VittlesVamp

St. Paddy's Day Rendered Unnecessary By Mama Vamp's Corned Beef

There is no reason to hold out for St. Patrick's Day to get your Corned Beef on. Take it from me. And, if you don't want to take it from me, take it from Mama Vamp. Her recipe is below. It's freakin' delicious. Great with cabbage, but equally lovely with a side of asparagus. In addition, it's complimented by most beverages, but truly at its best if you refrain from drinking a pint of green beer alongside.

Mama Vamp's Corned Beef

4 lb Corned Beef (including pickling spice packet)
3 TBSP mustard
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Boil the Corned Beef with pickling spice packet for 3 hours or until tender. Place on a cooking tray or roasting pan. Allow meat to cool for 15 - 20 minutes. Spread a coat of mustard on the top of the meat. Sprinkle generously with light brown sugar, followed by a light sprinkling of the salt. Broil for 4 -5 minutes, until sugar is fairly melted. Turn oven down to 425 degrees and allow to bake for another 10 - 15 minutes until the sugar and mustard are bubbly, but not burnt. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Having A Ball - And Not Of The Matzoh Variety

I know the expectation is a Passover post, but instead I feel like reminiscing of a dinner party past, a party where balls took center stage, but they were Meatballs of Italian lineage rather than the classic Judaic Matzoh Balls of seder fame.

It all started with a harmless conversation over cocktails, as my pal Jimmy and I questioned the roots of the current Meatball craze. Then talk turned to my Meatball prowess and a dinner plan was born. Others were invited and soon I was whipping up Meatballs according to Sal Vetri's instructions (how could the father of Chef Marc Vetri be wrong?).

As pictured above, I blanketed the beauties with homemade Tomato Sauce and placed them on a bed of soft Mascarpone Polenta. Slivers of fragrant fresh basil were the finishing touch.

Mmmmmm....

Now I must return to making Matzoh Balls. Glad I could take this break to be an equal opportunity ball backer.

Bo Ssam -- A Good Read & A Great Meal

It's a dirty secret. A great recipe isn't just all about great food. It's also about a good read -- the kind of read that has you drooling from the first ingredient to "serves 6 to 10." Such was the good read a month ago in the New York Times Magazine, when they featured the recipe for Chef David Chang's Momofuku Bo Ssam.

Wandering through the shelves at Kalustyan's, searching for various Korean ingredients on Chang's list, I could see that I wasn't alone in appreciating the recipe's finer points. As I purchased the store's last container of Kochujang chili paste, the cashier remarked that they couldn't keep the stuff in stock over the last few weeks. "Why is this chili paste so popular all of a sudden?"

All I can say, is I hope other Kalustyan's patrons had as much success with the recipe as I did, evidenced by the photo above of mind-blowing slow-cooked pork butt.

Below, you'll see equally over-the-top accompaniments including Kimchi, the requisite Ginger-Scallion and Ssam sauces, as well as a batch of homemade Vietnamese pickled carrot and daikon.

Paired with series of rich, chocolatey Imperial Stouts, the meal was an undeniable winner. And, to cap off the porky, stouty goodness, my guests and I indulged in a Belgian-style Biscotti lager as a malty companion to one heck of a dessert...

...a warm Banana Tart Tartine that oozed caramel and almost garnered as many oohs and aahs as the Bo Ssam itself.

So that's what a good read can get you. A great meal.

And to that I say, if you can't read, hoping you're enjoying the photos on this blog.

However, if you can, get to it and find me my next go-to recipe.

New Year's Curry

I'm woefully late on my New Year's post, but the truth of the matter is my New Year's Eve wasn't any major shakes. It involved a bagel and watching the last few episodes of "Game of Thrones" on-demand. (Now, don't get jealous of my crazy, New York, glam lifestyle!)

Still, I didn't feel the need to do anything special on New Year's Eve. I'd already had plenty of good times, good friends, good food and good drink a few nights prior.

That's the thing about a really good dinner party. It can carry you through a few weeks -- especially when the dinner party was really an all-day affair.

In this case, the affair began with my Spice Hunting pal Max. (Get your mind out of the gutter!) We had always wanted to cook together. (Once again, get your mind out of the gutter!!!) It was the time to make the dream a reality. We hit Chinatown with a vengeance and returned to my Brooklyn kitchen with a bevy of ingredients, including sesame seeds, supremely fresh fluke, green curry paste, freshly hacked chicken parts, frozen coconut milk, baby bok choy, fresh ginger, sesame seeds, serious soy sauce, rice cooking wine, stalks of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and of course, this essential...

Okay. Now you can put your mind in the gutter! And while you're there, let me regale you with the dinner preparations...

*Max's rich and fragrant Chicken Curry with Eggplant and String Beans beginning a two-hour journey on my stove top...

