The Tale of Pita Rabbit

Really, I've got to give myself a pat on the back for the clever title. 

In retrospect, I should have thrown together a cute little side salad of lettuces, French beans, radishes, and parsley - the things that naughty little Peter Rabbit munched on in Mr. MacGregor's garden - but instead, I simply had these rich, delicious pita sandwiches with a glass of slightly chilled Chardonnay.  Mr. MacGregor, you can keep your lettuces - but if you catch any mischievous rabbits, I'll help Mrs. MacGregor turn them into a delicious treat!

So what made me decide to put rabbit in a pita pocket?  Top Chef!  Rabbit was the ingredient assigned to all the contestants, and as they scrambled to create their dishes, I thought about a creative dish I could make with rabbit, which was difficult, because although I've eaten rabbit, I've never cooked it.  This, ladies and gentlemen, presented a challenge that I gladly accepted.  I decided that I would learn to cook rabbit, and I'd make something creative.  Maybe the composition of the dish was not creative, but I liked the idea of a unique theme - Pita Rabbit, which sounds like a Bostonian speaking the words "Peter Rabbit."  Drumroll, please...

Rabbit isn't one of those things you're likely to find at the mega-mart, so unless you know a hunter (as not many of us city folk do), you have to seek it out at butcher shops or by mail order.  I called several of my tried-and-true butcher shops, and Savenor's was the only one that had any fresh rabbit on hand.  I know that many of the butcher shops in Boston sell rabbit, especially Boston's North End, but not everyone has rabbit in stock at all times, so I'm glad I decided to call in advance.  After all, rabbit isn't a popular meat. 

I took the advice of the butcher at Savenor's, who cautioned me about the presence of tiny pinbones and recommenced cooking the meat "slow and low," which means cooking something for a long time at a low temperature.  I cooked the rabbit with a sauteed shallot in wine, chicken, and lemongrass mint vinegar for about four hours, then I let it cool overnight. 

The next day, I shredded the cooked rabbit meat with my fingers and served it in warmed pitas with traditional Greek/Mediterranean accompaniments.  These sandwiches are packed full of healthy ingredients, yet extremely rich and satisfying.  If you're squeamish about cooking rabbit, feel free to make these with dark meat chicken, but the flavor will not be the same.  The recipe below will fill two whole pita pockets, or four halves.  When all the ingredients are prepared in advance, these make a super-quick, super-easy meal! 


Braised Rabbit

1 T. butter
1 shallot, minced
1/2 - 1 lb. rabbit parts
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 c. chicken broth
splash lemongrass & mint vinegar or juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch each salt and pepper

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat, then add the shallot.  Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until the shallot has softened.  Add the rabbit parts and brown for 5-7 minutes.

Add the wine, chicken broth, vinegar.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Simmer for at least two hours, longer if possible, checking every 30 minutes or so.  If the liquid is evaporating too quickly, go ahead and add an extra splash of wine throughout the process. 

Once the rabbit has simmered for at least two hours, remove from heat.  Serve as-is or let cool if you're using the meat for Pita Rabbit sandwiches.


Pita Rabbit

2 pita breads, warmed in the oven and cut in half
shredded rabbit or chicken (dark meat)
minced red onion
grated cucumber
chopped mint
seeded & chopped tomato
chopped kalamata olives
crumbled feta cheese
Greek dressing (recipe below)

Fill each pita bread half with your choice of the ingredients listed above. 



Greek Dressing

1 T. plain yogurt
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, pressed
1 T. chopped fresh mint
1 T. fresh oregano (or 1 t. dried)
1/4 t. ground sumac berries* (optional)
pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 t. toasted sesame oil

Whisk the ingredients in a small bowl.  Use to dress pita sandwiches or salads.  Also delicious on steamed veggies, fresh chopped tomatoes, cold pasta or rice, etc.
 

* Sumac is a tart spice commonly used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking.  If you can't find it at your local market, you can order it from Penzey's.

Bacon, Butter, Booze, and...Babies?!?

Yup, you read that right. I took a few days off from cooking and writing in order to visit the newest leaves on my family tree - my cousin's beautiful twin boys.


Once I figured out that you can't
hold a baby like a sack of flour...

It's incredible - caring for babies uses a skill set that I just don't have.  Well, maybe that's not true - swaddling is very similar to filling a burrito - but those little dudes aren't impressed by a perfectly seared scallop or a flawlessly executed filet mignon.  They just want boobs and dry diapers!  So I learned how to hold the babies, change diapers, and I even made them smile by singing a few Sinatra songs!  I can't wait until they're a bit older - I'm looking forward to experimenting with baby food, cookies shaped like puppies and dinosaurs, and other kid-friendly favorites. 

