Copyright @Maricel E. Presilla

Makes 4 servings
Hands-On Time: 40 minutes

Suggested Accompaniment
rice


The Chicken
Ingredients
8 large cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
Juice of 2 large bitter Seville oranges (about 1/3 cup) or a 50-50
mixture of lime and sweet orange juice
8 chicken thighs, skin removed
2 pounds small okra
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

The Cooking Sauce (SOFRITO)
Ingredients
2 small Spanish chorizos, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 medium yellow onion (10 to 12 ounces), finely chopped
1/2 Scotch bonnet pepper or 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
4 medium fresh or canned plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), peeled,
seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato sauce (optional)
1 cup beer
3 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned

The Plantain Dumplings
Ingredients
2 green plantains, peeled and cut into 3 sections
1 yellow (half-ripe) plantain, peeled and cut into 3 sections
4 large garlic cloves, mashed to a paste with mortar and pestle
1/4 cup chicken broth, homemade or canned
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt

Marinate the chicken: Crush the garlic, cumin, allspice, and salt to a paste with mortar and pestle. Mix in the orange juice. (You can also use a blender). Rub this marinade all over the chicken and refrigerate, covered, 3 to 4 hours.

Prepare the okra: Trim the okra and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices (about 6 cups) and place in a bowl. I love the mucilaginous juice exuded by okra, but if it bothers you, do the following: Place the okra in a large bowl and run cold water over it while swishing around with your hands; drain. Return the okra to the bowl. Add 8 cups hot water and some citrus juice. Set aside.

Cook the chicken: Scrape the marinade from the chicken and reserve. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat.
Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, sauté the chicken to gold a little, about 15 minutes: transfer to a plate.

Make the sofrito: Add the chorizo to the pot and cook until lightly browned. Add the remaining marinade and cook briefly, stirring, to get up the browned bits. Add the onion and hot pepper; sauté until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the optional tomato sauce and beer; cook 5 minutes more.

Finish the stew: Add the chicken and broth reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the chicken is tender, about 35 minutes. Add the reserved okra to the pot (drain first if kept in acidulated water). Cook until tender, about 15 more minutes.

Make the dumplings: While the stew simmers, place the plantains with 8 cups water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. While still hot, mash plantains to a coarse puree with mortar and pestle or a potato masher. Mix in the mashed garlic, broth, olive oil and salt. Divide into 16 equal portions and roll with your hands into balls; set aside. Add the dumplings to the stew a few minutes before serving and let
them heat through. Serve in deep soup bowls over rice.

Copyright @Maricel E. Presilla

Makes 4 servings
Hands-On Time: 30 minutes
Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Suggested Accompaniments
Rice or shredded Napa cabbage seasoned with just a bit of olive oil and salt.

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, mashed with mortar and pestle or finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
Pinch of allspice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, cut into ½-inch cubes
12 toasted almonds
1/4 cup roasted cacao nibs (available in Whole Foods and specialty stores) or 2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 or 2 whole garlic cloves
1/4 cup flat parsley leaves
1 cup warm water or chicken broth
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
4 squash blossoms, coarsely chopped (optional)
Sea salt to finish

Directions
Place the oil in a 12-inch skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the mashed garlic and sauté for 10 seconds. Add the onion and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté, stirring, for 3 minutes with the cumin, oregano, cayenne, allspice, and salt. Add the zucchini and cook for 2 minutes. While the vegetables cook, place the almonds, cacao, garlic, and parsley in a mortar and crush together to make a coarse paste. Stir into the skillet. Add the water or broth and the chile and stir to mix. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the optional blossoms and taste for seasoning and if you wish season with additional sea salt and hot pepper. Serve hot. Serve with rice or over shredded Napa cabbage seasoned with just a bit of olive oil and salt.

