What E-Scapes Me

I never get tired of making horrible puns in the titles of my blog posts. And today is no exception! I was at the farmers market a few days ago (yummy) and was perusing through a booth when I was informed of these lovely little green strings called garlic scapes. Garlic, but green and long? Say what? Well, since I'm a sucker for pretty much anything that has the word garlic in it, away I went with my little bag of them.



When I got home I figured I should probably do something with them. But what? A trip to Mr. Google revealed that scapes (the green shoot that comes up from garlic in the late spring) are a relatively new addition to most people's kitchens. They make great pesto (note to self for the future), steam well with other veggies, and are nice in stir fry. I figured they would go well with the snap peas I got at the market, so stir fry was decided, dinner was changed (from chicken with almonds) and into the pan they went.

The result? Well, first I tried them raw. Not so good. Great flavor, but really tough. So I sauteed them in my wok and gave them a bit of a quick pan roasting. I might have gone a bit too long on the flavor (they actually cook pretty quickly) and from now on Im treating them like green beans. But the flavor, oh the flavor was awesome. It's all the garlicky goodness without the big bite at the end. Even though the season is short, I plan on picking up some more of these tasty tendrils.

Spicy Chicken Stir-fry with Scapes and Snap Peas

1 pound chicken sliced thin
1 egg
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chili paste with garlic
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup peanut oil
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 pound snap peas, ends trimmed
1/3 pound garlic scapes or scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil or hot sesame oil (optional)

Combine the egg, cornstarch, and salt until smooth. Add to chicken in bowl or bag, marinate for 30 minutes. Combine the sugar, sherry, soy sauce, chili paste, hoisin, and water in a small bowl or cup and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Oil should be shimmering, or about 375°F. Add the chicken, stir frying until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Pour off all but about 1 1/2 tablespoons oil (you can pour out the oil and refrigerate for another later use). Add the ginger and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the scapes and peas, stir frying for about 2 minutes or until just starting to soften (I actually like to cover them for about 30 seconds of this process). Add the sauce followed by the chicken and stir fry until the chicken is warmed through. Add the sesame oil if desired. Serve over rice. Serves 4

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Increase Your Kitchen Carbonara Emissions

I am usually good at planning out my meals before I head to the store. However, from time to time I manage to screw something up, forget that I need to make dinner on a certain night, or I am just plain lazy. In these instances I turn to my pasta carbonara. Or the phone for pizza. But this is not about pizza, this is about pasta.

This recipe has a thousand variations. I started with Rachel Ray's because it literally helped to start the relationship with her husband. I mean, it must be good, right? And it is. Garlic, bacon, cheese and eggs not only make a great breakfast, they make a good pasta dish as well. And you can more than likely make the sauce in the time it takes to boil the pasta.

I prepare my carbonara in a pretty simple manor. Chop ingredients, cook bacon, mix remaining ingredients in bowl, toss pasta with bacon, add bowl ingredients to pasta, toss, and eat. More or less that is the recipe you will find below. I like mine pretty spicy, so I held back on the included red pepper flake. Same goes for the garlic. Adjust as you see fit. I also include a tempering step (adding a small amount of liquid to the eggs before adding to the rest of the ingredients). This will prevent the eggs from scrambling and giving you a nice, thick sauce.

Carbonara

1 pound spaghetti pasta

1/3-1/2 pound bacon, chopped
3 T olive oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
1 t red pepper flake
1/2 c white wine
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/2 c Romano or Parmesan cheese, shredded + extra for topping
1/4 c chopped parsley
salt and pepper

In a large pot, bring water to boil with copiuous amounts of salt and about 1 T oil. Boil pasta until slightly al dente. In the meantime, heat a skillet over medium high heat and add the oil. When hot, add the bacon and cook until slighlty crispy, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flake and cook for one more minute. Add white wine to pan to deglaze and let evaporate almost all the way down. Reduce heat to medium.

While bacon is cooking, in a medium bowl whisk the eggs, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add 1 ladleful of pasta water while stirring to temper the eggs. When the pasta is done, drain (don't rinse!) and add to skillet, tossing with the bacon until coated. Add the contents of the bowl to the skillet, stirring and tossing the pasta quickly until the eggs start to thicken and a sauce forms that will coat the pasta. Serve, using extra cheese to sprinkle on top.

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Meat + Ball = Meatballs!

In my humble opinion, most meatballs are given as bad a wrap as meatloaf. It's not like the name conveys deliciousness. I have run across meatballs that are big hunks of hamburger rolled up and dropped in sauce. I don’t call those meatballs, I call them a meatwad, and that's a cartoon character, not food.

I make meatballs in two ways, the nana Wolfe way, and the nana Gullotti way (girlfriend's side). This post will cover the latter because, frankly, I just finished eating one and the wonderful taste is still lingering. These meatballs differ in a few ways from your traditional meatball. Mainly in the sense that they are fried, pan-fried. While most meatballs find themselves being stewed in sauce, these take on a more crunchy texture. The result? A meatball that is good as a sandwich, with pasta and sauce, or out of hand. I kid you not; a cold meatball is a tasty snack.

The other variable in this equation of deliciousness is the garlic. I like a lot of garlic, which is why in the recipe I gave the 8-80 clove numbers. Yes, I am being extreme, but it's to make a point. Garlic makes this dish. I usually use anywhere between 10-12 cloves because I enjoy garlic in every bite. Hey, nowhere did I say these were breath friendly.

Meatballs

1 pound ground beef (85/15 or 90/10)
1 C Italian or seasoned bread crumbs
1 C grated Romano cheese
¼ C chopped parsley
8- 80 garlic cloves, chopped
small bit of water
2 eggs
1 T salt
2 t pepper
Peanut oil (for the frying)

In a medium skillet or cast iron pan, heat about 1 inch peanut oil over medium heat until it reaches a temperature of about 350°F. Try to maintain this temperature or just below it throughout cooking. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well. And by well, I mean with your hands. You have to roll them out anyway, so you might as well mix with your hands and do a good job. Roll portions (about 2oz) into large balls, making them slightly egg shape (this helps with even browning and cooking). Cook the meatballs in the oil until crispy on the outside and pretty much done on the inside (170°F for those of you with thermometers), about 4 minutes on each side. Drain over paper towels. Serve with pasta and tomato sauce, or just eat them as is.

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