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ChefBilly’s
Harvest Recipes
“Most
of all, he loved the fall.”
--Ernest
Hemingway
Summer
lingers long upon the
It’s
then and with reluctance that we pack up the outdoors and get the ground around
us ready for earth’s sleep. We glean
what fruits remain of autumn’s fields, the fragrant herbs, the apples, pears,
as gifts fell from the trees, forgotten corn, blueberries, grapes, and green
tomatoes beneath vines that still refuse to rest.
We
prune the bushes, cut the flowers before frost, and burn the branches and the
leaves in pungent fog that wafts into a silvering afternoon. In come the potted plants, the outdoor
furniture and grills, which must be sadly stowed away before they blow away. Around this time we think well of the harvest
foods, and taking them indoors, relish our hot and hearty meals in chilly
nights.
Bill's Let's-Win-the-Super-Bowl Pork Roast
As we begin to move
the cooking inside, we start with a recipe for “indoor barbecue,” spareribs
baked in the oven. This never-fail
recipe avoids the uncertainties of the outdoor grill, sudden flare-ups and foul
weather. It is also a useful recipe
during the summer months when your grill is overcrowded with steaks and burgers
and you would like to serve ribs too.
These ribs will cook slowly in your kitchen and out of the way.
This recipe
features a delicious, homemade barbecue sauce.
The long, gentle baking makes these ribs extraordinarily moist and
tender.
Ingredients:
4
to 6 pounds meaty pork spareribs or “baby back ribs”
Salt
and pepper
½
cup finely chopped onion
3
Tbsps apple cider vinegar
2
Tbsps brown sugar
1
cup Heinz ketchup
3
Tbsps Worcestershire sauce
1
Tbsp
1
cup water
½
tsp
Method:
You
may leave the ribs in whole slabs or cut them into serving pieces. Dry them with paper towels and arrange them
fat-side up (bony side down) in a single layer in a large, shallow roasting
pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt and
pepper. Cover the pan tightly with
heavy-duty aluminum foil and place in the middle of a preheated 325°F oven for
1 hour.
In
the meantime, prepare the barbecue sauce.
Stir together the onion, vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire
sauce, mustard, water and Tabasco sauce in a medium saucepan. Heat just to the simmer.
Remove
spareribs from oven and take off the aluminum foil. (Be careful, because very hot steam will
escape.) Pour off almost all of the juices
and reserve. Pour the hot barbecue sauce
evenly over the ribs and return them to the oven, uncovered, for another
hour. Baste twice with the barbecue
sauce during this time.
If
the sauce seems to be drying up during the baking, you may add some of the
reserved pork juices to the pan. This is
a matter of taste and the quality of your ribs and is rarely necessary. If you do not use the pork juices, save them. They are a delicious addition to soups and
stews.
When
the ribs are done you may cover them loosely with the aluminum foil and keep
them warm in a turned-off oven.
These
tender, saucy ribs are delicious with grits, corn meal mush or boiled
potatoes. Have plenty of napkins
handy. For an extra messy harvest meal,
serve with harvest corn, below.
SERVES 6-8.
Harvest Corn
In the 1920s, my
Grandfather Bill ran a farm around
“Run out to that
field and grab some of that noisy corn,” my Grandfather told my Father, who was
a boy about seven at the time. “Else we
won’t get any sleep tonight!” So my Dad
ran out to the field and my Grandmother started boiling a large pot of water in
the kitchen, and a contest would begin.
How many ears would my Granddad eat that night? Six ears? Twelve? Twenty? As the ears came in from the field and were
shucked and boiled, slathered with home-churned butter and quickly consumed, my
Dad and his sibs tried to beat him. But
my Granddad always won, it was said, one time eating maybe forty ears of that
delicious sweet corn at a single sitting.
Decades later, I
was lucky enough to rent a cottage on the prairie next to such a
cornfield. The farmer, whose field had
already been reaped, was gracious enough to let me go in and pick what was
left, which was plenty. So my companions
and I were able to mimic my Granddad’s contest, running out into the field for
more ears of corn as they were quickly shucked and boiled in the cottage
kitchen and eaten on the front porch. I
remember the variety was “peaches and cream,” sweeter than honey, and easily
consumed in mass quantities, although I believe that my Grandfather’s record
still stands.
And yes, you can
listen to the corn grow.
For
HARVEST CORN you will need access to
such a cornfield, at least in your imagination, and very fresh corn. Do not waste any time. Have a large pot of water boiling on the
stove before you even begin picking the corn.
The uniquely sugary quality of freshly picked sweet corn depends upon it being cooked and eaten
as soon as possible. Run, do not walk
out of that field once the corn has been picked and head straight for the
kitchen. Shuck the corn as fast as your
hands can work and plunge the cleaned ears into the boiling water into which a
tablespoon of salt and a half cup of sugar have been added. Return the pot rapidly to a boil and boil for
one minute, no longer. Serve the ears
slathered with sweet butter and sprinkled with salt, and keep
the pot of water boiling for the next batch.