Makes 4 servings
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 1 1/4 hours

1 cup canned chicken broth or homemade Chicken Stock
1/3 cup white wine
2 medium boiling or Yukon gold potatoes (about 12 ounces), peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
8 thin slices Canadian bacon (about 6 ounces), chopped
1 teaspoon rinsed and dried fresh thyme or 1/3 teaspoon dried
Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, thinly sliced and quartered
1 Turkish bay leaf
1 1/2 pounds cod, scrod, or halibut fillet
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon paprika, optional

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Spray a shallow 2-quart baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. Bring the broth and wine to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Layer the potatoes, onion, celery, and bacon in the baking dish, seasoning with thyme, salt, and pepper between the layers. Pour the hot broth mixture over all, dot with butter, add the bay leaf, and cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Remove the bay leaf from the potato mixture; add the fish, and bake, covered, until the fish is just cooked through, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, gently heat the half-and-half.

To serve, drizzle the hot half-and-half over the fish. Spoon the chowder into bowls, breaking the fish into flakes with the spoon; sprinkle each serving with some paprika, if desired.

Hey New York, this is for you! Everyone knows that corn and tomatoes go together like love and marriage.  Adding pickles to the mix is my own little twist. Originally, I wanted to create a Manhattan Corn Chowder on the model of a Manhattan Clam Chowder. But when I thought of Manhattan, I thought of delis. When I thought of delis, I thought of pickles. And when I thought of pickles, I thought of the American south, where they slice, bread, and fry the sour little suckers – a fate that’s never befallen one of New York’s proud kosher dills. Too bad for them.  A fried pickle is a happy pickle, and the ones in this recipe (actually they’re sautéed) add a delightful tang and crunch to every spoonful of this soup. I have given both a summer version (fresh tomatoes and corn) and a winter variation (canned tomatoes and frozen corn) so you can make this soup all year long.

4 ounces bacon (about 6 slices)
1 medium onion
2 medium celery stalks
1 small green bell pepper
1 large garlic clove
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/3 teaspoon dried
1 pound boiling potatoes such as Yukon Gold or Red Bliss
3 cups Homemade Chicken Stock or canned broth
3 large ears fresh corn
2 pints (about 4 cups) cherry tomatoes
1 cup dill pickle slices
1/4 cup stone ground corn meal
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces Swiss cheese
1 to 4 tablespoons pickle juice

Heat a large stockpot over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium; add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the onion (about 1 cup), celery (about 3/4 cup), and bell pepper (about 3/4 cup) into 1-inch pieces. Thinly slice the garlic (about 1 teaspoon). Combine the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and thyme in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade; pulse 4 to 5 times until coarsely chopped. Scrub the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice.

Remove the cooked bacon to paper towels to drain; remove and reserve all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat in the sawucepot. Reduce the heat to medium-low; scrape the onion mixture into the bacon fat in the stockpot and cook 5 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Set aside the food processor bowl. Add the chicken stock and potatoes  to the stockpot; bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, husk the corn and remove the kernels from the cobs (about 3 cups). Scrape the cobs with the back of a knife to get the corn milk and add it to the corn kernels. You should have about 3 cups. Combine 1 cup corn kernels and 1/2 cup of stock from the pot in the food processor fitted with the chopping blade and process until pureed. Transfer the puree to a bowl. Add the tomatoes to the food processor; pulse 5 to 6 times until coarsely chopped.

Heat 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Toss the pickle slices with the cornmeal in a plastic bag, and place the pickles in the skillet in a single layer. Fry until golden, about 5 minutes; turn and fry the other side until golden, adding more fat if necessary, 3 to 4 minutes more. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste and remove to a small plate. Coarsely shred the Swiss cheese (1/2 cup). Crumble the bacon.

When the potatoes are almost tender, add the remaining 2 cups corn kernels, the tomatoes, and pureed corn mixture to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste the soup and add pickle juice, salt, and black pepper as desired. Divide the chowder among 4 soup plates and serve topped with the Swiss cheese, fried pickles, and bacon.

Summer VersionMakes about 9 1/2 cups, 4 servings
Hands-on time: 50 minutes
Total preparation time: 50 minutes

Winter version: Substitute a 15.5-ounce can chopped tomatoes (preferably fire roasted) and 3 cups thawed frozen corn for the fresh tomatoes and corn.

