THE "FOOD-OGRAPHPY" OF A VERSATILE COMFORT FOOD

Whenever I prepare Grits at work, the customer reaction is divided, predictably, along the Mason-Dixon Line. Those from the South get a far away look in their eyes and blissfully recall childhood memories of mother, grandmother and home. Those from the North invariably make an unpleasant face and say, "No thank you, I am not a grits person"!

On the other hand, when Polenta is on the menu, the Northerners (and especially Italians) love it and those from the south ask what it is.
Polenta and Grits are one and the same: cornmeal mush! They are both often treated in the same culinary fashion as well!


Grits can be made from yellow or white cornmeal (for some reason Southerners seem to like white corn a lot); it can be served for breakfast alone or with butter and/or cheese or sweetened; it can be chilled and fried or seasoned and served with a shrimp or another savory concoction for dinner. Atlantans love Shrimp and Grits, Carolinians and other Southerners seem to prefer more traditional preparations (from my experience listening to them at any rate).


Polenta, an Italian staple, is now usually made with yellow cornmeal. It is a descendant of Pulmentum, an ancient Etruscan and Roman puls or cereal made from wheat, barley or possibly millet. Corn was most likely not introduced until the time of Columbus and the discovery of the New World in the 16th Century, although it may have come as early as the Crusades. Corn is still called granturco in Italian. Latin pulmentum became Italian Polenta.

Needless to say, there are many varieties of  Polenta throughout the world, and this is no place to write an exhaustive treatise on the subject, but I will mention 2 more items of interest (at least to me!).
Polenta Taragna is polenta made from buckwheat flour and it may predate corn polenta as buckwheat came into Italy with the Saracens in the 9th century. It is still called Saracena in Italian and Sarrasin in French. Polenta Taragna is a hearty polenta appropriate to the Alpine area where it is a specialty. I sampled it at a friend's (Rosario) family home in Valtellina with some wonderful local cheese called Bitto..but that is another story! Grazie Rosario e Rosaria!!


Back to cornmeal polenta..it too can be served for breakfast with cheese or butter, chilled, sliced and fried or combined in many ways with sausages or sauces. In fact it is often used in place of pasta in lasagne. 


In a recent conversation with a friend about garlic (yes, deep and meaningful conversations about garlic is part of the Dyson family tradition!), he recalled a garlicy beef dish from his family, served with mamaliga, the Lithuanian and Romanian version of polenta!  It seems you will find some form of polenta or grits all over the world, wherever corn is grown.

No matter what the name,  or how it is served, it offers comfort and is delicious or delicioso!

Here we are cooking for one. Stirring a large pot of cornmeal until it is creamy is probably not going to happen very often. So we are going to compromise. You can still enjoy the pleasure and nutrition of grits or polenta.
Grits do not take too long to cook, and there are "quick cooking grits" (avoid the instant variety if possible) available. Polenta comes prepared and can be purchased in a tube in the grocery store. I get an organic variety from SunCoast Organics, and here are a couple of ideas which  I have recently prepared easily on a work day.

POLENTA WITH FAIRYTALE EGGPLANT AND MARINARA
2-3 fairytale eggplant (about 1-2 cups ) sliced
2 garlic cloves
extra virgin olive oil
premium marinara sauce (in a jar or your own)
1 Italian sausage (optional)
sliced polenta to fit baking dish


Heat the oil in a skillet, add eggplant then add the garlic put through a press.
Add marinara sauce to skillet and pour all over the polenta in the baking dish.
Bake at 400 until hot and bubbly. Serve with cheese or top with slices of mozzarella 5 minutes before removing from oven.


If using sausage, grill or cook in skillet, slice and add to eggplant mixture. You can also add fresh basil or parsley if you have it.

FRIED POLENTA WITH FRUIT AND MAPLE SYRUP
There is no recipe for this. Just slice the polenta, saute it in a little butter or canola oil or bacon fat. Top with fruit and warm maple syrup.
I use fruit in season. Berries are used in the picture, but you can saute apples with cinnamon, use bananas and nuts, peaches, etc. Use agave syrup or honey or just some powdered sugar. It's all a delight, and I always feel better than if I've eaten a big pancake, but just as satisfied!
Nutritionally polenta has no fat, a good amount of fiber and some protein. It is a little higher in sodium than pasta or wheat, but somehow is easier to digest.

