The Essential James Beard Cookbook (47 page)

Editor: For the spinach, cook 1½ pounds fresh leaf spinach (stems removed and well washed), with the water clinging to the washed leaves in a large saucepan over medium heat until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and cool. Squeeze handfuls of the spinach to remove all excess moisture, and chop. Or substitute two 10-ounce packages chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture.

TAGLIARINI VERDI ALLA PANCETTA

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Where I live, in Greenwich Village, there is no end to wonderful Italian markets, and I have no trouble buying pancetta, the Italian unsmoked bacon. If you can’t locate pancetta, you can substitute prosciutto, unsmoked ham, or thick-sliced bacon that has been simmered in water for 10 minutes, drained, and rinsed with fresh cold water.

8 to 10 medium leeks

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

½ pound sliced pancetta

1¼ pounds green tagliarini or other pasta

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Trim off the root ends and most of the green parts of the leeks. Slit the tops and wash thoroughly under running water to remove the grit. Cut into julienne strips and pat dry with paper towels.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and parsley, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Sauté briskly until the leeks are golden, about 5 minutes, and remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon. Add the pancetta, increase the heat, and sauté until the pancetta is nearly crisp, about 3 minutes. Return the leeks to the pan, remove from the heat, and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the tagliarini and cook according to the package directions until almost al dente. Drain well. Immediately melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan. Add the tagliarini and the leek mixture to the butter in the saucepan. Blend in the cream and the cheese, and cook gently for 2 minutes more over very low heat. Season well with pepper. Serve with the rest of the cheese passed on the side.

BEEF AND SCALLOPS WITH CELLOPHANE NOODLES

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

This recipe is derived from one that I taught during a series of classes on “Taste” with Barbara Kafka. The beef and scallops make an interesting combination, and are delicate enough in flavor to work with cellophane noodles.

1 pound cellophane noodles (also called saifan, bean threads, or mung bean noodles)

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into 2 by ½-inch strips

¾ pound sea scallops

1 large garlic clove, minced

1½ cups diagonally sliced scallions, white and green parts

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes

Prepare the cellophane noodles a few hours before serving. Do not soak them—just break them apart. Working in batches, deep-fry the noodles in oil heated to 375°F for a few seconds until they puff up. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. Add the beef, scallops, and garlic all at once and cook over high heat, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the scallions, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 30 seconds, stirring furiously, and pour over a platter holding the fried cellophane noodles.

PEKING CURRY-TOMATO SAUCE ON NOODLES

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

This was a regular offering in Chinese restaurants when I was a boy in Oregon. I never see it on restaurant menus anymore, which is a shame: it has a strong tomato taste lightly flavored with curry. Use it on wheat Chinese noodles or Japanese udon. Cellophane noodles are too delicate to stand up to the sauce.

Editor: You can reduce the amount of butter by half, but it would be interesting to try the original as an example of retro cooking.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon curry powder, or more to taste

Two 28-ounce cans whole plum tomatoes in purée

I pound ground beef round

Kosher salt

1 pound fresh or dried Chinese or Japanese noodles

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook them, stirring, until they are soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for a minute to develop the flavor. Then add the canned tomatoes and break them up with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat, cover loosely, and simmer the sauce until it is thick, around 1½ hours. Break up the chopped meat, drop it into the simmering sauce, and cook very gently, stirring often, for another half hour. Add salt to taste.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook according to the package directions until tender. Drain well. Transfer to a serving bowl, add the sauce, and serve.

Beard on … Chinese and Japanese Dried Noodles

In recent years, New York has become studded with hundreds of tiny produce stores run by Korean immigrants. In addition to selling broccoli and oranges, most of them stock a few Asian specialties, such as udon, buckwheat, rice, and mung bean noodles. I’ve found all brands to be quite reliable, although perhaps I don’t bring to them the educated palate that I do to Western pastas. Just be sure to use them properly.

Rice noodles, made from ground rice, are more fragile than wheat noodles. They need a brief soaking before you cook them. Mung bean noodles are made from powdered mung beans. They too have to be soaked, after which they are gelatinous and springy. They don’t actually need any cooking at all after their soaking, but can be briefly stir-fried, the way you do bean sprouts. Udon and soba buckwheat noodles act like American wheat noodles.

