The Other Woman Cooks

Who says fruits are just for sweets? This year's bumper crop has me searching for new ways to use the big orange berries (yup, they're berries).  While poking around our local Williams Sonoma store last week, I came across a jar of pumpkin braising sauce ... I have pumpkins, lotsa pumpkins. I read the ingredients and decided to give my own adaptation a try. I used a rosemary pear conserve canned last year (and a concoction I hadn't quite figured out what to do with) instead of applesauce but I am quite sure applesauce will yield just as yummy a result. Bake your pumpkin and prepare your potatoes ahead of time (nuke the potatoes for five or warm them in the oven for twenty minutes or so before suppertime). Prep time of about about twenty minutes is all you need and then relax while the slow cooker makes magic. CROCK POT PUMPKIN PORK ROAST 3 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 small yellow onion,...

But didn't. Chicken Marsala is one of those easier than you can imagine dishes that everyone raves about. It goes with almost any starch side: smashed or roasted potatoes, buttered noodles, or a simple risotto. The history of wines have always interested me. Here's a great little website to poke around. And what better place to start then with the Marsala page ! CHICKEN MARSALA 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon basil 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon white pepper 1 cup low fat milk 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4 halves 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup sliced baby Bella or button mushrooms  1/2 cup Marsala wine 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley   Using a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour, basil, thyme and pepper. Stir to combine thoroughly. Soak the chicken breast halves in the milk 2-3 minutes, then quickly dredge each piece in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.  Heat the oi...

Properly sautéed chicken breasts are deliciously simple. Do what you like with them when they're done: make a simple pan sauce: maybe add a few sun-dried tomatoes  and eat them as is, or slice them up to top a salad: or toss with pasta:  or  fill tortillas (throw a few green peppers in the pan and a squeeze of lime). I like a side of risotto but buttered noodles are nice, too.  A few tips for great taste: thick chicken pieces take too long to cook and the middle will be bland. Use small breasts or cut each in half lengthwise to make thinner cutlets. Pounding with a meat tenderizer thins them out nicely as well; Use an all clad stainless pan instead of non-stick for better browning; Slice each cutlet crosswise before serving to allow the sauce to coat each tender morsel. SAUTEED CHICKEN CUTLETS 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves Dash of sea salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup dry white wine or cooking sherry 1/4 ...

Risotto is great comfort-food and an easier than you think way to wow family and friends. With a side salad and fresh fruit it makes a low calorie, high energy dinner. Fill a flute with sparkling water garnished with a few raspberries for an elegant holiday table. Not to mention, risotto is a satisfying and filling main dish to feed your vegetarian dinner guests without meat-eaters feeling like something's missing. Just be sure to use vegetable broth rather than chicken broth. MUSHROOM RISOTTO 3 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth 2 tsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms 1 cup Arborio rice 1/2 cup dry sherry or dry white wine 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup fresh arugula, chopped Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Sauté garlic until softened and fragrant. Sprinkle dried herbs and pepper. Add sherry and simmer gently 2-3 minutes before adding rice....

Friends will attest to my tendency to bake after losing elections. Years ago, a good pal lost a shot at becoming state senator. I kneaded my way through the loss producing 27 loaves of poppy seed challah. The way I've been baking the last few days, you'd think we lost everything last Tuesday. I texted that thought to an ally this morning and she immediately wrote back, "Well, we did lose a lot." Democrats, and it's no secret that I'm a Democrat, experienced sea change. Some of us saw it coming, helpless against that tide, stayed home to save ourselves. For us in Massachusetts, we had to work hard, harder than we have in a long time, to hold our fort. And we did ... but the reverb from the national landscape affected me more than I thought. Not that I'm whining. The thing about elections is there's always another one. The good news? I've come up with a fabulous new quiche filling and savory butter crust recipe. H...