As for the grits, I have no photo, but I did serve Shrimp and Grits to my husband for breakfast one morning. We were used to a Yankee breakfast of fishcakes with bacon and baked beans, so it did not seem too odd.
We both enjoyed it and I'll toss in a photo if I ever make it again.


The recipe called for grits cooked in stock and cream with butter, topped with shrimp sauteed in bacon fat, with onions, garlic and peppers.
If you're from the North and want to make it Italian..just top polenta with shrimp scampi and bacon!!
Good Eating! (wherever you're from)
 
 

AN OLD YANKEE TREAT: FRIED GREEN TOMATOES..REALLY!!

Well, I'm a few months into cooking on my own and my fridge is still overcrowded with food and little bowls of sauces and other concoctions I plan to use SOMEHOW, but all in all I am making progress and am certainly eating well!! More on the progress in another post.

Now, I'd like to digress to my recent visit to my girls in Boston, a wonderful trip down memory lane with friends, great food, some new friends, and an unlikely recipe idea for a quick, but interesting "alone" meal.

Boston

When I dine out, I like to order foods which I will most likely not prepare at home. There are often so many tempting menu choices, it is difficult to choose, but the one criteria, in addition to what I feel like eating, is whether or not I could or would prepare it at home.  Many delicious sounding items are not selected because they would be so easy to make at home. I write the menu descriptions on a scrap of paper and often try to create these dishes in my kitchen later. My preparation may differ from what the original chef intended, but, once again, I get to eat exactly what I like! Frankly,there are sometimes unpleasant surprises lurking behind those yummy descriptions when they arrive at your table! 

For me, the point is that dining out not only provides an enjoyable event, it also serves as inspiration for future meals.

Such was the Channel Cafe in Boston. It's a cute little cafe tucked away in an art gallery. The kind of place you could find in SOHO 30 or so years ago, before it became "chic". The food is honest and creative, but casual. My daughter, Emily, and I met Allison, a dear family friend for lunch at the Cafe on my last day in Boston.
One of their sandwich selections caught my eye. At first, I thought it was an unlikely offering for a Boston restaurant. On second thought, however, I remembered what I did each October or November, when the unripened tomatoes in our garden were still on the vines with no hope of staying there alive until they ripened.

Yes, the Fried Green Tomato and Chile Lime Sauce on Whole Grain Bread BLT suddenly not only sounded delicious, but also made sense in a Boston Cafe in November!

Boston

My husband, whose roots are true "Yankee", (the family possesses a Revolutionary War rifle and there is a question of Josiah Bartlett, a New Hampshire ancestor, being a signer of the Declaration of Independence) taught me how to make Fried Green Tomatoes! 
His grandmother, Edna Bemis Bartlett, used to make them for him in Pepperell, MA when he was a boy and he loved them.
They were coated with cornmeal, or maybe a little flour and fried in oil or bacon fat! Sound familiar?? An old New England fall tradition; yes, it was!
I used to add some herbs and breadcrumbs to the mix as I had no regional or family compunctions about altering recipes. Sometimes I would add garlic powder to the mixture as well. Heresy, I am sure, but mighty tasty! They were always delicious and often a breakfast staple at our house in the late fall, early winter.


I did not order this sandwich at the Channel Cafe since it obviously fell into the "I can make this at home" category, but, of course jotted it down, as a potential future meal when I returned to my "Southern" home!

