Mushroom Lasagna

Earthy mushrooms sauteed in brandy and then layered between ribbons of pasta, a garlicky bechamel sauce, and three cheeses. Oh, my! 

I scaled this recipe to fit  a 10 x 7 dish, so it's perfect for a few people. As a first course to, say, a roast-beef dinner, it would be gorgeous. 

Lasagnas require many steps, so have everything measured, sliced and diced, and ready to go. I really wanted a smoked mozzarella but my market didn't have it so I settled for fresh. You may forego the mozzarella and simply add Gruyere if you wish. The Parm. keeps the recipe light but "cheesy." And don't skip the brandy. I think it makes the dish. For extra flavor, I add chicken stock to the bechamel.

I buy a pre-packaged variety of mushrooms at my market that include crimini, shitake and oyster and then I add baby bellas. Always soak your "no-cook" pasta in hot water before using. I love Barilla sheets which are flat. I don't get frilly-edged pasta at all.

• 12 ounces mixed mushrooms, sliced and chopped
• 3 shallots, chopped (a good 1/2 cup), divided
• 2-4 tablespoons brandy
• 1.5 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 cup fresh-grated Parmasan/Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere
• Mozzarella, preferably smoked, 1/2 of a fresh round or shredded
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg
• salt and pepper
• 8 no-cook lasagna noodles (I use Barilla)*
• Olive oil and butter for frying mushrooms

Shallots make all the difference!

Add some olive oil and butter to a large pan. When melted, add 1/4 cup of the chopped shallots and cook until translucent. Add sliced and chopped mushrooms and cook over medium heat until they release juices, about 10 minutes. Add brandy and continue to cook until liquid is re-absorbed into mushrooms and the mixture becomes "syrupy." Add a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Fill a pan with hot tap water and submerge your no-cook pasta sheets as you prepare the sauce. (A bread pan works great.)

In a medium saucepan, add the 1/4 cup butter. When melted, add the remaining 1/4 cup shallots and cook just until translucent and soft. Add the pressed garlic and just stir to combine for a bit. Now add the 1/4 cup flour. The mixture will thicken immediately. Lower heat a bit and continuously stir the paste to cook the flour just until it gets a bit "nutty." Be careful not to burn the garlic or shallots. Begin adding the milk a little at a time, working away any lumps and keeping the mixture moving at all times. Whisk in the chicken stock and continue stirring. Add a dozen grates or so of fresh nutmeg. Stir. Remove from heat and blend in 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese. Taste for seasonings and re-adjust as needed. Set aside.

If your sauce is too thick, don't be afraid to add more liquid.
It should easily coat the back of a spoon when done.

Remove pasta sheets to drain. Lightly spritz/butter a 10 x 7 x 2 casserole dish. You will make four layers of pasta. Cut sheets to fit the dish. Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees.

1. Smear a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Place one layer of pasta without overlapping. Cover with some sauce. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the mushrooms and then sprinkle with 1/3 of grated Parm.
2. Place down layer 2 of pasta. Spread with some sauce and then another third of mushrooms and 1/3 third of Parm.
3. Place down layer 3 of pasta, spread with sauce and remaining mushrooms, but this time top with your Mozzarella.
4. Place down layer four of pasta. Spread with rest of sauce and top with remaining 1/3 grated Parm. (I added a bit more).

Go easy on the cheese. Keep things light.

Cover lasagna with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and raise temperature to 500. Bake just until the top begins to brown a bit and lasagna is bubbly. Keep an eye on it. Allow to rest for a good 20-30 minutes before slicing.

By the time mine was done, I had lost the natural light:

*Barilla no-cook flat lasagna sheets measure 3.5 x 6.5 inches. It's important to always soak no-cook sheets in water first. I used half of a box, 8 sheets, about 4.5 ounces

Fried Potato Pancakes (Latkes)

Simple. Basic. Classic.

Whenever my grandmother babysat, we were guaranteed two foods: potato pancakes (latkes) and dumplings (Kreplach). To this day, nothing instills greater excitement in my family than the promise of those two foods. Our tongues literally quiver in anticipation. As Catholics, potato pancakes were a given on Friday, the day of no meat. They were certainly economical, but time-consuming in their preparation. My mother labored with a mountain of potatoes to grate.

I deviate from my mother's and grandmother's recipe in three ways: I drain the potatoes after shredding which allows them to cook quicker and crisper and less mushy in the center. I fry them in peanut oil. My mother and grandmother got out the can of Crisco and melted great mounds of the white stuff. I've also used olive oil, but peanut oil can withstand high temperatures without burning and smoking. I also now use two grates: one small and one large with is more visually appealing and which gives a really great "crunch" to the outer edges.

Wonderfully crunchy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside. Kids love them.

Sorry, but a blender of food processor just doesn't cut it when grating potatoes for latkes. It's a labor of love and best done by hand. The small holes on a box grater are too small and will result in a mush. You want about five grating holes to an inch. Yes, you should measure.

My mother and grandmother used this simple grater for potato pancakes. I wish I would saved either or both when they passed because I recently purchased one and the poor quality tells me it won't last very long!