HERBED NOODLE SALAD

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

When I made this salad on a Saturday afternoon, it tasted sharp and oily. It went into the refrigerator until the next day, when I served it at lunch. By then, the noodles had soaked up every bit of oil and vinegar, and the taste was wonderfully improved. Be sure to allow at least 12 hours to let this happen. You’ll find that this is an unusually light and pleasant salad to serve as a first course, one that doesn’t ruin the appetite.

8 ounces Japanese buckwheat noodles (soba)

¼ cup olive oil

3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil

2 tablespoons hot chili oil

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

²
⁄
₃
cup finely chopped fresh chives

½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the buckwheat noodles and cook according to the package directions until tender. Drain well. Put the noodles into a bowl with the olive oil, so that they won’t stick together as they cool. When cooled, add the sesame oil, chili oil, and rice vinegar. Toss well with the chives and parsley, and let stand for at least 12 hours.

BEACH PÂTÉ

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

This is a meat loaf that has tiny pasta shells scattered through it. The shells make a pattern like the bits of tongue or pistachio nuts that are found in
pâté de campagne
. They’re fun, but if you can’t find them, try orzo, tubetti, funghini—any small, granular-shaped pasta. I’ve made this for years and years. It’s a perfect dish to take on a picnic and slice on the spot. Hence the name.

4 ounces very small pasta shells

2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped

1 cup (1-inch) cut carrots

½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 large garlic cloves

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds ground beef round or chuck

1 pound ground pork

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

6 strips bacon

Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again.

Put the onions, carrots, parsley, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in the food processor fitted with the metal blade and process for 30 seconds until they are well minced and mixed. Turn this mixture into a large bowl, and add the beef, pork, bread crumbs, eggs, and the drained pasta shells. Mix well. I like to use my hands for this job, but if you are squeamish, use wooden spoons. Form the meat mixture into a firm oval loaf.

Make a bed in a shallow baking pan with 3 bacon strips. Place the meat loaf on the bed of bacon, and put the remaining strips across the top. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 1½ hours, and serve hot or cold. You will find that if you make your meat loaf free-form instead of in a loaf pan, you’ll get a firmer texture for slicing and plenty of flavorful outer crust.

CANNELLONI WITH TOMATO SAUCE

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

This is an Italian version of stuffed crêpes.

Editor: The recipe for
crêpes
makes 12 to 14 crêpes. Make a double batch of batter, and cook up all of the crêpes, reserve 16 for this recipe, and freeze the remaining crêpes for another use.

For the Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 small yellow onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

One 28-ounce can whole Italian plum tomatoes with their juice

1 teaspoon dried basil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup tomato paste

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Cannelloni:

16 sweet Italian sausages, pricked with a fork

16
Crêpes

1 pound ricotta cheese

1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

To make the sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and basil, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, breaking up the tomatoes with the side of a spoon. Add the tomato paste, correct the seasoning, and cook for another 15 minutes, then increase the heat and let the sauce reduce a bit. [
Editor: Add water if the sauce seems too thick.
] Stir frequently so that the sauce does not scorch.

To make the cannelloni: Place the sausages in a saucepan of lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Poach for 12 minutes. Remove from the water and, when cool enough to handle, remove from their casings and cut in long shreds.

Spread each crêpe with about 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, and give it a grind from the peppermill. Add the sausage bits, roll the crêpes, and place them in a shallow buttered baking dish so that they barely touch each other. Pour the tomato sauce over them, and sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven until bubbly, about 25 minutes.

NOTE:
You may vary the filling by adding cooked chicken, veal, pork, or ham, highly seasoned.

MACARONI AND CHEESE

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

This is a great American classic, one of our best dishes. It has to be gooey, made with a really rich béchamel and with a Cheddar that sings with flavor. I love it when the cheese on top gets burnt and chewy, and I love to scrape up the dried bits that stick to the pan.

½ pound elbow macaroni or cavatappi