It was a big accomplishment to buck national trends and reelect our Democrats in Massachusetts. Can't help myself, friends, I'm a partisan cook when it comes to stirring up a political stew. It's been a busy week. Now, the only thing I want is to put my feet up, watch a couple of movies from the local library's DVD collection and relax. Sent JP to choose the flicks while I cooked up an old recipe of a childhood favorite. Sloppy Joes are simple really, and pretty basic. Hearty enough to settle down hungry tummies without much fuss and yummy, too. We're ready for a lazy evening and a weekend of doing nothing much at all! SORTA SLOPPY JOES 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound ground meat (lean beef, turkey or veal work well) 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon seasoning rub (try McCormick's Montreal or Penzey's 4S) 1 medium onion, grated 1 small red bell pepper, chopped 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 2 cups tomato sauce 1...

Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue and what did he find? Lots of wonderful new varieties of food that he brought home to the best cooks in the universe. Yummy pineapples, sweet potatoes and corn in the West Indies, and he brought sugar cane to Puerto Rico from which rum is distilled, from the Caribbean islands he brought sweet peppers to Europe. That's when the fun started. From one generation of Italian cooks to the next, sweet peppers have been a mainstay ever since. I think you'll enjoy my slow cooker version of sweet peppers and veal stew – a mild cousin to the sweet peppers and sausages my grandmother used to make. A perfect way to use up the end of season pepper crop from the garden. VEAL AND SWEET PEPPER STEW 1 1/2 pound veal for stew, cut into 1 inch pieces 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 whole allspice (or 2 whole cloves) 1 bay leaf 5 whole black peppercorns 1 can ( size) tomato paste 1 cu...

Our garden is still producing fresh veggies. We made golumpki with a gorgeous cabbage over the weekend, began a batch of home infused vodka with Concord grapes and tonight, supper was a yummy pasta with fresh picked brussels sprouts and chicken in a tasty olive oil and butter sauce. This recipe is an adaptation from Food and Wine magazine. Recommended wine pairing: a crisp, cool chardonnay from Cakebread Cellars. Backyard fresh is as local as it gets, folks. I love our garden! CHICKEN WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND PASTA 2 tablespoons cooking oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 pound chicken tenders 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper 1 tablespoon red onion, minced 1 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups fresh brussels sprouts, cut into halves from top to stem end (frozen can be substituted) 1 cup chicken broth 1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup...

Don't let my last name or the fact that I make golumpki and pierogi with my husband fool you. My maternal grandmother, Maria Cavelli, was my first cooking teacher. Lasagna and insalata caprese served with hot crusty bread was the first menu I learned to make. A great meal anytime of year but not as good as what came during harvest season. Stuffed eggplant dinner was something she made in late summer and early fall when the locally grown eggplants and tomatoes are ripe and fresh. When Tiny Weisblat from In Our Grandmother's Kitchens asked me to participate in the blogathan during Farmers Market Week, I knew this was the recipe to share. Thanks to Farmer Paul, access to garden fresh (and I mean just picked fresh) fruits and veggies are at my fingertips daily. But not having backyard bounty is no excuse for not making the best of the harvest season. Shop at farmers' markets and roadside stands -- loving local this time of year comes easy. My grandmother was a fabulous c...

Today was not the welcome relief of a crisp sunny day at the end of summer heat. The weather here in western Massachusetts turned raw and rainy. It made me wish for a warm beach and turquoise waters. Spicy and infused with subtle local flavors like coconut milk, West Indies and other island recipes are fusions of African, Asian, Indian, Spanish, French and Dutch cuisine. In the islands, you're more likely to find a main dish kabob prepared with goat or lamb. I use beef sirloin tip, a tender, flavorful and economical substitute. Spoon whole kernel corn over brown rice for a side and your island style dinner is served. Add a little spice island style to your life -- I think you'll like it! ISLAND HOPPER BEEF KABOBS 1 pound sirloin tip steak, cut into one inch cubes 1 small yellow onion, cut in quarters 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger root 1 teaspoon red chile paste, or 1 finely fresh chopped hot chile pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 ...