It
helps to have a little boy or girl willing to run into the field and pick the
corn for you. Being small, they can
negotiate between the narrow rows of corn and find each and every ear.
If
your corn harvest is an imaginary one and you have store bought corn that is
not super fresh, you may increase the cooking time to 6-8 minutes to ensure
tenderness.
My
Grandfather was known to try the corn raw straight from the field, and it is
indeed a sugary treat even when eaten this way.
Bill’s Beefy Stew
What better for the
first cold nights of autumn than a hot beef stew? This casual recipe will bring the smell of
home to any kitchen, and is sure to please the biggest appetites.
Ingredients:
3
pounds stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
2
Tbsps bacon grease or olive oil
2
medium onions, sliced
1
large or 2 medium green peppers, thickly sliced
2
Tbsps all purpose flour
½
tsp black pepper
1
tsp Worcestershire sauce
1
Tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
8-10
cloves peeled garlic
4
sprigs fresh thyme from your garden, or ½ tsp dried thyme
2
bay leaves
2
Tbsps balsamic vinegar
¼
cup red wine vinegar
2
Tbsps brown sugar
1
28-ounce can peeled Italian plum tomatoes, with juice
1
cup water or beef broth
6
medium carrots, scraped clean and cut in half
6
small, peeled red potatoes
6
small, peeled onions, or a pound of peeled pearls onions,
or a can of pearl onions with juice
Method:
Lightly
oil a large casserole with heavy lid and set aside. In a large skillet (I use a copper-bottomed
skillet, because it transmits heat well), begin browning the pieces of beef in
bacon grease or olive oil over medium-high heat. Do not crowd the pan, or meat will steam
instead of brown. Turn the chunks of
beef so they are nicely browned on all sides, transferring them to the
casserole as they are done. Sprinkle the
meat with flour, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic, thyme, and
bay leaves. Scatter the sliced green
pepper on top. Cover the casserole with
a tight-fitting lid and keep warm over very low heat.
In
the same pan in which you browned the meat, sauté the onions over medium heat
until soft, about 10 minutes. Add more
oil if onions seem to stick. Add brown
sugar, balsamic vinegar, and red wine vinegar.
Stir well and bring to a simmer.
Let the vinegar steam vigorously for about a minute, and then scrape the
entire mixture over your beef. Again,
cover the casserole and keep warm over very low heat.
In
the same browning pan, add the can of tomatoes with juice, cutting the tomatoes
into bite-sized chunks with a small knife.
Bring to a boil and add to your casserole. Use the cup of water or beef broth to wash
out any flavorful remains from your tomato can and browning pan and pour into
your stew.
Cover
and bring to a gentle simmer on top of the stove. You may cook the stew entirely on top of the
stove, but I like to transfer it to the lower shelf of a preheated 325° F
oven. Regulate heat carefully so the
stew simmers very gently. You may have
to turn down your oven gradually to as low as 250° F. Keep tightly covered, and do not uncover the
stew unnecessarily.
After
one hour, arrange onions, carrots and potatoes on top of the stew. Stirring and basting is not necessary. Cover the casserole and return to oven for
another hour, maintaining heat so liquid gently bubbles and vegetables cook in
the steam. A heavy lid is important, to
keep steam inside.
By
the end of the second hour, vegetables should pierce easily with a fork, meat
should be melt-in-your-mouth tender, and your house should smell like heaven on
earth. You will not need to call people
to the table. Serve with mashed
potatoes, corn meal mush, or buttered noodles, hot French bread and a tossed
salad. Corn on the cob is also great
with this harvest dish.
SERVES 6-8.
ChefBilly
secret: the combination of onion, brown sugar, soy
sauce and vinegar gives this dish a distinct richness. The use of red wine vinegar imparts a flavor
akin to beef bourguignon, in a recipe for those who prefer to cook without
alcohol. It is a trick ChefBilly uses again and again.
You
do not need to live on a farm or in the countryside to have your own harvest of
fresh vegetables. Even if you live in a
city apartment, if you have access to a small yard or a terrace, a porch or a
step, you can cultivate a “victory garden” of home grown produce. Sure, you can go to the supermarket and buy
what you want, but growing vegetables yourself brings special pride and
pleasure. Planting the seeds or
seedlings in the spring, watching the plants grow through the summer and mature
in the fall becomes an enjoyable, even addictive hobby. Each year brings new anticipation. How will my crop turn out? How will the weather affect it? What can I do to improve it? And when the effort pays off, there is the
joy of eating the harvest and sharing with friends and neighbors. For many, home gardening inspires an
appreciation of nature, and even a spiritual peace.
