A Good Dish food blog simple recipes healthy meals pottery

Is it Worth Waiting in Line for a Cookie?

March 1, 2017

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie from Levain Bakery
Glazed Tile by Bruce Winn

There is often a line to get into the Levain Bakery on west 74th Street (near Amsterdam Avenue). And not just a couple of people – a long line – one that oddly rivals the line outside our local soup kitchen! It is so long, in fact, that they have a “cookie line-cam” on their website so you can see how long it is at any moment. Although they sell, among other items, a good sourdough boule, tasty walnut raisin loaves, rustic ciabatta and a decent cup of coffee, Levain is known for their fist sized cookies. They sell 4 varieties – chocolate walnut chip, oatmeal raisin, dark chocolate chocolate chip and dark chocolate peanut butter chip. So when I passed by and there was no line, I stopped in to see if their famous $4 cookie could be worth it.

The chocolate walnut chip, which won a throw down with Bobby Flay, by the way, was developed to satisfy the appetites of the 2 female owners of the bakery when they were training for an Ironman competition. This is a big, dense mountain of a cookie but slightly wet inside and very sweet. If you like eating raw cookie dough, you will probably like this cookie. My husband, who prefers dark chocolate and drinks his coffee black, stopped eating after 2 bites, declaring it to be cloyingly sweet. I agreed but somehow managed to finish mine. I thought it was dense and flavorful but too sweet even for my taste. I don’t buy cookies much anymore or even eat much sugar so I may be out of practice. And I pay more than $4 for plenty of things so, although it seems like a lot, it is a huge cookie and price is relative. If you have a very sweet tooth, this is the cookie for you, except it would be best shared. According to myfitnesspal.com, each cookie is a whopping 563 calories. And, of course, taste is personal – there are gazillions of people who love this cookie so much they are willing to wait on line for it or pay to have it shipped.

6 oz. scoops of cookies waiting to be baked

I wouldn’t necessarily buy the chocolate chip walnut again, or the dark chocolate chip, which although darker chocolate tasting, is still super sweet. But I will patronize the bakery both because they bake good bread, are a local business and they donate whatever doesn’t sell each day to City Harvest to feed the hungry, a mission we can all appreciate and support. I might, however, choose to shop at their location on Frederick Douglas Boulevard and 116th Street, as there was no line whatsoever when we walked by last weekend. Levain isn’t revealing its secret method anytime soon but if you love their cookie and search online, there are plenty of copycat recipes out there. And those whole wheat walnut raisin rolls toasted – yum!

Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookie from Levain Bakery
Glazed tile by Bruce Winn

A Carrot Trick – The Magic of a Late Winter Salad

February 22, 2017

Shredded carrot salad with cilantro, watermelon radish and toasted pumpkin seeds
Oval bowl by Emily Schroeder Willis

The cheery orange of a crunchy carrot salad in late winter brightens up any table on a dark evening. There is something magical about making a fresh salad out of a few roots stored in the bottom of your crisper. Carrots, like beets, radishes, parsnips and celery root keep well for months in a cool, dark place and provide some nutritious raw vegetables for salads throughout the winter months.

I love carrots! One summer I ate so many that my hands turned orange, a garish but harmless condition. I’ve moderated my intake since then but still love to munch them. The crunch and sweetness make a satisfying snack and they improve almost any salad.

A carrot salad is one of the easiest salads to make (similar, in fact, to the raw beet salad I posted last month). Simply grate, thinly slice (on a mandolin), use a peeler to shave into strips or julienne carrots into thin matchsticks for the bulk of your salad. Add in some diced or sliced watermelon radish or jicama for crunch, grated ginger if you like spice, pumpkin or sunflower seeds or walnuts for protein and flavor, parsley, mint or cilantro for herbaciousness and apple, pear, persimmon, pineapple, currants or diced dried apricots for sweetness. Toss it all with a lemony or orange vinaigrette and you have a salad you can eat for several days running. Magic!

