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Irish Soda Bread Recipe Collection

Over the years, I've collected some favorite recipes for Irish Soda Bread. 

Here from Epicurious is a simple, classic Irish Soda Bread recipe. It ran in Gourmet in 1991 and I think I still have the clipped page somewhere. This one is very close to the one I was taught by my Irish cousins.

An even simpler version is the one I've seen perpared on Rachel Allen: Bake. Ballymaloe Irish Soda Bread has just 5 ingredients for the basic bread and then dozens of ways to make it your own.

The real proof that anyone can make this type of bread is the fact that before he could cook anything else, Ed learned to make his favorite "super bread" as he called it. And, he used to make it almost daily! Here's the recipe for Ed's Super Bread also callled Brown Oatmeal Soda Bread.

Another version of an Oatmeal Soda Bread comes from Simple Recipes. I like the photos with this one because they give you a good idea of how the batter should look. Don't over mix!

Technique is a very important part of learning anything in the kitchen. Traditional ways of preparing foods with family recipes used to be handed from generation to generation. I remember my mother's cousin Sally showing me how to make the bread for dinner. 

Today, we have Youtube and some wonderful people who have had the foresight to capture the way things are done. I went looking for a video to include here and found a gem. It shows how to make a brown soda bread like the one above. But, I picked up some tricks from this lovely woman and I liked her son's commentary. Enjoy!

 

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Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2012 Penny Cherubino 

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Comfort Food, Ground Turkey Stew

Once one of us is on the mend from a cold and ready to move on from chicken soup, I like to make a big pot of my Ground Turkey Stew. It's hot, filling, comforting, and gets better after a day in the refrigerator.

As with most stews, the exact quantities are not set in stone, you can double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd. You can add other vegetables if you like. You can leave out anything you don't like.

It starts with one package of ground turkey – whatever type you like. For my version you'll also need: Bell's Poultry Seasoning, salt, pepper, olive oil, 1 medium onion, 3 stalks of celery, 4 medium potatoes, 4 medium carrots, 14 ozs. of low sodium chicken stock, frozen peas, parsley, and 2 scallions.

• Saute the chopped celery and onion in olive oil in a big pan.
• Remove the onion and celery and brown the turkey in the same pan adding more olive oil if your turkey is very lean. Season the meat with 1.5 teaspoons of poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Break up the turkey into bite size pieces. (I often use a potato masher to break up ground meat like this.)
• Peel and slice the carrots and potatoes into bite-size pieces. If I use red potatoes, I scrub them and leave the peels in place.
• Return the celery and onion mix to the pan, add the chicken stock, carrots, and potatoes.
• Cook until the potatoes are done. Adjust the seasoning with another 1.5 teaspoons of poultry seasoning (or more if you like) plus salt and pepper. 
• Add frozen peas and stir in until thawed and warm.
• At this point, I usually pick out and mash a few pieces of potato and stir them into the pan to thicken the broth. 
• Add sliced scallion and chopped parsley as a final fresh layer of flavor.

Let us know if you try this dish, and tell us how you adapted it to make it your own. 

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Penny Cherubino 

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

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10 Tips for Shepherd's Pie

Some of the new versions of Shepherd's Pie turning up lately are inspiring me to add more of these homey casseroles to our menu. Today, I'll share some of my tips for making my traditional lamb version.

There are as many recipes of this as there are cooks. I don't really follow a recipe, I just make it! But here's a basic version from Alton Brown, and a historic version from Williamsburg, if you prefer measuring and following directions. 

We like to grind our own meat but you can cube it, buy it ground, or make the dish with leftover lamb. Good old Wikipedia says that the term shepherd's pie or cottage pie was in use as early as 1791 and was a way to use up leftovers. You'll also see many variations for this type of dish listed at that link. 

  

Like so many homey dishes, this one begins with sautéed onions and garic. 

Tip 1: For a lamb pie, I add some rosemary and thyme to the mix.