Having
lived in an apartment for many years, I became a “pot person”, growing my
vegetables in pots when I had no available ground. A corner of the porch, a spot by the garage,
a space beside the sidewalk would suffice.
Now that I have access to a large garden, I still grow many of my
vegetables in pots, because I have learned there are several advantages over
in-ground planting. Aside from their
economy of space, pots can be arranged and rearranged to take full advantage of
available sunlight. In the event of
oncoming frost or foul weather, potted plants can be easily brought to safety
inside the house or garage. And unlike
stationary, in-ground plants, pots are removed from many of the pests and
diseases born from the soil. Watering,
feeding, and pruning are all easily accomplished with plants in
containers. And, if your containers are
beautiful, artfully arranged about your premises, there is their decorative
aspect.
Yes,
there are also advantages to in-ground planting, if you are growing vegetables
in large quantities or you are dealing with big-rooted plants such as corn or
pumpkins (although even these may be grown in decorative, miniature form in
pots). In dry weather, in-ground plants
can send their roots down in search for water, while pots will quickly dry out
and will require frequent watering.
However, you can purchase pots with their own reservoirs which will
retain water for up to a week. If you
have room, a combination of potted and in-ground plants makes for variety in the
garden.
You
may start plants from seed ahead of time, indoors, in the early spring, or buy
seedlings from your local garden center when you are ready for planting. If you are near a Wal-Mart (which almost
everybody is), they are likely to have an excellent garden center which will
have everything you need at a very reasonable price. When I was a kid, every April I used to enjoy
planting seeds in
Once
the seedlings are about 2 inches tall you may transplant them to small pots (3
or 4-inch diameter), and take them outside if there is no danger of frost. Outside, they will begin to grow
rapidly. Frost is the number one
disaster for a newly planted garden, and here is one big disadvantage to in-ground
planting. Frost can occur, on clear
nights, in temperatures in the mid-30s F, and will immediately kill or badly
damage any unprotected plants. I have
tried to protect in-ground plantings with newspapers, cones, and inverted
flowerpots, but if the temperature goes down to 32 degrees F or below, you are
almost sure to lose your crop no matter what you do. If your plants are in pots, listen to the
weatherman and bring them indoors when you have any doubt. If you have seedlings newly planted in the
ground and frost is on the way, you are best off to dig them up and bring them
in if at all possible, for you are almost certain to lose them.
Once
the seedlings are 6-7 inches tall and outgrowing their small pots, you may
transplant them to the large pots in which they will mature. For a typical tomato or pepper plant, you
will need a pot about 9-12 inches in diameter and 12-18 inches deep, but the
size will depend on the variety of your plant.
Make sure the pot has good drainage holes or a water reservoir. Soil quality is especially important in
pots. You will have by far the best
results if you start with fresh soil every year. Avoid the temptation (though economical) to
use the “spent” soil from the previous year.
Even when recharged with fertilizer, it is never as good as fresh
soil. I like to start with some peat
moss at the bottom of the pot to retain moisture, then fill the pot with good
quality top soil mixed with premium soil such as Hyponex
or Miracle Grow (which are already mixed with fertilizer). Stir in some all-purpose plant food (your
first feeding is the most important), and some calcitic
lime if you are planting peppers or tomatoes (to prevent disease). Water well after
transplanting. Find a spot for
your pot where your plant is “happy” and leave the rest to nature. Except for watering, the potted plants will
require little more attention. Once a
month or so I like to feed with Miracle Grow, which does just that. But avoid over fertilizing. Overly rapid growth can bring you more
foliage than fruit, and can lead to disease.
Here
is a list of some of the home grown vegetables I have had luck with.
In
POTS, PEPPERS are by far the easiest
plants to grow, perfect for beginners and even for children. Green, yellow, and red bell pepper plants,
with their shapely green leaves, look beautiful in white pots around a patio or
porch. These compact plants, usually
about 2 feet tall when potted, can each produce a dozen or more large
peppers. Often it is amusing to see such
large, colorful fruit on such small plants.
And, they keep producing more peppers after you pick them. These plants are practically carefree; just
give them a sunny location and plenty of water.
Rarely, I have found them susceptible to “bottom rot”, leathery patches
on the bottoms of the fruit. Bottom rot
may be prevented by adding calcitic lime to the soil
before planting, or by spraying the plants with a calcium-rich product called
“Rot Stop”. This is usually only
necessary if your peppers are growing too fast.
The flavor of a freshly picked, homegrown pepper is incomparably sweet
and juicy. I rarely roast them or put
them in salads but savor them chilled and sliced, all by themselves.