Makes about 8 1/2 cups, 4 servings
Hands-on time: 40 minutes
Total preparation time: 40 minutes

Note: if you want more of a chocolate milk with bubbles add the higher amount of milk, if you want more of a chocolate seltzer, add more of the seltzer

Makes 1 drink

Ingredients
1/4 to 1/2 cup cold whole milk
2/3 to 1 cup soda stream seltzer
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup (the classic is U Bet but Hersheys is fine too)

Directions
Pour cold milk into a tall soda glass. Add seltzer carefully and slowly (it bubbles up so be careful to make sure it does not go over the top) to within 1 inch of the top of the glass; stir vigorously with a long spoon (which will create significant foam). Very gently stir 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup slowly down the inside of the glasses; stir well with a long spoon at the bottom of the glass where the chocolate has landed. The resulting drink should have a dark brown bottom and a 1-inch high pure foam top. Don’t over mix or the foam will disappear.

Makes 4 to 6 Servings

Ingredients
One 12 ounce bottle beer
1 c plus 1/3 c Wondra or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 t Dijon Mustard
Kosher Salt
Asian Dipping Sauce (see recipe below) or soy sauce
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 300° F. Whisk together 1 cup beer, 1 cup flour, the mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until just smooth. Strain the batter in to another bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Reserve the extra beer.

Put 1/3 cup flour into a pie plate lined with wax paper or parchment. Check the batter; it should have the consistency of a thick pancake batter. If it seems too thick, whisk in up to 1/4 cup more beer.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large stick resistant or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working with half the shrimp at a time, toss them in the flour, lifting the wax paper on both sides to move them around. Transfer the shrimp to a strainer and shake off the excess flour. Coat the shrimp with the batter, letting the excess drip off, and add them to the skillet. Cook them, turning once, for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until they are golden. (Most of the batter will stay on the side you first put down in the skillet.)

Sprinkle the cooked shrimp with salt, transfer them to a baking sheet, and keep them warm in the oven while you cook the remaining shrimp in the remaining oil. Serve Asian Dipping Sauce or soy sauce for dipping.

Asian Dipping Sauce
Stir together ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar, 6 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar and 2 teaspoons sesame seeds.

Cook’s Notes
Another tasty dipping sauce for the shrimp is:
Homemade Tartar Sauce
Whisk together ¾ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup finely chopped dill pickle, 1 trimmed and chopped medium scallion (about 2 tablespoons), 1 tablespoon drained capers, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and ¼ teaspoon hot sauce.

How many shrimp are in a pound? Now that is a question that does not have a short answer. Shrimp are marketed in many forms. You can get them in the shell, shelled except for the tail, fully shelled and ready to eat, to name a few. Although the price of shrimp on the wholesale market is set by the number of shrimp per pound, in retail the categories vary from market to market. A rule of thumb for shrimp is that you will get about 10 colossal, 11 to 15 jumbo, 16 to 20 extra large, 21 to 30 large, 31 to 35 medium, or 36 to 45 small raw shrimp in their shells per pound. If the shrimp are partially or fully shelled, you will get up to 20 percent more shrimp in the pound, but they will be more expensive. 

Makes 8 Sliders, 4 Servings

Suggested accompaniment
cabbage and pepper slaw

Ingredients
1/8 small green cabbage
1/4 small red bell pepper
1/4 c fresh basil leaves
1 medium scallion
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger
1 garlic clove
1/2 pound lean ground pork
2 t soy sauce
1/2 t kosher salt
1/8 t sesame oil
2 T vegetable oil
Cilantro Mayo (see recipe below)
Mini Pitas or small rolls (see Note)

Directions
Finely chop the cabbage (about 1/3 cup), bell pepper (about 1/4 cup), basil (about 2 tablespoons), and scallion (about 2 tablespoons); peel and Microplane-grate the ginger (1 teaspoon). Combine the cabbage, bell pepper, basil, scallion, and ginger in a large bowl and press in the garlic (about 1 teaspoon). Gently stir in the pork, soy sauce, salt, and sesame oil and shape the mixture into 8 mini burgers

Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until hot. Add the burgers and cook for 2 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. Meanwhile, prepare the Cilantro Mayo.

Serve the sliders in mini pitas or on small rolls, topped with Cilantro Mayo.

Note: Both Sahara’s mini pitas and Martin’s Famous Dinner Potato Rolls are just the right size for these sliders. You can find either product at most supermarkets.

