Squash and Blue Cheese Risotto

Risotto is a rice dish originating in Northern Italy. The rices used to make risotto are characterized by high starch, low amylose and round medium grains – very different from the white rice most commonly consumed in the United States. The most common risotto rices used in Italy are Carnaroli or Vialone, though in American grocery stores Arborio is most more widely available. This is less desirable that the other varieties as it has less starch and is less firm.

To make risotto, first onions or shallots are sautéed in olive oil in a process called soffritto. Then the rice grains are added and coated in oil or butter in a process called tostatura. Hot stock is then added in small quantities while stirring the risotto. The agitation releases starch from the rice grains which forms a thick liquid. The final step is mantecatura when butter/oil and cheese are added and stirred vigorously to create a creamy sauce.

This risotto is adapted from a British recipe. Risottos tend to be mild but this one has strong flavors. The saffron provides fragrance, the squash creaminess, the Gorgonzola some bite, and the pecans a crunchy texture. Many Americans are intimidated by risotto because rumors abound that it must be stirred for several hours. New York Times food critic Mark Bittman dispels this myth.

In Italy risotto is served as a primi piatti (first dish) instead of pasta; secondi piatti (second dishes) generally consist of meat or fish. In America risotto is often served as a main dish, though is sometimes served as an appetizer or side dish.


Serves 6-8 as a main dish

Ingredients
6 cups vegetable or chicken low-sodium stock (do not use bouillon cubes)
1 pinch of saffron
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 lb squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups Arborio or other risotto rice
1 cup dry white wine
8-12 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (or another mild to medium blue cheese)
1/2 lb toasted pecan halves
salt and pepper to taste
fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions
1. In a medium pot warm stock until simmering. Add saffron and stir well.
2. In a larger, heavy-bottomed pot on low heat sauté onion in olive oil until soft (about 10 minutes).
3. Add garlic and squash and cook until slightly soft.
4. Add the butter and rice. Stir until the grains are well coated.
5. Add wine and stir until absorbed (about 1 minute).
6. Add 1 cup of warm broth and stir until it has almost been absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time and stirring occasionally until absorbed. The process should take about 20 minutes but check the rice after 15 minutes. The grains should be al dente and will continue cooking once removed from the heat.
7. Once the risotto is cooked, stir in the Gorgonzola. Fold in half of the pecans and use the other half to garnish the dish before serving. Add salt, pepper and finely grated Parmesan cheese to taste.

Killer Brownies

Despite their popularity in the United States and my own personal predilection for them, this is only the second brownie recipe to be featured on this blog. The first was for Valentine’s Day almost two years ago. While these are not a traditional Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid or Kwanzaa recipe, Americans adore saccharine chocolate treats at any time of the year.

Brownies are dense chocolate, cake-like squares. They generally contain a higher proportion of eggs and chocolate and a lower proportion of flour than chocolate cake. They are sometimes frosted, and often made with nuts, chocolate chips, cream cheese, dried fruit or coconut. Most commonly brownies are served at room temperature, but many restaurants serve them warm and topped with ice cream, whipping cream, chocolate sauce and/or chopped nuts. Brownies are similar to the less popular blondies (another favorite); the major difference is that the former is made with chocolate batter.

Brownies were first created in Chicago by a chef at the Palmer House Hotel during the 1893 Columbian Exposition. He created these confections for Bertha Palmer, whose husband Potter owned the hotel. The original recipe, which is still served at the hotel, contains nuts and an apricot glaze. The first published brownie recipe produced a cake-like square and appeared in a Boston cookbook in 1906. A new recipe published the following year more closely resembled today’s confection.

This is one of the most delicious brownies I have tasted. It is based on a recipe by Ina Garten but uses less chocolate, nuts, flour and sugar than her version. Still these are exceedingly decadent.

Makes 48 squares

Ingredients

1 lb unsalted butter (4 sticks)

24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

6 large eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons instant coffee

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 cup unbleached flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups walnut pieces

Directions

1. Butter and flour a 3/4 to 1-inch deep 12 x 18 inch baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a medium pan over lowest heat, melt butter and 12 ounces chocolate chips. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs (with a fork, do not use an electric beater), then add sugar, coffee and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture and mix well using a spatula. Allow to cool to room temperature.

4. In a small bowl mix all but 2 tablespoons of flour, baking powder and salt. Using the spatula, fold into the chocolate mixture.

5. Toss walnuts and remaining 12 ounces of chocolate chips in reserved 2 tablespoons of flour. Fold these into the brownie batter.

6. Pour batter into the baking sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, remove baking sheet and drop on countertop or floor several times to remove air bubbles. Be careful not to overbake these brownies – they should be moist and chewy not cakey.

7. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut into squares.

