One of my favorite things about teaching cooking is observing people’s discovery of a new food they’d previously dismissed as unappetizing.  At the beginning of class, I can see the skepticism on my students’ faces as I excitedly talk about how delicious leafy greens are.  But by the end of class, after a few hesitant bites, my students start to smile and nod at me as that flicker of realization occurs - they are actually enjoying them.

Feeding someone a meal that tastes wonderful is such a powerful way to inspire a new way of eating. While many people think that leafy greens are bitter - that only happens when they aren’t cooked properly. If cooked correctly, they actually taste kind of sweet. Here are some tips and two recipes for you:

SHOPPING for and COOKING with leafy greens:

1) A lot people may not realize that collards, kale, turnip greens and mustard greens are in season right now. While shopping, look for (organic, if possible) bunches with crisp leaves and a fresh green color. When determining how much you should buy, keep in mind that they will shrink by about 1/4 of their original size.

2) To clean them, give them a “bath” in a large bowl of cold water and keep rinsing them off until there is no dirt residue on the bottom of the bowl. Dry them in a salad spinner (if they fit) or towel dry well.

3) Remove hard stems and stalks by cutting or ripping them out.

4) The key is not to overcook or undercook them, otherwise they will taste bitter. I like how the author of an article on greens wrote, “The greens are just right when chewing a piece releases sweet juices in your mouth. If the color is gone or there is no flavor left when you chew it, they’ve cooked too long.” And likewise, if they are too fibrous and chewy, then they haven’t had cooked long enough. Try tasting them throughout the cooking process and let your taste buds guide you.

4. I tell my students to note when they turn bright green and then cook them for a couple more minutes - until they should start to wilt and soften. You can then drizzle them with a little vinegar - any flavor - which, counter-intuitively, makes greens taste sweet. One of my students would add an entire balsamic vinaigrette which was delicious. I usually just add tamari (a naturally brewed soy sauce).

5) Try adding other flavorful ingredients such as ginger, chilis, crushed red chili peppers, Indian spices - or, anything else you fancy. Leafy greens can easily be integrated into just about any cuisine.

One of my students created a great kale chip recipe which is the ideal way to introduce leafy greens to kids and/or picky adult eaters. I will also include my “standard” saute recipe for leafy greens - feel free to experiment and change it up.

KALE CHIPS

Preheat oven to 250° F. Rinse kale and dry it really well in a salad spinner or with a towel - so that it will crisp up in the oven. Discard stalks and rip leaves into small pieces that are a little larger than bite-sized since they will shrink when baked.

Spread them on a baking sheet  in only one layer so that they will cook evenly. Spray all pieces generously with a Misto Olive Oil Sprayer or drizzle with olive oil and gently toss. Sprinkle on kosher salt (don’t be shy with the salt) and bake for 15-20 minutes - or until all kale is crispy and dried out. Keep a careful eye on it since kale burns easily. Recipe by Chrissy Atkins ©2009

BASIC SAUTÉED GREENS

1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, sliced or diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large bunch greens (collards, kale, Swiss Chard, etc.), washed and dried
¼ cup of water
1-2 tablespoons of tamari (or soy sauce)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté them until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes (or longer to caramelize them). Stir them frequently - add a tablespoon of water if they start to stick and burn.

Stir in garlic to onion mixture and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add greens to pan and begin moving them around continuously until they turn bright green, about 5-8 minutes. Pour water over greens and cover with a lid. Once greens have wilted down to at least half their size, drizzle them with tamari. Sauté for another 2 minutes or so without the lid and remove from heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Serves: 3-4
Julie Negrin ©1998

Some people call it procrastination - I prefer the phrase, “working well under pressure.”

Still need a few gifts? Forget the bath salts and striped ties. Buy the gift that keeps on giving — giving you delicious meals that is! Cooking classes, kitchen tools and cookbooks won’t end up on a dusty shelf in the garage. They will help the entire family save money by not eating out and help everyone become healthier - and maybe even lose some weight. They also work as gifts for both genders and every age group.

Another advantage is that you can spend as little or as much as you want. Little kitchen gadgets work well for stocking stuffers and large electrical appliances means you only have to buy one present. The key is to make sure you are spending your money on worthwhile items because there are a lot of random tools on the market now.

