The biggest events in the world of sports are often accompanied by great food. Among other things, I’ve made gumbo, finger food, and thrown together a pot of chili using no particular recipe. Chili is one of my favorite things to make because it’s easy to put together and, cooked low and slow, the longer you cook it the better is tastes. It’s also fun to make because the nuances of flavor you can get are subtle, deep, and unique. It’s no wonder that competitive chili cooks are so protective of their recipes.

After helping my friend Tim move a piano across state lines, his wife, Cami, treated us helpers to a terrific lunch of Swamp Club Chicken Chili. The recipe comes from the original owners of the Swamp Club, a restaurant/night club in the Cleveland suburb of Solon that enjoyed it’s biggest success in the 90′s. Over the years the same location was home to Eugene’s, Sapphire Grille, and Allure. The building is gone now, razed during development of new retail space, but this dish from the Swamp Club lives on.

Here are the ingredients:

Brown the ground chicken in the olive oil until it is no longer pink. Since the chicken contains very little fat, you may have to add  little more oil. Eye-ball it and add additional oil sparingly. The chicken will not separate as well as ground beef does, so if you want a fine-grained texture to the meat, use a pastry cutter or a large fork to break the chicken into smaller pieces. Once browned, remove the chicken to a mixing bowl, leaving as much liquid as you can in the pan. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the chicken to the pot and add the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for at least two hours, stirring occasionally.  Serve over bow-tie pasta and top with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

Except for the pasta, I made this entirely in my 6 1/2 qt. Dutch oven. And since we were having friends over to watch part of the big game, I had to also keep the pasta fresh for a while. I did this by cooking it until it was slightly underdone, shaving 30 seconds to 1 minute off the recommended cooking time. I drained the pasta using a strainer and retained a few cups of the pasta water to put back into the original pot. Drizzled the cooked pasta with a little olive oil and tossed to coat to prevent the pasta from sticking. I then set the pasta-filled strainer on top of the original cooking pot, covered it, and set the heat to low so the water was just below a simmer. The small bit of steam from the heated water kept the pasta moist and warm without cooking it further. Just remember to keep checking the water so your pot doesn’t go dry.

What I like about this recipe is that it offers traditional chili flavors with a southwestern/Cincinnati chili influence. The textures offered by the main ingredients and the contrast of the pasta differentiate this chili from the norm. The heat is just right, noticeable, but not overpowering, and the coriander adds that little extra something that you can’t quite define but are glad to enjoy. And like most one-pot dishes, it was even better the next day.

Got a favorite chili recipe? I’d love to hear about it!

Rub your temples, immerse yourself in thought, and marinate on this: The best way to impart amazing flavor to your food is to do stuff to it before you cook it.  The list of stuff you can do includes three of the most common methods to boost flavor: marinating, rubs, and brining. While you can marinate with a brine, you can’t brine with a marinade. If that rubs you the wrong way, break out your spices and rub that confusion into submission. Capisce?

Let Me Marinade You

Most of us have marinated food before cooking at one time or another, usually in the refrigerator, and your local supermarket likely contains many varieties from which to choose. In recent years many salad dressing makers have branched out into the marinade category after realizing that their dressings were being used as marinades.

In addition to imparting flavor, most marinades claim to tenderize as well. And while most marinades contain some acid ingredients–usually vinegar, wine, or citrus juice–that can dissolve proteins, they don’t do much beyond the surface of the food. (Most wet and dry tenderizers are based on enzymes of the papaya and are grandchildren of the late 1940′s commercial tenderizers that used papaya enzyme.) They do help add salty, sweet, acidic, and spicy flavors which contribute very well to overall enjoyment.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

Rubs get flavors onto meats quickly. Meats with lots of surface area like flank steak, chicken breasts, and tuna steaks are good candidates. Rubs are fast and don’t add much rep time when cooking, so if you get a little last minute inspiration, you can use a pre-packaged rub or mix up one of your own if you have the right spices handy.

Rubs, as the name implies, are not simply sprinkled on top like seasonings. They’re meant to be worked into the meat thoroughly. Remember the scrub you used to get from mom after playing in the mud? You’ve got to get into all those nooks and crannies if your rub is going to do its job. Because most commercial rubs contain salt, your initial application of a rub, when left to rest for a few minutes, will pull moisture to the surface, enabling you to apply a second, third, or fourth layer.

Rubs are food-specific in flavor and texture; you wouldn’t use the same rub on chicken as you would on pork or tuna. Take a look at some commercial rubs to get ideas for what to include in your homemade versions. As always, your palate may vary.

