Gastronomist Economist, Issue 90: Maximize your utility
From hobbies to sandwiches
Hello friends!
I hope you're taking advantage of some spring weather and spring produce. I've been trying to at least get my greens locally (with the lack of federal workers to prevent contamination of my lettuce, I feel better knowing where these are coming from), and I'm definitely enjoying the bounty of lettuces, spinach, and arugula.
What I'm writing
DIY dairy recipes for Shavuot in the Detroit Jewish News.
What I'm reading
Everyday Dinners by Jessica Merchant - I really liked the book's concept of prepping meals in 10-minute-increment tasks.
What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers - I appreciated that the book's recipes are organized by the amount of time they take to cook.
Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil - Short essays related to food.
What I'm cooking
Eric Kim's creamy asparagus pasta - I was intrigued by the combination of asparagus, cream, red onion, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and gim. The flavors are subtle, but I thought they were really lovely. I found a generous topping of the strips of gim was really key.
Anna Luisa Rodriguez's honey-dijon and pecan baked salmon - I would omit the oil from the honey-dijon mixture as I felt that it just diluted the honey mustard flavors and made it more difficult to adhere to the salmon. I also added more garlic powder to the pecan-panko topping. I enjoyed it and would make it again.
Deb Perelman's strawberry cake - From Smitten Kitchen Keepers, the recipe consists of three layers of butter-type cake with strawberries baked in and whipped cream between the layers. I thought this was great and not overly sweet, and it is a plus that it benefits from being made a day before planning to serve. I did find myself awake at 4am anxious about not having whipped my whipped cream enough, as the recipe wasn't sufficiently specific, but it turned out to be fine.
Jeanine Donofrio's pickled red onions - I had always followed one recipe I came across that called for cider vinegar, which isn't my favorite, so I was using white wine vinegar, which is quite pricey. Looking for a recipe that uses white vinegar, which is more affordable, turned up this one, and it was a success. I pickled 1.5 large red onions in 2 quart-sized jars.
Eventide's pickled vegetable salad with nori vinaigrette - I had this on my queue for a while. The recipe involves mixed greens topped with pickled radish, carrot, and onion and a dressing of mainly ground gim. I thought it was an excellent salad in moderation. The flavors are all really bold and sharp, so I would recommend enjoying as a small plate rather than an entree salad.
Mushroom banh mi - I sauteed 1 pound of mushrooms with half an onion and seasoned with soy sauce and balsamic vinegar, then served on a soft roll topped with the leftover pickled vegetables from the Eventide salad, cilantro, and spicy mayo drizzled on top. The softness of the roll is super critical here.
Minimalist Baker's vegan key lime pies - For a vegan and gluten-free dessert consisted of a graham cracker crust topped with a filling of lime, cashews, and coconut milk. The pies set in the freezer and need to warm for 15 minutes or so before eating. I found they were more like a frozen dessert, but they certainly weren't bad.
Caroline Chambers' crispy miso lime tofu - From What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking, this tofu was a revelation. The recipe didn't specify, so I used a non-non-stick pan (a stick pan?) and the tofu did stick a bit, but I'm not sure it would have crisped up as nicely in a non-stick pan. I topped mine with a squeeze of lime, a little cilantro, and some chopped cashews. So so good.
Fish with lemon-caper-browned-butter sauce - While I've enjoyed eating the sole meuniere I've mentioned in past issues, I was looking for a way to make it more streamlined. When I realized I could roast the fish in the oven for a hands-off preparation while making the browned-butter sauce on the stove, it was game over. I've used hake, halibut, and Great Lakes whitefish for the fish. For the sauce, I've browned 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, then removed from the heat and added 1 heaping tablespoon of capers and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, stirred together and then poured over the fish. There's nothing bad about that. You can definitely use more butter and lemon juice if you want to have extra sauce to enjoy on accompanying mashed potatoes, rice, or vegetables.
Andy Baraghani's buttery nori-speckled rice - From The Cook You Want to Be: Everyday Recipes to Impress, the recipe is simple, combining rice, melted butter, pulverized seaweed, and flaky salt. I appreciated the unexpected flavors.
Thoughts
There are so many aspects of our lives that go unexamined until we have some reason to really consider them. With warming weather upon us, as an economist, I've been thinking a lot about what it means to me to maximize my utility, in other words, how do I want to spend my time this summer, and of all of my hobbies and pursuits, which are meaningful to me at this time in my life and why. Same-same but different, as a gastronomist, I've been thinking a lot about sandwiches - what makes a good sandwich. This all got kicked off because I've historically been a cheese and tomato lover with some Italian seasoning added for good measure. But I can tell it's missing something, and I can't figure out what it is. I really do think that for sandwiches in general, in addition to a contrast of textures and acidic, fatty, and fresh components, a good sauce is critical, and the placement of said sauce is also key - spreading it onto bread just diminishes everything it has to offer. Rather, it needs to be drizzled on top of the other components before being topped with bread, or, better yet, spread on the side before each bite. I'm curious to hear about your favorite sandwiches, and in particular, if you have any grilled cheese inclusions or flavorings that you feel take your grilled cheeses to the next level.
I will leave you with a quote from the very end of Aimee Nezhukumatathil's Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees"
Funny how we beat ourselves up trying to get a perfect recipe, a perfect dessert, a perfect party in the books. There's so much that goes into making a meal that might be forgotten in mere weeks. Not everyone will remember the place settings, the sprig of coral and lavender zinnias. The plump raspberry garnish in their drink. But that's not the point... You heat up the waffle iron. You shave the ice. You rescue the egg yolks. You have to. You make something new with what you have. You take the extra bit of time. It doesn't always turn out how you think it should.
You make it anyway.
Until next time,
Joelle