Despite the fact that I spent more time in the nursery than I did in the kitchen this week, I did create something new - a great sauce for a pork tenderloin that my aunt cooked on the grill.  The sauce was based on butter, beer, and HP Sauce, a bottled condiment popular in the UK.  My family and I first discovered HP Sauce at Buffalo, NY's annual Scottish festival - most of the food vendors kept bottles of HP Sauce at their stalls, and the condiment carts were fully stocked with pumps of HP Sauce and little paper cups, much like how we serve ketchup and mustard with burgers and hot dogs.  Once we tried this stuff, we began putting it on everything - and I mean everything.  "The fries are really good with this HP Sauce, I'm gonna put it on the fish."  "Its good on the fish, I wonder what else we can put it on?"  "Do you think the McEwan's would taste good with HP Sauce in it?" "Can I just get a bowl of HP and a spoon?"  OK, I'm exaggerating, but the stuff is pretty darn good. 

In addition to the wonderful food we ate at home, I also filled up on a few Buffalo specialties - a chicken finger sub from Jim's Steak Out, tacos from Mighty Taco, Flying Bison's Blizzard Bock, Beef on Weck (a/k/a hot roast beef on kimmelweck, a roll topped with flake salt and caraway seeds), Labatt Blue from the tap, and of course, chicken wings.  Buffalo may not have the greatest reputation, but I dare you to go there and leave hungry and unsatisfied.  It will not happen. 

Once my plane touched down in Boston, I was glad to be back home among the city lights and the sounds of the urban jungle I call home, but I missed my cousin, my aunt & uncle, and the little guys.  I needed to get back into the kitchen to distract myself, so I made a great grown-up dish:  wine-poached pears with gorgonzola and chestnut honey.  My roommate recently bought a bottle of sweet shiraz and didn't like the flavor, so instead of letting it go to waste, I decided to use it in a recipe.  The pungent flavor of the gorgonzola and the bittersweet chestnut honey really complement the sweetness of the fruit! 


HP & Beer Butter Sauce

1/2 stick butter
a few raw onion rings
1/4 c. HP Sauce
1/2 c. full-bodied beer
1 t. cornstarch
1 T. cold water
dusting of cinnamon
a few generous grinds black pepper
salt to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Once it is completely melted, add the onion.  Saute until the butter begins to foam and become fragrant.  Remove the onion rings.  Add the HP sauce and the beer, then whisk until completely blended.  Lower the heat to simmer.

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and the cold water together.  Add to the sauce, whisking quickly and constantly, until the sauce begins to thicken a bit.  Add the slightest dusting of cinnamon, a few grinds of black pepper, and salt, if necessary.  Serve over grilled pork. 



Wine-Poached Pears with Gorgonzola and Chestnut Honey

1 bottle red wine
5 whole cloves
1/2 t. anise seeds, crushed*
1/2 t. cardamom seeds, crushed*
1/2 t. fennel seeds, crushed*
4 ripe pears, peeled
1-2 t. sugar (optional)
slices of gorgonzola cheese
chestnut honey

Combine everything but the pears in a saucepan large enough to hold the wine and the pears.  Bring to a rapid boil.  Add the pears, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Once the pears have simmered, remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Turn the heat up to high, bring to a boil (uncovered), and boil until the sauce is reduced by about half.  Taste the sauce - you may want to add a pinch of sugar, but this is not necessary. 

Remove the sauce from heat, then return the pears to the sauce.  Let cool to room temperature.  Once the pears have cooled, slice the pears lengthwise.  Arrange on a plate, alternating with slices of gorgonzola cheese.  Drizzle the cheese with a few drops of chestnut honey. 

* To crush the seeds, give them a quick grind with a mortar & pestle, or simply use two spoons to squish them. 

** The leftover poaching wine would be a great dip for biscotti or another semi-sweet cookie.

Bizarre Foods?

I like “bizarre” foods. No, I’m not talking about the TV show, I’m referring to foods uncommon to my region and my culture. Although I do enjoy the TV show - it gives me ideas!

I’ve been eating “bizarre” foods since I was a child. I was the farthest thing from a picky eater - when most preschoolers wanted to bring brownies and chocolate milk for snack day, I wanted to bring New England clam chowder. My parents always let me try new foods, even if they suspected that I wouldn’t like them. The things I didn’t get to try were snack cakes, fast food, and sodas - well, I tried them, but only when my friends’ parents rained on my mom’s parade and fed me Little Debbie and Frito Lay. My mom always made sure I was eating healthy meals, and she put together some really excellent lunches for me. One of the best lunches she packed contained what she liked to call a “healthy” sandwich,” which was avocado slices, cheese, sliced tomato, and alfalfa sprouts on whole grain bread. Those sandwiches were delicious, although you must remember that this was the 80’s - whole grain bread had not gone mainstream yet, so naturally, some of my classmates looked at my lunches and asked me why I ate “weird” food.  I usually replied, “It’s good, wanna try it?”
 