Tip 2: Of course, I make extra garlic and onions for another day or use some of my Cooks Treasure: Sautéed Onions & Garlic from the last time I cooked up a batch. 

Next, put in the ground lamb and sauté it, adding a bit of wine and then stock to make a nice, rich gravy for your dish. 

Tip 3: Up to this step, you can also double or triple your meat mix and then freeze the excess for another pie on another day. I don't like the result when I freeze a completed shepherd's pie but freezing the meat works well and takes up a lot less space in my small freezer.

Tip 4: I learned to add a layer of carrots to my shepherd's pie from the wonderful crew at Angel Foods in Provincetown. They make their version in a loaf pan if that works better for you.

Tip 5: To avoid cleaning an extra pan, I drop a sieve full of carrots right into the pot where the potatoes for the mashed-potato-topping are boiling away. 

   

Tip 6: Just before I spoon the meat into my buttered casserole, I add a healthy sprinkle of frozen peas. The heat from the meat will thaw them most of the way and the time in the oven will finish the task. Plus, by adding them frozen they don't overcook. 

  

Tip 7: You can lighten the calorie-count in mashed potatoes by mixing in only a small amount of butter along with as much 2% yogurt, as needed, to make them creamy and rich tasting. In the photo on the left, you see me adding some of the boiling liquid from the potatoes to make them flow well and heighten the potato taste. 

Tip 8: Adding a handful of chopped chives or scallions to the potatoes will enhance both color and flavor.

Tip 9: Layers not only make your dish prettier, but also assure that everyone gets a bit of everything in each serving.

  

Tip 10: Grate your cheese (mine was a Cabot Cheddar) onto a piece of parchment or wax paper to avoid a mess and to make it easy to spread across the dish. 

Bake your pie until the top is golden, serve it up, and enjoy. Then, think about what you'd like to try as your next version of shepherd's or cottage pie. My plan is a vegetarian version with roasted root vegetables in place of the meat, and a tradtional Irish Fish Pie.

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Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2013 Ed Cherubino 

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

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Lamb Burgers from Our New Meat Grinder

After breaking in a our new LEM Electric Meat Grinder making a batch of raw food for our puppy, its second outing was all for us as we turned a piece of lamb into lamb burgers.

(Note: With our tiny kitchen we opted for a smaller, lighter grinder not suited to grinding bones for dog food. We have the bone portion of Poppy's food – chicken backs and necks – ground at Mayflower Poultry where they can grind up whatever you like for your dog's or cat's Bones and Raw Food or B.A.R.F. diet.)

 

We decided to go with a coarse grind so the burgers would have more bite to them. And, I had trimmed the meat fairly lean because I'm not always a fan of the flavor of lamb fat. 

 

A drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper prepared them for cooking.

Then, into a pan where some onions, garlic, and rosemary had been cooked. There the patties quickly turned into wonderful, sizzling, crusty lamb burgers – freshly ground at home and safe to enjoy medium rare the way Ed likes his. 

We'll try to get finished product photos the next time because the aroma distracted us and bites were taken before hands could be cleaned and cameras focused. 

Next project? Lets just say we already have sausage casings on hand.

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Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Cook's Treasure: Sautéed Onions and Garlic

Thanks to David Leite, author of The New Portuguese Table, I don't take half an hour to sauté onions and garlic each time I start a dish that calls for that as part of its base.

He even includes a recipe for them in his book. And thanks to this brilliant tip, I follow his guidance and have cook's gold waiting for me in the refrigerator later in the week.

Mine go into a mason jar ready to whip up into a hash, pasta sauce, shepherd's pie, sausage and peppers, steak with mushrooms and onions, and so on.

I smile just knowing they are sitting there waiting for me to create something delicious.

By the way, the rest of The New Portuguese Table is equally wonderful and certainly a book I recommend adding to your collection. 