BLT WITH FRIED GREEN TOMATOES and CHILI LIME MAYO: A Southern Yankee Southwest Treat

Thick sliced Smoked Bacon (2 slices per sandwich)
Sliced Green Tomatoes (2-3 per sandwich)
Cornmeal and Panko breadcrumbs, mixed
Garlic powder and dried herbs such as Oregano or Herbs de Provence
Salt and Pepper
1/2 lime for juice
Mayonnaise (commercial or homemade)
Dash of Chipotle chili sauce, or Cholula Chili Garlic Sauce to taste
Leaves of Romaine or Boston Lettuce
Sliced whole grain bread of choice ( I like Publix Omega 3 Whole Grain Bread) A real Yankee would most likely chose Anadama Bread*

 Mix the cornmeal with panko and season as desired.
You can dip the tomato slices in beaten egg, and then flour, but I prefer to simply coat them with the crumbs..they taste a little lighter.
Cook the bacon until crisp and reserve a little of the fat in the skillet.
Fry the coated tomatoes for a few mintues on each side in the hot bacon fat.
Blend the mayonnaise with lime juice and chili sauce.
Toast the bread.
Assemble the sandwich: Spread the seasoned mayo on the bread, top with lettuce, fried tomatoes, and bacon slices. Enjoy!!

*Anadama Bread is a yeast bread made of molasses, cornmeal and flour. There are several myths and stories about it's origins, mostly on the North Shore of Boston. It is DELICIOUS and I miss it dearly!!

WHAT'S FOR DINNER? SALMON AND TATSOI

This blog may turn into "what I ate for dinner last night"! I am passionate about food and eating, so when people ask, "You mean you cook all that for yourself?", I respond, "Of course!". 

Cooking for others brings lots of satisfaction, and sharing, breaking bread communally, is most certainly a special joy. In fact, that is most likely the underlying reason for this blog...the need to share. My husband, my best friend, and I can no longer share our meals and inner most thoughts, so bringing them to my friends and others is now a comfort.

But, why would one NOT have the "I'm worth it" attitude expressed in a popular TV ad, when it comes to preparing delicious and healthy food for oneself??   If you love good food, you should lavish it on yourself daily, and enjoy! 
What pleasure is there in eating something that is unappetizing and unhealthy just to stay your hunger? Good food is so much more than easing hunger pangs. It is nourishment for the body and soul; it is history, it is tradition, it is family, love, a bond between you and nature, it is magical and pure delight. Most certainly it is worth a little effort to bring all that into your life!

I am a carnivore and I adore seafood of all types (having lived for many years in the historic seaport of Gloucester, MA makes that preference unremarkable!). Veggies, however, are my favorite. Just looking at them brings me delight and drives my culinary engine.

Quantity is still the biggest challenge in cooking on my own. Honestly, my fridge is still dotted with bits of this and that, but I am earnestly working on a pattern of devising ways to transform the extras into something exciting while learning to cook in smaller quantities.
With all this in mind, here is what I made for dinner last night and even the memory of it this morning made me happy!

Beautiful, dark green, spicy, sweet Tatsoi was in my veggie box from SunCoast Organics this week. Salmon immediately came to mind as a colorful, healthy pairing with this gorgeous green. The dinner plan began to take shape.


Tatsoi is an Asian green, so an Asian preparation is the logical choice. Salmon also shines in an Asian transformation..then there were those wonderful organic chiles sent to me by a friend..Thai was the only answer!!  Here is the recipe for my Salmon and Tatsoi Thai Style dinner. I used what I had on hand and I am learning that doing so is the secret to not being overwhelmed with a plethora of ingredients cluttering your pantry and refrigerator. Note , I said, LEARNING. The process is gradual!

Beautiful Tatsoi with Thai Sauce and Carrot Garnish

THAI STYLE SALMON AND TATSOI

1 bunch Tatsoi, washed and sliced

1 shallot or 2 tablespoons red onion, chopped

1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the shallot and cook for about a minute. Add the tatsoi and cook until slightly wilted.

Thai Style Sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

1 garlic clove, large, minced

1/2 tablespoon ginger paste or minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon lemongrass paste (optional)

1 small dried chile, crushed or a small fresh chile, minced

1 tablespoon water

Stir all ingredients together.

1/3 -1/2 pound salmon fillet  (or other fish of your choice)

Brush salmon with olive oil and season as desired. I had a Penzey's Bangkok Seasoning, but salt and pepper, paprika is fine.

Grill or sear and roast until just opaque. You can have the fish skinned, but the skin helps to keep it moist and is easily removed when cooked.

Place fish on top of tatsoi on plate and drizzle with sauce.

