Paprika Stars in Comfort Foods

Paprika is one of those under-appreciated spices. Though often relegated to accenting deviled eggs and potato salad (and helping flamingos at the zoo keep their pink color), it has lots of great uses as a flavoring.

Paprika is made by drying and grinding red peppers. Some versions include the seeds from the pepper, which gives the spice more heat. Flavors range from sweet to very spicy. Specialty grocery stores may also carry smoked paprika, which is made from peppers that are smoked before they are ground. This type of paprika is particularly popular in Spanish cooking.

Although paprika originated in Mexico, it’s perhaps best known for its use in Hungarian cuisine. The powder was first introduced in Hungary as early as the 16th century. Today it’s used in many soups, stews, and meat dishes.

This warming spice is great for winter dishes in part because it’s used in such great comfort foods. Take, for example, Chicken Paprikash. If you want to do something different and delicious serve it over spaetzle, a Hungarian dumpling that’s similar to a noodle.

A couple tips for using paprika: it must be heated to activate its flavor, so don’t expect a burst of spiciness when you use it without cooking it first. Also, make sure you don’t confuse it with cayenne pepper. I once used a teaspoon of cayenne in place of some of the paprika in the paprikash recipe. It’s good to eat warm foods when it’s cold outside, but that was a little over the top.

Chicken Paprikash
Makes 8 servings
3 T. flour
2 lbs. chicken, cubed
1 T. oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
6 mushrooms, sliced
1-1/4 c. chicken stock
2 T. paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 c. sour cream
Cooked egg noodles

Toss chicken in flour. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Brown chicken in oil, about 4 minutes. Add onion, red pepper, green pepper, garlic, celery and mushrooms and cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken stock, paprika, pepper, salt and pepper (make sure stock mostly covers chicken; if it doesn’t, add a little water). Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and let simmer for one hour or until chicken is very tender.

Add sour cream and heat through (do not boil). Serve over cooked egg noodles.

My Top 5 Cookbooks

Cookbooks make fantastic holiday gifts. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving!

Yet choosing a cookbook from the multitude available in the bookstore can feel like a daunting task. Here are five of the cookbooks I use most often or plan to add to my Christmas list:

First, the staple: the Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker (Scribner, $35.00). But here’s an interesting twist: instead of buying the newest version, which was released in 2006, visit your nearest thrift store and pick up a copy from the 1970s or earlier. In the older cookbooks you’ll find the occasional gem of a recipe or tip, such as how to trap, butcher and prepare a possum or a beaver. Plus, having used both books, I like the recipes from the older version better.

The baker in your life needs Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Bread by Bernard Clayton (Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, $22.00). This may be the greatest and most frequently used cookbook in my collection. Clayton has an engaging writing style and an incredible knowledge of baking. The book containers recipes for every type of bread you can imagine – yeast breads, sourdough breads, quick breads and muffins, breads from holiday traditions around the world, even a recipe for homemade hamburger buns. Recipes advise you on how to make most loaves by hand, in a mixer, or in a food processor, and offers great advice for the novice and the experienced baker.

Do you know someone who refuses to follow recipes? Do you ever find yourself staring at an avocado and thinking, “What can I do with this thing besides make guacamole?” The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg (Little, Brown, $35.00) may be just what you need. Instead of providing recipes, it provides charts for hundreds of meats, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Each chart tells you what foods pair best with tha ingredient, what season the food is available, its taste (sweet, sour, etc.), and the best cooking technique. That avocado, for example, will pair well with citrus and bitter greens (particularly frisee and Belgium endive), and kosher or sea salt will best bring out the flavor.

Vegetarians will love The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen (Ten Speed Press, $19.99). The Moosewood Cookbook originally came out in 1978, when vegetarianism was fairly rare. It is one of the 10 best-selling cookbooks of all time, according to the New York Times, and is in the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Hall of Fame. The cookbook contains delicious recipes like homemade Falafel, Hungarian Mushroom Soup, and Zuccanoes (Stuffed Zucchini). Even meat-eaters will be willing to dig into most of these dishes.

