I’m not one to pile on.  Nor am I one to kick someone when they’re down.  But I am quite bothered by the announcement that celebrity chef Paula Dean has type 2 diabetes.  Well, I’m not bothered by the actual announcement.  I’m bothered by the public face she’s putting on it. I went to her new website.  And I watched her video.  And I looked at the one lighter recipe that she posted.  And I gotta tell ya, I’m appalled.

Where do I begin?  Well, she has an incredibly unique pulpit where she can help people address this preventable and treatable epidemic.  She even mentions how people have asked her for years, without success, for lighter versions of her recipes.  But until her ox is gored, she did nothing.  Now that it is gored, she’s offering up eliminating sweet tea and taking walks.  And a drug from her new sponsor, Novo Nordisk.  Did you notice that more than half of the home page of her website lists the side effects of this drug she’s promoting?

I realize (and support!) that in a free society, people can eat whatever they’d like, including one of her famous recipes of a hamburger served between two Krispy Kreme donuts.  And she can promote whatever kitchen gadgets or prescription drugs she’d like.  She’s obviously worth it to her advertisers.  Personally, I’d be thrilled with a fraction of her income.

So why am I annoyed with her?  She has the chance to show people how they can make significant inroads with their diabetes, or to even help prevent it completely.  Instead, she offers up a 22-ingredient recipe for a “lighter” lasagna.  Will anyone who’s ever cooked anything actually make this thing?  She’s implying that there’s an easy path to address type 2 diabetes: easy exercise, don’t change your life, and drugs.

What do I think she should do instead of this?  She should show people some simple-to-make recipes with the help of nutritionists, and encourage exercise that’s more than a walk around the block.  While a walk around the block is terrific for those just starting to exercise, she was diagnosed three years ago.  I’d hope she’d offer up something that requires a bit more effort.

Me?  I’ve cooked for a number of people with diabetes over the years.  Yes, it is an adjustment for people to change their diets, especially when we’ve become used to lots of salt and fat in our daily lives.  But a healthy diet doesn’t have to be a tasteless and boring one.  I’ve proven it, as have many other chefs who’s names are not Paula Dean.

While I don’t expect any kind of apology for her previous food offerings, I would have liked to hear something like this from her: “Well, y’all, things have changed.  Many of these old recipes should be used occasionally for fun and entertaining.  But now, let me show you how to make some great tasting food that’s also good for y’all.”

Yeah, I’m sure that’s what we’ll hear from her real soon.

4 cups chicken stock or broth

4 cups water

8-10 (approx) bone-in (skin-off) chicken thighs or 2-3 bone-in (skin-off) chicken breast halves

4 carrots, peeled and diced small

5 stalks celery, diced small

3 onions, peeled and diced

6 oz (approx) frozen peas (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large soup pot, add the chicken and cold water and cold (or room temp) stock.  Bring to a boil, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 25-35 minutes.  When the chicken is cooked, removed from pan, and cool to room temperature. While it’s cooking, with a spoon, skim the brown-ish foam from the surface of the liquid.
2. While the chicken is cooking, peel and cut the vegetables (except the peas).  Add them to the pot when the chicken is removed.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
3. While the veg is cooking, cut or shred the chicken.
4. When the veg is cooked, put the chicken back in the pan, with the peas, and bring back to a simmer.  Adjust the flavor with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6-8 servings.

If you can, cool the soup overnight in the fridge, and skim any fat off the top the next day.

1-2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (approximately equivalent to one chicken breast half)

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalks, chopped

1 onions, peeled and chopped

1 quart chicken stock (organic and low sodium, if possible)

1 cup peas (if using frozen, try to thaw first)

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepan (or a stock pot), over a medium heat, add the oil, and then the vegetables.  Sauté until the vegetables are cooked through (especially the carrots), 10-15 minutes.
2. When the vegetables are cooked to your liking, add the stock, and bring to a boil.  Add the chicken and peas, and reduce the heat to a simmer.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings

NOTES:

• The smaller you chop the carrots, celery, and onions, the faster they’ll cook.
• Keep a cup of water by the stove to add, a couple of tablespoons at a time, as needed to keep the vegetables from sticking or burning
• To speed the cooking of the vegetables, put a lid on the pan.  But make sure you check it frequently to prevent the vegetables from burning.