Brine, Women, and Song

In I’m Just Here for the Food: Version 2.0, Alton Brown nails it: “Had Shakespeare chosen to reach for a culinary metaphor in his love sonnets, brining would have been the one. Brining is a wonderful thing because it’s invisible. You brine a piece of meat, cook it, cut it, serve it, and everybody tastes it and exclaims in disbelief, “Man, this is great meat. You’re a genius!” Learn to brine pork and poultry and soon you’ll be clearing room on your mantle for that Nobel Prize in cooking.” My mantle awaits.

Brines are mostly salt and sugar dissolved in water.  Add a few herbs and spices and you’ve got a magic elixir that will amaze your taste buds and change the way you cook forever.

The effectiveness of brines is simple, really. Chemistry tells us that osmotic forces enable water to flow with relative ease throughout meat. Salt a steak before cooking and you’ll see how it pulls water from the cells to the surface. Because the cells in the meat are always seeking balance, the salt on the surface needs to be balanced with the salt inside, so water is pumped out. We can use that to our advantage to pump water in, too.  If our brine is on the salty side(about 5% solution), the cells will seek to balance the salt content on the inside and will pull the salty water into the interior of the meat. The result is nicely seasoned meat that is also plump full of water. And because other flavorings are water-soluble (sugar, herbs, and spices), they’ll tag along with our salt water to add even more flavor. The salt solution traps water and flavorings in the meat and retains it during cooking resulting in juicier meats that are also harder to overcook.

The Basic Brine

I’ve used several brines with great effectiveness. A basic all-purpose brine recommended by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn in Charcuterie consists of the following:

When brining a whole turkey, I added the following to the basic brine:

The roasted turkey was so juicy and flavorful it was hard to tell the white meat from the dark meat. It was even better the next day. I was floored by the difference brining made in the flavor, texture, and moisture that permeated the turkey. Even after resting for 30 minutes, the breast meat slices were dripping as I carved. I took some to my mom’s house and made everyone taste it. What can I say; I was excited!

For a pork roast, I used one of Alton’s brines:

The roast had just a hint of citrus flavor and was buttery in texture all the way through. I never tasted a pork roast like it. Like the turkey, the pork was extremely juicy and the flavors and textures were surprising with every bite.

Brining Times

Leave a piece of meat in a brine for too long and it will be too salty, so when in doubt, cut brining time short. Make sure you give the brine time to work and the brined meat time to rest before cooking or all your effort will be lost. Here, from Charcuterie, is a general guideline on brining times:

Some general brining tips:

WHY stand we gazing on the sparkling Brine,
with wonder smit by its transparency,
And all-enraptured with its purity?
Because the unstained, the clear, the crystalline,
Have ever in them something of benign;
Whether in gem, in water, or in sky,
A sleeping infant’s brow, or wakeful eye
Of a young maiden, only not divine.
Scarcely the hand forbears to dip its palm
For beverage drawn as from a mountain-well;
Temptation centres in the liquid Calm;
Our daily raiment seems no obstacle
To instantaneous plunging in, deep Sea!
And revelling in long embrace with thee.
~William Wordsworth – 1833

I’m not sure if it’s poetic justice or just a cruel twist of fate that the return of my cooking blog begins with a post about SPAM.  Depending on who you ask, it’s either loved, hated, or looked upon with indifference.

The first can of SPAM Classic was produced in 1937 in Austin, Minnesota, and 73 years and 7 billion cans later, it’s still going strong.  SPAM is particularly popular in Hawaii–where it has been dubbed “The Hawaiian Steak”–as well as in the territories if Guam and the Commonwealth of the Norther Mariana Islands. SPAM celebrations are held across the country in small local festivals and events known as Spam Jam and Spamarama. There is SPAM Classic, Honey SPAM, SPAM with Bacon, and Hot and Spicy SPAM. Through the years the virtues of SPAM have been sung by Edward R. Murrow, Gracie Allen, Dwight Eisenhower, and Margaret Thatcher, and of course, Monty Python. There is a SPAM Museum and a SPAMMobile.

Any way you look at it, SPAM is prolific–almost as prolific as that annoying stuff that shows up in your email inbox–and it deserves a mention as a cooking ingredient. Especially when it’s the central ingredient in a cook-off help annually at theFraternal Order of Eagles in Chagrin Falls.

And so it was that on this fine day I spent the late morning preparing my entry for the contest – Spicy Baked Ziti with Crumbles SPAM. Based my concoction on a recipe for Baked Ziti with Crumbles Italian Sausage found in Cover & Bake. Having entered this contest in the past, I had a good idea of the different kinds of dishes that would be submitted, and I not only wanted to prominently feature the main ingredient, I wanted to make something that I’d want to eat.

Here are the ingredients from the original recipe:

Here are my additions and substitutions:

I began by pre-heating my oven to 400 degrees and putting a pot of water on to cook the pasta. I also got a skillet heating to brown the SPAM. While I waited for the oven, water, and skillet, I prepared the rest of the ingredients.

