"leeks" news and stories

My parents had Thanksgiving dinner with some old friends this year and after the meal was over, my mom called me to rave about the Brussels Sprouts that Lucy, the friends' daughter, had made. Lucy has two young sons and had made these sprouts in the hopes that her boys would eat them. She put a lot of effort into them, removing each leaf from every small sprout head in order to get a kid-friendly consistency. When she gave my mom the recipe, she stressed that one does not have to go to such labor-intensive lengths in order to make this dish.

The way we did it last night was to chop 2 pounds of sprouts into eighths (quarter them and then halve the quarters), which took some time but was worth it in terms of cooking speed. In a large skillet, I sauteed four thinly sliced leeks (they were fairly small leeks, total yield was about 1 1/2 cups) and two chopped shallots in a couple teaspoons of olive oil. Then the chopped sprouts went in, along with a sprig's worth of minced rosemary. When the started to get a little dry, I added about half a cup of chicken stock (there happened to be some around, otherwise I would have used water). Cover until soft. At the very end, add 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg and 1/2 a cup of cream or half and half. Lastly add salt and pepper to taste.

They were so good and while they felt a little decadent, they weren't overwhelmingly rich. I think these are going to end up on the table come Christmas dinner.

Looking for a creative and tasty breakfast this weekend? Something a little out of the ordinary that isn't too energy intensive? Why not take a page out of Brys at Cookthink's book and whip yourself up a batch of Leek and Potato Latkes? Because latkes aren't just for Hanukkah anymore. He dresses a few up with a spoonful of caviar and tops the rest with a fried egg. After seeing this post, I wished fervently for the ability to crawl into my computer screen and magically travel through time and space to the kitchen where these puppies were created. Sadly, it was not to be.

On a different latke note, if you're the type of person who learns through watching, you might want to check out this here little video in which my friend Scott and I make up a batch of potato latkes. So yummy.

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Last Saturday, I had an opportunity to help a friend do some cooking for a dinner party. We had a terrific time in the kitchen, but the stand out moment was when I got a chance to taste the Risotto with Butternut Squash and Leeks we made (thankfully I was able to get her to confess that the recipe was from Epicurious). It was one of those dishes that makes time stop for just a moment, as your taste buds struggle to identify the chorus of delicious flavors before giving up and simply surrendering to the rapture of the moment. It was that good.

So good, in fact, that I decided I had to make it for myself so that I could have more than a few bites. I stirred it up Monday night, in my bright green knock-off Le Creuset pot. I couldn't wait for the rice to cook, knowing that I would soon have an entire pot of heaven all to myself. Finally, when it was all done, I served up an indulgently large bowl and settled down at the table with a spoon and book. It was so good. Perfect for a fall dinner party or for just eating by yourself, on a Monday night, when you want to be just a little extra nice* to yourself.

*I omitted the whipping cream. I like to treat myself, but I do not need to eat a half cup of whipping cream by myself this week.

A poached prawn is not exactly a traditional component of vichyssoise. The thick and creamy chilled leek and potato soup is almost always simply garnished with a sprinkle of chives, but Jocelyn at Kuidaore, wanted to accent her version of vichyssoise with the prawn and a few drops of prawn oil. The fishy flavor stands out beautifully against the mild soup, just as the contrasting color of the prawn does, and transforms a good dish to a great one for seafood fans. The soup is velvety and smooth thanks to a large amount of butter and cream, but there are lighter versions available that preserve the flavors of the dish while saving a few calories. No matter which version you choose to make, the soup is a wonderful addition to your recipe file and a nice change of pace from gazpacho when you want a cold soup in summer.

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