*Baking up mixed nuts with melted butter, brown sugar, sea salt and Japanese Seven-Spice Powder for a perfect nibble with cocktails

*Slinging a sharp knife to finely dice the fluke with a bit of miso paste, sesame seeds, ginger and scallion, for a Japanese tartare that made a fish-hater swoon.

*Pouring decadent, deep chocolate ganache over a Chocolate-Orange Cake...

As you can surmise, the meal didn't suck. In fact, it was nothing short of fantastic.

Next on the docket with my Spice Hunting pal: a trip to Little Italy (or dare I hope, Arthur Avenue?) and a day filled with pasta-making and cucina Italiano.

Seriously. Who needs to blow it all out on New Year's Eve when you have the whole of 2012 to enjoy?

Gobsmacking Turkey Gumbo Goodness

One of the best parts of Thanksgiving (real or faux) is most definitely the leftovers. Who doesn't love revisiting turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes after the big day is over? Still, there is just so much anyone can handle. That's when a little creativity in the kitchen is called for. In my case, I needn't look any further than a recipe from Justin Devillier of La Petite Grocery in New Orleans -- Leftover Turkey Gumbo.

No surprise, I added my own VittlesVamp twist to the dish and delivered a humdinger of a spicy Big Easy bowl of goodness. (One slurp of this magic elixir and my pal Joy started speaking with a Creole patois -- and she's from New Jersey!)

Here's a link to the original recipe, if you want to check it out. Below is my version...

Gobsmacking Good Turkey Gumbo

Roux:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup & 3 TBSP vegetable oil

Over moderate flame, heat the vegetable oil in a large enamel-coated cast-iron skillet. Add the flour slowly while whisking out any lumps. When all of the flour is incorporated, the mixture should have a viscosity slightly thinner than cake batter. Cook while whisking constantly to prevent any roux from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. As the roux gets close to finishing—in about 30 to 40 minutes—it will turn dark brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof container. Use in recipe, or cool completely, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use, bringing the roux back to room temperature.

Gumbo Ingredients
leftover cooked turkey (half a breast, turkey leg and wing should do)
4 cups chicken broth (preferably College Inn)
4 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 andouille sausage (cut into 1/4 inch thick coins - should be approximately 1 cup)
2 small yellow onions (diced)
6 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1 green bell pepper (diced)
4 stalks of celery (diced)
1 bunch thyme
1 sprig sage
1/8 cup paprika
1 TBSP cayenne pepper
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup hot sauce (Crystal preferably)
Coarse salt and ground 
black pepper

The night before: Place the turkey in a five-gallon pot and add broth, water and bay leaves. Over moderately high heat, bring the liquid to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for a few hours to make an enriched stock. Cool and refrigerate. The next day: Remove turkey stock (with turkey bones) from refrigerator and let stand for one hour. Over moderate heat, bring back to boil, add the roux, and stir to dissolve. Add remaining ingredients, lower heat, and simmer the gumbo until thickened, about 2½ hours. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with rice, if so inclined.

Cranberry, Quince & Apple Chutney

I'm no liar. I promise you one of my personal T-day recipes and here I am to offer one up -- my Cranberry, Quince and Apple Chutney. Pictured above, it is a zesty autumnal fruit affair that will easily make you forget the jellied cranberry sauce tragedies of Thanksgivings past.

It's simply delicious. In addition, it is the perfect accompaniment to a Christmas goose or Hanukkah latkes, or even atop Greek yogurt for an anytime treat.

Cranberry, Quince & Apple Chutney

1 cup water
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 quince (peeled and chopped)
2 granny smith apples (peeled and chopped)
1 bag of fresh cranberries (approximately 3 cups)
juice of 1 orange

Combine quince, water and sugar in a pot over medium-high heat. Boil for 15 minutes. Add apples. Boil for 5 minutes. Add cranberries. Cook for 10 minutes more, until cranberries have burst and the mixture has taken on a crimson color. Add orange juice and mix. Allow to cool and then refrigerate before serving.

My 2nd Annual Faux Thanksgiving

Suddenly what is faux is what is real -- at least at Chez VittlesVamp. For the second year running, I have followed up my Philly Chinatown Thanksgiving a week or so later with a full-on turkey spread, surrounded by friends and enough food to feed a small army (okay, perhaps a large army!).

This time around, I got the turkey from Paisano's Meat Market on Smith and dry brined the bird for three-days straight a la Chef Judy Rodger's famous "Judy Bird." One taste of the bird's gloriously succulent flesh and I knew that the "Judy Bird" was justly famous.

But man does not live by turkey alone. At least not at my table!

There was a Butter Lettuce Salad with Radishes and Scallion Buttermilk Dressing, Haricot Verts Almondine, Stuffing with Cremini Mushrooms and Andouille Sausage...

...Homemade Gravy with Turkey Drippings, my friend Martha's Brussel Sprouts with Red Grapes, Toasted Walnuts and Yogurt...