Carrot Salad

1 pound carrots, grated or cut as you please
1 medium watermelon radish or jicama, diced small
1 medium apple or pear, diced small
1/4 cup currants or diced dried apricots (optional)
A big handful of chopped parsley, mint and/or cilantro
A big handful of toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts

Whisk together:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
2-3 TBs olive oil
Big pinch of salt and of black pepper
Splash of rice or sherry vinegar (optional)

Toss all together and let sit at least one hour or overnight.

6-8 servings and keeps in the refrigerator 3-4 days.

Works well as a lunch box salad or in a sandwich or pita (in place of lettuce and tomato) alongside leftover chicken or fish or cheese or baked tempeh or tofu in either case.

For a complete lunch, just add feta, goat or mozzarella cheese or cooked chickpeas. If you want it greener, add a handful of chopped watercress or arugula or serve over lettuce leaves.

Lentil Soup – Easy, Nutritious and Economical

February 15, 2017

Lentil soup with herbs, spices and vegetables
Wood-fired stoneware mug by Doug Casebeer

Making soup is a useful activity on a cold afternoon. It takes an hour or two and you have dinner prepared for a couple of nights during the upcoming week and sometimes a lunch, too. You can clean out your fridge at the same time because most soup recipes can handle the addition of leftover vegetables or starches, even proteins. (Mexican posole (my favorite and fallback feel good soup) uses up cooked chicken or turkey and any chicken soup can be enriched with finely cut collards or kale or cooked rice or barley – for example). Beans partner well with any leftover greens, grains, sausage or ham, even crumbled bacon, assuming there ever is any left over.

One of the simplest soups to make is lentil – red, green, yellow or brown – start to finish in an hour, although it tastes better if you leave it in the fridge overnight and then reheat. The flavor improves with time so you can make it a day or two before you want to serve it. Many cultures cook with lentils for good reasons. They are inexpensive, nutritious, easy to store and can be seasoned in different ways. Curry, tomatoes, Italian seasonings, dill, ginger or smoked paprika each change the flavor profile of the lentils. This pretty basic recipe has seemingly endless variations.Double it if you have more people to feed or if you want more leftovers to serve over rice with fresh cilantro and hot sauce for another meal. It isn’t the most beautiful looking soup you will ever make but it is fragrant, filling, warming and satisfying. You can make it more appealing by adding greens or a sprinkle of parsley and, of course by serving it in a wonderful handmade mug or bowl!

Very Basic Lentil Soup

1 – 2 Tbs. olive or avocado oil
1-2 large (Spanish) or 2-3 medium onions, coarsely diced
1-2 large garlic cloves, minced or grated (or not, if you don’t like it)
3 stalks celery, halved lengthwise and then sliced
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and then sliced or diced
2 bay leaves
1-2 tsp cumin (optional but adds depth)
1-2 tsp each oregano and basil
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp coarse salt
2 cups lentils (brown, green or red), washed and drained
8 cups water (or stock if you like your soup a little richer)
handful of chopped parsley for garnish (and to boost nutrition)

Heat oil in a stock pot until shimmering.

Add onions and turn heat to medium.

Add garlic and cook until onions turn translucent.

Add celery, carrots, bay leaves, herbs, salt and pepper and stir until well combined.

Stir in lentils, add water and turn up the heat.

When it comes to a boil, turn down the heat and gently simmer until lentils are cooked and soup has thickened, about 30 – 60 minutes depending on the kind of lentils you use. If the soup is too thick for your preference, thin it with water. Add more salt, pepper and cumin to taste – it will need it. Remove the bay leaves, sprinkle with parsley and consider adding one or more of the extras listed below.

Extras:

– I think this soup is greatly enhanced by grating in some fresh ginger and turmeric toward the end of cooking plus a 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder or, alternatively, stirring in a heaping tablespoon of pesto before serving.

– If you like tomato in your lentil soup, add a can of diced tomatoes during simmering.

– For a starch, add 1 or 2 cups of cooked rice or cubed leftover (or raw if you add with the lentils) potatoes or sweet potatoes.

A squeeze of lemon juice, a little lemon zest or a splash of vinegar at the end of cooking boosts flavor.
For spicy, add hot sauce, cayenne pepper or salsa.
To boost the protein content, add chopped or crumbled cooked sausage (pork, turkey, chicken or vegetarian all work), diced leftover ham or shredded smoked turkey.