These days, I still eat “weird” food, mainly because I’m a curious person by nature, and I hate the idea that I could be missing out on something good. So, I try “weird” foods. I’ll try pretty much anything - I’ve had jellyfish, bottarga (air-dried mullet roe), sea urchin, pig’s feet, sweetbreads, liver, tripe, you name it. Most recently, I tried duck tongues. Yes, that’s the mystery food in the picture to the right - seasoned duck tongues. Is there a line I wouldn’t cross? Well, I’m hesitant to try any animal parts from the nervous system due to concern over mad cow and other prion diseases, I really have no desire to try insects, and I won't willfully eat trans-fats.  But most other foods are fair game. 



One thing that kills me is how American culture turns its collective nose up to organ meats, but barely thinks twice about eating packaged foods whose list of ingredients more closely resembles that of a shampoo bottle than a recipe (P.S. - if you want to know what you’re actually eating, I highly recommend Steve Ettlinger‘s 2007 book “Twinkie, Deconstructed”).

How is “partially hydrogenated soybean oil” perfectly normal, but chicken hearts are “weird?” How is it “normal” to eat an irradiated pork chop cut from a genetically modified hog and injected with something concocted in a test tube, but it’s “weird” to eat tripe? How do we determine what’s normal and what’s weird? I’m gonna go out on a limb here and put my money on classism and xenophobia, but another explanation could simply be that a lot of people in America don’t cook, they simply eat what’s fed to them (side note: I’m completely aware that that’s a loaded statement with many interpretations).

Back to the classism/xenophobia thing, I know I’m not the only foodie who sees the irony in the fact that some of the foods that were common among impoverished immigrant and ethnic groups are now served at pricey restaurants. Organ meats, meats from heritage livestock, and heirloom vegetable varieties are springing up left and right on the menus at some of the country’s best restaurants. TV shows like “Bizarre Foods” and “Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations” have certainly fueled the trend. Also adding to the acceptance of “weird" foods are cooking challenge TV shows, which often challenge contestants to cook dishes featuring uncommon ingredients or less popular cuts of meat. More power to everyone who tries to take the mystery, stigma, and fear away from food!

Other than sheer curiosity, one of my other reasons for seeking out and eating “weird” cuts of meat springs from the fact that I’m an animal lover. This sounds counterintuitive, I know, but I think it is insanely disrespectful to slaughter an animal only to discard its parts that won’t sell well in individually-wrapped Styrofoam packages at White Bread Mart in East Bumf***.  Doing my part to make sure that the whole animal is used alleviates some of my conflicted feelings about eating meat. 

In sum, I encourage everyone to try some of these “bizarre” foods - if you don’t like them, that‘s fine, but please don’t shy away from foods that don’t show up on the menu at your local dime-a-dozen-pieces-of-flair chain restaurant. If you’re unsure of how to prepare and cook some of these uncommon items, or if you don’t trust the freshness/turnover rate on such items at your local market, try them at a restaurant. And I’ll do my best to post recipes and instructions for cooking less-than-common foods. Open your minds and your mouths - a whole new world of flavors and textures awaits you!
　
　

 



 



A Guessing Game

Last night, I tried something new and unusual, and I took a photo of this new and unusual dish.  Can you guess what's on this plate?  I will give you three clues:  1) It's fatty, 2) I ordered this plate at a Chinese restaurant, and 3) good luck finding the main ingredient in a big-box grocery store. 

Feel free to leave your guesses in the comments field below, on Twitter, or on Facebook! 

Thai-Inspired Spring Rolls with Spicy Coconut Dipping Sauce

Need a dish to bring to a party? Having people over who like their snacks a bit exotic? Try these Thai-inspired spring rolls! Served with a spicy coconut dipping sauce, these rolls are sweet, spicy, and savory with a bit of crunch. If you can find fresh water chestnuts, do use these instead of canned - the canned ones are nice and crunchy, but the fresh ones have a better texture and a sweet, almost vanilla-like flavor.


Thai-Inspired Spring Rolls

1 10-oz. can chunk chicken in water, drained and finely chopped
8 fresh water chestnuts, peeled and minced
2 t. Thai red curry paste
1 t. soy sauce
1/2 t. toasted sesame oil
1/2 t. fish sauce
1/4 c. coconut cream (the thicker stuff at the top of a can of coconut milk)
2 t. grated fresh ginger
1 small clove garlic, grated
1 T. finely minced fresh lemongrass
4 shiitake mushrooms, minced
1-2 sprigs parsley, minced
spring roll skins
　
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for the spring roll skins. Stir until the mixture is well-blended.

