Cuisine Eric

It's Christmas time and that means gingersnap cookies to me! Use whatever spices you love in these crispy cookies with a chewy center. Merry Christmas. Dry ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp dried ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp allspice 1/8 tsp ground dried cardamom (optional) 1/8 tsp ground dried coriander (optional) 1/4 tsp salt Wet ingredients Step 1: 6 Tbsp room-temperature softened butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup dark brown sugar Step 2: 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced finely using a microplane 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 Tbsp un-sulphured molasses Topping: 1/4 cup Turbinado granular sugar, or brown sugar, or whatever you have Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Whisk (or sift) dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip together step 1 of the wet ingredients in their own separate bowl.   Add ingredients for step 2 and whip together to a glossy consistency. Now add half the wet ingredients into t...

Don't know what to do with all those lentils you once bought with good intentions? Make this delicious soup. The combination of lentils and barley is packed with protein so this soup really satisfies.  The andouille sausage, Worcestershire, mustard and balsamic are all such rich flavor enhancers, lending an umami boost to make the flavor pop. This is no tired haggard soup, especially if you dial it up with red pepper flakes! 2 large carrots, peeled and diced 3 stalks celery, diced 1 onion (or shallot), peeled and diced 12-16 oz Andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 to 1/4-inch pieces 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, minced 1/2 tsp powdered cumin 1 quart chicken broth 2 cups water 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes 1 cup lentils 1/4 cup barley 2 Yukon gold potatoes, diced 1/4-1/2 inch 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar dash crushed red pepper flakes to taste Sauté carrots, celery and onion in a good dash of olive oil over medium hea...

Here is a classic home made soup from Italy, based on a home made bone broth my French mother taught me.  It is based on the home made bone broth we used to make the turkey soup in November 2024 in this blog. But it is modified to add meatballs and more veggies.  It is hearty and delicious and is a complete meal in itself.  It takes some cooking for sure, but is well worth the effort, and feeds a bunch. Carcass, trimmings and bones from 1 roasted turkey or 2 roasted chickens 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 4 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces 2 onions, quartered 2 quarts water 2 bay leaves 1-2 small onions, diced 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced about 1/2-inch 1 green zucchini, coarsely diced 1 yellow summer squash, coarsely diced About 1-1/2 lb meatballs (or your favorite, here I used frozen turkey meatballs) [ meatballs florentine would work well] Break up carcass and bones onto their smaller pieces and fit into a very large stock pot.   Add a d...

Make these meatballs and freeze half to have on hand.  These are delicious and flavorful, and meatballs are ultimately versatile.  Look to this blog for recipes using meatballs coming soon! 1 lb ground beef 1 lb ground pork 1/4 cup panko crumbs 1/3 cup ricotta cheese 1 egg slightly beaten 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese   1/2 lb frozen chopped spinach, thawed Herbs and seasonings: 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced 2 tsp fresh thyme, minced   1 Tbsp fresh oregano. minced 2 cloves garlic, minced through a press   1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 1/2 tsp salt freshly ground black pepper Preheat oven to 425F. Drain the spinach and squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands. Wrap spinach in a tea towel and squeeze the rest out. Add all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix together well. Form into golf ball-sized meatballs, on average 1.5 oz each. You should have about 28 meatballs (one large sheet pan’s worth. Roast for...

Happy Thanksgiving. Here is my offering for Thanksgiving 2024.  It's not what I had hoped for, as we got COVID the day before we were to travel to a big family reunion! So we were confined to our home and had to heal ourselves. What better than turkey noodle soup?! This is so nourishing and so basic. It takes a lot of work, but when you are confined to home what else 'ya got to do? Get to work. To me, this is truly one of the basic essences of cooking. Carcass, trimmings and bones from 1 roasted turkey 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 4 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces 2 onions, quartered 2 quarts water 2 bay leaves 1 cup leftover roasted turkey, shredded 1-2 small onions, diced 1 can pinto or Roman beans (or favorite), lightly drained 2-3 cups kale leaves, diced 1/3 cup tiny noodles (see note) Break up carcass and bones onto their smaller pieces and fit into a very large stock pot.   Add a dash of olive oil (or better yet, leftover Schmaltz - poultry fat) and...

This is a standard favorite in my kitchen, and featured five years ago in this blog; time for a quick reminder and update. Quick and simple to prepare and oh so rich in Thai flavors.  The coconut milk adds that richness so common in Thai curries.  The red curry paste provides a base of tangy notes that are amplified by the garlic and ginger. A key is not to overcook the shrimp or the broccoli, so they are tossed in at the end. Serve over your favorite rice or noodles. 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced 1/2 orange bell pepper, sliced 1 bunch spring onions, rooted and cut to 1-inch pieces 1 jalapeño or fresno pepper, sliced 1-inch fresh ginger, minced 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 can coconut milk (I used Trader Joe’s coconut cream) 2 Tbsp favorite red Thai curry paste 1 Tbsp Asian fish sauce 2 cups broccoli flowerets 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined palmful fresh cilantro, minced for garnish 1 lime cut into eighths In a wok or large skillet, stir fry the onion and peppers in a ...