– Instead of thinning with additional water at the end, you can use a cup of coconut milk.

– Freshly Grated Parmesan (added before serving) thickens and adds depth if your soup seems too bland or thin. For vegans, add some smoked paprika or nutritional yeast to boost flavor.

– I think this soup becomes even better with the addition of chopped kale, collards, swiss chard (all blanched or pre-cooked or added 10 minutes before soup finishes cooking), spinach or arugula (added when serving).

To use for a second meal, reheat at low until thickened (stir often so it doesn’t burn) and serve over cooked rice or greens and top with chopped cilantro (or parsley if you don’t like cilantro) and put out salsa, hot sauce, chopped red onion, grated cheese and diced avocado for people to add as they please. The leftovers make a great box lunch.

Befriending the Under Appreciated Parsnip

February 8, 2017

Roasted Parsnip “Fries”
Glazed Porcelain Dish by Andrew Martin

I will never say that parsnips are my favorite vegetable but I have learned to enjoy eating them. They are inexpensive compared with greens, even the organic ones – and we should be buying organic when we buy roots because washing doesn’t remove many pesticides. Also, when roots are organically grown, you don’t have to peel them and there are nutrients in the skins. Plus, they are one more vegetable available to us in winter.

Raw parsnips at the Union Square Greenmarket

Parsnips have a strong but sweet flavor, less cabbage-y than turnips, but also less sugary than beets. Raw parsnip adds another layer of flavor when shredded into a beet or carrot salad. One very tasty way to eat them is cooked and mashed with carrots (1 parsnip for every 2 carrots) with a little butter and salt and pepper. Parsnips can be mashed or pureed alone with a little butter or olive oil or mashed along with potatoes (and celery root) to lighten them up. For those who like things richer, there are versions with cream and nutmeg. If you make vegetable chips, either by baking or frying, try including parsnips. Cream of parsnip soup, with roasted chestnuts is delicious but a bit more work. I often add a small parsnip (or half if they are large) to a pot of chicken or vegetable stock to enrich the flavor but be careful of the amount because parsnips, like turnip and cabbage, can overwhelm the flavor. A little goes a long way.

Parsnips cut into mostly equal “batons” for even roasting

Aside from mashed with carrots, my favorite way to eat them is simply roasted, preferably with a little maple syrup, which helps caramelizes them. If you have lots of vegetables (like carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, celery root, potatoes, etc.) to roast, you can just add some sliced parsnips along with the rest. But if you want to cook them alone, roasting is the way to go.

Parsnip and carrot mash
Glazed bowl by Janice Tchalenko

OVEN ROASTED PARSNIP “FRIES”

6-8 parsnips, scrubbed with ends cut off
1 TBs olive oil (or 2 if you don’t use maple syrup)
1 TBs maple syrup (optional but intensifies caramelization)
Sprinkle of salt

Slice the parsnips and mound on a rimmed cookie sheet or roasting pan.

Mix oil and maple syrup together and drizzle over parsnips, sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and toss.

Spread pieces out flat on the pan and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking, but watch to make sure they don’t burn. Ovens all cook differently.

A few variations:

Sprinkle with thyme and/or chopped rosemary, za’atar or cumin along with the salt, with or without the maple syrup
Sprinkle with cinnamon and/or orange zest for “sweet fries”
Add toasted, chopped walnuts when serving
Add a pat of butter to hot, cooked parsnips and toss to melt
Substitute melted coconut oil for the olive oil
Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving

Larry Bush Makes Pots Meant to be Used

February 1, 2017

Glazed porcelain mugs (1988) by Larry Bush

A really well made pot, in my opinion, is one which you want to pick up and use. As I explained in my post on the value of handmade pots a couple of months ago, a skillful potter is one who crafts pieces that heighten your experience of eating and drinking. Larry Bush is such an artist and his pots are among my very favorites to use. Food looks great in them and I never tire of their shapes, surfaces, decoration or inventiveness.

Scalloped bowls (1999)
Thrown, carved, sprigged and glazed porcelain

I first saw Bush’s work when he was a graduate student in the mid-1980’s at Alfred University in upstate New York. At a time when “vessels” and kiln sized clay sculpture were dominating the clay scene, Bush made human scale, useful pots that were artistically and technically sophisticated while being down-to-earth functional. His pots, like the potter himself, were smart, direct, friendly and thoughtful.