TOMATOES are probably the
most popular vegetable for the home gardener, and also do well in pots. A little more challenging than peppers, they
are still quite easy. For pot planting,
choose medium-sized varieties such as Best Boy and Early Girl Improved. Large types such as Beefsteak are best
planted in the ground with plenty of room and will not fully mature in a pot
unless it is a real monster pot. I have
had by far the best luck with Best Boys, a 3-4-inch tomato with great flavor, a
smooth, round shape and thin, tender skin.
“Patio” tomatoes, available as fully grown plants in many garden
centers, are carefree varieties that casually produce 2-3-inch, tasty tomatoes
all summer long. Best Boys are also big
producers, 2 or 3 plants usually providing me with so many tomatoes that I
start giving the extras away.
Tomatoes
need a lot of sun and water. Because
even medium-sized varieties can get over 3 feet tall, you will need to stake
them with plastic or wooden sticks (available at gardening centers). In a pinch, I have used dead branches from my
trees or bushes. Slip the sticks through
the heavy tomato stems and drive them deeply into the soil. Do not worry about damaging the roots,
because there are many more. Arrange the
tomato branches around the sticks for support.
You may tie them loosely with bits of string, if necessary. Tomatoes are highly susceptible to the
“bottom rot” discussed earlier concerning peppers. This can be very disappointing to the
beginning gardener. I remember, I had to throw away my first crop, before I learned how to
prevent the disease. Be sure your soil
is well-enriched with calcitic lime (according to
package directions). Spray with “Rot Stop,”
and avoid over fertilizing or over watering, both of which encourage the
disease.
With
my tomatoes in pots, I have had little trouble with insect pests. Whether your plants are in the ground or in
pots, make sure the fruit does not droop down and touch the soil, or it will
likely be infested. Most garden critters
do not care for tomatoes and especially dislike peppers and rarely touch
them. During drought, however, I have
had squirrels and chipmunks take a bite out of my tomatoes for their water.
Tomatoes
can take remarkably rough treatment. One
year I went crazy when Wal-Mart had a sale and I bought too many seedlings to
grow around my terrace. So I put the
extras in some old pots and tossed them in a heavily weeded but very sunny spot
by a drainage ditch behind my property.
When I returned, weeks later, the vines had traveled along the ground
(as tomatoes do naturally) and were laden with fruit underneath. Resting on the weeds, the fruit was protected
from the bugs and excess moisture in the soil and ripened beautifully. My toss-away plants gave me more perfect,
luscious fruit than my cultured ones. I
thought there was a lesson there somewhere.
Home
grown tomatoes have a rich and uniquely fresh flavor that is usually superior
to store bought varieties. I love them
thickly sliced on burgers or cut into big wedges in a salad, or just chilled
and eaten by themselves. They are easily
skinned, if you like, by rubbing the dull edge of a paring knife around the
tomato to crinkle the skin and then pulling the skin off with the sharp edge of
the knife. They are so juicy you may
have to eat them over the sink.
Speaking
of salads, LETTUCE is another
popular choice for home gardeners. I once
made a very productive lettuce garden out of an old orange crate filled with
peat moss and soil. Lettuce and RADISHES grow very quickly and are a
good choice for the gardener in a hurry to see (and eat) the results. Plant a different variety every week and you
will always have one batch of lettuce on the way while you eat the other. Lettuce will need special protection,
however, from critters who would like to eat it before you do. One rabbit can demolish your entire crop
before you wake up in the morning. If
you have four-footed creatures in your area, keep lettuce and other inviting
crops fenced-in or out of their reach. I
knew an elderly woman who had a very successful pot garden in her sunny,
screened-in porch. I do believe she used
to gloat when I complained of pests.
IN-GROUND GARDENING
can
be as involved or as casual as you make it.
I remember my Grandfather, when he was old, grew long rows of
vegetables, a miniature farm behind his city apartment house. GREEN
BEANS are a casual crop, and will grow aggressively along a trellis or
fence exposed to the sun. EGGPLANT and ZUCCHINI are also hardy plants, though you must keep your eye on
them for infestation by tiny flies. POTATOES can be grown just by cutting
up potatoes (leaving at least one “eye” in each piece) and burying them in the
ground. Children love big, showy plants
such as PUMPKINS, WATERMELON, and CORN.
Each also makes an amusing little “bonsai” variety when planted in a
pot.
I
knew a group of kids who started a great “
--ChefBilly
Bill’s Butternut Squash
The glory of the
garden, the butternut squash is as wonderful to look at as it is to eat. I consider it the king of the squashes.
People always ask
me for this recipe. It is seasoned much
like I would sweet potatoes.
Grow
or buy:
1
large butternut squash
Rinse
the squash well and scrub off any dirt with a vegetable brush. With a thin, sharp knife, make 3 or 4 deep
incisions into the center of the squash for steam to escape. Lightly grease the squash and place on a rack
over an inch of hot water in a baking pan.
