The Perfect Pork Chop

If you’ve been pondering what to do with those pork chops in the fridge, then get the grill ready, because I have the perfect marinade. And you probably have everything you’ll need already stocked in your kitchen.

3-4 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar (not the high end stuff)
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1 tsp coarse salt (I used black salt)
freshly ground black pepper
3-4 boneless pork chops

1. Place all ingredients in a Tupperware or Ziploc bag and add the pork chops making sure the marinade coats all sides. Chill for at least 4 hours, but overnight is even better.
2. Grill them.
3. Stuff face.


A few things:
-When I use a Tupperware, I usually turn the chops over halfway through the process to make sure that both sides get soaked.
-You probably don’t want use your fancy, $50 bottle of balsamic vinegar for this kind of thing.
-I used Cyprus Black Lava salt (from Saltworks) just for the heck of it, but kosher salt will do just fine.

Tiramisu

I finally made Tiramisu at home for the first time a few weeks ago. (I have been too lazy to actually decipher the recipe from my scribbled notes until today.) The dessert turned out well, a little too well, actually. And we had so much left over that we ate it for “first” breakfast three days in a row. Our Tiramisu came together without incident, which was surprising considering we referenced three different recipes. But we ended up with a fairly simple, yet guest-worthy dessert that can be prepared and consumed in the same evening. (Ahem, and it also makes a good breakfast snack).

- just a note - This recipe contains raw egg whites; if that makes you feel squeamish, you can try using pasteurized egg whites for peace of mind. It’s my personal opinion that as long as your eggs are fresh, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ve been eating raw cookie dough for years without incident.

Tiramisu
a one layered version

4 egg yolks
1 ½ tsp vanilla
7 Tbsp superfine sugar*
½ cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
8oz mascarpone cheese
3 egg whites

1 pckg (store bought) ladyfingers
4 oz cold black coffee
1 oz amaretto
1 oz brandy
cocoa powder
semi-sweet chocolate bar

1. Whip the heavy cream until fluffy/slightly firm with an electric mixer. Set aside in fridge. Clean beaters well.
2. Combine egg yolks, vanilla, and sugar in heat proof bowl and cook over simmering water until the mixture becomes very pale and starts to pull away from the bowl. Stir constantly with a whisk while cooking. (This may take a while so be patient.) When mixture is done, set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Beat the egg whites until firm peaks have formed.
4. Stir the egg yolk mixture in with mascarpone cheese and mix until well integrated. Then gently fold in the whipped cream and egg whites. You should end up with a silky, extremely creamy mixture.
5. Mix coffee and booze in a small bowl, and dip each of the ladyfingers in the liquid for a moment, then begin layering small shallow dessert dishes or bowls. Top lady fingers (about five per dish makes a good sized dessert) with the creamy mixture until covered.
6. Lightly dust with semi-sweet cocoa powder and use a grater to top with chocolate shavings.

*To make superfine sugar, I just take regular granulated sugar and zap it in the food processor for a few seconds.

Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam and Spam

Great news! Your favorite processed meat product is now available in single servings! That’s right, Spam singles. Now you can take Spam with you just about anywhere. And you can buy them in both original and Spam lite, which I must say is not that bad—the texture’s a little, uhm, different, but otherwise they can pass as the “real” thing. Even better news? Right now you can get them at the 99¢ Only store.

Join the Spam Fan Club, play the Spam game, and shop for that someone special over at http://www.spam.com/.

Local Brewpubs—San Francisco

The Bay Area has no shortage of gastropubs and brewpubs serving up fantastic, locally brewed beer and tasty beer-friendly food. Here are my top five recommendations for a place to grab a great pint and maybe a bite in San Francisco.

In order of awesomeness…

1. 21st Amendment

Both the beer and food here are equally amazing. It’s nothing too fancy really—just a great place to grab some grub before a Giants game, but they serve solid beer alongside basic comfort food items. I mentioned them before in my post during SF Beer week, and I will repeat myself here: Cuban sammie and bacon cheeseburger = mouth party. The pulled pork sliders are good too.

