Author Archives: Lia Huber

Grilled Rosemary Sweet Potatoes

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I love grilled potatoes. Even in the foil packet, they take on a beguiling smokiness from the grill, which stands out all the more against the sweetness of sweet potatoes. You could mince the rosemary and toss it with the potato slices, but you don’t really need to; you’ll be surprised by how much those two sprigs on the outskirts infuse the whole packet.

1 pound orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (also called yams), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sprigs rosemary

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Lay out a 20-inch piece of heavy duty foil. Spread the sweet potatoes onto one half of the foil and place rosemary sprigs on either side. Fold the other half over the top and crimp the edges up and over to seal well. If needed, wrap another piece of foil around each to reinforce.

Place foil packets directly over heat, cover and cook for 25 minutes, flipping once with tongs and a wide spatula, and moving around grill every once in a while.

To serve, open packets and discard rosemary.

Serves 4

Can’t wait …

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For this. Heidi Swanson’s online pop up shop. Those of you who know Heidi and her 101 Cookbooks blog know that this chica has serious style (and a compassionate wisdom that I adore … but that’s a whole other story). She’s one of those people you secretly (or not so secretly) long to browse antique shops and boutiques with so you can basically say, “I’ll have what she’s having.” Well, now we all can. Get on the mailing list today … doors open mid-month.

A Whole New Meaning to “Mother”

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I’ll be honest. I’m still getting used to the title of Mother. I think I went so long believing that I wouldn’t ever be a mother–not just for physiological reasons, but by choice–that when I did become one it took me a while to feel comfortable and competent in that skin.

It’s been five years since we brought Noemi home now, and I feel like I’m starting to make progress. But there’s so much gray in parenting that I often wonder. I’ve never been an overprotective mom, but in the early days, that stemmed more from the fact that I just figured Noemi had to be as safe, if not safer, with her dear daycare provider or the mom of a friend (especially if said mom had multiple kids) than with me. I felt so woefully incompetent. I’ve been on a gradual ascent out of that place over the past few years, but this spring finally popped me out of the pit.

 

Christopher and I have watched Noemi suck up any kind of teaching–intended or unwitting–all her life. When we first visited her in Guatemala at age 3-1/2 months, you could see the frown lines on her forehead as she tried to copy her Daddy’s OK sign (which she succeeded in doing) and she’d practice her razz so ardently that her lips would go numb. Now, Noemi reads anything put in front of her (she literally cried yesterday when I said the book she was working her way through the first page of was for Gammy and not her … it was Ann Patchett’s new novel). She’s always thirsted to learn and tends to challenge herself. It’s who she is. And as Christopher and I observed that trajectory, we started to feel she’d be more suited to first grade than kindergarten next year, but we had no idea what to do about it.

I asked for help. I asked for opinions. And I got both.

At first my “well I’m sure you know better than I do” mind chatter kicked in. But I started to realize that just because someone had an opinion didn’t by default mean they knew what was best for my child. I learned to take what others were saying and rub it up against my own experience with my daughter. Experience, it dawned on me, that no one else had. Experience that only comes from being the mother of your child.

When we were presented with the option to move Noemi out of preschool and into Kindergarten for the last trimester, I literally wept with relief. I knew at my core it was the right thing to do, and we’ve seen that played out by Noemi stepping confidently into her new shoes.

A few people have pushed me–hard–on the decision, and in the beginning I would analyze everything to try and divine whether we’d royally screwed up Noemi’s life. She cried once when I left the playground and I thought … OMG, she must have a latent attachment disorder and we’ve RUINED her by throwing her into a new setting–she’ll never be able to have a healthy relationship. She threw a fit about picking up her room and I thought … we’re pushing her too hard, she’s going to grow up resenting us!

Enough already. Sure, we need to keep an eye out for red flags and, if need be, adjust. But second guessing everything just eats at you; none of us can predict the ultimate path of our child’s life.

Knowing what I do of my daughter–before and after this transition–I’m confident we’ve made the right choice. And as gut wrenching as this all was to go through, there’s something else I now know beyond a shadow of a doubt. I AM Noemi’s Mom.