Bake in the middle of a preheated 375°F oven for 1-1½ hours, or until a
thin skewer can be easily inserted into the squash and it is tender. (Alternatively, you can bake at “High”
setting in a microwave oven for about 15 minutes, but I prefer the texture of
the old fashioned method.)
Let
the squash cool for at least 15 minutes and it is easy to handle. Cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the strings and seeds
found in the small cavity inside. Then,
with a large soupspoon, scrape all the meat from the skin and into a mixing
bowl.
Add:
2
Tbsps butter
4
Tbsps brown sugar
Dash
salt and pepper
2-3
Tbsps orange juice
Beat
well with a wire whisk to a thick, creamy consistency. Add a little more butter and orange juice if
squash seems too thick.
4-6
SERVINGS
Zucchini
At harvest time,
zucchini becomes an everyday vegetable as baskets and baskets are brought in
from the garden. Here are some simple
methods of preparation that take advantage of zucchini’s sweet, succulent
flavor.
To prepare zucchini
for cooking, scrub
them well with a vegetable brush under cold, running water to remove any
surface grit. Cut off each end with a
sharp knife.
To boil zucchini
whole,
place them in a single layer in a skillet and fill with hot water halfway up
the zucchini. Cover tightly and simmer gently
until the zucchini can be pierced easily with a fork but are not mushy. This will take about 10 minutes for zucchini
that are 1½ inches in diameter. Drain. Cut each zucchini in half the lengthwise and
make long slits in the flesh with a sharp knife without breaking the skin. Spread each half with about 1 teaspoon of
sweet butter and a teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese. Serve 1 or 2 halves per person as a vegetable
side dish. This is my favorite way to
eat zucchini.
My Scottish
Grandmother Jeannie’s recipe for zucchini:
Cut
3-4 zucchini into quarter-inch slices and scatter in a frying pan (mostly in a
single layer, but they may overlap a little).
Fill with a quarter-inch hot water.
Cover and simmer gently until zucchini are fork-tender, about 5
minutes. Drain. Season to taste with salt
and pepper and a couple of tablespoons of sweet butter. Top with 2-3 slices of American cheese, cover
and heat very gently until the cheese melts.
Serves 4.
Children enjoy this cheesy version.
ChefBilly’s
restaurant zucchini: Cut 3-4 large
zucchini on the diagonal into oblong slices about a half-inch thick. In a large skillet, “stir-fry” the slices in
a tablespoon each butter and olive oil over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes,
until they begin to brown slightly around the edges. Add about an eighth of an inch of hot water
to the pan, just enough to generate steam, and cover. Steam for 2-3 minutes,
until the zucchini are tender to the bite but still crisp. Uncover and let excess water boil away,
leaving butter and oil in the pan. Season with salt, white pepper, and a sprinkling of basil and
chopped fresh chives.
Optional: sprinkle with some
grated parmesan and mozzarella cheese, cover, and warm through until cheese is
melted. SERVES 4.
Simple zucchini
parmesan: Scrape ChefBilly’s
restaurant zucchini, above, made with cheese, into a buttered shallow baking
dish. Sprinkle with an 8 ounce can of
tomato sauce mixed with an 8 ounce can of pizza sauce. Cover with a half pound of thickly sliced
mozzarella, sprinkle with a cup of fresh breadcrumbs mixed with a quarter cup
Parmesan cheese, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Bake at 350°F until cheese is melted and
casserole is browned on top, about half an hour.
SERVES 6-8 as a side dish.
Bill’s Savory Spaghetti Sauce
To go with
zucchini, how about some spaghetti? This makes a wonderful, hearty dinner on a
cold, autumn night, and leftovers are great for lunch.
We still treasure
this recipe, written on a tomato-stained piece of notebook paper in the
1970s. It was developed after years of
careful “taste testing” to get just the right combination of flavors. And what a spaghetti sauce it is, rich and
meaty, savory but not dominated by tomato or spices! The leftover sauce freezes well and is great
to have around for any casserole recipe calling for a tomato-meat sauce, such
as moussaka or lasagna.
Many were the
nights I had this spaghetti sauce quietly cooking on the back burner, filling
the cozy apartment with aroma. The smell
of this creation will perk anyone’s appetite.
A lot of people would PAY to get this recipe, but on the ChefBilly
website you get it for free
I present the
recipe in the casual format in which it was first written.
In
a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, sauté ¾ cup chopped onion, ½ cup chopped
celery, ½ cup chopped green pepper and 2 cloves minced garlic in ¼ cup olive
oil about 10 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. Add 1 tsp Kitchen Bouquet, 2 pounds ground
round, and ½ pound chopped Italian sausage.
Cook until red is gone. And ¾ cup
dry red wine. Heat. Add ¾ cup chopped mushrooms, 3½ cups chopped
canned tomatoes with juice (1 large, 28 ounce can), an 8 ounce can Pastorelli pizza sauce (or a small can tomato paste), ½ cup
chopped parsley, 2 tsp salt (optional), ½ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp cayenne, 1
bay leaf and 1 beef bouillon cube.