Macy’s is having some amazing sales on kitchen equipment - it’s worth looking through the paper for coupons.

Kitchen Equipment

Here are some of the more expensive tools:
Cuisinart Food Processor - I like the 11 or 12 cup but there are other great options.

Kitchen Aid Mixer - Make sure you get the kind with the tilting head!

Chef’s knife - I recommend a Wusthof 8″ or check out Japanese knives as well. (Don’t bother with a knife set - all you need are 3 knives: a quality chef’s knife, a paring knife and a serrated knife.)

Medium-priced items:

Immersion Blender - I recommend Braun but this Cuisinart looks good too. (Try to spend at least $40 or more, otherwise the motor is weak and it takes forever to blend your soup or smoothie.)

Cookware - I like All-Clad pans and Le Creuset even though they are pricey - and also iron pans. Limit how much teflon/non-stick you use (I own only one omelet pan and one skillet and try to use stainless steel or iron pans as much as possible - iron will become nonstick if you properly season the pans).

Less expensive tools:

I’m not into a lot of gadgets so I only recommend items I really think are useful. Here are some inexpensive tools that could be combined for one big present or used for stocking stuffers. Williams-Sonoma has a great selection of small tools and they do some beautiful gift wrapping - for FREE.

Tongs, U-shaped peeler, strainer/colander, microplane zester (for peeling citrus skin and grating), steamer basket, manual juicer, salad spinner (to wash greens and fresh herbs), oven thermometer (since most ovens are not super accurate), pastry brush (the nylon or silicone ones last the longest), wooden spoon, slotted spoon, off-set spatulas, mandoline, grilling or baking tools, measuring bowls and cups, cutting board, or salt and pepper grinders.

Cooking Classes

Some classes in your area may be very reasonably priced. If you want to splurge, you could hire a private teacher to teach classes in the home. You can search online for cooking classes or chef instructors in your area.

Cookbooks

For those of you looking for a less expensive version of the private cooking teacher, I highly recommend purchasing cookbooks that offer lots of kitchen advice in additition to recipes.

Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making you a Better Cook by Jamie Oliver

The Competent Cook by Lauren Braun Costello

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking by Julia Child

The Americas Test Kitchen Family Cookbook by Daniel J. Van Ackere

Martha Stewart’s Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook by Matha Stewart

Fast Food My Way by Jacques Pepin

The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins

Betty Crocker Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, New Tenth Edition

Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition

For the gourmands who like learning about random food facts, check out The Deluxe Food Lover’s Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst  or Harold McGee’s On Food in Cooking.

I’m headed to the Hazon Food Conference in Monterey, CA next week where I will be teaching several sessions, so stay tuned for my next blog post in a couple of weeks. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I’m headed down to California this weekend to see my nieces and eat some latkes (potato pancakes) and chocolate gelt. Some of my friends are surprised that my health-conscious family and I partake in fried latkes - which we do, with our usual gusto for food! Many people don’t realize that oils are not necessarily bad for you and that if you deep-fry at the correct temperature, the food will soak up very little oil.

Fats have gotten such a bad rap over the years but it’s important to remember that they are an essential part of our diet. The key is to eat the right kind of fats - ideally, ones from plants - from quality sources and in very small amounts. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, especially the superstar omega-3 fatty acids, are best. Good sources are avocados, nuts, seeds, fish, and high quality oils. Animal products have the highest amounts of saturated fats which should be eaten sparingly. For those of you who have a hard time combining the words “good” and “fats” in the same sentence, I frequently remind my students that our obesity epidemic is not the result of overeating avocados and olive oil.

When possible, select unrefined oils that have been expeller pressed for maximum purity, nutrition and flavor. Sometimes refined oils are necessary for cooking at high heats and baking – try to buy them from reputable companies that disclose processing information on the label. It’s also worthwhile to pay extra for an organic brand to limit exposure to pesticides. And of course, always avoid anything with the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” as those are the harmful trans fats.

