Mario Batali Cooking Class!

He was promoting his sauce.

Potluck Potato Kugel

You can make kugel with zuchini, potatoes and probably lots of other vegetables. It's basically an egg pudding.
Here's a version I threw together last night that was quite good.



Potluck Potato Kügel

Feel free to add and subtract things that make sense (ex. cooked or grated carrots).
This will probably work with up to a cup of leftover mashed potatoes. I had about 2/3 cup.

Add about 1 tbs. each chopped green pepper, celery and onion. 1 minced garlic clove. Salt and pepper to taste. (I used white pepper.)

2 jumbo eggs.

A little (1-2 tbs.) matzo meal, cracker meal or breadcrumbs.

A dash of turmeric (for health and color.) A dash of smoked paprika (can't hurt!)

1 tbs. rendered chicken fat or olive oil if you're not into the schmaltz.

Mix well with a fork. Pour into a greased oven-proof dish (I used a Pyrex bowl). Allow room for it to rise about 50%.

Bake in a tabletop convection oven (a/k/a glorified toaster oven) at 425° for approx. 25 minutes until golden (not burnt) brown.

Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Probably works in a conventional oven, too. Lemme know.

Feed a cold and feed a fever

Got a cold? Feel one coming on? Or just feel blah. Here's what you need...

Almost every neighborhood Chinese restaurant I've encountered has something on the menu called "house special won ton soup" or "ten-ingredient soup," made up of broth, roast pork, chicken, shrimp and vegetables plus a few won tons. (If you don't eat meat or chicken or shrimp, decent restaurants will be happy to accommodate your needs and if not, keep going until you find one!)

The soup is usually pretty good as-is but if you can get it to-go, grab a quart (about $5-$6), bring it home, add some raw onions, chopped fresh garlic, celery, cayenne and any other vegetables you have around: Carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, jalapenos... like that. And if you have any cooked chicken, why the hell not. Tofu, too, if you like.

Tabasco or other hot sauce should be added to taste.

And if you want to dump in some cooked rice or noodles, sure. Ramen noodles will work, too.

You will feel better while you eat it, at the very least, guaranteed.

Deep Fried Turkey Parts

Well, after extensive research, I've concluded that it's not worth doing. If you like deep frying a whole turkey, well yeah, do the parts separately in the same drum or other conveyance you do the whole bird in — preferably outdoors.

But doing parts in oil on the stove? Nah.

I tried it and though the turkey was edible and actually pretty good, it's more trouble than it's worth in terms of mess and fumes and such.

Besides, braising a turkey is even better. Roasting is fine, too. You can even make osso buco out of the drumsticks. I'll have to post the full recipe soon. (And maybe I will.)

Hainanese Chicken With Rice

Saw this recipe in the New York Times along with a blog post and video from Mark Bittman.

Had actually made something similar a few years back, as well as a variation with pork. But I really liked the simplicity of this dish, which I modified slightly then left a comment about it on the Times website.

If you prefer dark meat, as I do, just use legs or thighs or leg quarters. Take the skin off to reduce the fat, or leave a little on for flavor; most chickens have plenty of fat anyway.

If you have leftovers, make fried rice with the extra and either add some chopped-up chicken when done or heat the leftovers and serve alongside.

This dish is a favorite comfort food in many Asian counties so feel free to poke around a bit and look for the "best" version, which varies per local pride.

Friggin' Chicken Friccasee

I really like braised chicken (which is what this is) and the tiny meatballs add a little je ne sais quoi (which is French for "WTF?").

This is very freely adapted from The New York Times Jewish Cookbook by Mimi Sheraton.

First the meatballs: I've tried using ground chicken and it was fine but very lean ground beef or veal is far better. All you need is a pound but it must be very lean; at least ground round; sirloin is better. Grind it yourself if you like. Mix in an egg and a half tsp. each of onion powder and garlic powder or double each if you prefer fresh onion and garlic. Stir in a half-teaspoon of salt, a half tsp. black pepper and a half-cup of bread crumbs, fresh if possible. Matzo meal or cracker meal can be substituted. Make little meatballs (approx. 1 inch in diameter). Set aside.

Get a chicken: A 3-4 lb. fryer or equal weight in legs, thighs, breasts — whatever you like (my family prefers dark meat, so drumsticks and thighs, or just thighs). If using a whole chicken, cut into eight or ten pieces (split the breasts if they're large). Rinse the chicken pieces thoroughly, dry with a paper towel, then trim loose-hanging skin and pull off pieces of fat.

Render the fat: Heat a large pot or Dutch oven. Cut up the discarded skin and chicken fat, and add to the pot. Don't let it burn or smoke. After about ten minutes (give or take), the fat and skin will be crisp and the renderings will be will be golden. Pour off the majority of the rendered fat and leave just enough to coat the bottom of the pot. Remove the crisp bits and discard (or salt and eat).

Brown the meatballs: Add them gently to the hot pot and brown until they lose their rawness (about five minutes). Remove from pot and set aside. Wipe the bottom of the pot with a heavy paper towel, scrape any burnt bits with a spatula, then reheat.

Fry an onion or two: Pour a little bit of the rendered chicken fat into the pot (enough to cover the bottom). Slice (or chop) two medium onions, then drop into the heated pot and gently cook. Remove from pot when golden (but not brown) and set aside.

Brown the chicken pieces: You won't need to add any fat; the skin should release sufficient oil, but if you like, add a bit of the rendered fat to the bottom of the pot first. Brown the chicken in batches evenly (don't crowd the pan) and don't allow it to blacken or burn. When the chicken skin is golden and visible meat is no longer pink, remove from pot, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and hold. Pour off any remaining fat and return the pot to the stove to reheat.

Return the fried onions to the pan, add 2 chopped or thinly-sliced garlic cloves, stir for a minute then add 2 tbs. paprika (sweet, not hot or smoked). Stir and cook for a half-minute.

Add a cup of water and a small can of tomato juice. Or substitute tomato sauce or a quarter cup of ketchup. Add the chicken pieces to the pan then the meatballs on top of them. The liquid should cover the chicken at least halfway (but not completely.) Add more water if necessary. Cover the pot loosely and simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve with noodles, boiled or mashed potatoes, rice, barley or quinoa. Or French bread, pita etc.

If making ahead of time, remove chicken and meatballs, cool liquid and remove surface fat before reheating with the chicken and meatballs.

Call or e-mail me if you make it then set a plate.

Cooking with Warren Ellis

Writer Warren Ellis (above left, with the late Rory Root) is the default Lord of the Internets.

Or something to that effect. He's projected a rather interesting personality through the Web but he's mostly a writer; comics, games; animation; a novel; and loads of commentary. Never met him, though we've exchanged e-mail a couple of times.

In the paperback edition of his novel, "Crooked Little Vein," there are some recipes, and he recently posted more, so allow me to share.