To be honest, most of my favorite recipes don’t come from cookbooks. They come from cooking magazines. For years I’ve subscribed to Taste of Home magazine and its sister publication, Healthy Cooking. Each magazine has a beautiful pictures as well as seasonal ideas for cooking and decorating, healthy living tips, and stories from other cooks around the country. The Taste of Home family also includes a magazine called Simple & Delicious for people who enjoy cooking with convenience foods. Subscription information is available online, or pick up a copy of one of the magazines in the grocery store. When giving a magazine subscription as a gift I enjoy buying the most recent copy and wrapping it with a note telling the person they will get a new gift from me every other month of the year.

Two Families' Secret Holiday Recipes

At the age of 95 my grandma Stella finally “retired” from the role as Thanksgiving dinner cook. Given my near-obsession with cooking, I immediately volunteered to take on the job. The only part that worried me was trying to duplicate one of my grandmother’s most cherished recipes: feather-light Ice Box Rolls that only appeared on the table at holidays.

Everyone in my family had tried to make rolls as good as my grandmother’s. They never succeeded. I knew Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without them. I had eaten those rolls every Thanksgiving and Christmas my entire life. Was I really up for the challenge?

Most families have a sacred recipe that makes its way to the table holiday after holiday. Funny enough, in my husband’s family it was also a recipe for rolls. Grandma Lucy’s Rohliky (the Czech word for “rolls”) were the thing everyone looked forward to at Thanksgiving dinner. The recipe comes via Bohemia, now a region of the Czech Republic, the area from which grandma Lucy’s family hailed.

Turns out my first batch of Ice Box Rolls were just as good as my grandmother’s. I’m convinced it’s because she stood next to me and walked me through each step. Each subsequent batch has been almost, but not quite, up to par.

Someday I’ll work up the nerve to make Rohliky and see if my husband can tell the difference. Unfortunately Grandma Lucy passed away in 2005 and isn’t here to help teach me. If you have a family member who makes a world-class recipe, ask if you can help them prepare it this holiday season. When you’re trying to preserve that special tradition there’s nothing like learning from the master.

Ice Box Rolls
Makes about 24 rolls
1 c. mashed potatoes
2/3 c. shortening
2/3 c. sugar
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1 t. salt
1 yeast cake (or one package yeast)
3 c. plus extra flour
2 T. butter, melted

Place shortening, potatoes, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Scald milk; add and stir well. Let mixture cool to lukewarm, then add eggs and salt. Crumble yeast in your hand and stir into milk mixture. Stir in only enough flour to make mixture the consistency of pancake batter (about 1 cup). Cover with plastic and let rise in the refrigerator until doubled, 1-2 hours.

Stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Cover, place bowl back in refrigerator, and let rise overnight (checking once and punching down if necessary to keep dough from flowing out of pan).

Shape as desired. To make Parker House rolls: On a lightly floured board, roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut out with a biscuit cutter. Brush both sides of roll in butter. Using a knife, make a small crease in the center, then fold so one side is slightly off-set from the other. Place rolls in ungreased 13” x 9” pan. Cover with a towel and let rise at room temperature for about four hours.

Cook at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Rohliky
Makes 25 rolls
3 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1/4 c. shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 c. warm milk
1 envelope yeast, dissolved in 2 T. warm water and ¼ t. sugar
For topping:
1 egg, beaten
1 T. water
Poppy seeds or sesame seeds

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add shortening and mix well. Add egg, milk and yeast and stir to combine. Dough will be a little sticky.

Grease bowl, then return dough. Cover bowl with a towel and put in a warm place. Let rise until doubled. Punch down and let rise again.

Tear off a chunk of dough big enough to fit in your palm. Roll between your hands into a rope as big around as a nickel and about six inches long. Tie in a loose knot. Place on a greased baking sheet; curve ends slightly.

Combine egg and water; brush over top of each roll. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds. Cover with a towel and let rise again. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

A Lesson in Cooking Oils

I try to keep up on current health trends and consider myself relatively knowledgeable about food. So when a lengthy article claiming that canola oil was bad for you appeared on my Twitter feed I was shocked. Canola oil was supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread, the heart-healthy oil. And now I hear it can cause diseases?

The next blow came when my sister informed me olive oil has carcinogenic properties when you cook it. All the cooks I admire use olive oil. Lots of it, in some cases. Could it really be true?