Place a spring roll skin in a baking dish filled with warm water. Swish it about until it softens to the consistency of a wet washcloth, then let the water drip off. Lay the skin on a kitchen towel and gently pat dry. In the center of the spring roll skin, place about two tablespoons of the filling mixture in a log shape. Now, fold the bottom over the filling mixture, as shown in the first of the photos below. Next, fold the left side directly overtop of the filling, and then repeat with the right side. Finally, roll the filling over the exposed edge until a fat cigar-shaped roll is formed.

Repeat these steps until all the filling has been used. Serve on a decorative platter or plate with Spicy Coconut Dipping Sauce.
　


Spicy Coconut Dipping Sauce

1 cup coconut milk
2 t. Thai red curry paste
1 T. soy sauce
1-2 t. toasted sesame oil
1-2 t. fish sauce
1 t. rice vinegar
Hot chili oil (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until the curry paste is blended. Serve with Thai-inspired spring rolls. If you have leftover dip, it makes a great sauce for cold rice noodles.

Smoked Mozzarella Braciole and Polenta - A Slow-Cooked Italian Feast

I wish I could explain why I do the things I do.  For instance, when I have all the energy in the world, sometimes I make ramen noodles for dinner.  But this weekend, after a Saturday night Halloween party that may or may not have ended just before dawn, I decided to spend Sunday grocery shopping and cooking while watching football.  Any person in his right mind would have just ordered pizza, but not crazy little me...I made an Italian feast featuring braciole with smoked mozzarella and prosciutto, served alongside rich polenta with more smoked mozzarella.  Sure, my Monday may have been a wee bit less heinous if I'd napped on Sunday afternoon, but then I wouldn't have these fabulous leftovers!  Try these recipes sometime when you have a free afternoon and nothing to do.

Sauce for Braciole

generous splash olive oil
1 small brown onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 bay leaves
3 dried chiles
3  28-oz cans chopped tomatoes (use a good Italian brand)
1 cup dry white wine
generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
2 t. dried oregano
1 t. fennel seeds, cracked*
pinch kosher salt

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and chile, and cook until the onion has softened up a bit, stirring occasionally. 

Add the tomatoes, wine, pepper, oregano, fennel, and salt.  Stir, reduce heat to low, and cover.  Stir every 5-10 minutes while you are preparing the braciole.  The sauce is ready whenever you are.



Braciole with Smoked Mozzarella and Prosciutto

for the stuffing:
4 oz. smoked mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I prefer Pastene brand)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
a few grinds black pepper
2 slices of prosciutto, minced
6 slices genoa salami, minced
handful minced parsley

3-4 slices top round steak, sliced and pounded very thin, about 1.5 pounds total
Splash olive oil

In a small mixing bowl, combine the stuffing ingredients and stir until well-blended.  Set aside.

Lay the steak slices on a flat surface and spoon the stuffing over each slice in a thin, even layer, leaving about 1" clear on one edge (as shown in photo).  Roll the steak jelly-roll style (or maki roll style, for you sushi aficionados out there, or Zig-Zags style, for connoisseurs of other stuff..), keeping the stuffing tightly enclosed within the steak.  Secure the roll with twine or those handy little silicone rings that look like rubber bands (these can be purchased in most kitchenware shops or online through Amazon.com).   Repeat with the remaining steak slices.  Reserve any leftover stuffing

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan.  Shake the pan so that the olive oil evenly coats the surface of the pan, then add the beef rolls and brown on all sides.  Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to work in batches.  Once the rolls are browned, add them to the simmering tomato sauce.  Cook on low heat, covered, for 1.5 hours.

Once the rolls have cooked, remove the twine or silicone bands, then slice each roll into 1/2" rounds.  Spoon over a bit of the tomato sauce, and serve alongside Smoked Mozzarella Polenta.

Smoked Mozzarella Polenta

2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup instant polenta (I prefer Pastene brand)
4 oz. smoked mozzarella, shredded
handful minced parsley
splash olive oil
leftover braciole stuffing (optional)

In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the water and chicken broth to a rolling boil.  Add the polenta in a slow stream, stirring constantly, and reduce the heat to low as soon as all the polenta has been added.  Continue to stir constantly.  Once the polenta has thickened and begins to cling to the sides of the pan, add the mozzarella, parsley, and olive oil.  Continue to stir for another minute or so until the polenta is quite thick, then pour and scrape it into a shallow baking dish.  Set aside until the polenta has set. 

If you are using the leftover braciole stuffing, sprinkle it over the surface of the polenta in an even layer and set aside until the polenta is set.  Just before serving, place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the bread crumbs begin to turn golden.  Serve alongside braciole with a bit of tomato sauce.