Sharpening My Wits

What’s cooking? Blistered Broccoli Pasta with Pecans, Pecorino, and Mint

I love writing – I really do. But there’s something about the pressure to come up with sparkling prose that makes me go to unusual lengths in lieu of putting my fanny in the chair and tuning up my word processing program.

Today, for instance, in preparation for writing, I have...

■ sterilized my sponges

■ removed the wax from my Christmas votives

■ pored through a collection of recipes to eliminate those I never really plan to make

■ honed my knives

■ invited a friend over for socially distanced coffee.

Whoa – wait a minute, you say. Let’s go back to that fourth item: honing your knives? WTF?

Yes, folks, honing my knives. One of my 2020 New Year’s resolutions, and perhaps the only one I’ve taken seriously. You should consider doing the same. After all, we still have lots of time on our hands.

This idea started with a notice that went out to “my people” – the Austin Food Bloggers Alliance – inviting the first dozen respondents to attend a knife skills class at Faraday’s Kitchen Store, a local Austin source for all things culinary. The main draw was a free Wüsthof knife as part of the class, as well as a delightful lunch prepared in the store’s test kitchen. Not surprisingly, the Kitchen Goddess didn’t waste a gnat’s breath before signing up.

The knife I chose was Wüsthof’s Classic 7" Hollow Edge Nakiri Knife. The Nakiri is a traditional vegetable knife designed for full, rhythmic chopping strokes (I’m still working on that “full, rhythmic” part) – perfect for slicing, dicing, chopping, and mincing. The KG’s favorite tasks. The square tip makes it one of the safest to use in the kitchen. The knives in this line are full tang – the blade is a single piece of steel extending the full length of the knife. I especially like the full bolster part, which is that piece of metal between the handle and the blade. It adds heft to the knife, but more importantly for me, it protects your fingers from pushing against the blade. It has a thinner blade than a traditional cleaver, and those vertical indentations along the blade create small air pockets between the blade and the food, reducing friction and drag between the knife and the food. That’s a nice touch when you’re slicing starchy vegetables like potatoes, which tend to stick to a knife’s blade.

The lead-off to the knife skills discussion/demo was a tutorial on knife care and use, which for my part was the highlight of the day. Most people don’t think about how much easier it is to cook with a really sharp knife; but the less energy you have to put into the chopping and dicing and slicing, the smoother and faster is the process. Of course, you have to be careful, because sharp knives can cut you before you even know it’s happening. But they make the job of cutting an onion, for instance, almost effortless, and with far fewer tears. Also, a dull knife is actually more dangerous than a sharp one, because the extra pressure you have to apply can cause the knife to slip and hurt you. 

So part of our lesson on knives was about learning how to use a honing steel, a piece of kitchen equipment that has baffled the Kitchen Goddess for years. But pay attention, and you, too, will want to pull out that honing steel from your knife block and set it to work.

For starters, when you use a knife, you cause the edge of the blade to become misaligned, which means it doesn’t cut properly. You have two ways to correct the problem: honing and sharpening. When you sharpen a knife, you grind down bits of the blade in order to produce a new, sharper edge. In honing, you’re just realigning the existing edge, even though the result seems to be much the same in effect. But honing will help you avoid resharpening a knife more often than you need to, which makes the knife last longer. The KG now hones hers almost once a week! Practice makes perfect.

If you’re looking for a honing steel or a knife, check out Faraday’s, Austin’s largest independent kitchenware store, with over 5500 different kitchen and cooks tools. (Such nice people, I should give them this plug.)

Then take care of your knives:

■ Wash and dry your knives ASAP after you use them.

■ Don’t put them in the dishwasher: the blade is sure to bang against other tools or dishes, dulling the knife and even damaging the blade. Also, depending on the type of knife, water and heat can damage the grip. So hand wash your knives with soap and hot water, and dry them right away (instead of air drying), to keep them from getting dull or rusty over time.

■ Don’t store your knives in such a way that they knock against other knives or tools. Some options: 

• Wall-mounted magnetic strip. Fine as long as your knives aren’t in a position to be knocked off easily.