Simmer,
partially covered, a least 1 hour, adding 2 Tbsp tapioca to thicken during the
last half hour. While simmering, add 1
tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp sugar and 1
tsp dried Italian seasoning. At the end
of cooking, taste carefully for seasoning.
If necessary, thin sauce with red wine to desired consistency. For extra zip, add 1 tsp each additional
dried oregano, basil and Italian seasoning at the very end. For extra hotness, add a splash of
Boil
spaghetti (or other desired pasta) according to package directions and
drain. In a very large, warm bowl, toss
the pasta with some butter, grated parmesan cheese and freshly ground black
pepper. Dress with the sauce.
This
sauce is also excellent in lasagna.
Signed,
“WGM”
1974
I must have been on
a diet when I wrote this recipe, because I also noted the approximate calories
per serving, which I calculated as 138 calories per half cup of sauce.
--ChefBilly
2002
Good
with ChefBilly’s Salad and Dad’s Garlic Bread, below.
Dad’s Garlic Bread
My Father loved
garlic. Once a professional cook and
restaurant owner, he did little cooking after he retired, but always took over
the kitchen when it came to making the garlic bread. His version is for real fans of garlic. This is no sissy loaf split down the middle with
a little flavored oil inside. This is
the no-holds-barred version, packed with butter and garlic. Dad’s garlic bread has a pleasing texture,
crispy around the sides and bottom and soft on top. It is simply prepared.
Position
a rack in the upper third of a preheated oven, set for BROIL at 400°F. Cut a day-old loaf of French bread (we
usually used Gonnella) into slices about 1 inch
thick. Place the slices in a single
layer on a cookie sheet, pizza pan or jelly roll pan and place on the rack in
the oven with the door ajar. Watch carefully
and broil the slices until lightly browned.
Remove from oven and turn the slices over.
Spread
each slice with a tablespoon of sweet, softened butter and sprinkle with about
¼ tsp garlic powder, or to taste. My Dad
was known to use as much as ½ tsp per slice.
Return the bread to the oven with door ajar and again watching carefully, broil the slices until they are lightly browned
and bubbly. Serve immediately and start
on the next batch, because they are bound to be consumed as fast as you make
them. Often they were gone before I had
a chance to serve my spaghetti.
ChefBilly’s Garlic Bread
This in-the-pan
version features the additional flavors of herbs and Parmesan cheese. It is a nice way to use up those leftover
Italian rolls from chicken and pizza deliveries.
Slice
day-old French bread or Italian rolls the long way into pieces about 5 inches
long and 1 inch thick. Melt 2
tablespoons each butter and olive oil in a large fry pan. Place the bread in a single layer crust side
up, soft side down into the bubbling butter and oil. Fry over medium heat until golden brown on
the bottom. Sprinkle lightly with garlic
powder (don’t use too much at this point, or it may burn) and Italian
seasoning. Turn the slices over, crust
sides down. Lower the heat so the bread
is frying very gently. Sprinkle the tops
with additional, good quality olive oil (about another 2 tablespoons). As the crusts begin to crisp and brown,
sprinkle the tops of the slices generously with garlic powder, and then lightly
with Italian seasoning, oregano, and basil.
Sprinkle with about a quarter cup of grated Parmesan cheese, attempting
to get most of it on the bread and not in the pan. Warm through until cheese just begins to
melt, being careful not to scorch the crusts.
SERVE IMMEDIATELY.
My dear friend Carole, with
whom I shared many happy years in
Those election night
parties! Often, I would be the first to
arrive, to help Carole with the preparations.
And more often than not, I ended up watching her in the kitchen as she assembled
her legendary chili (for which there is no real recipe, only a method and my
memory). Sipping vodka, we began the
spirited political debate which would heat up with Carole’s chili and the
election coverage to follow . . . Would Québec remain
with
For large parties, (20 or
more people) Carole often made two or three times the amount of this recipe,
simmering the chili in a large roasting pan on top of the stove and then transferring
it to the oven. The pan full of savory
chili made a great presentation on top of a buffet table, surrounded by
crackers, loaves of crusty bread, salad, and corn bread, and framed by buckets
of crushed ice and bottles and bottles of heady Canadian beer.
This is a general method for
making chili which can be varied according to taste and heat preference. I present the basic recipe as authentic as I
can remember it. Carole liked her chili
mild and rich with tomato flavor. In
fact, it could serve as a good spaghetti sauce, topped with grated cheddar
cheese in the
Whenever I make this chili, I
think of her. And I take special
pleasure in presenting this recipe on a website, for I think no one loved
computers more than Carole.