 

 

Leek, Lemon and Cauliflower Fettuccine

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I’m a big fan of cooking cauliflower until it’s almost creamy … especially in pasta dishes like this one. It becomes part of the sauce, adding heft and health to just a handful of fettuccine.

leek-cauiliflower-fettuccine-pasta

1 cup thinly sliced leeks (tender white parts only)
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
12 ounces fettuccine (preferably whole grain)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 lemon (Meyer lemon is great), zested and juiced
1/4 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
Flake sea salt
1/4 cup snipped chives

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Pour 1/4 cup water into a large skillet over medium heat, and add leeks and cauliflower. Cover and cook for 4 minutes, until cauliflower is just becoming tender. Start cooking pasta. Drizzle olive oil into the pan with the cauliflower and toss with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until cauliflower and leek start to color a bit and cauliflower becomes fork tender, about 5 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup water. Pour the pasta water into the pan with the cauliflower and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and swirl in the butter, lemon zest and juice. Pour pasta back into the pot and scrape cauliflower mixture over it. Mix very well using tongs and a stiff spatula. Add cheese and toss again.

Divide the pasta mixture among four plates and top with flake sea salt, chives and additional cheese if desired.

Serves 4

All About the Ham Split Pea Soup

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If you’ve got a leftover ham bone in the fridge (or if you can talk your butcher out of one), this is the soup you want to make. And, trust me, take the extra hour to make the Awesome Veggie Broth from scratch … it’s worth it.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups diced leek
3 cups diced carrot
2 cups diced celery
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds split peas
1 whole ham bone with meat attached
4 quarts Awesome Veggie Broth

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté leek, carrot and celery for 10-12 minutes, until softened and just starting to brown. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add split peas, ham bone and veggie broth, raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, skim any foam and fat from the surface, and simmer for 60-90 minutes (peas should be tender and soft, but not completely disintegrated). Remove ham bone and let cool enough to handle. Pull off meat in chunks as large as you want and stir into soup. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Makes 3-4 quarts of soup

* This soup freezes very well. Bring to room temperature, then ladle into freezer safe zip top bags and lay flat in the freezer.

Awesome Veggie Broth

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Make this awesome veggie broth any time you’ve got a bunch of scraps in the fridge or cluttering up the counter. Amazingly easy, and so full of flavor.

8 whole cloves
2 small onions, peel left on and halved (or 1 large onion cut into quarters)
12 cups various veggies, roughly chopped (I like a mix of aromatics like leeks and fennel fronds, leafy greens like kale and chard and lettuce, umami-enriching mushroom stems, and standards that are full of flavor like carrot and celery)
6 quarts cold water
1 bay leaf
12 black peppercorns
1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Poke 2 cloves into the cut side of each onion half. Place onion halves cut side down in a large pot over medium heat and sear for 5 minutes, until well-charred. Add the remaining veggies to the pot. Pour in water, add bay leaf, peppercorns and salt, raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Makes roughly 4 quarts stock

 

What a Trip!

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I’m coming back from a week in New York (my old stomping ground) with some exciting news. I won the International Association of Culinary Professionals award for Entrepreneur/Business Person of the Year!

One of the things that excites me most about winning this award is that it’s not just about business, it’s about being a voice of integrity and encouragement to others within industry, which are goals I’ve aspired to my whole career.

Authenticity is my utmost core value, and I thought about it a lot over the course of the conference. I am so grateful to be surrounded by colleagues who bring an authentic voice and vision to their work. People like Cheryl Sternman Rule, who unabashedly writes for the pleasure of writing and enriches all of our lives as a result. People like Maria Speck, who brought her passion to life in a way that inspires me to stick unswervingly to my own call.

Big kudos to all y’all, because following your dream doesn’t just happen. It takes guts and close-your-eyes-and-make-the-leap kind of faith. Grant Achatz, the famed chef from Alinea in Chicago, reminded me of that at what I thought was one of the best sessions of the conference.

Grant is celebrated for pushing the envelope, but when he talked about bringing cellists into the dining room for a certain course to bring the element of music to bear on a certain dish, I had to wonder, “does he ever worry people are going to laugh at him, or critics are going to slam him, or his customers are going to think he’s crazy?” So I asked him.

He basically said he has that “you’re going to fail” voice beside him every day in the form of one of the restaurant’s leaders. His general manager—who is now his director of operations—always tells Grant his wild ideas can’t be done or are a bad idea. Grant said it’s become a sort of joke; that the ideas his colleague deems terrible are the ones that will inevitably succeed.

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. In having the devil’s advocate at his side, it forces Grant to constantly define and defend his own beliefs in an external conversation instead of internal. The gem in that tale is that not only does Grant tolerate this person; he reveres him. To me, that in and of itself is courageous.