• Wooden knife blocks. If your knife block is positioned at an angle, store the knives upside down (blades turned up), so the knife edge isn’t resting on the block.

• If a drawer is your only option, buy plastic knife guards that slip over the blades.

• If you are lucky like the Kitchen Goddess, you can use a large, shallow drawer that lets you store your knives flat. Be sure to use rubber drawer liners with an open grid, so the air can move around your knives.

One of my favorite features in my Texas kitchen. Right next to the stovetop.

 So, now that your knives are sharp, what can you do with them? This pasta dish is a snap to make – “a slam dunk,” as one reviewer put it. And if you don’t have all the same ingredients, feel free to substitute. The KG had a bounty of pecans, which she subbed for the walnuts in the original recipe. The nuts add a meaty flavor to what is an almost vegetarian dish. I say “almost” because there is the pecorino.

The key to the dish is in getting the broccoli properly seared, which involves relatively high heat and no touching. Oil in the pan, broccoli in the oil, and then leave it undisturbed. It’s the same as when you are sautéing any protein – chicken or meat or scallops – that maillard reaction between the protein and the sugars that causes the meat to get brown and crusty will do the same for the broccoli, producing a sweetness you will really enjoy.

Blistered Broccoli Pasta with Pecans, Pecorino, and Mint

Adapted from Dawn Perry in The New York Times (May 24, 2020)

In addition to the need for proper searing, the lemon squeeze at the end of the process is important. That little bit of pizzazz adds a fresh, clean taste to the food, and makes a real difference in helping the flavors reach their full potential.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 bunch broccoli or cauliflower (about 1 pound untrimmed)

10 ounces fusilli, farfalle or other short pasta (KG used a mix)

½ cup olive oil

½ cup pecans, chopped (can substitute walnuts or other meaty nuts)

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 lemon, zested (about 1 teaspoon) then quartered

½ cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving

1 cup packed fresh mint or parsley leaves (or a combination)

Kosher salt and black pepper

I had not enough of either farfalle or fusilli, so combined them. Use what you have.

Directions

Separate the thick stem of the broccoli from the florets and peel it, then slice it into rounds ¼-inch thick. Chop the florets into pieces a bit larger than bite-sized. Set the broccoli aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (using about 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt per quart of water). Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.

Kitchen Goddess note about timing: If you have your mise en place – ingredients chopped and measured and ready to go – you can prepare the broccoli in the same amount of time as the pasta takes to cook. The Kitchen Goddess isn’t always ready to meet this challenge, but she is dedicated to the journey.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the pecans and Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes, if using), and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, until the nuts have turned golden and fragrant. Use a slotted spoon or fine-mesh skimmer spoon to remove the nuts and whatever pepper flakes you can to a small bowl. (Hint: The original writer said to remove the nuts and pepper flakes, but I found that most of the pepper flakes will stubbornly resist removal.) Season the nuts with a thin sprinkling of salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add the broccoli to the skillet and toss it in the oil until the pieces are evenly coated. Use a fork or tongs to move the broccoli around in a relatively even layer so that most of the cut sides are in contact with the pan. Cover the pan and cook the broccoli, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Remove the cover and toss the broccoli to get more of the pieces – or other sides of the pieces – into contact with the pan. Cover again and cook, undisturbed, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

When the pasta has reached al dente stage, drain it (reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water), and add it to the broccoli along with just enough pasta water to keep the pasta from sticking to the skillet. Toss the broccoli and pasta with the lemon zest, grated cheese, toasted nuts and half the mint/parsley.

Divide the broccoli and pasta mix among serving bowls and sprinkle with the remaining herbs. Add more cheese and a bit of olive oil if you want. Serve with the lemon wedges and encourage guests to squeeze them over the food.

Kitchen Goddess note: In an effort to be straightforward with this recipe, the KG followed it pretty much by the book. But she yearned to add little white wine. So next time, she’ll be tossing in 2 tablespoons of white wine as the pasta was added to the broccoli. Might also pour a glass for the cook. Try it yourself. Will keep you posted...

