cooking for my daughters

My daughter Sarah started making risotto when she was in second grade.  She was asked to write down a recipe that she made at home and since she had only been my assistant to that time, she wanted something that was her own to cook.  Since she loved eating risotto and we had a stool tall enough to let her sit at the stove and stir it, a small chef was born.

Note:  This recipe is adapted from one that was created by the great Judy Rogers and appears in the Zuni Cookbook.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. sweet/unsalted butter (1 ounce or 28 grams)
1 small onion
2 pieces of American style bacon or a small piece of ham or 1-2 slices of prosciutto
2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1/4 cup white wine (or 60 ml)
4-5 cups of chicken stock (or just over 1 litre)
1/4 -1/2 cup of grated parmigian cheese (preferably parmigiano reggiano)

PREPARATION:

1. Chop onion into fine dice.

1. If using American bacon, cut into small dice and cook in a deep wide pot (Dutch oven or similar) until fat has rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove bacon pieces and  reserve.  Add butter to pot to melt. If not using bacon, begin by melting butter in pot.

2. In either case, add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook just until the onion is wilted and translucent.

3. Add the rice and stir until the grains are coated with the fat in the pan.

4. Add the wine and about 2 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir as needed until the liquid is absorbed.

5. Add another cup of liquid and follow the same process. After this liquid is absorbed check the risotto for salt (even though the rice is still hard) and add salt now if needed.

6. Continue adding liquid 1/2 cup of the stock at a time until the rice is just tender.

7. Add the parmigian, along with the crisp bacon, the ham or the prosciutto (cut into small pieces, if using), and the pepper and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings so you can have risotto cakes the next day.

Mac and cheese is one of those dishes that can easily grow up with us (and has with my daughters)  with the cheese changing (and improving) and the pasta choices becoming more interesting.  it can also play host to a range of other foods, making it a really versatile recipe to have in your repertoire.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. (450 grams) short dried pasta (elbow macaroni, rotini, etc.)

5T (or 5 c.s.) of sweet (unsalted) butter

5T (or 5 c.s.) of all purpose flour

2-3 cups (475-700 ml) of milk

6 oz. (or 170 grams) of cheddar cheese (you can substitute another

cheese like Gruyere for up to 2 oz. (55 grams) of the cheddar)

1/3 cup (75 grams) of grated parmagian cheese

1/8 t. (or 1/8 c.c.) cayenne pepper

1/4 t. (or 1/4 c.c.) ground nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup of panko or other very dry bread crumbs (optional)

2T of salted butter, melted (optional)

PREPARATION:

1.  Preheat the oven to 300 deg. F (gas mark 2).
2. Grate the cheddar cheese and set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil.
4. Add the pasta and cook until just barely done. Drain well (shaking to get extra water out) and set aside
5. In a large pot or pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and mix with a whisk until fully incorporated with the butter.
6. Add 2 cups of the milk slowly, whisking or stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
7. Raise the heat to medium and keep stirring until the sauce begins to bubble (the flour is through thickening at the point the sauce reaches a low boil).
8. Reduce the heat to low and add the grated cheddar, the parmesan, the cayenne and the nutmeg. Stir until the the cheese is fully melted. If the sauce is too thick add more milk until it is the consistency you want.
9. Add the drained pasta to an oven safe dish, pour the cheese sauce over the and stir until the pasta is thoroughly coated.

NOTE: To make this a heartier or more interesting dish you can add crumbled, cooked bacon or pancetta, small pieces of cooked chicken, or cooked vegetables such as broccoli or chopped spinach or anything else that strikes your fancy that is not too wet.

10. In a small bowl mix the panko and the melted butter, if using, until well blended.  Sprinkle over the mac and cheese
11. Place in the oven for 15-25 minutes until the crumbs are brown and the mixture is bubbling.  Serve.

Onion soup is one of my daughter Sarah’s favorite things and so, in self-defense, I needed to come up with a way to make it for dinner more often than Julia Child’s stunning recipe would let me.  As a result, I adapted the recipe to make it a bit quicker.  If you have the time, though, certainly use the original, classic recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. butter
1T .olive oil
4 medium or large yellow onions thinly sliced (about 1 lb. or 1.5 kg)
½ t. salt
½ t. sugar
2 T. flour
3 cups of beef stock (preferably low sodium)
1/2 cup red wine (or dry white can s]be substituted but it will not have the lovely crimson color)
salt and pepper to taste (be careful of salt if the stock is high in sodium)
1 baguette or similar crusty loaf
4 oz. (about 100 grams) of Gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 c. of freshly grated parmesan (preferably parmigiana reggiano but domestic parmesan is okay too)

PREPARATION:

1. Melt the butter and the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pan with a cover over moderately low heat.
2. Add the sliced onions and stir to coat with the butter. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and very soft.
2. Uncover the pan, raise the heat to medium and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook stirring frequently, until the onions have turned a deep golden color (10-20 minutes depending on your stove).
3. Lower the heat again and stir in the flour. Continue stirring until it forms a paste with the onions.
4.  Add about 1 cup of the stock or bouillon to the pan stirring with a whisk to prevent prevent lumps. Add the rest of the stock and the wine.
5. Simmer the soup for 20-30 minutes and then season with salt and pepper as needed.
6. Slice the baguette and toast lightly. Place the baguette in the bottom of a soup bowl and immediately top with the shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese helping the cheese to melt a bit.
7. Ladle the hot soup over the cheese toasts and sprinkle the parmesan over the top. Allow to sit for a few minutes for the cheese to fully melt.

[If you happen to have a broiler available AND oven proof bowls (most are not), you can reverse this and pour the soup into the bowls, topping with the toast and cheeses and then broil until the cheeses are bubbling and slightly browned.]