet pans into a large bowl and, using an immersion blender, blend into chunky soup. Adjust seasonings.

Serve either warm or cold with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream and some chopped fresh mint for grown-ups. Add alphabet noodles or cooked rice for kids. Stir in toasted croutons and drizzle with olive oil and Parmesan for a classic Pappa al Pomodoro. Add fresh basil and garlic, and you have a chunky pasta sauce. Add fresh oregano, and it becomes pizza sauce. Freezes beautifully, can be canned if you are ambitious, and lasts up to a week in the fridge.

To make a sandwich: In a bowl, mix the two grated cheeses until well combined. Butter one side of each slice of bread with half the butter. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread slices, buttered sides down, and divide the cheese mixture equally between the two slices of bread and sprinkle with grains of paradise. Cook until cheese begins to melt, covering with a lid if necessary. Flip one piece of bread onto the other, and cook until crisp on outside and completely melted within.

Bring milk, salt, thyme, nutmeg, and garlic to simmer in large pot. Add chicken and maintain gentle heat until almost cooked through, about 15 minutes. Cover, turn off heat, and leave in milk for another 30 minutes. Remove chicken from milk and pat dry. Dip pieces in flour, then in egg, then in flour again, and set on rack until all chicken is coated. Heat oil to 350°F, and fry chicken in batches until coating is golden and crisp and chicken is hot, about 5 minutes per batch.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix bread crumbs with Parmesan in shallow dish. Dip chicken in buttermilk, let excess run off, and then coat chicken in crumb mixture. Arrange chicken on tray, and drizzle each breast with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until done.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil to shimmering in a wide skillet, and sauté onions until translucent, but not caramelized. Mix corned beef, potatoes, onions, and beer in a large bowl and taste for seasoning. Heat remaining oil in the skillet and place hash mix in an even layer, pressing down to make a solid mass. Let cook a few minutes until the underside is browned and very crispy. Flip over, in sections if necessary, and cook other side until crispy as well (this can be done in two skillets or in batches, depending on whether you have one large enough for the whole recipe). Hash should be only about ½-inch thick in skillet. Serve with poached, scrambled, or fried eggs and hair of the dog.