In my despair I called my friend Yaakov Levine. Yaakov is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner with offices in Creswell and Eugene and a columnist for the Creswell Chronicle (see copies of his past columns here). Surely he could offer an answer to my oil dilemma.

He did, although he didn’t have quite the answers I was looking for. Canola oil is, in fact, not the healthy alternative it’s touted to be. “Some people call [canola oil] ‘Franken-oil’,” he said. It’s made from genetically modified seeds and must be highly processed before it goes to market, which strips out most of the benefits. (Here is a copy of the original article on NaturalNews.com that tipped me off about canola oil).

And “The World’s Healthiest Foods” by George Mateljan, my favorite food reference book, states that heating olive oil at high temperatures can cause the “formation of unwanted aromatic substances . . . in the oil that can increase our risk of chronic health problems including cancer.”

So what’s a cook to do? “We all need fat in our diet,” Yaakov was quick to point out. Fat gives our cells structure and our bodies energy. There are essential fats that we need that our bodies can’t produce, so we need to find them elsewhere.

The key is choosing the right fat. Yaakov is a proponent of coconut oil. It’s easy to digest, provides plenty of energy, and has a nice flavor. Added bonus in the winter – it has anti-bacterial properties that help prevent colds and flus. Try it when cooking vegetables, in a smoothie, or in Gooey Balls, a dessert recipe provided by Yaakov.

Butter and lard are Yaakov’s other fats of choice. Skip the brick of lard at the grocery store, which is likely to have trans fats. Visit your local butcher instead and see if he or she has a source for something produced locally.
High-oleic sunflower oil is an option in recipes where you don’t want the taste of the oil to be overpowering – for example, Red Onion Salad Dressing, a staple around my house. (A high-oleic oil is one that is high in monounsaturated acid, a “good” fat.) High-oleic safflower oil can be used on the rare occasion when you must deep-fry something.

Eaten at room temperature, or even used for light frying, olive oil is still a good choice.

“What leads me down the road toward more traditional fats is that we have problems with diseases now that we didn’t use to have,” Yaakov says. 100 years ago “they weren’t eating so many plant and seed fats like we are now.” Heart disease is now the leading cause of death for Americans, and poor diet is part of the reason for that.

Whatever type of oil you use, store it in a dark colored bottle and out of direct light. Oil turns rancid quite easily.

All fats should still be used sparingly. Here’s one last tip on lowering your consumption of heated oils: the next time a recipe directs you to brown meat in oil, use a little bit of high-quality stock instead. It will add extra flavor and keep the meat from sticking to the pan. Freeze stock in ice cube trays and store the cubes in plastic bags so you always have some handy.

Gooey Balls
1 c. coconut oil
2 c. shredded coconut
1 c. sesame seeds
6 dates, finely chopped
Pinch high mineral sea salt
Vanilla or orange extract to taste

Melt coconut oil gently (it melts at 76 degrees). Stir in remaining ingredients. Form into balls, place on a baking sheet, and chill.
(Note: For a less sweet option, replace the dates with a grated apple and a drizzle of lemon juice.)

Red Onion Salad Dressing
1/2 c. champagne or apple cider vinegar
1/4 red onion
2 T. honey
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. salt
1/2 c. high-oleic sunflower oil

Place vinegar, onion, honey, mustard and salt in a blender. Blend until well combined. With blender on, add oil in a slow, steady stream until well combined.

Top Five Winter Squash Recipes

Forgive me for having a total foodie moment, but I had the most amazing squash experience the other day.

I should start by saying that I don't really like squash. I've come to enjoy butternut in some things, and I'll eat a slice of pumpkin pie if it has enough whipped cream on it. But most of the time, everything about it grosses me out.

But since I make pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving every year, I wanted to try cooking and freezing a Hubbard squash. My cousin always used flesh from the blue gourd in pies and got rave results.

I picked up a squash at the farmers' market one Saturday. I quartered it, scooped out the seeds (which were excellent roasted in the oven with some butter, seasoning salt and minced garlic, by the way, but that's another story), and roasted it in the oven. When it finally came out of the oven the flesh was dark, wrinkly and stringy-looking. It didn't exactly scream "perfect holiday dessert." As soon as it cooled I scooped the soft flesh into a bowl and let it chill in the fridge for a couple days while I tried to figure out what to do with it.