Sides that Sparkle: Day 2 in a Marathon of Side Dishes What’s cooking? Spiced Butternut Squash with Pecans and Cranberries

Butternut squash is one of those veggies I discovered late in life. Some 20 years ago, I was combing my cookbooks for a soup to make, and in the first Silver Palate Cookbook – for years my go-to source for almost any entertaining – I spotted the recipe for Curried Butternut Squash Soup. The curry, the apples, the butternut flavor so close to sweet potatoes and yet so far in caloric content (half the calories!).

But that’s a recipe for another day. Today, the Kitchen Goddess has found an even easier way to serve butternut squash, with a mildly exotic flavoring featuring a spice mix from Ethiopia. Earthy and warm and colorful, and while you may not have the exact seasoning – it wasn’t in the KG’s cabinet, either – she has concocted a reasonable substitute that worked very well.






One reason butternut squash seemed like a good candidate was that my grocery store had it already peeled and diced (!). Normally, I wouldn’t mind doing the peeling and cutting myself – the Kitchen Goddess is always skeptical of the freshness of such offerings – but it was moving off the shelves so well that freshness didn’t seem to be a problem. And normally, I don’t have four days of veggie dishes to concoct in addition to what I’m cooking for Thanksgiving, so I appreciated the shortcut.

I use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds.

So even if your grocer isn’t as accommodating as mine, don’t let that talk you out of a great dish. I’ll admit that peeling butternut squash is a workout. But well worth the trouble. Just be sure to remove enough to get past the green veins just under the skin.

Another nice thing about this dish is that it works well at room temperature. So you can make it and just let it sit out while the rest of the dinner is under way. Or you can make it the day before and reheat it in the microwave. If you do that, save the dressing in a jar and pour it on when you’re ready to serve.

Spiced Butternut Squash with Pecans and Cranberries

Adapted from Chef Marcus Samuelsson in Food & Wine, November 2014

Serves 6.

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch dice
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1½ teaspoons berbere (see Kitchen Goddess note)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup pecan halves
½ teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
¼ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped

Kitchen Goddess note: I would guess that not many of you will find berbere in your spice drawer. The KG made her own. Mix the following together well, and save what’s left for another day:
1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper (or 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper)
2½ teaspoons sweet paprika
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon sweet curry powder
⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
1/16 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 450º.

Lightly grease a large, rimmed baking sheet or line it with baker’s parchment. In a large mixing bowl, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the berbere spice mix. Spread the squash onto the baking sheet, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Roast the squash 30 minutes, until tender and beginning to crisp.

While the squash is roasting, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pecan halves and cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes, or until the nuts become fragrant. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of the spice mix. Once the pecans become fragrant, toss them in a bowl with the sugar/spice.

In another small bowl or jar, combine the orange zest and juice, and slowly whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season to taste with kosher salt (I added about ¼ teaspoon) and several fresh grinds of black pepper.

Transfer the squash to a serving dish and scatter the pecans and cranberries over the top. Drizzle the dressing over the dish and serve warm or at room temperature.

Look for another new side dish in tomorrow's continuation of the marathon...

Party Nuts That Aren’t Your Guests What’s cooking? Caramelized Spiced Pecans

Just last week, the doorbell rang and it was my neighbor, dropping off the two pounds of pecans I ordered from her this year. She’s part of some organization that sells beautiful Texas pecan halves as a fund-raiser every December. I thought maybe I’d stick them in the freezer – which is a great way to store nuts, by the way – until I could figure out what to make with them. But when I pulled out the freezer drawer, I found last year’s two pounds still waiting for me to make something out of them.

I do this sort of thing way too often. Good intentions, but apparently my attention span is that of a 6-month-old baby these days. On an almost constant basis, I have to remind myself to stay on task.

So I decided to make something with those pecans RIGHT THEN AND THERE – or at least until I remembered what I was doing before my neighbor rang the doorbell.