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Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013  Ed Cherubino  

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

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American Chop Suey, a New England Tradition

This is a traditional time of year, so why not make a big pot of this area's American Chop Suey. I like to have old fashioned, comfort food around when life gets busy. This is also a great dish to feed a crowd or to bring to a pot luck.

If you follow the tips you've learned from watching food shows, you can add a note of refinement – a je ne sais quoi – to your version of this hearty dish.

For example, I started this batch with this recipe from Saveur Magazine. I love their addition of crushed, red pepper flakes and cinnamon. Neither one of those was in my family's version.

I used red pepper instead of green. And, after I browned the beef, I used some white wine to deglaze the pan and capture all that lovely caramelization. For macaroni, I did use elbows but I selected the elbows with ridges and a bit of a twist because they seem to hold on to the sauce and meat better than smooth ones.

When we have a stock of something like this in our refrigerator, we are most likely to pop some into a bowl and microwave individual portions. This is a great option if you have a bunch of different schedules to accomodate or some big appetites home for the holidays. A meal for some of us can be a between meal snack for others.

But, if you're feeding holiday guests and want a different look for this dish on day two, put a twist on tradition. Bake this pasta under a blanket of cheese and breadcrumbs and present it with a golden, cripsy top and a melty, cheesy layer.

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Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

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Scared of Celeriac?

There are two types of reactions to a basket full of celeriac at farmers’ markets. You’ll see smiles from the lovers of this variety of celery that is grown for its delicious root, and curious stares from those who have never tried this ugly, hairy, warty root vegetable. 

Describing the Taste

One of the best descriptions of the taste of celeriac comes from Jack Staub, author of “75 Exciting Vegetables for Your Garden ” in a piece on NPR.org, “When peeled, celery root's creamy white flesh resembles that of a turnip and tastes like a subtle blend of celery and parsley.”

 

Stews, Soups, and Beyond

If you think about that flavor profile, you can see how well celeriac would fit into hearty winter stews and soups. But, don’t stop there. Think of what it could add if grated with cabbage, and carrots to make a coleslaw. 

The French have their famous slaw-like dish of céleri rémoulade. They toss matchstick julienned celeriac with a dressing of mustard, mayonnaise or crème fraîche, and the chef’s favorite seasoning. There are as many recipes as there are cooks and in France this is found in every corner shop.

Now, imagine celeriac boiled with potatoes and turned into a wonderful mash using chicken stock instead of cream or milk as your liquid addition. 

And, as celeriac goes from frog to prince status in your kitchen, consider giving it a starring role. Staub suggests cutting it into French-fry-like batons, boiling it until tender, draining it well, and then returning it to the hot pan with some butter, herbs, salt, and pepper. 

Good for You & Fun Too!

A cup of naked celeriac only contains 42 calories. It has no fat and is low in cholesterol. On the plus side, it’s high in fiber, vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and is a very good source of vitamin C and phosphorus.

It also stores far better than its cousin celery. In root cellar condition, it can last for months. And a stock of celeriac in your freezer will allow you to add that celery undertone to many dishes on days when the celery in your crisper is past its useful life.

 

As for the fun factor, I often wish I had a Mr. Potato Head kit when I have a celeriac bulb on my counter. Imagine the scary faces you could create with one of these!

Celeriac Tips

• When shopping, the often cited, “pick one that feels heavy for its size” works for celeriac. 
• As you are working with it, water acidified with a good squeeze of lemon juice will keep it from turning brown. 
• Pick young, tender celeriac to serve raw and save the older, larger ones for cooking.
• Keep it from drying out to extend its life. Wrapping in newspapers and storing in a cool place will extend its freshness.
• Celeriac is knobbily so cut off both ends before you try to peel it. This will help it sit safe and steady on your cutting board while you slice off the peel in strips from top to bottom with a sharp knife.

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Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino (From her Fresh & Local newspaper column)
Photos: ©2012 Cherubino 

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

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