Cuisine Eric

There's nothing so comforting as a hearty soup when it starts to snow.  This classic white bean soup, said to be popular in Tuscany, offers deep flavors from sautéed aromatics and a rich home-made stock. Slowly cooking well-soaked dried beans ensures a soft but toothy texture and earthy flavor. 1 lb dried cannellini beans 8 cups broth (use your favorite) 2 carrots, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 large yellow sweet onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced dash crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved 4 cups kale, stalks removed, leaves torn 1/4 cup Ancini de Pepe tiny pasta Eight to twenty-four hours ahead of cooking time, soak the beans in 8 cups water plus 3 tablespoons salt.   The salt softens the beans considerably. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 250F.   Drain beans and tip into a large Dutch oven or oven-going pot.   Add the broth and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer cov...

Caponata is a relative of Ratatouille.  Built with eggplant, tomatoes, red peppers, onions, capers, olives and raisins, it is a delicious topping for toasted bread.  Here I use it as a sauce in a tofu lasagna strata filled with Ricotta and spinach to build a rich and satisfying vegetarian meal. 5 oz bag fresh baby spinach leaves 14 oz extra firm tofu 6 sheets no-boil lasagna 1 15 oz jar Caponata (I used Bulgarian Sofia brand) 14 oz whole milk ricotta cheese 1 egg 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 16 oz fresh sliced mozzarella Béchamel Sauce: 3 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup all purpose flour 2 to 2-1/2 cups milk 1/8 tsp dried dill weed Preheat oven to 400F.   Gently press the water out of the tofu and slice lengthwise into 9 1/4-inch wedges. Prepare the sauce by melting the butter in the olive oil in a sauce pan.   Add flour and whisk for about 2-3 minutes until bubbly and a nutty aroma is achieved.   Add 2 cups of the milk and bring to a gentle boil, whisking ...

Stuffed peppers are a great way to get real satisfaction, comfort and protein, even as vegetarian.  Make it rich and flavorful in your seasonings and you will have a hit - especially if you serve it over pasta - a crown comfort food! 3 bell peppers, variety colors, halved and seeded (I used yellow, orange & red) Filling: about 3 cups coked rice or pilaf (see below) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained 1-1/2 cups cheddar or Gruyere (or other favorite hard) cheese, grated 1/2 cup half and half or light cream (or milk, or water) 2-3 green onions, finely diced dash crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 24 oz jar favorite tomato sauce (or crushed whole tomatoes) Topping ingredients: 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/8 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp dried dill weed Beforehand: Make your pilaf, if you don’t have left-over rice: I made my cooked pilaf with 1/4 cup brown Basmati rice, 1/4 cup parboiled Indian Red Matta (or Uncle Ben’s) rice and 1/4 cup...

How many ways can you combine rice and other flavorful ingredients? The myriad answers across the globe boggle the mind. But one inspiring approach is the Spanish paella - a subject of great variety within Spain itself, and of course about the globe.   Here I add another Spanish ingredient - Fideos - a short-cut spaghetti. Sometimes Paella is made of this pasta accompanying or instead of rice.  This hybrid is a great mix of the two; try it. But if you understand what Paella is - a pan-seared, oven-finished rice(ish) dish with multitudinous ingredients available (whatever was on hand that day) for nourishing (much like the more norther Cassoulet), baked to a most delicious crispy bottom - what more are you looking for? This is no prescription - it is one of my takes on a classic dish, after tasting many (in Spain and elsewhere), and you can make your own. Enjoy and make it yours.  And try to cook it just to make the crispy bottom - the sought-after, so-called "Socarra...

...A lunch of grilled cheese and tomato with salad of green beans and cucumbers... The French are great at making something fresh and delicious out of simple ingredients. That's what you need for lunch or a quick dinner! Of course, if you really want to be cooking French, put a fired egg on each half! 6 oz green beans, cut in half 3 small Kirby cucumbers, sliced favorite vinaigrette to taste crushed red pepper flakes to taste 2 Ciabatta rolls, halved Aioli: 2 tsp horseradish, divided in quarters 3-4 Tbsp good real mayonnaise 1 clove garlic, finely minced 2 large ripe fresh tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch 1/2 cup cheddar (or favorite) cheese, grated Cook green beans in salted boiling water just until crisp tender, about 5-8 minutes. Drain and cool in a bowl of ice water.   Drain well and toss beans with cucumbers and vinaigrette.   Season with crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Refrigerate. Heat broiler to high.   Mix together the aioli ingredients in a small bowl.   Lay c...

The rich, sweet roasted butternut squash is complemented with sautéed onions and Pancetta.  In this flexetarian dish, just a tad of meat is used here as a spice really, with most of the protein coming from the lentil pasta.  But even if you were to avoid the meat completely, and substitute regular pasta, you will have a wonderfully satisfying vegetarian meal. 12 oz favorite pasta (I used Trader Joe’s red lentil ziti) 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced 3/4-inch (about 2 lb) 1/4 lb Pancetta, diced (or bacon) 1/2 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried), or other favorite herbs 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 425F.   Set a pot of water to boil for the pasta.   Salt the water generously with 2-3 tablespoons kosher salt.   In a large bowl, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil.   Season with salt and pepper. Spread squash out evenly on a rimmed sheet pan.   Roast for about 20 minutes, turning...

This was so good I think even the star chef of Boy Meets Grill, Bobby Flay, would approve. His grilling skills have always inspired me and this is one of the results. I prefer bone-in chops because of the flavor and moistness, but you could also do these boneless if you prefer.  Just be careful not to overcook, especially off the bone. Use a digital instant-read thermometer - there is nothing more disappointing than dry, overcooked pork. 3 bone-in pork chops Herb Marinade: 2 cloves garlic, peeled 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves 3 fresh sage leaves 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste (I use Turkish Aleppo pepper) zest of 1 lemon juice of 1 lemon 2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 tsp salt freshly ground black pepper to taste Pulse together the marinade ingredients in a small food processor.   Reserve 1/4 of the mixture as a final glaze.    Toss the pork chops with the remaining marinade in a shallow dish or a zip-close...