Eventually inspiration struck. I could put the squash through a food mill. That would catch the stringy, icky parts and keep them separate from the squash I could actually use.

I set to work with my mom's old food mill, a cone-shaped strainer with a wooden paddle. Soon bright orange squash starting coming out the tiny holes in the mill. I scraped it down into the bowl before setting to work on the next chunk of squash.

All the squash, even the parts that looked inedible, were smooth as custard by the time I was done. The more I handled the squash with my (very clean) hands, the more I marveled at the incredible texture of it. I'd never seen squash so smooth - except in those cans of pumpkin pie filling. Who know you could produce something so lovely at home?

Alas, I ran out of squash way too quickly. I scooped two-cup portions into freezer bags and packed them away. My squash weighed less than 10 pounds and yielded nearly six cups of can-perfect pie filling.

I have yet to actually try the squash, but I'm hoping it will continue to change my opinion about this vitamin-packed veggie. After Thanksgiving I'll post an update on how I do!

Which brings me to... a squash skeptic's five favorite ways to use winter squash:

1) Pumpkin Pie: This recipe from Martha Stewart Living includes chipotle chili powder, which makes an already-amazing pie recipe even better.

2) Apple-Cheddar-Squash Soup: from The Food Network. Sure, it has squash, but it also has good things too, like apples and cheese and potatoes. Smoked gouda is good in place of the cheddar too.

3) Winter Squash Risotto with Prosciutto, Hazelnuts and Sage: Originally from the Oregonian's FOODday section, one of the my favorite recipe resources. Don't scrimp on the hazelnuts. They really add a lot.

4) & 5) I admit I haven't tried these two recipes, but they come highly recommended by my friend who works at FOOD for Lane County. I'm sure they're good... if you like eating squash. Me, I may stick with mostly playing with it.

Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup
1 butternut squash
2 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 T. fresh ginger root, minced
6 c. water or stock
2 t. salt
Apple cider vinegar
Crème fraîche or sour cream
Toasted hazelnuts, chopped
Cut squash in half lengthwise and place on a rimmed baking sheet, cut side down, with water in the pan. Cook at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the squash is soft. Scoop out the seeds and set aside (seeds can be roasted later if desired). Scoop out the flesh and place in a bowl.

Heat butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger root and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the cooked squash, water or stock, and salt; bring to a simmer. Cook until the squash is tender enough to smash with a spoon, about 30 minutes.

Puree the soup with an immersion or upright blender. Ladle the soup through a strainer into a clean soup pot, discarding any bits of squash or ginger left behind.
Heat the soup through once more and season to taste, adding salt first and then the vinegar. Add the vinegar one-half teaspoon at a time; it will take a little more than 1 tablespoon.

To serve, ladle the soup into wide bowls and spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of crème fraîche onto each. Scatter a few toasted hazelnuts over the soup and serve immediately.

Stuffed Acorn Squash
1 acorn squash
2 c. chopped apples
1 c. roasted walnuts
1 T. maple syrup
2 T. melted butter
½ t. salt
Slice squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and place face down on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook at 375 degrees until squash is just tender, 25-40 minutes.
Combine remaining ingredients. Scoop filling into the center cavity and bake squash face up for another 10-15 minutes or until tender.

Tea Parties a Great Way to Entertain

In 2004 I took a temporary work assignment in England. I’d always imagined the British drinking a lot of tea, and it didn’t take me long to figure out why. I worked in an unheated warehouse throughout the winter, and guzzling hot beverages was about the only way of keeping warm.

Upon my return to the United States, with its heated buildings and obsession with fancy coffee drinks, my tea addiction fell out of habit. But the experience piqued my interest in tea and tea parties, and I still find this to be a terrific party theme.

If you want to host your own tea party, do what you can to personalize it to your guests’ interests. A teddy bear or Mad Hatter theme is fun for kids, while a garden or apron party may be better for adults.