Carved Footed Tumblers (1991)
Whittled Porcelain

Nature was an early source for Bush, a Seattle native, providing structural and decorative source material that still inspires him decades later. As a professor, and for many years as department chair at RISD in Providence, RI, Bush worked with a mid-temperature porcelain clay, casting a variety of objects to generate forms and then carving to vary the surfaces. His pots became more delicate and deeply textured but retained a distinctly handmade touch. In recent pieces, he continue to use natural sources and historical references, going back and forth between a darker stoneware clay with flowers and vines for forms and/or decoration and carved or whittled porcelain. In either format, his pieces make having a cup of tea or coffee (or a sandwich) a pleasure.

*Narragansett Electric* (2004) from the Providence Plate series
Painted and Glazed Porcelain

Across the River (2004) from the Providence Plate series
Painted and Glazed Porcelain

In a 2006 statement, Bush reflected on his inspiration. “Nature is my model, sometimes literally, always conceptually. With clay and glaze I imitate nature. With function and form, color and texture, history and need, I attempt a layering of forces similar to that found in natural things like flowers.” He notes that the geological characteristics of a clay can determine how it is used, stylistically and in terms of function. The darker stoneware serves one purpose and the porcelain another and going back and forth between them leaves open more possibilities for him to explore ideas.

*Preamble Plate* (2012)
Glazed Porcelain with transfer drawings and overglaze enamel

Usefulness is key to Bush’s work. In the same statement, he explained how a combination of function, form, color, texture and historical references result in pieces which prompt interaction, requiring touch. “Pottery is a haptic as well as a visual art: it is handled as well as looked at. Like other useful things, pottery can simultaneously be a focus of attention, a facilitator or activity and a background to life. It can be important and familiar…The meaning of my work lies in the way it might shape and give texture to life.”

His depth of thought might not be obvious when you first see Bush’s work, since it has such immediate visual appeal. But the longer you use his pieces, the more you find yourself repeatedly surprised by the layers of references beneath the skillfully formed surfaces, whether carved or painted or both. The morning glory vines spreading over a generous jar (with proportions like an ancient Iranian prototype) prompt me to think of a sunny summer morning in a garden or a painting by Bonnard or Vuillard. The accordion like ridges of a white porcelain tumbler keep my eye moving up and down the pot while providing a good grip to prevent it from slipping out of my hand. Handles and rims are designed and articulated for maximum comfort in the hand or mouth.

Presentation Dish (2016) by Larry Bush
Thrown, whittled, sprigged woodfired porcelain

*Silla Cups* (2015) by Larry Bush
Flyash, overglazed wood fired stoneware

I’ve used Bush’s pots for 30 years, acquiring one or two whenever I had a chance, although it isn’t that easy to find them for sale. Because he teaches full time during the school year, the bulk of his own work waits for the free time of summer. Bush always has multiple projects going. When I spoke with him last summer, he was figuring out an in ground watering system for his garden, working on a series of plates (recently shown in art galleries in New York and Philadelphia) he was making as part of a collaboration with printmaker Andrew Raftery, writing student recommendations and configuring new kiln furniture so he could fit more work into each firing.

*Morning Glory Jar* (2014) by Larry Bush
Whittled, sprigged, flyash, overglazed, woodfired stoneware

Whether for a cup of coffee, a bowl of cereal or a martini, Bush’s pieces are unabashedly functional without any compromise of art or design. His recent food storage jars have recessed knobs so they fit more easily in the refrigerator. His “to go” cups are designed to prevent coffee from splashing out while feeling comfortable for drinking and being aesthetically engaging. In each of his bodies of work, utilitarian and decorative elements reinforce each other, resulting in pots that please the eye and feel good in the hand. These are pots you want to pick up and which you will want to use because they are so well thought through, crafted and artful, heightening our experience of eating and drinking. Lively yet intimate pieces whether on a shelf, in your hand or drying in a dish rack, Bush’s pots are a pleasure to use.

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