I completed my meal with some noodles cooked with sliced green beans and carrots, seasoned with sesame oil and soy and some sliced avocado and carrots with a little of the Thai sauce and black sesame seeds.  Voila! A gourmet meal in 30 minutes.

Memorable

 

 

 There was a little sauce left over for another salad of cucumber, and whatever, maybe with a little sliced beef. There was also a little tatsoi left, wilted. I will try to incorporate that into a pasta or soup which is not Asian for a different twist.

Tonight though, I'm tired, and planning to have some gooey Camembert on crusty wheat bread with a sliced tomato and some wonderful green beans with Shitakes, Walnuts and Walnut Oil (again, thanks SunCoast Organics!)

Bon Appetit!

DEDICATION, FIRST THOUGHTS, RENEWED INSPIRATION

This blog is dedicated to my dear husband, Bob, the kindest, smartest, and most devilish man I have ever known! I wish he were here with me now, sharing all the good things I will prepare in our kitchen as we always have in the past. He is still my inspiration.

I love you always

Granted, there are challenges in cooking for one, but on the plus side, you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want and wherever you want. A three-course gourmet meal when you're in the mood, or a PBJ and a bowl of ice cream when you're not. No one will care but YOU!!  So, let's try to find ways to enjoy this freedom.

Now for the down side; it includes tired left-overs in the fridge or freezer, spoiled, untouched food purchased in a fleeting pique of enthusiasm, and searching for grocery products to buy which do not qualify as a "lifetime  supply". 
Friends and charitable donations can help here. Share your dinners by inviting a friend or packaging it up as a gift for someone who works and cannot always cook. Split the cost of groceries or other household items which come in large quantities with someone when possible. Donate the extra "bogo" item to a food bank or a homeless person and buy from bulk stock when you can. 

I am fortunate that I can order my veggies fresh every week and have them delivered. The quantities are reasonable and they last the week because they are so fresh (thank you, SunCoast Organics). Often, though I must curb my enthusiasm and curtail my order to what I know I can reasonably consume. There is a nice variety and often uncommon selections, so I never get bored!

Many of you who have been alone for some time probably do all this, but it is new to me and each step is a discovery that I want to share when possible.  I try to create different dishes out of the food I have on hand, rather than make large quantities of one item which is always in danger of becoming forgotten in the freezer or forsaken after being consumed for several days in a row!

Swiss chard or spinach can be used steamed one night, in risotto or pasta another, and as a great addition to soup on another occasion. I recently added some chard and arugula (small amounts left from other uses) to a potato soup with great success. They added spiciness, color and nutrition. What more can you ask for??

The recipes for this blog will not be as precise as my others. I want to help singles use what food they have, creatively, to eat well and have fun cooking for themselves. Substitutions and your own creative ideas would be welcome as comments and help us all.

 

SWISS CHARD RISOTTO

3 nice swiss chard leaves

approx. 4 cups chicken or veggie stock, heated

1/4 cup dry white wine (ex. Pinot Grigio)

3 tablespoons butter

1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, red or yellow, chopped

1/2 cup Arborio rice

grated parmesan or grana

Slice the chard into chiffonade (ribbons) and chop the stems if using (they make a nice crunch in the risotto. If you want it soft and smooth, discard them).

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sturdy pot and add the shallot or onion sauteing until translucent.

Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and let it evaporate.

Then, slowly add the stock, about 1/2 cup at a time and cook until each addition is mostly absorbed, stirring often.  When the rice is partially cooked, add the chard and continue to add stock, stirring as you go. When the rice is still firm to the bite (al dente) and there is a creaminess in the pot, remove from the heat and add cheese and another tablespoon of butter. I like to add a quick grate of nutmeg also. Serve with extra cheese if you wish.

YUM!

IF there happens to be some leftover, you can make "patties" out of it and it's a great side dish or (ahem!) I like it for breakfast :) ...sorry Rosario!hope we're still friends!!

Try adding some mushrooms or sun dried tomatoes if you have them and substitute smoked gouda or mozzarella cheese for the parmesan. A fresh herb is also always a nice addition if available..basil or parsley especially, but not necessary.

I'm glad to be back..my camera and writing need some dusting and polishing, but my heart is still here. 

Always, The Happy Cooker, gina