Those are the things I’ve been thinking about … and now I want to ask you what you’re thinking. If you’re new to NOURISH Evolution, what’s standing out and making you go “a ha!” and what’s leaving you feeling flat? If you’ve been a long-time follower, what are some ways that NOURISH Evolution has impacted your life? Is there anything you’re disappointed with? I’d really like to know. In going forward, I want to continue stepping out in my own authentic voice, while at the same time giving you tools and information that are going to help empower you not just in your kitchen, but in your lives.

Thank you, all my colleagues at IACP—and all you here on NOURISH Evolution–for the way you encourage, inspire and challenge me. And thank you for this validation that following your passion and being true to what you believe in is something worth celebrating.

Last-Minute From-Scratch Corned Beef

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Yes, you can have from homemade corned beef the same day the light bulb goes off that it’s Saint Paddy’s Day … TONIGHT. Just pull out your pressure cooker and this from-scratch corned beef. It’s better than any store-bought version you’ve tasted, and blissfully free of all those preservatives they’re soaked in. You can get this on the stove in under ten minutes and on the table in less than three hours. Serve with creamy horseradish sauce (I like to mix a couple tablespoons raw horseradish with 1/4 cup sour cream) and Warm Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Bacon and Juniper Berries.

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When to Use Nonstick Pans, and When Not To

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I’m discovering that a lot of people have a stash of beat-up nonstick pans in their cupboards that they use all … the … time. And they have maybe one shiny, pristine stainless-steel pan they’re afraid to use. Does that scenario sound familiar?

Let me simplify your life.

Got a cast-iron skillet? Read this>

nonstick-pan-vs-regular-pan

When to Use Nonstick and Regular Pans

First of all, nonstick pans and regular pans are like apples and oranges. The uses of each are almost mutually exclusive. If you wanted to fry an egg or sear a delicate fish, you’d use a nonstick pan. If you want to saute vegetables or whip up a quick stir-fry, you’d use stainless. Why? Because nonstick pans are all about preventing any sort of stick at all. Stainless-steel pans–used properly–are all about getting a flavorful crust on the food and just enough to stick to the bottom (that stuff is called fond) to create a base for easy pan sauces and such.

[wpcol_1half id=”” class=”” style=””]When to Use Nonstick

  • Egg dishes
  • Delicate fish (firmer fish like tuna and salmon are fine in a stainless-steel pan)
  • Oozy, cheesy things like quesadillas
  • Stir-fried Asian rice noodles
[/wpcol_1half] [wpcol_1half_end id=”” class=”” style=””]When to Use Stainless Steel

  • Stir-fries
  • Sauteed vegetables
  • Seared meat, chicken and seafood
  • Sauces
[/wpcol_1half_end]

How to Use Nonstick and Stainless-Steel Pans

[wpcol_1half id=”” class=”” style=””]Nonstick

You always want a thin coating of fat in a nonstick pan if you’re preheating it, so that the heat doesn’t go to work directly on the chemicals in the nonstick coating. They also shouldn’t be heated too much above medium.

3 recipes for your nonstick pan:

[/wpcol_1half] [wpcol_1half_end id=”” class=”” style=””]Stainless Steel

Unlike nonstick pans, you actually want to pre-heat stainless-steel pans. Heating the pan over medium heat before adding fat or food causes the cells to expand and create a slicker surface. Then swirl in your oil and wait until it, too, is heated through. That essentially gives you two natural layers of “nonstick” coating that works wonders for most foods.

Once the pan and the oil are heated, add whatever you’re cooking. If you’re searing something like pork chops, be sure to leave plenty of room between them for air to circulate so that each piece can brown. Otherwise, they’ll just steam and will never get that lovely bronze crust. Same goes for sauteing … don’t crowd the pan.

If it seems like food is sticking, leave it alone for a bit … it will unstick itself once it’s good and ready. In fact, once you put your food in and give it an initial toss (if sauteing or stir-frying), just walk away from the pan. If you futz with it too often, you’ll keep it from forming that awesome crust. Plus, life is just easier that way.

3 recipes for your stainless-steel pan:

[/wpcol_1half_end]One last thing … while I wouldn’t necessarily call nonstick pans disposable, they certainly aren’t going to (and shouldn’t) become heirlooms either. I tend to replace my nonstick pans every 12-18 months and I spend accordingly–usually between $15 and $30 per pan (P.S. — I only have 2 nonstick pans at any given time … a big one and a medium one). My stainless-steel pans, on the other hand, cost a small fortune … but I’ve had them for over a decade and know they’ll still be going strong for several more.

For any of you who have been scared of stainless, I hope this helps! And if you haven’t yet branched out into the non nonstick realm, check out some of our favorite pans in our NOURISH Evolution Market.