Since the original recipe called for the sausage to be removed from its casing and browned, I wanted the SPAM to be as close as possible to the consistency of the sausage, so I first diced it into 1/4 inch cubes. Then I used a potato masher to make it look more like ground meat. I also peeled and minced my garlic, picked some fresh basil from the plant I still have from last summer and got my seasonings ready to go.

Once my water reached a boil I added about 2 T of salt along with the pasta. That might sound like a lot of salt, but pasta water should taste like the sea; it’s the easiest way to impart flavor to your pasta and you’ll notice the difference in the finished dish. The Ziti normally takes about ten minutes to cook al dente, but since this dish finishes in the oven, I wanted the pasta to be slightly underdone before it went in the oven, so I set my timer for nine. When the pasta was done, I drained it, reserving about 1/4 cup of the water and added it back to the pot where I tossed it with 1 T of olive oil.

Meanwhile, I added 1 T of olive oil to my hot pan and when it began to shimmer, added the mashed SPAM. I cooked it until it started to brown, which took longer than it would it I had used the sausage. Once I obtained the brown I was looking for, I added the

Coriander, Cumin, and Cinnamon to taste. (These three spices–especially the Coriander and Cinnamon, used in very small quantities–can add amazing flavors to many dishes. They add and enhance flavors that you won’t be able to immediately recognize, you’ll just know it tastes good.) The garlic and red pepper are next, cooked until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then, the tomatoes go in, simmering for about 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Finally, stir in the basil off the heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the tomato sauce and reserved pasta water to the pasta and stir to combine. Pour half of the pasta into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan. Add the remaining pasta and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake until the cheese

melts, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese begins to brown, about 5 minutes more.

I enjoyed putting this dish together and it turned out tasting very good. My competition included Chocolate Covered SPAM, Italian Wedding Soup with SPAM Meatballs, SPAM Corn Chowder, SPAM Sliders, SPAM Baked Beans, SPAM Carbonara, and SPAM Deviled Eggs, among other dishes. But alas, I did not win, didn’t even place in the top 5. Oh well, there’s always next year. At least I have half a dish of pasta to eat. And some leftover SPAM.

Last weekend, the farmer’s market yielded some beautiful pattypan squash. I hadn’t eaten them before but the way they were described to me, they sounded like something I would like; zucchini-like but with a nuttier flavor. I’m all for nuttier food.

Pattypan are easy to cook. They can be roasted, baked, sauteed, steamed, or stuffed.

I trimmed the ends, cubed them and sauteed them in some butter and garlic until browned, then added a few cubes of frozen stock for a little additional flavoring. A little coriander, a little salt and pepper, a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a dash of soy sauce later and we had ourselves a tasty treat!

When the cold and snow seems like it will never end, sometimes you just don’t feel well. First I had it, then Renée got it. Her doctor called it the “Creeping Crud” and said, since it was viral, there was nothing to do but wait it out. She’d been feeling lousy for over a week, so I thought little homemade chicken soup might make her feel better.

I had lots of frozen chicken stock on hand, along with carrots, leeks, mushrooms, green onions, parsley, and some frozen chicken pieces left over from the last time I made stock. I cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and browned it in a little butter in a dutch oven. After removing the chicken, I added a little more butter and tossed in the vegetables along with some kosher salt and a little fresh ground pepper. When those were browned and tender, I deglazed with a little white wine before adding the defrosted chicken stock. I seasoned again and added the chicken pieces. Then I added Ditalini pasta and brought it to a boil, then reduced it to a simmer and let it cook for about 10 minutes before adding about 3/4 cup of heavy cream to give it some body and smoothness.

Some people cook their pasta before adding it to the soup. I like thicker, hearty soups, so I like to cook it in the soup so that the pasta  absorbs all the flavors of the broth. I can always add more stock later if it gets too thick.

Here’s what it looked like the next day:

Yup, sometimes, some good home cookin’ is all you need for what ails you. Sometimes, you just need a nap.

This morning I was fortunate to have an opportunity to do a cooking segment on Fox 8 Cleveland’s “That’s Life with Robin Swoboda“. The segment was a “Dads Who Cook” spotlight focused on making something quick, easy, and delicious for Valentine’s Day. First off, I want to thank everyone from That’s Life. I’d never done a cooking demo on television before, but they all made it easy and fun!

The segment was 4 1/2 minutes, so I had to prepare something that could easily be demonstrated beginning to end in that time frame. I had to show how to assemble the dish, plus have a finished dish ready. I had all my mise en place done and a prepared dish ready to go in the microwave when I got to the studio. It cooked while Robin and I talked about the recipe.