Cilantro Mayo
Stir together 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cook’s Notes
What can you do if you hate cilantro? There are lots of people out there who are born with the anti-cilantro gene. They think cilantro tastes like soap (or something just as bad). Unfortunately cilantro is common to many cuisines and it just pops its head up everywhere. I recommend that if it is an Asian dish you find it in, substitute the other Asian herb standbys – basil and/or mint. If it is a Mexican recipe use oregano or parsley in its place and if it is a Middle Eastern recipe, use parsley. Or just leave it out and don’t make any substitution.

How do you add seasonings to raw ground meat mixtures? It drives me nuts when I read a recipe that says to “add salt and pepper” to a raw ground meat recipe. Are you supposed to then take a big bite of the raw meat mixture? To check the seasoning in any raw ground meat mixture, burger, meatball, sausage, etc. I make what I refer to as a test pilot. I sauté a small patty of the mixture until it is cooked through and then taste it. That way, I can correct the seasoning before the meat is cooked and it is too late. 

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Suggested accompaniments
crudités, blue cheese dip, olives

Ingredients
2 pounds chicken wings
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 oz chorizo sausage, casing removed and very finely chopped
2 c Rice Krispies
1/4 c freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 t sweet or hot paprika
1 t ground cumin
1/4 t kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 c mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t sherry vinegar

Directions:
Cut off the very tip of the chicken wings, known as the wing tips, and reserve for stock. Find the joint where the remaining two parts of the wing are joined and cut through the joint to halve. Preheat the oven 400°F.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.  Cool to room temperature.

Place the Rice Krispies in a plastic bag with a resalable closure and roughly crush with a rolling pin. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the cooked chorizo, Parmigiano-Reggiano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and vinegar in a large bowl.  Add the chicken wings and toss well to coat.  Roll the wings in the Rice Krispies mixture until well coated.  Arrange in one layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes.  Serve hot.

Cook’s Notes
If you don’t have rice krispies in house you could substitute cornflakes or crackers

You can buy chicken wings whole, cut into joints, or as drumettes (the thickest of the three chicken wing joints). If you buy them whole and cut them up yourself you will save money (and also get the wingtips, that last little joint on the chicken wing which adds so much flavor to a stock)

Depending on where you live in this country, you will find one of two basic kinds of chorizo – Spanish or Mexican. If you live in the West or Southwest, it will most likely be Mexican; if you live in any other part of the country, it will most likely be Spanish. What is the difference?

In Spanish the word chorizo means sausage and refers to a variety of dried cured sausages that have been produced in Spain since Roman times, and possibly before. Spanish chorizo is usually made from ground pork, but it can also be prepared from beef and other meats. It is flavored with garlic, salt, hot or sweet paprika, and other spices and herbs; cured; and sometimes smoked. It needs to be heated only enough to cook the outer casing and warm the interior. Until recently the only kind of Spanish-style chorizo you could find in this country was domestically produced; finally a few years ago the government allowed the importation of chorizo from Spain. The Portugese have their own version, called chourico, and if you are lucky enough to live near a Portuguese neighborhood y find all sorts of deliciouss sausages in the market.

Mexican chorizo is fresh sausage prepared with ground meat (usually pork), fat, ancho or pasilla chiles, pure chile powder, cumin, and sometimes a bit of vinegar and tequila. The sausage is sold either in links or in bulk and must be cooked completely before serving. I have not yet met a chorizo I didn’t like. They are wonderful as the main ingredient but equally important in a supporting role, giving depth of flavor to many dishes, much the way bacon, ham or pancetta does. You should do a taste test to find your favorite style and brand.

Makes 4 Servings

Suggested Accompaniments
arugula and cherry tomato salad and a nice glass of Pinot Noir

Ingredients
1 medium onion
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
2 garlic cloves
One 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes (preferably fire roasted)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 16- to 18- oz log cooked plain polenta
Flour for dusting the polenta
2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 oz sliced mozzarella

Directions
1. Place an oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil an 8-inch square pan.