Ingredients (for about 10
servings)
2 pounds ground beef (chuck)
4 Tbsps vegetable oil,
divided
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 large green bell pepper,
cleaned and chopped
2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded
and chopped (remove inner ribs for mild flavor,
leave in for hot)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsps medium-hot Mexican
chili powder (vary according to your taste and
the quality of
the powder)
1 large can (32 ounces)
Italian plum tomatoes, cut into chunks, with juice
1 medium (16 ounce) can
Italian tomato sauce
1 medium (16 ounce) can niblets corn, drained
1 medium (16 ounce) can
kidney beans, drained and lightly rinsed
1 medium (16 ounce) can pinto
beans, drained and lightly rinsed
1 (10 ounce) can beef
bouillon
hot water as needed
Optional
Method
Use a large, heavy-bottomed
saucepan, or if you are making two or three times the recipe, a big roasting
pan with lid. In 2 Tbsps of the
vegetable oil, sauté the onions, celery, and peppers over medium heat for about
10 minutes until soft but not browned.
Add garlic and sauté two minutes more.
Scrape vegetables onto a side platter.
In the same pan, in 2 Tbsps of vegetable oil, brown the ground beef over
medium heat, stirring often. Do not rush
this process, as slow browning develops good flavor. After 10 or 15 minutes, when meat is
well-browned, add Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt, and chili powder,
stirring well. Return sautéed vegetables
to pan. Add bay leaves, tomatoes, and
tomato sauce and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Add kidney beans and corn and simmer 10
minutes more, thinning to desired consistency with beef bouillon and hot water
as necessary (chili should be about the consistency of thick soup). Fat will rise to top. You may skim this off, as desired, but
authentic chili has a good measure of fat on top. Carefully taste the chili for seasoning,
adding more chili powder, or
If the chili is in a roasting
pan, you may transfer it to an oven and keep it warm on low (200-degree) heat
until serving time (up to two hours). It
will stay hot a good hour or so just sitting on the stove without flame, and
reheats easily. Freezes
excellently. A great make-ahead
dish!
Serve in big soup bowls with
crackers, corn bread and butter, salad, crusty French rolls and plenty of
ice-cold beer!
Hot food for a cold night,
and a very warm and wonderful time!
--ChefBilly
In memory of Carole
This cornbread has a light
texture and slightly sweet taste and is eaten in gobs with hot chili. As it is easily and quickly prepared, it may
be made at the spur of the moment. Best
served warm from the oven, with plenty of sweet butter, it may be reheated. ChefBilly’s cornbread is also great for
breakfast with fried eggs.
1 cup sifted all-purpose
flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
4 tsps
baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup corn oil
1 cup buttermilk*
¼ cup half-and-half
Beat liquid ingredients
together. Add dry ingredients and beat
well. Pour into a greased 8 x 8-inch square
baking pan. Bake in the middle of a
preheated 400°F oven until brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes
out clean, about 25 minutes.
Best cut into squares and
served while still warm.
*NOTE: You may substitute
whole milk for the buttermilk and half-and-half, but the buttermilk gives a
lighter texture.
Big Bill’s Meatloaf
Easy and economical, this
tangy meatloaf is sure to please the heartiest of appetites. This meatloaf is so big that it is hard to
believe that it is made from only two pounds of meat!
For eight big servings:
1
pound ground beef (85/15)
1
pound ground pork
4
tablespoons chili sauce
2
tablespoons ketchup
1
tablespoon dried oregano leaves, crushed with your fingers
1
medium green pepper, finely chopped
1
medium sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
1
teaspoon salt (optional if you are on a low-salt diet)
1
teaspoon black pepper
2
old hamburger buns, crumbled fine
4
slices old white bread with crusts, crumbled fine
1
cup milk (not skim)
2
beaten eggs
1
small (7 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
2
tablespoons dried parsley flakes (or a half cup chopped fresh parsley)
1
large jar (26 ounce) pasta sauce of your choice (I like Ragu or Prego)
PAM
cooking spray
Method:
In
a large bowl, mix all ingredients except for pasta sauce and PAM. Consistency will depend on the quality of
your meat, bread, etc. The mixture will
be very wet but should hold its shape when formed into a loaf; if not, add more
breadcrumbs.
Spray
a medium-sized roasting pan with PAM cooking spray. Form the meat mixture in the roasting pan
into a long loaf like French bread. Loaf
should be about 5 inches high. Spray the
loaf lightly with PAM and place uncovered in the middle of a preheated
400-degree oven. After searing for 20
minutes, turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake an additional 40
minutes. Then remove the meatloaf from
the oven and spoon any excess fat from the pan juices. Pour the pasta sauce over the meatloaf,
completely coating the surface and allowing the excess to accumulate around the
sides. Return the meatloaf uncovered to
the 350-degree oven for an additional half hour. By this time the meat loaf should be very
juicy and cooked through. To test for
doneness, you may insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the
loaf. It should register at least 180
degrees.