Oil should never be exposed to light, heat or air. Store them in a dark, cool cupboard away from heat and keep the lid on tightly in between uses. With the exception of olive oil and canola, it’s best to purchase oils in small quantities and refrigerate them as they are prone to rancidity.

Cooking latkes is a great opportunity for the entire family to cook together. For tips on making the best latkes, I went straight to the source, my Uncle Larry, King of the Latke.

He suggests using Yukon Gold potatoes and a few red potatoes which have a wonderful flavor and help make latkes crispy. He prefers to use sunflower oil because of its high smoking point but canola works too. The main trick is to keep the oil hot and deep. If the oil stays between 350ºF and 375ºF, (you can use an inexpensive candy thermometer to regulate the temperature) in a high quality frying pan, the latkes will soak up very little oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan! Otherwise, the temperature will drop too low.

When they are done cooking, use a slotted spoon to drop them onto a cooling rack that’s placed on top of a baking sheet covered with paper towels. If you place them directly onto the paper towels, they will get soggy.

Uncle Larry’s Crispy King Latkes

For those of you who don’t celebrate Hannukah, small potato pancakes topped with creme fraiche and smoked salmon make a great appetizer for holiday parties.

8 Yukon Gold potatoes
4 red potatoes
2 eggs (1 egg per 6 potatoes)
2 sweet onions (1 onion per 6 potatoes)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Wheat germ or matzo meal (for binding)
Sunflower or canola oil

Grate potatoes and onion by hand or in a food processor. Run the grated mixture through a strainer and press out excess liquid. Mix in eggs, wheat germ or matzo meal, salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a fry pan to 350º F. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a couple of potato strands in the pan. When they sizzle and rise to the top of the oil, it’s ready.

Place several scoops into the pan. Check them regularly - you may need to flip them more than once. Be sure to have a couple kids nearby to taste-test. Serve with toppings of your choice.

When you are finished frying, set oil aside. When it’s cool, pour used oil into a sealed container to dispose.

Preparation time: 1 hour
Serves 8
Recipe by Uncle Larry Jassen of Seattle, Washington

Uncle Larry’s tips to making latkes without stinking for days - it’s not very eco-friendly but it’s only once a year: We wear rubber gloves, shower caps, and throw-away ponchos which are placed into a sealed plastic bag for immediately disposable after the last latke is made.

For more tips and another fantastic latke recipe, check out Lauren Braun Costello’s recipe in the Daily News!

I’ll never forget the first time I made soup by myself - mostly because it turned out terrible. I diced some vegetables, threw them in a pot of water, added a bay leaf and simmered it for less than an hour. It tasted like absolutely nothing.

Fortunately, I’ve learned a few things since then and now it’s one of my favorite topics to teach. Here are a few secrets to making your soups turn out spectacular.

Caramelize your onions. This is one of my favorite tricks. I rarely make a soup without caramelized onions. It’s an easy way to add a rich and natural sweetness to your soups - with just a few cheap, Spanish onions. Caramelize sliced or diced onions by sautéing on low heat for at least 30 minutes - I usually cook them for a solid hour. Use a stainless steel pan rather than a nonstick and stir frequently. Add a little water if it starts to stick.

Make your own stock. Phenomenal stock can turn an ordinary dish into a exceptional meal. And likewise, crappy stock can ruin a perfectly good soup. If you can’t make your own, make sure you buy a quality brand. If I don’t have homemade stock, I use Imagine’s No-Chicken Chicken Broth or check out this article at Serious Eats for other store-bought options.

Use meat drippings, bones, and leftover vegetables. If you’ve browned meat, deglaze the pan by adding a little water and scraping off the drippings for your soups. Use bones and vegetable scraps for added flavor and nutrients.

Cook it the day before you serve it. Add enough liquid to cook it down on low-heat for at least a couple of hours - the flavors will become more concentrated. Store it in the fridge in a sealed container (after it’s cooled down!) for several days. The longer it sits, the better it tastes. Soup also freezes well - store it in dinner size portions for last minute meals.

Remember to salt! When I teach my students how to make soup, I also teach them how to salt properly. I have each of them taste the soup before I salt and then afterward so that they can taste the extraordinary difference. Salt makes all of the flavors “pop.” Use kosher salt or a high-quality sea salt.

