Spicy Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti

March 18, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and I’m making these recipes for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Baby’s First Bash”

The Set-up: Ina’s close friends, the Libermans, are celebrating their first grandchild!

The Menu: Spicy Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti, Truffled Popcorn, Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, S’mores

0:40 – Ina’s theme for the party is “nursery food” which I guess translates to things that adults and children will like. Interested to see how she makes that work.

1:23 – First up Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. Ina says that rhubarb has a very short season and I believe it since I think I’ve only tasted it once in my life.

2:15 – Pro Tip #1: Dissolve a little cornstarch in the orange juice before adding it to the fruit filling. The cornstarch will help thicken the fruit “goo” and mixing it ahead will prevent lumps.

3:41 – The party is taking place outside, so Ina has called up the troops – namely her friend Greg Yale, a professional lighting designer – to transform her already magnificent garden into a wonderland. This is one lucky seven week-old baby.

4:08 – We’re back with Ina to make the crumble topping, which she admits is basically the same from recipe to recipe with the usual suspects (butter, flour, brown sugar, oatmeal…)

5:36 – This particular crumble combination - strawberry rhubarb - is in honor of a recipe Ina once made up on the fly for the grandmother of honor. Even the Barefoot Contessa has to wing it from time to time.

9:43 – Time to make the main course: Spicy Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti. Ina emphasizes the need to add moisture, in this case fresh bread crumbs soaked in milk, since they’re made from turkey.

10:35 – We check in with Greg, who is literally up a tree hanging café lights. This is a man who is dedicated to making things “magical.”

11:21 – Ina’s recipe calls for mincing up prosciutto to add flavor to the ground turkey, but to me prosciutto is just sort of salty and not all that flavorful.

12:39 – These meatballs are supposed to be spicy, so in go the red pepper flakes. I wonder if using hot Italian sausage instead of sweet would be too much?

13:14 – Instead of frying/sautéing the meatballs they’re going into the oven to roast, which sounds like a fantastic way to get out of standing over a pot of hot oil. Eww.

14:20 – Meatballs go in the oven as Greg and his team tether huge, helium inflated and presumably illuminated, balloons around the garden. These are going to look awesome.

19:06 – The meatballs are done and beautifully browned, now for a little shortcut: store bought tomato sauce. Glad to see that even Ina sometimes turns to a jar once in a while.

20:25 – Outside with Greg for the big lighting reveal and while I do think it’s a little over the top for six people it also looks really cool.

21:40 – Back inside to pop the bag of popcorn and melt truffle butter for the Truffled Popcorn. Newman’s Own in case you’re wondering. I think it’s the Natural Tender White which I can assure you is really good – not too salty, no strangely yellow butter.

22:33 – Full disclosure: I cannot STAND truffles. Seriously, even a whiff of one in a dish and I’m done. I do like the idea of doing a flavored butter or oil with popcorn though – something to explore perhaps…

23:08 – The Liberman family arrives as Jeffrey pops the cork on some champagne the lights twinkle in the trees. #jealous

26:44 – The spaghetti is done cooking and now it’s time to serve the most enormous bowl covered in sauce and meatballs. Yum!

27:37 – Ina’s whole philosophy of cooking could probably be summed up as “nursery food for adults.” She’s so great at taking comfort food classics and dialing up the sophistication without losing the familiarity. Obviously I’m a fan.

28:11 – Outside with the giant bowl of “meatballs and sketti” and everyone dives in over a beautifully candle-lit table. Next comes the Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp with vanilla ice cream.

29:55 – Finally, the moment we’ve actually been waiting for: making use of the fire pit to light marshmallows on fire for S’mores. Ahh, summer.

Final Thoughts:
Note to self: cook something with rhubarb this summer when it’s in season.

I want to try cooking popcorn in infused oil, maybe rosemary? This bears further trial.

Also, investigate giant inflatable balloon lights and a fire pit…

Lessons Learned:
I’ve cooked meatballs before, actually about a month ago, so trying Spicy Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti was more about trying a different flavor combination and cooking technique.

Meatball Assembly – This mixture was a bit stickier than the original combination and I suspect that’s due to the lack of dry breadcrumbs. I assume they aren’t needed because turkey is so lean and the fresh ones absorb enough of the juices from the sausage. Fluff the mixture together with a fork, or gently fold together with clean hands to keep them from packing too tightly. Portioning to exactly the same size takes a little guess-timation – I find that if I divide the mixture into 4 parts and then try to roll 6 meatballs (for a total of 24) from each quarter it comes out about right. Full disclosure: I ended up with 23 this time, so close enough.