Through the years, I have accumulated a number of graters just for this recipe. I like my latkes crunchy on the outside and perimeter, but a bit softer in the middle. For those who are thinking these are nothing more than a smashed tater tot or McDonald's hash brown, move on. Not even close!

But, it you and your family loves authentic has browns, this recipe is for y'all!

With a salad and a side of fruit, these can be a meal in themselves. Traditionally, they are served with sour cream or applesauce. They go well with any wine, but I still prefer a tall, cold glass of milk. They also pair with smoked sausages or leftover ham. Smoked salmon is over the top! I just love them with butter and salt. My mother loved them with cottage cheese.

These are great for an appetizer. Also good when you need some kind of a vegan dish. Just  fry in any type of animal fat or oil that has a high smoking point.

Historically, they should be fried in chicken fat, but it is insanely expensive to buy, let alone find.

Notice the crispy, crunchy edges as a result of using two sizes of grating.

As a young teacher, these saved the day for dinner. They were less expensive than pancakes which I often made (with hot dogs). Potatoes were cheaper than flour. And, yes, back then I used shortening for frying. Butter and salt were cheaper than syrup. A tall glass of cold milk and I was filled and happy ready to grade a mountain of students' papers . . .
 Makes about 14-16 pancakes

• 1.5 - 2 lbs. Idaho potatoes, peeled
• 1/2 of a small onion, about 4-6 oz. leave root end intact
• 1.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour or, if you have it, potato flour
• 1 large egg, sightly beaten
• 1+ teaspoon Kosher salt
• A few shakes all-purpose black pepper
• Peanut oil for frying. Chicken fat (schmaltz) is even better. Or duck fat.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. (warm) and line a baking sheet with foil. Place a wire rack over the baking sheet.

Add peanut oil to a heavy frying pan (I use a cast-iron pan) at least 1/4 inch in depth. The oil does not need to cover the potatoes when frying. Turn heat to medium to begin to heat it up and keep an eye on it.

Cut potatoes into fourths so they are easier to fit into your hand while shredding. Shred five of the quarters on a medium-fine grate. Grate the remaining three on the large holes of a box grater. Grate the onion on the large holes of the box grater (keeping the root end intact prevents the onion from coming apart while grating it).

This grater has five holes to the inch. Note how they are elongated.
 Perfect.

Transfer potato mixture into a seive and jiggle out most, but not all, of the potato juice, pressing down a bit. Save the juice and allow it to rest.

Beautifully "shredded" and not at all mushy.

Allow the juice to rest.

Carefully pour off the liquid which will reveal
the potato starch that has settled to the bottom.

Place drained mixture into a bowl and add the slightly beaten egg, flour, salt and pepper. 

Gently drain the potato liquid being careful to leave behind the white potato starch which will have settled to the bottom. Add starch to potato mixture and mix through.

Raise heat on oil and when shimmering, add forkful of potato mixture forming in a round and pressing down a bit--just to shape. Do not overcrowd the pan. When edges begin to turn brown, flip and fry other side. DO NOT WALK AWAY from frying the pancakes. They can burn suddenly and easily. You will have to adjust heat as you fry.

Never walk away from the pan. Do not crowd the pan. Adjust heat as
necessary. The heavier the pan, the better.
I prefer my cast iron frying pan.

When golden brown, remove to drain and then place on a rack over a baking sheet in oven to keep warm while preparing subsequent batches.

Serve with butter, sour cream, apples sauce, cottage cheese, salt and pepper. 

If you've never had these, congratulations. You're now an addict!

Baked Chicken with Sausages, Apples & Onions

A great autumn blend of flavors!

When I tell people I'm making apples with onions, they turn up their nose, "Ewwww!" They don't know what they're missing. In fact, it has been one of the consistent top, all-time recipes for Kitchen Bounty.

At first, I just made this recipe with chicken, apples and onions. And it was great, but I wanted something a bit more. Pairing chicken with sausages is nothing new in Europe. And I just happened to have some sweet Italian sausage on hand, so I added a few links. It made the dish. Sometimes I serve with a simple side of noodles or savory stuffing. Either way, this is sure to be a favorite from your kitchen. And the only noses turned up will those inhaling the wonderful aroma as this bakes.

• 1 large yellow onion peeled and sliced for a final weight of 8 oz.
• 2 sweet apples, cored, unpeeled, and sliced for a final weight of 8 oz.
• 4 bone-in chicken thighs (or two leg quarters), skin on
• 2 Italian sweet sausages, cut in half
• 1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seed
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (or several pinches dried thyme flakes)
• 2 tablespoons chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Cognac
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into fourths
• Poultry seasoning (I use Bell's*) Buy Bells
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Remove any extra fat or skin, if desired. Season the underside well with poultry seasoning a bit of salt and pepper. Sometimes thighs have a "hinge" of skin which I like to fold over the seasoned meat. Turn over and sprinkle tops with Old Bays. Set aside.

Slice the peeled onion into thick 1/4-inch slices and then cut the slices in half. 