Adapted from François Payard /SELF Magazine December 2008 via Bea Grossman

Parchment paper
2 1/2 cups walnut halves
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 350°, and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper

1. Finely chop the walnuts on a cutting board, or carefully pulse-chop them in a food processor. The nuts should be chopped small, but not reduced to dust.  Transfer to a separate large baking sheet and toast until fragrant and a bit darker in color, about 7-9 minutes. Check the nuts every two minutes, and shake the pan, to make sure they don’t burn.  Let them cool to room temperature.
2. Sift the sugar, cocoa and salt into a bowl to remove any lumps and clumping. Whisk together to combine, and set aside until the walnuts have cooled.
3. Stir in the walnuts.   Add the egg whites and vanilla; combine  with a wooden spoon until the batter is just moistened. Do not overbeat the batter, or it will stiffen.
4. Drop batter by the teaspoonful, 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Bake cookies until tops are lightly cracked and glossy, about 15 minutes.
6. Remove cookies from baking sheet immediately, and place on cooling racks.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Makes approximately 40-50 cookies

NOTES: Unless you have a convection oven, you’ll have to bake these cookies one tray at a time.  Also, make sure you use the parchment paper, as the cookies will stick to the pan if you

Danger Will Robinson!

It’s that most wonderful time of the year, when we all hang out in our kitchens and create some (hopefully) great food.  Okay, maybe not all of us do it.  But this is the time of year when new and semi-experienced cooks can get into trouble because they’re doing what I’ve been suggesting for years: reading recipes.  I still encourage everyone to read recipes.  But you sometimes have to be unknowingly careful.

Unknowingly careful?  Well, I just read a guacamole recipe by a famous cookbook author and tv chef.  She recommends taking the pit out of the avocado, and then removing the skin.  So far, so good.  Then things get shaky.  She recommends putting the avocado in a bowl, and dicing it with a knife.  Really?  If someone does that, they’ll either mangle the knife, or their fingers.  The last time I checked, that’s why we have cutting boards.

Then there was the hugely famous tv chef and cookbook author who, in a national and free magazine with a zillion readers, suggested that a new cook make hash brown in a cast iron skillet, and halfway through the cooking, “flip them over.”  Really?  Hmmm.  I think just as the hash browns were either airborne or sliding off of a breaking plate being used for the flipping, the new cook might be reconsidering trying their hand at cooking ever again.

So here’s my advice: if you’ve never made the recipe before, look it over, and visualize any steps you’ve never tried before.  If they seem odd, then they probably are.  Figure out the result that you want, and follow the path of least resistance.  And the also follow the path that will let you keep your fingers and thumbs intact.

Almost a Turkey

Soon, we’ll all be sitting around a table with our families and loved ones.  Hopefully even both. But the big star of the day, unless you’re partial to tofurky, is the turkey.  If you were to ask 10 people for their favorite ways of preparing their bird, you’ll easily get 15 different recipes and techniques.  And they’ll all probably work out just fine.  This includes brining, deep frying, roasting, stuffing, massaging, etc.  So what are some hints that will help you make a terrific turkey, regardless of your preparation and techniques?  Here are just a few:

• You don’t have to put the stuffing in the bird.  If you do cook it outside the bird, then it (the bird!) will cook faster
• Don’t rely on the white plastic pop-up thermometer that comes with the turkey.  My unsubstantiated theory is that the bird will be overcooked if you wait for the thingee to pop-up.  Just use an instant-read thermometer to see when the bird is done.  And, that temperature should be 165° when you check it at the thickest part of the thigh
• What happens if you’re carving the turkey, and the dark meat (usually the thigh) is still a bit pink?  Finish carving the turkey, and put the undercooked parts in the oven, at 350° for 10 minutes or so, until they’re cooked through.
• As a general rule, roast the turkey at 325° for approximately 15 minutes per pound (the bird’s weight, not yours). This may vary, so keep your eye (and a thermometer) on the bird.  Of course, if you’re deep frying the bird, you can skip this roasting advice.
• You don’t have to cook even a large turkey for more than 5 hours. Anything more than that will just mean you’ll have a dried-out bird.
• If you want to watch a great video on how to carve a turkey, then here’s where you want to be…

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Black Bean and Salsa Lasagna

1 package no-boil lasagna noodles

2 15 oz cans black beans, drained

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, rinsed and minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

salt

Tabasco (or your favorite semi-hot sauce)

2 16 oz jars salsa (mild or medium spicy, your choice)

1 28 oz can chopped or whole tomatoes

8 oz light cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

8 oz part-skim mozzarella, grated

9” x 13” pan (supermarket disposable lasagna pans work well too).

