Pet Projects: Walk the Dog, Poach Some Eggs

Because my miniature poodle is more pet than I can handle, I have not taken advantage of the new zoning ordinance allowing villagers to raise chickens in their backyards. I selfishly encouraged a neighbor to build a coop, hoping to score some surplus eggs this spring. This strategy has worked beautifully! It's spring and the chickens are laying more eggs than my neighbor can eat. I was available a few days ago to take a dozen off of her hands. Yesterday I poached a few for lunch, and they were so good that last night I poached some more and served them over spaghetti tossed with fresh bread crumbs, parsley, and bacon. Oh, my God, this dish was good! I could eat spaghetti with poached eggs every night. Here is the recipe:

Spaghetti with Bacon, Breadcrumbs, and Poached Egg
Serves 4

4 ounces bacon, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
Salt
Ground black pepper
3/4 pound spaghetti
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Parmesan cheese for serving

1. Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until ust crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Add garlic to pan and cook 30 seconds. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water and a 12-inch saute pan with 2 inches of water to boil. Add the spaghetti to the large pot. Set a kitchen timer for 6 minutes.
3. Crack the eggs into custard cups or small teacups. When the timer goes off, remove the skillet from the heat and add the vinegar. One at a time, slice the eggs into the water. Cover the pan and let stand until the whites are just set, 4 to 5 minutes depending on the size of the eggs.
4. Drain spaghetti and return to the pot. Stir in the bacon, breadcrumb mixture, butter, and parsley. Divide among 4 pasta bowls.
5. Use a slotted spoon to lift eggs from saucepan and place on top of pasta. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Redux

My grandparents wouldn't approve of these corned beef, cabbage, and muenster cheese panini that I made for lunch (they're a far cry from the kosher deli sandwiches I grew up with), but how could I resist, with last night's leftovers sitting in the refrigerator? Here's the recipe:

Corned Beef and Muenster Cheese Panini
(loosely adapted from Panini Express)
Makes 2 sandwiches

1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Four slices country bread
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
6 ounces thinly sliced corned beef
3 ounces sliced Muenster cheese

1. Combine the cabbage, water, oil, and salt in a small skillet and heat over medium-high until the water comes to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is wilted. Remove the cover and continue to cook until the water has evaporated.
2. Heat a panini press. Spread mustard on two slices of bread. Arrange corned beef on top of the mustard. Spread an even layer of cabbage over the corned beef. Top with cheese and the remaining bread slices.
3. Grill sandwiches until the bread is browned and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

St. Patrick's Day Soda Biscuits

Oh, no! I missed the Lion's Club corned beef dinner on Thursday at the Old Whaler's Church. I guess I'll have to make my own. I baked these Irish Soda Biscuits to fortify myself before heading out to the IGA for ingredients:

Irish Soda Biscuits
Makes 6 to 8 biscuits

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons honey

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the caraway seeds.
3. Whisk together the egg yolk, buttermilk, and honey in a small bowl. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix.
4. Turn out the clumps of dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead once or twice until the dough comes together. With one or two passes of a lightly floured rolling pin, gently roll the dough to a 1/2-inch thickness. Dip a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter into some flour and cut as many rounds as you can from the dough. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Gently pat the scraps together and cut out more rounds with the remaining dough.
5. Bake until the rounds have risen and are light golden, 12 to 13 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm with butter and jam.

A Community Cookbook

I was happy to see the PTA doing a brisk business in Multicultural Festival Cookbooks at today's parent-teacher conferences in the gym. No surprise that it is beautiful, since it was packaged by the artistic people at Edible East End (the photographs are by Edible's photo editor and Sag Harbor mom Lindsay Morris). If you missed the Festival, here is your chance to enjoy our community's diverse cooking. Send a $15 check to the Sag Harbor PTA and you'll be on your way.

Happy Pi(e) Day!

My daughter made whoopie pi(es) to celebrate Pi Day (3/14) with the Pierson Middle School Math Club. Here's the recipe:

Whoopie Pi(es)
Makes 20 small pies

For the cakes:
1 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 cup boiliong water
1/2 cup sour cream (not low- or non-fat)
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

For the filling:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
3/4 cup Marshmallow Fluff

1. Make cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchmet paper.
2. Whisk together cocoa powder and boiling water in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside to cool. Combine sour cream, egg yolk, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add butter an mix with an electric mixer on low speed until butter pieces are no bigger than small peas. Stur in sour cream mixture until ingredients are moistened. Stir in cocoa mixture and beat well to combine.
4. Use a small ice cream scoop to drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch between each cookies. Bake until tops are cracked, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove sheets from oven and let cookies stand on sheets for 5 minutes to firm up. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Make filling: Mix together butter and confectioners sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Stir in corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Stir in Fluff and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
6. Spoon 1 teaspoon of filling onto the flat side of a cake. Sandwich with another cake. Repeat with remaining cookies.

It's On: Porkfest 2012

I picked up my quarter share of a Fairview Farm pig a week ago, and so far I've enjoyed pork tacos and ma po tofu with some of the meat. Tonight I doubled down, defrosting pancetta and ground pork for dinner. My bet paid off with this delicious rigatoni dish:

Rigatoni with Pork and Pancetta
Serve 4 to 6

2 ounces diced pancetta
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound groudn pork
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves
Salt
One pound rigatoni
Grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese for serving

1. In a large skillet, cook pancetta over medium heat until just beginning to crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of fat, add onion, and continue to cook until onion is softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add pork and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until lit loses its pink color.
2. Stir in tomatoes and sage and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
3. While sauce cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook rigatoni until just tender, toss with sauce, and serve with cheese on the side.

Where to Get Pretzel Bread in Sag Harbor

In today's Newsday, Joan Reminick has a mouthwatering story about where to find pretzel bread on Long Island. Sadly, the closest restaurant to home serving this newly popular specialty is The Grind Cafe in Wading River. Happily, Newsday also asked me for a pretzel bread recipe, so now I know how to make my own. To make your own pretzel bread, click here.