I married into a Polish family. Try as I might my golumpki never came out right. Tough cabbage, stuffing mix like lead, or worse -- a crumbled heap of meat and rice. I tried adding egg (meatloaf golumpki?), tomato soup, every trick I could find in the cookbooks the church ladies sold after Mass once a year. My husband poured on the Heinz to make them palatable. After close to twenty years of frustration I threw up my hands and said, "Make them yourself." So he did. But first, he asked the experts for advice. Turned out Farmer Paul is his mother's son, his aunt's nephew and a pretty good Polish cook. It took time, but we've got a system now. He still likes ketchup on them but these Polish yummies don't need a thing beyond a fresh slice of seeded rye bread on the side. CIOCE SOPHIE'S GOLUMPKI 1 medium cabbage, frozen whole at least 24 hours up to 3 weeks 1 cup of cooked River brand rice 1 pound hamburger, 20/80 fat to lean 1 one inch cube sa...

I looked at the caller ID. It was my husband's buddy, no doubt calling about their scheduled fishing marathon -- something the two guys do a couple of times each year. Instead, he dove into whether or not I liked zucchini. Just another desperate gardener looking to unload an abundance of squash. It so happens that we didn't bother growing zucchini this year and I do love both summer yellow squash and zucchini. So I said sure, but with the caveat that I only wanted small ones. No giant billy club zucchini, please. I could hear the disappointment in his voice but he agreed. When it comes to squash this time a year, you have to hold your ground. Summer squash can make anyone yell "uncle" -- it can also be a bit tiresome to find new ways to prepare squash. And grilled summer squash gets old fast. This recipe is pretty easy and adds quite a bit of kick to a veggie that at times, can come out a bit on the bland side. STUFFED SUMMER SQUASH 4 medium summer squash (y...

Cook? Are you kidding me? In 90-something degree weather?  If only my family would settle for a bowl of cornflakes ... I'd happily toss in a few berries or even cut up a banana. But noooo ... they were hungry for real food. And as much as I wanted to avoid the dreaded evening meal, the very thought of take-out Chinese in this heat just had no appeal. Solution: a nice hunk of fish lightly marinated. Fingerling potatoes cut in half and tossed in olive oil then thrown on the backyard grill. Took less than twenty minutes. And dinner was served. Bellies full. Edy's frozen lime fruit pops for dessert. A pitcher of iced tea in the refridgerator. All is well. But I'm still sweltering.  So, I'm headed out with a couple of friends to happily shiver through a midnight movie. Nothing better than hot buttered popcorn,  a comfy seat in a theater with the AC cranked up to winter storm warning levels and the latest movie release. EASY GRILLED FISH Juice of 1/2 lemon, freshly squ...

There's something sexy about lobster. The idea that seafood is an aphrodisiac goes back to the ancient Greeks whose goddess of love, Aphrodite, was born of the sea. With a nod and apology to my vegetarian friends, I can't help myself -- cooking and eating lobster has a primitive, almost barbaric, appeal for those of us who are meateaters. Add to that the summer sun, a picnic table and a pitcher of white peach and raspberry laden vinho branco sangria (Portugese table wines are cheap and tasty, the perfect sangria ingredient) and there's no denying the joy of lobster. PEACH MELBA SANGRIA 1 750 ML bottle of white table wine 1/2 cup peach infused vodka or brandy 1 cup sparkling lemonade 2 white peaches, pitted and sliced 1/2 cup fresh washed raspberries In a large pitcher half-filled with ice, gently mix wine, vodka and lemonade before adding fruit. Pour into individual goblets, if needed use a spoon to make sure each glass has a share of the fruit. Enjo...

The Chinese method of poaching chicken before baking guarantees a far more tender chicken than traditional western baked chicken and lends itself to using the juicy leftovers for fabulous chicken salad. I learned about this by reading a Chinese cookbook more than twenty years ago. I'd bought the book hoping to learn the secret of making Chinese boneless barbequed pork. The pork was a failure but this chicken method has become my favorite. The glaze is my own version of Chinese plum glaze -- apricot jam or mandarin marmalade make a lovely glaze too but I always come back to plum. All fruit sugar free jams can be substituted for a low sugar diet. Yummy. FRUIT GLAZED CHICKEN 1 whole chicken (3-4 pounds) 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1/ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 2 tablespoons plum jelly 2 tablespoons mango chutney 1/2 teaspoon honey Rub chicken with soy sauce inside and out, generously season with black pepper. Put it in a pan ...