Pay close attention to how you brew your tea. Black tea leaves should be placed in the cup or pot before boiling water is poured over the top. Green teas and white teas shouldn’t be brewed in boiling water or they can develop a bitter taste. Remove the water from its heat source before it reaches boiling, or let it cool a little before you steep the leaves. No matter what kind of tea you use, loose tea will provide more flavor than bagged tea, since the water can swirl all the way around the leaves.

Many traditional teas offer both savory and sweet snacks. Although they’re certainly not required, scones will make your guests think of jolly old England.

St. Patrick’s Day Scones are fairly traditional, although the dried fruit is an unusual touch. Leave the dried fruit out if you want to offer your guests jam and whipped cream for their scones, or substitute raisins or currants. Cranberry-Cornmeal Scones, on the other hand, are just different enough to leave your friends talking.

St. Patrick’s Day Scones
Makes 9 servings
2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
One pinch cinnamon
1/2 c. butter, cut into cubes
1/2 c. plus 1 T. milk, divided
2 eggs, divided
1/3 c. dried, chopped mixed fruit

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a fork or your fingers until mixture is crumbly. Add 1/2 c. milk and 1 egg and stir just until ingredients are combined. Add dried fruit and stir gently to combine.

Drop dough by 1/3 cup at a time onto ungreased baking sheet. Beat together remaining 1 T. milk and egg; brush over top of each scone. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Cranberry-Cornmeal Scones
Makes 8 servings
1-1/2 c. cornmeal
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. butter, cut into cubes
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a baking sheet; set aside.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a fork or your fingers until mixture is crumbly. Add milk and stir just until ingredients are combined.

Turn onto a floured cutting board. Sprinkle with cranberries and knead to combine. Transfer to baking sheet and shape into a circle approximately 7 inches in diameter. Cut into eight wedges and separate, leaving about one inch between wedges. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until scones spring back lightly when touched. Cool on a wire rack.

Slow Cooker Makes Dinner a Breeze

Fall is in the air. I hate to admit it, but I can feel it every morning when I open the front door. While I’m always sad to think about the lazy days of summer coming to an end, I do look forward to the warm, hearty meals that make their way back into my regular rotation.

With the kids going back to school and regular meetings starting back up, it can be tough to get dinner on the table fast. Once a week I usually put something in the slow cooker. It takes a little advanced planning the night before or in the morning, but it’s worth it to have a meal ready when I get home from work or on a busy weekend.

Slow cookers have been around since the 1960s. They use a heating element in the bottom to cook foods slowly and safely. They’re handy in the summer and early fall, since they won’t heat up the kitchen like the oven. They also use less energy than the oven, which is a plus for the budget conscious. Slow cookers can be used for anything from soups and stews to desserts such as cobblers and bread pudding.

Tough cuts of meat are great for slow cookers because they respond well to slow, lower temperature cooking. The next time you find pot roast on sale at the grocery store, buy it, cut it into cubes, and make Burgundy Beef. This was my mother’s go-to slow cooker recipe. The combination of soup and wine cooks into a rich gravy that’s delicious over brown rice or egg noodles.

Slow Cooker Ribs is another one of my go-to recipes. They’re cooked with a homemade barbeque sauce and a heap of onions, which get so soft they’ll melt in your mouth.

Most slow cooker recipes, including Bugundy Beef, do best if they’re cooked no longer than five or six hours. Left too long, the meat gets dry and the sauce overcooks. These recipes are best reserved for weekends or when you can run home on your lunch break. Slow Cooker Ribs, on the other hand, can be cooked for up to nine hours.

Burgundy Beef
Makes 8 servings
2-3 lbs. beef stew meat
2-3 t. oil
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 c. red wine
Cooked brown rice or egg noodles

Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown stew meat on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker.

Combine soup mix, soups, and wine. Fill one soup can with water; add to mixture. Stir well to combine, then pour over beef. Cook on low setting for 5-6 hours. Serve over cooked brown rice or egg noodles.

Slow Cooker Ribs
Makes 4 servings
1 T. oil
2 lbs. country style pork ribs
2 onions, sliced
1 c. ketchup
1 c. water
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. cider vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. ground mustard
1 t. salt
1 t. paprika

Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown ribs on all sides. Place half the ribs in slow cooker. Top with half the onions. Repeat layers. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over ribs. Cook on low setting for 8-9 hours.