You
may keep the meatloaf warm after this point covered loosely with aluminum foil
in turned-off oven with door ajar. It
should rest 15 or 20 minutes before cutting.
To
serve, stir the sauce in the pan and cut the meatloaf into thick slices. Great with pasta, grits, or corn meal mush,
spooning some of the sauce over the meat, pasta or grains. To turn this into a real spaghetti dinner,
add more pasta sauce and serve with a big platter of pasta and plenty of crusty
Italian bread.
Sliced
cold, this meatloaf makes incredible sandwiches. Try it on French bread with some of the sauce
and a slice of mozzarella cheese melted under the broiler. Mmm good!
VARIATIONS:
GOURMET
VERSION for ambitious chefs: spoon all
sauce from the pan, reserve, and let the finished meatloaf or Foggia Roll cool to room temperature. Cover top with rolled-out bread dough or puff
pastry, brush with egg wash (one egg beaten with one tablespoon cream). Return to oven at 350 degrees (or recommended
temperature for pastry) until bread dough or pastry is brown and done, about
half an hour. Serve thickly sliced with
reserved sauce. Everyone will remember
you for this one!
--ChefBilly
Bill’s Let’s-Win-the-Super-Bowl Pork Roast!
For something easy to make while
you’re watching the big game, this roast practically cooks itself. Although the boneless (and more expensive)
pork loin roast is very popular today,
probably because it is lean and simple to carve, I prefer the bone-in loin cut for its juiciness and incomparable roasted flavor.
Of all pork roasts, this is my favorite.
Simple as it is to prepare, it makes a beautiful presentation for
company and can be a truly memorable feast.
Ask your butcher for a bone-in,
center-cut pork loin roast, which can be cut to size, but usually
weighs about 5 pounds. It will look like
several loin pork chops in one long piece, akin to the prime rib of beef. Each pound of roast will yield about 2 chops
which make one or two servings. Cooked
as a roast, these loin chops will have a richer flavor and more interesting
texture than when they are cut and cooked separately. If you have an especially good butcher you
can ask him to make cuts through the chine bone (backbone) of the roast which
will make slicing and separating the chops easier after roasting.
The secret to this roast is the
simple spice rub, which gives the roast a salty, tasty crust and an
outdoor-grilled flavor and aroma, even though you made the roast indoors in
your oven. And although you cannot make
this roast on the tailgate of your van, you can wrap it up and bring it along
to a picnic or tailgate party, serving it cold or reheating it gently on the
smoker section of a grill.
The Spice Rub
Mix in a
small bowl:
1
Tablespoon olive oil or other vegetable oil
2
teaspoons rubbed sage
2
teaspoons Poultry seasoning
1
teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed between your fingers
1
teaspoon salt
½
teaspoon ground black pepper
The Roast
Spread
the spice rub all over a bone-in, center cut pork roast, about 5 pounds. (You may use another cut of pork roast to
your liking, adjusting the roasting time accordingly.) Place meat/fat side up (chine bone down) in a
shallow roasting pan. Let the meat rest
about an hour at room temperature before roasting to absorb some of the spices.
Place
uncovered in the middle of a 450-degree oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat
to 250 degrees for about 85 minutes more; total cooking time should be about 20
minutes per pound. Test for doneness
with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast without
touching bone. It should register at
least 155 degrees, but do not let it go much above 160 degrees or your roast
will begin to dry out. Remove the
finished roast to a cutting board and COVER with aluminum foil for at least 15
minutes before carving. Covering the
roast and letting it rest allows the flavorful juices to retreat into the roast
and prevents it from drying out.
You may
serve the roast simply with the degreased pan juices, or make your own gravy
from flour, beef broth and the pan drippings. Or try this very good
Easy Gravy
2
envelopes McCormick’s pork gravy mix
2 cups
cold water
degreased
pan drippings
Per
package directions, blend the gravy mix with the water in a medium saucepan and
bring to a boil. This is very good as
is, but I like to scrape up all the flavorful brown bits in the roasting pan
with about half a cup of boiling water, spooning out the excess fat, if any
(pork is quite lean). Strain these
drippings into the prepared gravy and whisk well. This cuts some of the saltiness of the
packaged mix and makes the gravy taste more “home made.” If too thin, thicken the gravy by whisking in
some cornstarch (about a teaspoon) which has been blended with a little cold
water.
Between the simple roast and the
easy gravy, you need not be away from the big game more than ten minutes. This roast is great served with mashed
potatoes and green beans. But if you
want to be Super Easy, serve with those frozen “tater
tots” and some boiled corn on the cob. Mmm good.
--ChefBilly
Copyright
©2003 by William Gordon McDonald