2. Finely chop the onion (about 1 cup). Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Slice the sausage into 1/2 inch pieces using a serrated knife; add the sausage to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the sausage is no longer pink. Reduce the heat to medium-low; add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until it has softened. Press the garlic (about 2 teaspoons) into the pan and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes with their juice and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until most of the juice has evaporated and the mixture is saucy; season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Meanwhile, cut the polenta into 1/3- inch-thick slices. Heat another 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium, dip half the polenta slices in the flour to coat lightly on both sides and add to the pan. Sauté the polenta for about 5 minutes, or until it begins to brown; turn the polenta and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the second side begins to brown. Remove the polenta slices and arrange them to cover the bottom of the oiled baking pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and repeat with the remaining polenta (remove the slices to a plate if the sauce has not finished cooking.)

4. Microplane-grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 1/3 cups) or grate on the fine side of a box grater (about 2/3 cup). When the sauce has finished cooking, spoon half over the polenta in the pan. Top it with half the mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Repeat layering the remaining polenta, sauce, mozzarella, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

5. Bake the lasagne for 15 to 20 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned. Cut into 4 servings and transfer to dinner plates.

Cook’s Notes
Polenta, is Italian corn meal mush. It is made by adding cornmeal to water and simmering it until is cooked and thickened. It can be eaten right away as a kind of soft savory pudding or poured out and set aside to become firm. Many supermarkets now carry this firm version in log form. I prefer the plain unseasoned log.

Recently several companies have come out with fire roasted tomato products and I prefer them to the plain canned tomatoes because I think they add a hint of smoke and depth of flavor to a dish. My favorite brand (and I believe the first brand to invent this product) is Muir Glen. Muir Glen is also organic, always a happy thing.

Makes 4 Servings

Suggested Accompaniments
sautéed apples and cabbage and butternut squash or sweet potato puree




Ingredients
Four 1/2 –inch-thick boneless pork chops (about 1 pound)
1 c buttermilk
1 t Tabasco
Kosher Salt
1 garlic clove
2 1/2 c panko bread crumbs
6 to 8 T extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
2 T fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
4 lemon wedges

Directions
1. If time permits, freeze the pork chops for 30 minutes to make them easier to cut. Carefully cut each horizontally to make 2 thin chops for a total of 8 chops. Sprinkle a small amount of water into a large resealable plastic bag. Place a pork chop in the bag and close, leaving 1/2 inch open. Pound with a rolling pin or meat pounder until the chop is about 1/8 inch thick; remove and set aside. Repeat with the remaining chops.

2. Whisk together buttermilk, Tabasco, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; press in the garlic (about 1 teaspoon). Transfer to a large resealable plastic bag. Place the pounded chops in the bag with buttermilk mixture and marinate at room temperature, turning several times, for 30 minutes.

3. Spread out the bread crumbs in a pie plate lined with wax paper or parchment. Remove the chops from the marinade and season them with salt. Working with one chop at a time, toss the chop in the bread crumbs, lifting the wax paper on both sides to move the chop around; shake off the excess crumbs.

4. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot; add half the chops. Sauté them, turning once for 3 minutes per side, or until golden and just cooked through. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and the remaining chops, adding more oil if necessary. Chop the parsley (about 1 tablespoon).

5. Divide the pork chops among 4 dinner plates, top each portion with come chopped parsley, and serve with a wedge of lemon.

Cook’s Notes
These pork chops are delicious hot, at room temperature or even chilled. In the summertime you can serve them on top of a big salad and drizzle them with ranch dressing (made with some of the rest of the buttermilk you used to soak the pork chops in). Here is a quick recipe:

Buttermilk dressing: Whisk together ½ cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup low fat mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons rinsed, dried, and chopped fresh mixed herbs (tarragon, chives, parsley), ½ teaspoon minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste.

Contrary to what you might think, buttermilk is very low in fat and calories. Originally, it was the liquid left over from the butter-making process, but these days it is a cultured product made by adding a bacteria to low or nonfat milk. It is almost as thick as cream and has a taste reminiscent of yogurt. Buttermilk can be consumed straight up (it is an acquired taste), but it is especially useful in baking and cooking. It makes a good marinade for chicken because it is a tenderizer.