Turkey is good for you. A great source of B vitamins that give you energy and also help your body cope with stress — something most of us need on a daily basis. Here's the short list of B vitamins found in turkey: niacin, B6, and B12. All of them little bodyguards for your sanity. Turkey's vitamin cocktail also helps patch up DNA and that will keep your cells in good repair. Not to mention, turkey is one of the leanest meat sources around. Four ounces of turkey breast, even served with a small piece of yummy skin, has less than 1 gram of saturated fat. That’s nothing compared with the 4.5 grams found in the same amount of flank steak or killer ham with up to 5.5 grams of fat. And the leftovers make great sandwiches in a hurry -- yummy enough to keep me away from the deadly drive-thru window that got me needing the Flat Belly Diet! in the first place! SPICY ORANGE-PEPPER TURKEY BREAST 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/8 teaspoon cumin 1 tablespoo...

Every year, Frank the Rototiller Guy makes his late-April appearance in our garden space. I'm guessing in his younger years he wowed the ladies with his coiffed head of still thick hair complete with long sideburns eerily reminiscent of The King. He causes quite a stir in our neighborhood while he does a great job getting our soil ready for early plantings. Farmer Paul wasted little time in putting down what plants flourish in the cooler spring days and nights. Yesterday, the cabbage patch went in. Not to mention the perennial bed and our herb border boasted the first harvest of the new season with ready parsley and ripe rhubarb. And so it begins ... PARSLEY PANKO HADDOCK 4 six ounce pieces of boneless haddock fillets 1 cup panko Japanese style plain breadcrumbs 1/4 cup fresh finely chopped parsley (dried just won't do) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1/2 teaspoon citrus zest (I used lemon this time but lime, orange and even grapefruit wo...

Chicken is a staple for those of us trying to get healthier. Chicken day in and day out doesn't have to mean boring dining. Reasonably priced, low-fat, high-protein and it goes well with any side you can think of. What's not to love? Hadley asparagus time here in the Pioneer Valley means steamed fresh and slightly crunchy asparagus spears on the side. But if you're not lucky enough to have local asparagus where you live, some warm wilted arugula will add nice color and flavor. Drop a few raspberries in a glass of white wine and enjoy. So why did the chicken cross the road? Answer: To get away from my hot skillet! ROAST CHICKEN BREAST DIJON 2 boneless, skin on chicken breasts with drumette attached (5-6 ounces each piece) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup flour (oat or whole wheat) dash of salt freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup white table wine 3/4 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon corn starch 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 med...

Recovering from the worst cold ever, the tide had turned and the former Family Sick became the Family Famished. Our throats are still a little sore and we're not 100% yet. But after a week of chicken soup and dry toast something more substantial, yet creamy and comforting seemed like a good idea. Three people ate four servings ... I guess they agreed! LOBSTER MAC & CHEESE 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour Dash salt 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper Pinch cayenne pepper 1 1/2 cups milk 2 tablespoons brandy or dry sherry 1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese 1 pound cooked lobster, shelled and cut into chunks 2 cups cooked corkscrew macaroni ½ cup cracker crumbs 1 tablespoon melted butter Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On top of the stove melt butter in a medium pot; remove from heat. Stir in flour and add salt and peppers. Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring until well mixed. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Add tw...

You might be asking what in the world pot roast has to do with politics. Well, it's no secret that I'm a progressive Democrat from Massachusetts and involved in political organizing. And I have a BUSY schedule over the next few days until Tuesday's special election to fill our U.S. Senate seat. This pot roast recipe is a way to keep a solemn vow I made after nearly three weeks in Ohio working on John Kerry's presidential campaign. You won't catch me eating another campaign pizza if I can possibly manage a home cooked meal and still get everything done I need to do. Now back to that election ... if you're a Massachusetts voter, I know you have lots of things to do too. Life is always a struggle to juggle. But if you take my advice and get this pot roast going in the morning, you might just save enough time to get out there and do your civic duty. And when you do I hope you'll vote for Martha Coakley, the Democrat. CROCK POT ROAST BEEF 1 boneless beef chuck ro...