Core, but do not peel the apples. Cut in half, And then cut each half into thirds. You want the slices to be a bit on the thick side. For this recipe, I used one Gala and one Golden Delicious. 

Heat just a bit of olive oil and butter in a pan. Add the onions and cook just until they begin to show color. Add just a bit of salt. It's not necessary to cook them all the way through. Add the fennel seed and apples. Stir and cook just until apples begin to take on a bit of color.

Evenly spread apple/onion mixture in a 10 x 7 dish. Add the one tablespoon of Cognac to the hot pan to deglaze and add two tablespoons of chicken stock and just a bit of butter. Simmer for a minute or two and then drizzle the mixture evenly over the apples and onions. Scatter thyme springs on top.

Place chicken thighs on top of apple mixture and tuck in sausages.

Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and skim one piece of the quartered butter over each thigh. Turn over the sausages. Return to oven for another 15 - 20 minutes, removing once to baste chicken with the juices and bake until golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to sit a good 20 minutes or so to allow juices to settle and absorb. Serve each thigh with one sausage and a spoonful of apple/onion mixture.

Serves 2-4.

UPDATE: You can also add green cabbage to your apple and onion mixture.

NOTES: I used Johnsonville Sweet Italian sausage. I placed several julienned strips of smoked pork jowl over each thigh before baking, but I realize that is something many people may not have access to. If desired, fry two strips of bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and fry your onions in the bacon fat along with just a bit of olive oil. Crumble the bacon over the apple/onion mixture before you add the chicken. 

A note on liquor. If you're like me, you don't have a variety of "hard liquor" on hand. I buy the tiny  4 oz/50 ml bottles of liquors that I use most for cooking. They are inexpensive and handy to have. Grand Marnier, Cognac, Brandy, Rum, and Amaretto are the ones I use most.

*Bells Seasoning is a blend of rosemary, oregano, sage, ginger, marjoram, thyme and pepper. I love it. You can find it at: www.brady-ent.com

Star "Rolls" in the Kitchen

Whenever a sheet of tin foil zips across the metal teeth of a roll, I think of my Grandma Mary who called it "one of the greatest inventions." She, of course, lived through The Great Depression and WWII when anything "metal" was considered dear, indeed. And worth saving. She rarely crumpled up a piece to toss into the garbage. Instead, it was wiped down and neatly folded to be used again. And again. Along with pieces of twine, rubber bands, and paper bags.

During this, our own Great Recession, tin foil isn't cheap. And, if you're on a budget or just trying to make ends meet, like me, you, too, may think twice about wadding up a sheet and non-chalantly shooting it into the garbage. I find myself wiping it down, folding it neatly, and storing it in the cupboard. Why not?

But for my money, the star "roll" of the kitchen is paper towel. On occasions when I accidentally run out, I go crazy. Nothing can compare to its utilitarian necessity or invention. How did people survive without it? They must have had piles of dishrags,  towels, sponges, mops. And that, of course, meant extra work of washing and drying them. And then folding and storing.

Most paper towels today are just about as strong as a "rag." But since they are disposable, they are really more sanitary. In fact, that's how paper towels really got started back in 1907. They were used for "medicinal" purposes in schools--to wipe runny noses of children to prevent the spread of colds and flu. They were then called "Sani-Towels." It wasn't until 1931 that they were introduced in the form we know today, but it would take a few decades before they caught on as an everyday kitchen staple and a grocery aisle all to themselves.

Window washing, cleaning up pet (and human) "accidents" require paper towels. But so do the following: skimming off grease from a stock or gravy, absorbing grease when microwaving bacon, lining refrigerator vegetable bins, liners between dishes and pots, emergency toilet paper. The list goes on and on. And, unlike tinfoil, paper towels are biodegradable.

Plastic wrap is another star of the kitchen, although it's debut didn't occur until well after WWII. But it's rise was meteoric and I can still remember the neighborhood excitement when "sandwich" bags appeared, replacing the old stand-by, wax paper.

Plastic wrap is a storage unit in-and-of itself. It is indispensable for covering leftovers.  My favorite use is to wrap wet paint rollers and brushes with it and then put them in the freezer until needed the next day.

Wax paper doesn't get much use in my kitchen. I use it primarily to spread out bread crumbs for dredging, measure flour when baking or to cover a dish loosely, such as a pie. Of course, as a child, it was used regularly to grease a metal slide or to iron leaves between two sheets for school projects.

I keep a roll or freezer paper handy although I don't use it much. Once something goes into the freezer . . . it's a certain slow death and I tend to forget about it until I exhume the anonymous frozen corpses one by one . . . and usually toss them into the garbage. A roll of parchment paper is a must for baking.

Although they are now mostly built-in, my first dishwasher was an apartment-sized portable that rolled on wheels. I worshipped it. My last kitchen didn't have a dishwasher and was really too small even for a portable (which are difficult to find). I went insane. Never again. Never.

Foil, plastic, paper all on a roll. They may be supporting roles, but they're crucial and essential to the star of the show: the cook.