Meatball Cooking – These meatballs are cooked on sheet trays (don’t forget the parchment paper!) in the oven, which is a far simpler technique than cooking them in olive oil on the stove. I put both sheets in at the same time and probably should have switched them halfway through – the bottom ones were a little browner. So, lesson learned!

Final Simmer – I am officially a huge fan of doing this in the oven. It takes the same amount of time and there’s no stress about having to stir or watch the sauce. I just cover and stick the pot in a 350 degree oven where it can pretty much hang out as long as you need it to and then like magic it’s ready whenever the pasta finishes cooking. I’ll also point out that it opens up a burner on the stovetop and the fewer items I have bubbling away there the more in control I feel.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Fairly, it felt more so than the first meatball recipe, but upon reflection it actually requires the same amount of items. Once again, I used my trusty 5.5 qt French oven for sauce and meatball simmering, in addition to a second large pot for the pasta, a colander, medium mixing bowl, two baking sheet (assuming you’re making the full recipe) and medium cutting board. For utensils, a dinner fork, a wooden spatula, a liquid measuring cup & measuring spoons, a microplane grater, and an instant read meat thermometer. I also needed a small food processor to prep the fresh bread crumbs.

The Verdict:
I made Spicy Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti when we were having a group of visiting college students for dinner, and while making meatballs from scratch does take effort I also think it’s kind of the perfect home-cooking meal. I hadn’t fully considered what a treat it might be after months of dining hall food. Based on how many meatballs disappeared it was a popular choice. In this version I used sweet Italian sausage and a classic tomato basil sauce, but even with my relatively low tolerance for heat I’d up the spice-factor and use hot Italian sausage and/or an arrabiata sauce in future iterations.

Mushroom Farro Risotto

March 16, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

Have you ever noticed an ingredient for the first time and then all of a sudden it’s everywhere? First it was quinoa and kale now it seems to be farro. I was first introduced to farro by an episode of Nigellissima, hosted by the lovely Nigella Lawson where I learned that it’s an ancient grain that was a staple of the Roman diet. I'm just nerdy enough to find that fun fact intriguing, but didn’t actually buy any until my visit to Kalustyan’s last fall when I happened across a package of their house brand.

For reference sake, it’s important to note that farro is sold in three different forms: whole grain, semi-pearled, and pearled. The form depends on how much of the outer hull has been polished away and the cooking time will vary dramatically. Whole grain takes at least 40 minutes of simmering, while pearled takes about half that long – so read your package carefully so you know which one you have and can adjust the expected cooking time. I think of it being something like oatmeal – old-fashioned oats vs. quick oats vs. instant.

Since my first brush with farro it seems like it’s popping up on menus – I recently tried versions at Maman and Hunter’s, both excellent – and in magazine recipe features. I admit, I’m not sorry to see all these new sources of inspiration since I’m fully on the farro bandwagon. I hope you’ll try it too and let me know what you think!

Mushroom Farro Risotto (yield: 2-4 servings)

8 ounces (3 cups) cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup ( 1 medium) yellow onion, diced
1 cup whole grain farro
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sliced mushrooms (caps and stems) and sauté until the onions turn golden and translucent, and the mushrooms are browned, approximately 10-12 minutes.

Sprinkle the whole grain farro into the sauté pan and gently stir to coat with the mushroom, onion and olive oil, about 2-3 minutes. Add the kosher salt, black pepper, and thyme to the pan and pour in the chicken stock.

Stir to combine the ingredients and bring the mixture up to a simmer, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Continue to simmer with the pan covered for 40 minutes until the chicken stock is absorbed and the farro is tender, but al dente.

Serve warm or room temperature with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.

Inspired and guided by Nigella Lawson’s Farro Risotto and Ina Garten’s Baked Farro and Butternut Squash.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Oh, yes! I used a large cutting board, chef’s knife, a 3 quart covered sauté pan, measuring cups and spoons, and a wooden spatula.

The Verdict:
Mike and I are both pretty much obsessed with this recipe and with farro in general. The farro itself has a texture somewhere between wild rice, barley, and brown rice with a beautifully nutty flavor perfectly complemented by the earthiness of the mushrooms. We’ve been eating it both as a side dish, say with roasted chicken for example, and as a main course salad. My all time favorite is warm farro and roasted butternut squash over cold arugula dressed with a little vinaigrette. Delicious.

Company Pot Roast

March 11, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Episode: “Comfort and Company”

The Set-up: Ina is re-testing some classic recipes and updating them for company.

The Menu: Company Pot Roast, Baked Potatoes with Yogurt and Sour Cream

0:27 – First step of Company Pot Roast: haul out the biggest pot in the house! That is seriously a giant Le Creuset French oven.

1:11 – Pro Tip #1: Pat the roast dry with paper towels to help it sear in the pot.

