A snow day

We had a snow day yesterday.  Some kind of big storm blew up the east coast and was alleged to drop a foot or more of snow all up and down the northeast.  Of course, the snowfall was much less than predicted and it was all over by late morning, but the snow was mixed with sleet and freezing rain which made shoveling twice as bad as it needed to be and made a really convincing argument for staying indoors.

So being indoors, I gravitated towards the kitchen, although initially with nothing particular in mind except making a batch of birdie bread (I’ll tell you all about that in another post).  What did seem reasonable would be to see if I could make something interesting out of those items in the fridge that were coming up on their “use-by” date.

First up were some oranges that were starting to get a little old.  The obvious first step would be to juice them but I didn’t just want to get a glass of orange juice.  What else?

How do you use cookbooks (how’s that for an abrupt transition)?  I used to look for specific recipes, bookmark them, and then follow them religiously.  After discovering Sally Schneider’s A New Way to Cook, my approach changed.  Now I look for patterns in cookbooks and use them as a place that provides me with a framework for improvisation.  One of my favorite cookbooks is  Get Saucy by Marisa Parisi.  Initially, it’s just a great cookbook with hundreds of recipes for different kinds of sauces but it’s also a guide for building a sauce and the word “sauce” can cover a wide territory, from classic Hollandaise to marinades to vinaigrettes to aiolis.

So these oranges suggested a possible vinaigrette.  I haven’t made an orange vinaigrette before, but I know how to make a good vinaigrette.  So I started with the juice from one of the oranges, which turned out to be just over 2 tablespoons.  Before proceeding, though, I also minced a tablespoon of shallots and tested a tablespoon of the orange peel.  Then I macerated (culinary jargon for soaked) the shallots in a tablespoon of lemon juice while I began to prep everything else.  I added a tablespoon of lime juice and a teaspoon of dijon mustard (I love mustard but it also helps the oil combine with the juices), and then a little salt and pepper.

To give the shallots a little more time, I measured out the olive oil.  The ratio should be 3 parts oil to one part acid and since I was using four tablespoons of acid (2 tbl orange, 1 tbl lemon, and 1 tbl lime), that means 12 tablespoons (or 3/4 cup) of extra virgin olive oil.  Added the shallots and lemon juice.  Then slooooowwwly drizzle the oil into the juices while whisking vigorously.  This allows it emulsify so the result is a thick vinaigrette with a complex sweet/soul/olive oil taste that can be used for dressing a piece of fish, steamed vegetables, or a salad. And I got rid of my aging oranges.

I kept going.  A couple of days ago, I had to open a can of diced tomatoes to help braise a piece of fish, but that left me with about 3/4 of a can of diced tomatoes I needed to use up.  I had some okra on hand I bought with the intention of sautéing them with garlic salt and red pepper flakes, but I could stew them just as well.  I heated some olive oil and added a diced medium onion and two minced garlic cloves.  After the onions were soft, I added the okra and sautéed for a minute to coat and then added the tomatoes, brought to a boil, reduced to simmer and covered.

After 20 minutes I checked what was going on and added 1/2 cup of white wine because it was getting a little thick.  After another 15 minutes, I tasted a piece of okra and it was soft but still had some bite, so I figured I was done.  Added a little salt and pepper, and then added a tablespoon of fish sauce for a little depth of flavor and wound up with a flavorful okra stew that used up both the partial can of tomatoes and some three day old okra.

Recipe – citrus vinaigrette

Ingredients

2 tbl orange juice

1 tbl lemon juice

1 tbl lime juice

1 tbl shallots, minced

1 tsp dijon mustard

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions

Add the minced shallots to the lemon juice and let them macerate for 10 minutes or so.  Whisk the orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, shallots, and mustard together. Slowly drizzle the oil into the bowl while whisking vigorously.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe – stewed okra

Ingredients

1 lb okra, cut into 1/2″ slices

12 oz diced tomatoes

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbl olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tbl fish sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions and garlic.  When the onions have softened (5-7 minutes) add the okra and sautée for a minute or two until the okra is covered with the flavored oil.  Add the tomatoes and wine, bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to simmer.  Start checking for doneness after 20 minutes.  The okra should be soft but should still have some bite and texture.  Once the okra is done, remove from the heat, add the fish sauce, and the salt and pepper.