...Cranberry, Quince and Apple Chutney, and -- compliments of a recipe in Garden & Gun -- Sweet Potato Casserole with Sorghum. Check out the deets here.

(Warning: Your rendition will never be as good as mine, because my sorghum came from a friend's farm in Stinking Creek, East Tennessee. Seriously. It is of the utmost importance to know your sorghum's terroir!)

And if that wasn't enough to send us off into a blissful food coma, there was dessert...

This gorgeous Pecan Pie, as well as Martha's apple beauty, were enhanced by the creamy goodness that is my pal Max's Scotch Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. If you want the scoop on said frozen confection, here's a link to Max's recipe up on Serious Eats.

Feeling full yet?

Now, if the links above to the sweet potato and ice cream recipes aren't enough for you, hold tight. One of my personal T-day recipes will coming your way shortly. Stay hungry!

Mama Vamp's Plum Cake

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I thought this recipe was lost forever. Then, miracle of miracles, Mama Vamp found the fragile, 1970s-era recipe card that contained the secrets behind this delectable autumn treat.

The season for Italian prune plums is almost over. I strongly recommend you buy some immediately and whip up this cake in your own kitchen. You won't -- no, you can't -- be disappointed with the results.

The Plum Cake

1 cup flour (sifted)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

1 1/2 TBSP butter

Add into dry ingredients, using pastry cutter.

1 egg
2 TBSP milk

Add into the mixture until it forms a stiff dough.

Spread into a greased 8x8 square pan to 1/4 inch thickness. Cover top closely with plums in a circular fashion (about 12 Italian prune plums, cut in half and pitted). Place skin side down. Sprinkle with a combination of:

1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg

Dot with additional butter. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Something is Fishy -- In A Good Way

Lately, my dinner party default has been chicken. I make a darn good bird, but I was starting to worry that me and my guests were gonna sprout wings if I kept it up.

No more poultry rut!

And, happily, the rut is over. Proof positive? The photo above is not of chicken.

Yowsa!

We're talking about Herb Roasted Salmon with Corn and Wild Mushrooms.

Yowsa and yum!

Here's the recipe, in case you need a break from the bird too...

Herb Roasted Salmon with Corn and Wild Mushrooms

6 pieces of salmon filet (about an inch thick)
1 stick butter (room temperature)
3 TBSP chopped chives
3 TBSP chopped tarragon
4 ears of corn (shucked)
2 cups of wild mushrooms
2 TBSP chopped shallots
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle bottom of a large roasting pan with corn, wild mushrooms and shallots. Mix butter with chives and tarragon. Spread one tablespoon of the herb butter on top of each piece of salmon. Place salmon on top of corn and mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 - 25 minutes.

Astoria Has Run Out Of Basil & Other Irene Cooking Adventures

Not to make light of the damage that Irene has sent our way, but I have to admit that her arrival gave me a great excuse to hunker down with a DVD or two of West Wing's first season, spend relaxing hours with a good book, and cook with and for fine friends.

It all started on Friday night when my archaeologically-inclined pal Kristin stopped by for dinner pre-Irene. In truth, except for the vino, she actually brought dinner with her. Dinner direct from Astoria's fabulous produce stalls.

After I mixed up us a couple of cocktails, she expertly sliced up ripe tomatoes, cut into soft, fresh mozzarella, drizzled the platter with a bit of Champagne vinegar and fruity olive oil. The only thing the plate missed was the bright green of basil. It seemed there was a run on basil in Astoria, so we had to do without. (Who knew that basil would be more coveted prior to a hurricane than staples like milk and eggs?)

What did we use as a substitute herb? Dried oregano. The strong stuff, straight from Greece. A few spoonfuls and the platter was complete. Add a bottle of Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon and we were welcoming Irene in excellent spirits.

Yesterday, the platter was finished as the center of a glorious omelet lunch. Then dinnertime arrived, as I presented a Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Onions, Fennel and Red Peppers to a table that included Mr. P, Mr. L, a bottle of Champagne and a bottle of Joel Gott Pinot Noir. We even poured a glass for Irene, in the hope that she was not unlike the Prophet Elijah, and could be calmed with a nip or two.

Mr. P and Mr. L departed and then Irene finally paid call as I drifted off to sleep. She wasn't a terrific houseguest, but she wasn't as bad as expected. (Maybe that extra glass of wine worked?)

Today, once the rains had subsided, I met the mighty winds with a smile and took a power walk to work off brunch: homemade Buttermilk Pancakes with Blueberries.

It's almost 6pm now. Think my cooking may be done for the weekend. I have leftover chicken in the fridge and another DVD to go.

Two questions: Is it possible to have a "hurricane" weekend every year -- but without the actual hurricane? And, do you think I can vote for Jed Bartlet in the next presidential election?