2:34 – I love a two-fer - Pro Tip #2: After seasoning, dredge the roast in flour – the light coating browns the meat and thickens the sauce.

3:25 – Ina lets one of her secrets for making this company-ready: she’s stealing some inspiration from Beef Bourgignon. Which if you think about it is basically the same dish, just fancied up.

4:16 – Ina keeps a notebook near by when she’s testing recipes to keep track of what she’s doing, a practice I whole-heartedly endorse. If I can’t remember what I did, how can I recreate it?

5:48 – Need a suggestion for the Company Pot Roast extra sauce? Ina uses it to make pasta Bolognese.

6:02 – This is a classic stew/soup/braise combo: onion, carrot, celery, garlic, leeks. Yum!

7:16 – The plot thickens! Ina is going to be home alone and doesn’t need an entire pot roast, so she’s calling her friend Dwyer (who’s in the depths of a kitchen remodel) to see if she’d like dinner. Naturally the answer is “yes.”

10:47 – Apparently if you want to terrify Ina just invite her to a really stiff, formal dinner with starched napkins and hard chairs. Actually that does sound unappealing…

11:22 – Now for the bouquet garni of rosemary and thyme fresh from the garden and tied with kitchen twine.

12:28 – In goes the Burgundy - she really is drawing on beef Bourgignon - cognac, tomatoes, and chicken stock. And (!) something really old-fashioned: a bouillon cube!

13:10 – Dwyer the lucky duck is now jetting around town buying flowers for Ina as a thank you. So sweet!

14:28 – Pot roast is in the oven to bubble away for a few hours. I love hands-off cooking!

18:39 – On to the Baked Potatoes with Yogurt and Sour Cream and Ina is using baking potatoes – specifically russets.

19:02 – Pro Tip #3: Potatoes bake better if the skins are dry before they go in the oven. I never knew that!

20:35 – These are some seriously no-fuss potatoes – no foil, no olive oil, not even pierced with a fork! – just placed right on the oven rack at 350 degrees.

21:41 – Dwyer continues to plan a thank you for Ina by picking up Chinese take-out for dinner. If you’re curious, she orders General Tso’s Chicken with Broccoli and white rice – I assume this is Ina’s usual?

22:53 – Pro Tip for the Ages: “You can make something really simple, but if it’s beautifully presented it makes all the difference in the world.” I’m trying to incorporate that into so many areas of life!

26:16 – Why choose chunky or pureed sauce for Company Pot Roast when you can have both?

27:03 – Pro Tip #4: Mashing the flour into softened butter prevents lumpy sauce. This is one of my all time favorite tricks.

28:20 – I like how Ina upped the fanciness with the ingredients and the presentation by pre-slicing the roast. So much easier to serve!

29:38 – Dwyer arrives to pick up dinner and deliver her surprises to Ina, who seems genuinely delighted by them.

29:59 – Fast forward to dinner time and Dwyer sends Ina a photo of everyone enjoying their delicious meal. Yay!

Final Thoughts:
It’s amazing how the addition of an ingredient or one small change can transform one dish into something else entirely (ex. Beef Bourgignon vs. Company Pot Roast)

Still reflecting on the Pro Tip for the Ages. Should I stitch a throw pillow so I don’t forget?

Wondering, with all the cooking Ina does, how many people in the Hamptons get a catered dinner each week compliments of the Barefoot Contessa Test Kitchen?

Lessons Learned:
I’ve made similar dishes in the past, but I decided to make Company Pot Roast any way to learn more about Ina’s techniques for developing flavor and to see if it really was special enough for company.

Alliums – as I’ve been cooking more I’ve realized that using multiple members of this family - aka onions, leeks, garlic, shallots, etc. – can build layers and depth in a dish. The complexity of flavors increases so much just by using adding shallot or leeks to the standard onions. Try it sometime and see if you taste a difference too.

Sauce – similar to the layering of alliums, Ina’s recipes (and now my own) often incorporate wine and in this case, cognac too. I’m continually amazed by the richness a cup of red wine adds to a tomato sauce and the combination with roast beef is classic.

Presentation – the recipe suggests allowing the roast to rest before slicing and serving with the sauce. Such a small adjustment, but such a big difference! It saves the host(ess) from wrangling a giant piece of meat at the table and definitely takes this dish to “company” level.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Surprisingly, yes - Company Pot Roast is essentially a one-pot meal! I used a large cutting board, my trusty 5 quart Le Creuset, and a blender. I also used a chef’s knife, measuring cups & spoons, tongs, a wooden spatula, a large spoon, and a large pronged fork. Kitchen twine will be helpful too.