Buy an immersion blender. The best invention ever - you can purée soups and sauces right in the pot. They are also great for smoothies.

I posted this recipe on my website awhile ago but wanted to share it again here on my blog. I taught this recipe recently and one of my students moaned as she ate it and said that it “tasted like pie.”

Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted garlic is totally underrated - it tastes like “butta” AND it’s good for you. I can’t tolerate heavy cream so I discovered that using whole milk plain yogurt adds just enough dairy fat to take soups to that next luscious level. Another tip: Start by roasting or sautéing your vegetables - it releases all of their succulent juices.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 head of garlic
1 jeweled yam
2 butternut squash (about 4 pounds total)

2 tablespoons butter (or omit and just use olive oil)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1-2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
8 oz. whole milk plain yogurt (omit if you want to make it vegan or pareve)
1 bunch chives, diced

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut ¼ inch off the top of garlic head to expose cloves, loosely wrap in foil, drizzle with olive oil and close up foil. Scrub yam well and pierce with a fork. With a very sharp knife, cut butternut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place butternut squash, flesh side down, garlic and yam on a lined baking sheet. Roast garlic, yam and squash until very tender, about 1 hour.

While vegetables are roasting, heat butter and oil in a medium or large stockpot. Add onions and caramelize over low heat for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. If the pan gets dry, add a few drops of water.

When vegetables are done roasting, peel and scoop flesh into stockpot with onions. Add stock, water, spices, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours – the longer it simmers, the better it will taste but you may need to add more water if it gets too thick).

Turn off the heat and add yogurt. Purée using an immersion blender, food processor or blender. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

This dish can be prepared 1-3 days ahead, just cool, cover and refrigerate. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. To serve, simply reheat.

Serves 8
Active time: 30 minutes Total time: 2 hours (or more)
Recipe by Julie Negrin© 2005

I’m working hard on my cookbook this week so I’m re-posting an old article but I have a new recipe on my site, Sweet Potato Pie with Gingersnap Walnut Crust which can be made gluten-free and dairy-free. It’s the kind of dish that you can’t stop eating….

Stay tuned for a new blog post in 2 weeks. Happy Holidays!

Cook Like a Pro for the Holidays

I love cooking for parties - but it’s taken a lot of trial and error to figure out how to do it without becoming a stress case. I also picked up a lot of great tips from the wonderful chef instructors I worked with in New York. The key is to be as organized as possible:

Choose the right recipes for entertaining. When searching for holiday recipes, look for dishes that can made ahead of time and easily reheated. Soups, grain and pasta salads, and many appetizers like hummus, bean dips, tzatziki, and tapenade taste better the day after they are made.

Talk to your host/hostess. If you are a guest at someone’s house, always ask your host what you should bring so there aren’t 15 pies for dessert (true story: I made 2 homemade pies – Pecan Pie and Apple Pie and when I arrived there were literally another dozen pies brought by guests). And make sure that your dish transports well and won’t be difficult to reheat if the oven is occupied. Better yet, bring something that can be served at room temperature.

Plan ahead. If you commit to making or bringing a certain dish, make sure you have a great recipe already on hand and the ingredients are easy to find. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had frantic friends emailing me for recipes at the last minute - it’s much more fun to cook when you’ve already taken care of the homework.

Shop and cook on different days. I rarely shop and cook on the same day - the only ingredients I’ll pick up at the last minute are items like fresh herbs, fish, or berries. I like to get all of my shopping out of the way as early as possible. I’ll buy pantry items a week ahead of time and gradually finish the rest of my shopping as my “Cooking Day” approaches. This strategy also means you’ll save money because you will have time to look around for the best prices. During Thanksgiving week, I try to avoid going to the grocery store after Monday.

Keep it simple. Even the most accomplished cooks get frazzled on the holidays. So, whether you’re a gourmet chef or novice cook, pick recipes that you are familiar with and that are easy to prepare. There are plenty of delicious dishes that rely on flavorful fall ingredients rather than complicated cooking techniques. Pick something that you’ll have a good time preparing - your guests will taste your enjoyment.