Favorite Beer(s): Repeal Rye and Back in Black (a dark IPA, very interesting)

location
563 2nd St. (between Bryant and Brennan)

website
http://www.21st-amendment.com/

2. Rogue Ales Public House

They get tons of points for beer, staff, and inviting pub atmosphere. The food is not really that impressive, but it’s certainly there if you need it. Sometimes waffle fries just call your name. Though the actual brewery is stationed in Oregon, I still consider this neighborhood bar in North Beach “local.” They have a great selection of Rogue beer, and always offer a decent selection of other local beers from around the West Coast. They also have beer flights and usually offer something on cask, and they’ve got a little area with outside seating.

Favorite Beer: Rogue’s Brutal Bitter

location/neighborhood
673 Union St.
North Beach

website
http://www.rogue.com/locations/locations.php

3. Park Chalet

The reverse of my thoughts on Rogue—I think of them as a restaurant first, and the beer as somewhat of an afterthought. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but the morsels are am-a-zing. I recommend splitting a few things, as much of their food is extremely rich. My top picks: truffled chicken and four cheese macaroni, spicy hot wings, and duet of cupcakes. They also have a beer flight to get you acquainted with their selection. A nice long walk through Golden Gate park will get you there in style and work up a good appetite.

Favorite Beer: I had the flight and I honestly can’t remember—might have had something to do with my food coma.

location
1000 Great Highway @ Ocean Beach

website
http://www.beachchalet.com/

4. Gordon Biersch

Okay, so it’s kind of touristy and always packed. So what? I think the beer is pretty darn good and some times it’s just fun to go to those places that you can’t take too seriously. Beer + people watching = a darn good time. They have your standard selection of burgers, pizzas, and appetizers, and of course my personal favorite, garlic fries. They’re kind of a chain now, but the brewery got its start in Palo Alto.

Favorite Beer(s): the Marzen or Hefeweizen, depending on the season

location/neighborhood
2 Harrison St. (Financial District)

website
http://www.gordonbiersch.com/

5. Magnolia Pub and Brewery

Magnolia gets the No. 5 slot because they just didn’t wow me with their beer. I really liked the first one I tried, which was an IPA. They have a pretty good selection overall, including about 3 or 4 different IPAs. I tried also tried the Weather Report wheat, which I found lacking in character and body, and the Blue Bell Bitter. I hate to say it, but that bitter was a waste of perfectly good water. I almost didn’t bother to finish it—it was boring and tasted of…nothing. And it was competing with the fried chicken for space in my stomach. I’ll give them another shot because the “good” beer I had was really good, and because the food and service made up for their brew-related weaknesses. They also have chicken fried Thursdays (this will keep you from dessert), sausages, and a good cheese selection.

Favorite Beer: Proving Ground IPA

location
1398 Haight St.

Website
www.magnoliapub.com/

30 Minute Meal--Fried Rice

I had a request some time ago for ideas on 30 minute meals that are relatively easy. I felt kind of lame passing them off to the likes of Rachel Ray, who has perfected the genre of quick weekday meals whipped up in half an hour. The truth is, our dinners are either fairly complicated or super lazy. Boxed mac and cheese and frozen Trader Joe’s meatballs are my idea of a 30 minute meal. Throw in a salad and you’ve almost got gourmet dining, right? Okay, whatever. We don’t always have to agree. Anyway, I do happen to have a recipe I tried last night that will fit the bill, while using up a few veggies in the fridge. It’s easy and requires very little prep. Needless to say, I’m quite pleased with myself.

Basic Fried Rice w/Tofu

I used tofu because I’ve been on a marinated tofu kick, but this dish would also be great with pork or chicken. Those vegetarians are such a bad influence. (You know who you are.)

1 cup uncooked white rice (I used basmati)
1 ¾ cup water
splash of vegetable oil

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 pckg marinated tofu (I used Teriyaki flavored), cubed
2 eggs beaten
4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup onion, coarsely chopped
3 cups bok choy or savoy cabbage
¼ cup frozen peas, thawed to room temp
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil

1. Cook rice in a medium stock pot. Set aside when finished.
2. Add 1 Tbsp oil to wok (or really big pan) and fry tofu cubes until nice and crispy. Set aside.
3. Soft scramble the eggs in the oil that's left over in the pan. Set aside.
4. Put remaining 2 Tbsp oil in pan and sauté garlic and onion for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté an additional 3-5 minutes. I added a splash of beer to deglaze and cooked it off for another minute or so.
5. Add rice to pan, cook for 1 minute. Add soy sauce and sesame oil, cook for an additional minute, then stir in egg, peas, and tofu.

