Roasted Garlic Dime Bags

Okay so this pantry staple is not what you think it might be.  Thomas isn't making "garlic crank" to sell out in front of The Wooden Spoon here in Chicago, catering to hard-up chefs sans condiments. I came up with this idea a few years ago since we purchase a 4 lb bag of peeled garlic at Costco once a month and there are times when we don't finish it.


INGREDIENTS

3 lbs peeled, whole garlic
1/2 olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

PREPARATION

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place a 13x9x2 or deep dish pizza pan on the counter.

1. Place all ingredients - garlic, oil, salt and pepper, in the baking pan.

2. Cover with aluminum foil and place in oven on middle rack. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

3. Remove from oven and let cool slightly - about 15 minutes.

4. Place roasted garlic plus any oil in the pan in a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds until smooth.

5. Use a small spatula or a serving spoon and place about 3 tablespoons on a large square of plastic wrap (about 8" x 8". Twist bag and place in a plastic container (do not stack the dime bags).

6. Freeze and them remove from plastic container. Place in plastic zipper bag for storage up to 6 months.

Variation: use an old plastic or metal ice cube tray for freezing the roasted garlic paste, then place in plastic zipper bag.

Use in soups and sauces or thaw and blend with cream cheese and spread on crackers for hors d'oeuvres.

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Bolognese Sauce

Ok - here it is. This is one of the dishes that I am most known for with friends and family. If you have a Saturday afternoon where you want to putter around the house and also check in periodically on its progress, this is the recipe for you.

I don't make this during the summer months - too much work and too much heat in the kitchen.

Mom made great pasta sauce but would usually start with some Prego or Ragu that she doctored with ground beef, onions and spices.

Bolognese Sauce is enchanting - an Italian mistress that you can't ignore - rich layers of red wine, beef, pork, tomatoes - all in a beautiful body.

Ingredients:

2 large onions, chopped (should be 2-3 cups of onions)
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork (or a mix of beef/veal/pork)
2 cups red wine (dry red wine such as chianti, cabernet – no zinfandel!)
3 cans tomato puree (28 ounces each)
1 small can tomato paste
1 tbsp beef broth base – concentrated beef broth or veal demi-glace
1 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Black Pepper
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp chopped garlic (optional)
Various cooked meats - chicken breast, pork chops, Italian sausage (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a large (7-8 qt) dutch oven, brown the meats and then drain off the resulting grease.

2. Chop the onion and place in large dutch oven with oil and butter. Cook over high heat for 3 minutes or until soft. Add all the browned meat.

3. Add wine and cook for 1 minute – deglaze the pan. Add tomato puree and tomato paste. Add Salt and Pepper.

4. Bring to boil. Lower heat to a simmer – the sauce should bubble slowly for the next 3 hours. Stir occasionally = every 30 minutes.

5. If using garlic, add the garlic during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

6. If using sausage or other meats – sear them on all sides in a frying pan or on a grill and then add during the simmer stage. They must cook for 2-3 hours.

7. This sauce is best served with a corkscrew, cavatappi or orichette style pasta – no long pasta or tubes (ziti, rigatoni).

Photo: Bolognese Sauce by Pat Kight, Flickr

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Crab Legs with Five Pepper Oil

This is a Saturday night dish to serve with a good bottle of Gewurtztraminer wine, some garlic noodles (or fresh lemon pasta with reggiano parmesan) and plenty of napkins! I often double or triple the recipe when guests are over and place the whole pan on a turntable so everyone can dig in!

I never made this dish for Mom since I knew she couldn't tolerate the pepper oil. But it illustrates the confidence she gave me to go out and find unusual, unfamiliar ingredients and create my own dishes!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. frozen king crab legs

1/2 cup five pepper oil

2 bunches green onions, chopped - green parts only

1 bunch cilatro, chopped

1 large piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

25 cloves garlic, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

2. Place oil in large roasting pan and place in hot oven for 3 minutes to warm the oil. Do not let the oil smoke.

3. Add all the chopped vegetables. Return to oven and cook for 5 minutes.

4. While vegetables are cooking, snap crab legs at joint areas. Sometimes I even run a pair of kitchen scissors down the softer areas.

5. Add crab legs and toss in the oil/vegetable mixture.

6. Bake for 30 minutes and stir the crab every 5 minutes. Vegetables should not be dark - you may need to watch the oven closely after 20 minutes.

Serving:

This dish serves 2 - 3 with leftovers for lunch the next day. Or leftover crab can be removed from the shells and used in an omelette or scrambled eggs the next day.

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Garlic Soup

If there was one "staple" dish that I start making in the fall when the cold weather arrives, it is this one. This recipe originates in Spain and it is considered "peasant food" meaning it is rustic and usually served only in rural areas. This dish is so simple to make and all that is needed to go with it is some bread, cheese and wine. From start to finish, I can make this dish in fifteen minutes.

Ingredients:

20 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup good olive oil (extra virgin, imported)
1 tbsp paprika (sweet or smoked but not hot)
Pinch of saffron
1 14 oz. can tomatoes or 1 1/2 cup chopped fresh
6 cups chicken stock
2 eggs, beaten
Stale bread

Instructions:

1. Place garlic and oil in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes but do not brown the garlic - browning the garlic will make for a bitter soup.

2. Add paprika and saffron and cook for another 2 minutes. The mixture may stick to the saucepan.

3. Add tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.

4. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.

5. When soup is boiling, reduce heat, stir in eggs and return to simmer.

Serving:

Place a piece of stale bread in each bowl and ladle soup into bowl.

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