As I mentioned in my Sunday in the Kitchen post, I chose a salmon dish called Salmon en Papillote.  En papillote means “in the paper”, which means this dish is cooked inside a parchment paper pouch. It’s akin to cooking fish on the grill inside an aluminum pouch, except we’re using parchment. There are several things that are great about this method of cooking:

1. It combines the techniques of baking, braising, and steaming to thoroughly cook your ingredients while extracting flavorful juices that bring the ingredients together. The salmon will be tender and the vegetables will be crisp.
2. It’s fast. Start to finish, you can prepare this dish in under 30 minutes.
3. The clean up is minimal. Since the dish is prepared and cooked in the pouch, you can cook and serve on the same plate.

Here’s the recipe (this is per serving, so double quantities to serve for 2):

Begin with a 15″ x 30″ piece of parchment paper and fold in 1/2 like a book. Cut out a large half heart on paper, with fold of paper being the center of the heart, and lay it open. Place fennel, leeks, carrots, and snow peas on the parchment in center to one side of the fold. Mix together salt, pepper, and coriander and sprinkle vegetables with 1/2 of seasoning mixture. Lay the salmon on top of the vegetables and season with remaining seasoning mixture. Top with the orange wedges and sprinkle with vermouth. Fold other side of heart over fish and starting at top of heart shape, fold up both edges of parchment, overlapping folds as you move along. Once you reach the end, twist several times to secure tightly and fold in under. Place on microwave safe plate and cook for 4 minutes on high in microwave. (You can cook this in the oven at 425 degrees F for 12 minutes, but I think it cooks better in the microwave.) There will be some steam, so open the parchment carefully and enjoy!

This couldn’t be easier to make, plus it has a high chichi factor that makes it special for a Valentine’s Day dinner for two.

UPDATE – One thing I forgot to mention: be sure to have everything as close to room temperature as you can before cooking. Otherwise the fillet may require additional cooking time. (If you have an instant read thermometer, you want the internal temp of the fillet to be 140 degrees.)

There’s almost nothing better than cooking a great tasting meal and having only one pan to clean. Many tasty recipe ideas fitting that bill can be found in Cover & Bake.

Tonight, Renée and Ali had an errand to run so I had the kitchen to myself and an opportunity to cook dinner for the three of us. It’s a cold, snowy night here, so I was looking for something that would warm us all up. I settled on Skillet Chicken and Rice with Mushrooms and Green Beans.

This dish calls for split breast of chicken. A split breast is a breast quarter with the wing removed, but you could make it just as well with thighs or whole legs. You definitely need bone-in pieces or the flavors just won’t be there.

Here’s the rest of what you’ll need:

Begin by heating a couple tablespoons of oil over medium high heat in a 12 inch skillet. I used my Calphalon Everyday Pan (which I love, more about that in another post) and some good olive oil. While that heats up, cut the breasts crosswise. You may have to press a little to cut through the bone. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season liberally with salt and pepper. Carefully drop them in the pan skin side down and let them brown, about 4 minutes, then turn them over to brown the other side, another 3-4 minutes.

While the chicken is browning, remove the ends from the green beans and cut them in 2 inch pieces. Then brush clean and quarter the mushrooms. When the chicken is brown, remove it to a plate and pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the liquid in the pan. Add the onions, mushrooms, and garlic and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook until the mushrooms begin to brown. The salt will draw liquid from the mushrooms and onions which you can use to deglaze the pan.

Use homemade stock; it’s worth the time and the taste!

Then add the rice, uncooked, and stir until the edges begin to clarify. Next, add the wine and stock (I can’t overemphasize the difference homemade stock makes in a dish like this; you’ll appreciate the richness of flavor immediately) and mix well to further deglaze the pan and combine the liquids with the rice. Cover and bring this to a simmer, then add the chicken back and reduce the heat to low and let it continue to cook for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 160 degrees.

Remove the chicken to a plate once again and cover it to keep it warm as well as continue cooking with a little carry over. Add the green beans to the pan, again mixing well to combine with the rice. Cover and let it go about another 10 minutes, until the beans and rice are tender. The green beans won’t be bright green like they would normally be if you blanched them, but they’ll still turn out crisp and flavorful. Then add your shredded cheese, salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately! A great meal on a cold night, and all in one pan!

Here’s the soup that resulted; and let me tell you, the stock made all the difference. I sautéed some mushrooms, shallots, and garlic in a little olive oil until they were translucent and had given up some of their moisture. Next I added the stock, some fresh chopped Italian parsley, a few sprigs of fresh thyme, some carrots, and white and dark turkey meat until it looked like enough. Just as it started to simmer I added about 8 oz. of spinach egg noodles and 8 oz. regular egg noodles. A little salt and a little pepper and it’s dinner time! The resulting broth required no additional seasoning and it really infused the flavors of the mushrooms, garlic, and shallots. It’s great when you cook something that allows the individual flavors to come through while combining into something delicious at the same time! It’ll be even better tomorrow!