Preheat the oven to 375°

1. In a large saucepan, over a medium heat, sauté the garlic for 20-30 seconds.  Add the black beans, and bring to a simmer.  Add the cilantro, and simmer for 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and Tabasco.  You don’t want the beans too spicy.  Just with a mild bite to them.
2. Set the beans aside to cool (although you can do the following steps with warm beans).
3. In a separate bowl from the beans, combine the salsa and tomatoes.
4. Put approximately 1/3 of the bean mixture into pan. On top of the beans, place three (or four, depending on how many are in the box, and how many fit in the pan) lasagna noodles.  Layer on the noodles almost* 1/3 of the tomato/salsa mixture,* almost 1/3 of the cheese, and 1/3 of the beans.
5. Repeat twice more. Over the top pieces of lasagna noodles, spread the remaining sauce, and then sprinkle the top with cheese.
6. Bake, covered w/foil, for 30 mins.  Remove foil, and bake 10-20 mins more, or until the pasta is cooked through, and everything is bubbly.

• NOTE: The key is to reserve approximately 1/2 cup of the tomato mixture, and 1/2 cup of cheese to place on top.

Gluten-Free Note: Gluten-free lasagna noodles (even the no-boil type) work well with this recipe

4 firm bananas, sliced in half length-wise, or cut on the bias, 1/2” thick

1/4 cup (half a stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup rum

vanilla ice cream

1. In a large skillet over a medium heat, melt the butter, then stir in the sugar.  Continue to stir, until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add the bananas, and continue to spoon the syrup over the bananas, until the bananas are heated through.
3. While the bananas are heating, add the lemon juice.When the bananas are heated through, add the rum* to the pan, and gently simmer for 1 minute.

WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*At this point, you may choose to ignite the rum.  Be very careful if you do.   If you do choose to ignite the rum, make sure you have the lid for the pan immediately at hand, to cover the pan and extinguish the fire, if necessary.  Make sure you take all precautions necessary to ensure everyone’s safety.

Serve immediately with ice cream or whipped cream

Serves 6

This is from our good friends at ChefsUSA.  It’s easy and fast.  And it tastes great, too!

4   8 ounce rib-eye steaks (each about 1 inch thick)

1 tablespoon canola oil or butter

3 tablespoons, plus one tablespoon, unsalted butter

¼ cup (approximately) red wine

¼ cup crumbled bleu cheese (bleu, gorgonzola, etc)

Salt and pepper

1. Place steaks in shallow dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the skillet over a medium-high heat, and add the oil or butter, then the steaks. Sauté/sear the steaks until cooked to desired doneness, about 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to plates; tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
3. With the pan on high heat, deglaze with the 2 tablespoons of the red wine.  When the browned bits are scraped from the pan, add the remaining wine, and reduce the heat to medium.
4. Add the bleu cheese.  When the sauce has thickened, season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Apples are everywhere right now.  If you’re lucky enough to live near an apple orchard, you can pick your own.  Or, even just for a fun outing, you can go there, with the apples already picked for you, and you can enjoy some great, freshly pressed apple cider.  Even better, hold out for some cider donuts. A cider donut is truly a religious experience.

If you’re anywhere near Western Mass, go to Atkin’s Farms for their apples and donuts.  Or, go a bit west, to Belchertown, to Cold Spring Orchard, which is part of UMass/Amherst, and check out their apples and pears.  Cold Spring has some experimental varieties that you won’t find anywhere else.  But their pears are the best I’ve had in years.  Usually, even at high-end markets, the pears are from Washington, and are picked when they’re not quite ripe.  By the time we get them, they’re still so firm that you can chip a tooth on them.  Then, there seems to be a one-day window of opportunity for ripeness.  Then they turn to mush.  So, like all things local, go grab some fresh pears.  Like tomatoes and corn, they’re only around for a short while.

And if you’re looking for some recipes, not only is a cobbler always welcomed, but so is an apple cake.  Sure, the summer fruit is now in our rear view mirrors.  But the ones we have now are great.

See you in the orchards!