The Verdict:
Who could doubt that the Barefoot Contessa has a kick-ass (pardon my French) and company appropriate recipe for pot roast? The flavor of the sauce is amazing - definitely serve this along side something to soak up the extra, like mashed potatoes or polenta - deeply tomato-y and rich with the wine and herbs. I’d also recommend saving any that remains after dinner to serve over pasta or with baked eggs (more on that idea next week!)

Butternut Squash & Gruyere Galette

March 09, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

The snow is still deep in Central Park, but winter seems to be easing its grip on the city; the banks along the street are beginning to recede leaving a trail of gritty treasure behind. Which means (if we’re lucky!) that spring is on its way and it’s time to get as many of the the cold weather recipes I’ve been thinking of out of my system – including this Butternut Squash & Gruyere Galette.

This recipe for a gratin written by Kimberley Hasselbrink was my introduction to the combination of butternut squash, Gruyere and toasted hazelnuts and quickly became a favorite. The rich nutty flavor of the cheese emphasized by the hazelnuts and paired with the deep roasted flavor of the caramelized onions and butternut squash is amazing.

I’ve been focused on improving my pie crust game in 2015 and combining this filling with a whole wheat crust seemed like a match made in heaven. I love the toasty flavor of the whole wheat, and the rustic appearance of a galette (or crostata if you prefer) fits beautifully with this earthy, but elegant dish.

Butternut Squash & Gruyere Galette (serves: 4-6 people)

Pastry Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup very cold water

Filling Ingredients:
2 pounds butternut squash
1 cup (1 medium) yellow onion
1/4 cup whole hazelnuts (or 1/8 cup chopped)
1/4 pound Gruyere, grated
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Pastry Instructions:
Dice the cold unsalted butter into small cubes and measure the water. Replace both in the refrigerator while you set up and measure the remaining ingredients. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade place the whole wheat flour and kosher salt. Pulse a few times to mix.

Add the diced, cold butter to the food processor and toss gently in the flour to coat. Watch your fingers! Replace the cover and pulse about 10-15 times until the butter is the size of peas and evenly distributed in the flour.

Lastly, slowly pour the ice water through the feed tube of the processor while pulsing the blade. As soon as the dough begins to pull together into a crumbly ball, stop pulsing the processor. Turn the pieces of dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and use the wrap to press into a single flat disc. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour until it becomes firm.

Filling Instructions:
Pre heat the oven to 325 degrees F.

While the dough chills, peel the butternut squash and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard (or keep if you want to toast them!) Slice both halves into semi-circles about 1/3 inch wide.

Place the butternut squash pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toss with the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, kosher salt and black pepper. Make sure the pieces are evenly coated and have space on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 325 degrees F turning the pieces over halfway through.

Peel and slice the onions into thin rings or half-moons. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium sauté pan over very low heat and cook the onions for 20-25 minutes until they soften and caramelize, stirring occasionally.

Toast the whole hazelnuts for 3-5 minutes in a small dry sauté pan. Keep a close watch on the nuts; shimmy the pan periodically to turn and prevent them from burning. Allow to cool and then very roughly chop to your taste. Grate or chop the gruyere.

Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F.

To assemble, roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick and 7-8 inches in diameter. Place the dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and layer the gruyere, roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, toasted hazelnuts in the middle leaving a 1 – 1 ½ inch border. Sprinkle the layers with the fresh thyme leaves.

Fold a section of the dough border up to partially cover the filling and overlapping the extra to form pleats. Press the folds gently together and brush with the beaten egg.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 30-40 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the cooking time, until the crust is golden and the butternut squash is tender.

Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Inspired by and partially adapted from Butternut Squash Gratin by Kimberley Hasselbrink for Etsy.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, with a little organization. For the pastry I used a 6 cup food processor (a large bowl and a pastry cutter, or even two butter knives will work too), a rolling pin, and measuring cups and spoons. For the filling and to finish the galette I used a large cutting board, chef’s knife, medium sauté pan, two baking sheets, a vegetable peeler, and wooden spatula. Parchment paper is also super helpful with clean up, or if you want to re-use a baking sheet.

The Verdict:
I’d like to pretend that I sat down very genteelly and had a piece of Butternut Squash & Gruyere Galette with a beautiful salad and a glass of sauvignon blanc like a grown-up. But really midway through taking the photos for this post I couldn’t resist the warm toasty whole wheat pastry wrapped around the mellow squash and caramelized onions. So, there I was standing over the table with a wedge of galette in one hand and the camera in the other. If you were here when it came out of the oven you wouldn’t blame me – I hope! This reheats in the oven nicely, so if there happen to be leftovers you’ll still be able to enjoy them the next day.