Buttermilk keeps about two weeks in the fridge, but if you don’t think you are going to use it up in that time you have a few alternatives. You can make your own for baking purposes by combining 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice and letting the mixture stand for 10 minutes. You can also purchase buttermilk powder, which has a shelf life, unopened, of one year and lasts even longer when stored in the fridge. To use it in a recipe you can reconstitute it either by combining 1 cup of water with 4 tablespoons of the powder, or by adding the dry powder to the dry ingredients and the water to the wet ingredients.

Makes 4 Servings

Suggested Accompaniment
steamed baby potatoes with parsley





Ingredients
Quick Kimchi (recipe below) or store bought kimchi
4 medium scallions
One 3/4 inch piece fresh ginger
3 T soy sauce (low sodium if you prefer)
1 1/2 T unseasoned rice vinegar
1 T firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 t toasted sesame oil
1 garlic clove
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck, round, sirloin, or bison
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 T vegetable oil
4 hamburger buns

Directions
1. Prepare the kimchi

2. Trim and thinly slice the scallions (about 1/2 cup); peel and Microplane-grate the ginger (about 3/4 teaspoon). Combine the ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl; press the garlic (about 1 teaspoon) into the bowl.

3. Gently stir the scallions and the soy sauce mixture into the ground chuck in a bowl with a fork and shape the meat into 4 burgers, being careful not to overwork the meat. Season the burgers on both sides with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot; reduce the heat to medium and add the burgers. Cook for 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.

5. Meanwhile, split and toast the buns. To serve, place the burger on the bottom half of each bun, top with some kimchi, and close.

Quick Kimchi
Makes About 2 Cups
Hands-On Time: 20 Minutes
Total Preparation Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes

Ingredients
1 small head napa cabbage (about 1 pound)
1/3 c kosher salt
1/3 c unseasoned rice vinegar
1 T sugar
1 t sweet or hot paprika
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 medium red bell pepper
3 medium scallions
One 3-inch piece of fresh ginger
1 garlic clove

Directions
1. Trim off the core end of the cabbage. Split each leaf lengthwise and cut it crosswise into 1 1/2 inch ribbons (about 4 cups). Combine the cabbage and salt in a nonreactive bowl and set aside at room temperature for 2 hours.

2. Bring the vinegar, sugar, paprika, and cayenne to a boil over high heat in a small saucepan.

3. Meanwhile, finely chop the bell pepper (about 1/2 cup) and transfer it to a medium bowl. Trim and thinly slice the scallions (a heaping 1/3 cup) and peel and Microplane-grate the ginger (about 1 tablespoon); transfer each to the bowl with the bell pepper as it is prepared. Press the garlic (about 1 teaspoon) into the bowl.

4. Drain, rinse, and thoroughly dry the cabbage; add it to the bell pepper mixture along with the vinegar mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Pack the kimchi into a nonreactive bowl or jar, cover, refrigerate until you are ready to use it. Kimchi will keep in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

Cook’s Notes
Is there a difference between hamburger and ground beef? There is. Government regulations specify that a package of beef that is ground and labeled “hamburger” in a USDA-inspected plant may have additional beef fat (not a part of the meat that was ground) added to it, and one labeled “ground beef” may not. Both hamburger and ground beef may have no more that 30 percent fat by weight. The cut of meat does not have to be specified and it can have seasonings but not water, phosphates, extenders
or binders added. Actually, I don’t recommend buying either “hamburger” or “ground beef.” I prefer to buy beef that has been ground from a single cut and labeled “ground chuck,” “ground round,” or “ground sirloin,” or better yet, buy your favorite cut of meat and grind it yourself. The Kitchen Aid stand mixer comes with a grinding attachment or you can buy a grinder which you attach to your kitchen counter or you can simply pulse the meat in a food processor until it is ground.

Quicker Kimchi
If you want to make an even quicker version of this pickle start with sauerkraut: Drain, rinse, and thoroughly dry 1 cup sauerkraut. Prepare the recipe as above, substituting the sauerkraut for the salted cabbage with no standing time, and serve right away.

Kimchee is the perfect condiment to top off any item – serve it with grilled fish, chicken, beef or pork or slip it into any sandwich, sort of like an exotic cole slaw.