Coconut Pumpkin Pie

As avid readers of Treat a Week have noted, coconut is one of my favorite ingredients. It has made appearances in curries, cakes and bars among other recipes on his blog. However, I’ve never written about coconuts, so I figured Thanksgiving is as good a time as any.

Coconuts palm trees are thought to have originated in South Asia, though some authorities believe that they developed in northwestern South America. Through the dispersal of coconuts (which serve as seeds) in ocean waters and human cultivation, coconut palms are now found throughout the tropics. They require wet, warm, humid and sunny climates; they also do well in sandy and saline environments. The largest coconut producers in the world are Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Brazil and Thailand.

Several food products are derived from coconuts. Coconut water is the sterile fluid in the cavity of the fruit and is often consumed as a refreshing beverage. Coconut meat, the fleshly part of the nut, can be eaten fresh or dried. The flesh can also be processed with hot water or milk to produce coconut milk. Refrigerated coconut milk separates and the non-liquid portion that rises to the top is coconut cream, which is used primarily in sweet dishes such as piña coladas. Several other culinary products can be produced from coconut palm trees – flower cluster sap can be fermented to produce palm wine, coconut nectar is extracted from young buds, coconut sprout is found in newly germinated coconuts, and heart-of-palm is extracted from the inner core of the tree.

This variation on quintessential pumpkin pie is based on a recipe by my friend Elliot, a former restaurateur in Seattle. I use shredded coconut meat in the crust and coconut cream in the filling, which gives it a rich and tropical flavor. The lime zest adds freshness and another layer of complexity.

Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely shredded, desiccated coconut (Asian markets are the best place to find this)
1/3 cup unsalted butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
OR
1 prepared graham cracker crust

Filling:
3 eggs, lightly beaten or egg substitute
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
8 to 12 oz cream of coconut (I use Coco Lopez brand) – make it as rich as you would like
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
zest of one lime

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. If you are making a crust, mix graham cracker crumbs, coconut, sugar and butter. Using the back of a spoon or your hands, pat the mixture along the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish. I find that a metal dish works best (sometimes the crust gets stuck to a glass dish).
3. In a medium bowl, combine all the filling ingredients. Pour into the piecrust.
4. Bake for 40-60 minutes or until the center is set (should not jiggle when shaken slightly). If the pie starts to brown, reduce the temperature to 275F and bake until set.
5. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. Serve the next day – chilled or at room temperature. You can decorate it with whipped cream and serve more on the side.

Millet Flour Flatbread (Bajari Rotlo)

Millet is possibly the first domesticated cereal grain. Recent evidence suggests that it has been grown in East Asia since 8000 BC and was the staple grain before the popularization of rice. Its cultivation is mentioned in the Bible.

Today millet is the sixth most cultivated grain in the world, but is largely unknown in North America and Europe. India and Nigeria are the world’s largest producers, followed by China and several African countries. It is a hardy crop that grows well without fertilizer and in water-poor environments. As a result it is widely cultivated in the global South, especially among the poorest people in these regions. It is generally not traded in the international markets.

Millet is gluten-free and non-allergenic. It is high in protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and B-complex vitamins. It is popularly used to make porridge in Russia and China, and is an important alcohol grain in Nepal, China, Balkan countries and India.

In Gujarat and other parts of India, where my family has its roots, millet is used to make the traditional local staple flatbread (known as rotlo or bhakri). Rotlo is thicker, coarser and more rigid than chapati, with which it has now largely been replaced. This recipe is a spicy version, but rotlo is traditionally made only with both flours, salt, oil and water (one can make the recipe below with just those five ingredients). My mother tells me that as a baby, I loved to eat yogurt with crushed rotlo. I guess some things never change...

Ingredients
3 cups millet flour (also known as bajari)
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger paste
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic paste
4 green onions, thinly chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons oil (olive or vegetable)
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups water

Directions
1. In a large bowl, use your hands to mix all the ingredients (except the water).
2. Add 1 cup of water to form a dough. Add additional water slowly until all the flour is incorporated and you have a soft but firm dough.
3. In the meantime, heat a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat.
4. Separate dough into four balls.
5. Place one ball on an unused J cloth or silicone baking mat on a flat surface.
6. Flatten the ball using your fingers to press dough towards the edge. Continue until the bread is about 1/4 inch thick and about 7 to 8 inches in diameter. Make sure it is even in thickness.
7. Lift the J cloth or mat to transfer the bread onto one of your hands (flat side up) and run under a small stream of water until wet.
8. Place the bread (wet side down) on the skillet. Cook for two minutes.
9. Moisten the top of the bread and flip. Cook for an additional two minutes.
10. Flip back to original side and cook for one further minute. Using a flat spatula, remove to a plate. Eat warm and serve with yogurt or vegetable curry.