Find a sous chef. There are days where I really enjoy cooking alone and other times, I prefer company. It’s a great excuse to get together with a friend and be productive at the same time.

And for those of you who have guests who don’t eat poultry, here are some tips from writer, Kim O’Donnell on how to go Meatless on Thanksgiving!

I taught a double yesterday at Bastyr University - I was the substitute teacher for two cooking classes (combined with nutrition lectures).  In the kitchen, some of my students hesitantly approached me to ask basic cooking questions - and I had to assure them that no question was too trivial. As I mentioned in my last post, “Mr. Pollan, People Need Cooking Lessons,”  it’s difficult to learn how to cook from a piece of paper. And it’s even more challenging for a novice cook to be able to tell if a recipe is even worth making.

I’ve noticed that since the explosion of cookbooks and recipes on the internet, that it’s not always easy to find a truly well-tested recipe that turns out right. More accomplished cooks are able to adjust a vague recipe but new cooks just end up thinking they are terrible cooks - which I often hear about in class.

I’m the first to admit that it isn’t easy to write a recipe. I often end up editing the same recipe every time I teach it over the span of several years. I’m a pretty detailed oriented person but I still find it challenging to write a recipe that is clear, detailed, and gives enough information to follow it with confidence but not too much information that it feels overwhelming.

The good news it that I have collected a few tips on how to quickly review a recipe to see if it’s worth making. These days, nobody has the time or money to prepare a dish that doesn’t turn out well. I’m probably missing a few things here (inevitable) and will up editing this list several times…but here it goes:

1) Determine the source. There are some authors who always write solid recipes - the kind of recipes that you can cook for a dinner party even if you’ve never made it before (although this is not recommend for brand new cooks). I made a list that I rely on for guaranteed winners - please note that there are many, many other accomplished cookbook authors that could also be listed but I can’t fit everyone! (see list below)

2) Review the ingredients list and instructions. Are the ingredients in the order that they are mentioned in the instructions? Is there enough information so that you won’t be confused at the store (”4 - 6 oz salmon fillets, skin on” versus “4 salmon fillets”) or when you are preparing the dish (”3 medium yellow onions, diced into 1/4-inch squares” versus “3 onions, diced”) - a well-written recipe that has been tested several times will give you very specific information.

3) Details mean someone took the time to really test it. Does the author give you a preparation time and serving size? Does the time suggested look appropriate to the length of instructions? If the suggested prep time looks too short for the recipe length, I’m immediately skeptical about the entire dish. I’m also wary of recipes that don’t mention salt (preferably kosher or sea salt) or a salt alternative like soy sauce or miso. Salt is an important ingredient for almost every dish - even baked goods - and makes all of the flavors “pop.” (I also like seeing “freshly ground pepper” - I can’t live without it.)

4) Does the author give some background information or ideas on how to alter it? Extra information means that the author has made it several times and knows the dish well enough to offer you substitutions or alternate ways of preparing it.

5) You should be able to visualize it. Does the author recommend which kind of pan to use? The amount of heat? A detailed explanation on when to move to the next step? Ideally, you should be able to read the recipe and be able to visualize each step and the equipment you’ll need - even if you aren’t an experienced cook.

6) And finally, does it make your mouth water? Or do you look at the combination of ingredients and feel doubtful? I’ve heard many stories from students who said they thought a recipe looked “kinda weird” but made it anyway - and ended up being disappointed. Trust your instincts - they are your best asset in the kitchen besides your taste buds and sense of smell.

Check out the previous blog post down below for an example of a well-written recipe. It’s from The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown.

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My list of sure-fired cookbook authors (please note that there are many, many others that could easily belong on this list - I’m just offering you a few):

Martha Stewart, Mark Bittman, Julie Child, Mollie Katzen, Deborah Madison,  Alice Waters,  Tom Colicchio (I love his older Think Like a Chef cookbook), Ina Garten (again, love her older stuff), anything published by Cooks Illustrated, of course - and also, the magazine, Eating Well.  Two chefs I’ve had the pleasure of working with also write fantastic recipes and I love their cookbooks, Myra Kornfeld and Peter Berley. I also love collecting cookbooks from other countries when I travel…but that’s a whole other blog post….