Very easy, very addictive.

Make Weekend Plans

If you’re looking for something to do in the Bay Area this weekend, you might want to check out the Livermore Valley Barrel-Tasting Weekend. Tickets to the two-day event cost $20 in advance and include a tasting at each winery. About two dozen local wineries will be participating. Not only will you get a chance to try some great wines still in “development,” but you’ll get the opportunity to buy futures. This means if you taste a wine that you think you’re really going to love, buying in advance, before it’s even been bottled (you probably won’t see the wine for at least a year or so) can save you up to 25% on the retail price. While you’re there, check out the rest of the town, which was just featured in last month’s issue of Sunset.

For tickets and more information, go to http://www.lvwine.org/

For more on Livermore’s first barrel tasting and details on wine futures go here.

It’s Not Easy Being Green…Or is it?

I recently read a little quip on someone’s blog that said something like, “be nice to the Earth, it’s the only planet with chocolate.” And while that may remain officially unconfirmed, it did get me thinking—Earth is most definitely the only planet with bourbon…and scotch! So here are a few ways you can be more “green” in the kitchen, and do your part to preserve finely crafted whiskeys, benefit the environment, and appease Al Gore.

-Cloth Napkins-

I admit to struggling with trying to kick my select-a-size habit, but if we all just take baby steps… In addition to saving yourself money on those pricey rolls of Bounty, this choice can conserve water and cut back on paper waste that ends up in the landfill. And they can make your average dinner just seem fancier. Cut back on water how, you may ask? To produce one ton of white (bleached) paper towels, it takes about 20,000 gallons of water. As for those cloth napkins, you don’t even need to wash them after every meal unless you’re eating something particularly messy. In our house they get a full day’s use and we throw them in the wash with the rest of the laundry. If you can’t give up your paper towels, but really wish you could, try recycled ones in place of your normal brand. And for cleaning, you might try cutting back on paper towels by buying a big pack of all purpose rags at Costco—they will probably last you a lifetime.

-Everyone Loves a “Swiffer”-

The current throw-away consumer mentality just can’t get enough of the Swiffer. I admit to having the Wet Jet model in my house. I feel some shame. Though it’s handy for last minute, I-didn’t-have-a-chance-to-mop before-company-arrives cleaning, mostly it just moves dirt around on your fine linoleum. And it’s wasteful. Each time you mop or “sweep” you create unnecessary waste with those products. That’s why overall I prefer the good ol’ mop and bucket. But as an alternative, especially if you have wood floors in your house or kitchen, I highly recommend the one made by Method. It comes in biodegradable packaging, and the sweeper/duster refills are also biodegradable and can be composted. The wood polish smells like almond and makes the house smell good, too. You can find Method products at Target.

-Bring Your Own Grocery Bags-

Get a few cents knocked off your grocery bill and save a tree or whatever. Almost every grocery store, from Trader Joe’s to Tops sells these reusable bags now now. Most of them don't cost more than a buck. If you can actually remember to bring them with you, you’ll really be in business. For extra points, a cooler bag like this one from Wegman’s keeps your cold stuff nice and cozy for the trip home.

Stay tuned for more ways to go green in the future…next week I’ll extol the virtues of compost, Tupperware, and environmentally friendly cleaners.

St. Patrick's Day Recipes

I did a little too much celebrating last Tuesday night and woke up with a bit of a hangover the next day, despite the many glasses of water consumed through the course of the night. The good news is, it turns out soda bread is perfect for absorbing the excess of “last night’s liquor,” for those of us who happen to be fond of sampling the Jameson. And so here it is—the St. Patrick’s Day recap with all the essentials.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

3-4 lb corned beef brisket, trimmed
12-16 cups water (depending on how much juice you want)
2 cups onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 ½ tsp pickling spice*

1 large head green cabbage (I used Savoy)
1 Tbsp caraway seeds
1 Tbsp kosher salt

about ¼ cup dry breadcrumbs
3 oz prepared, jarred horseradish
2 Tbsp spicy Guinness mustard

1. Place brisket in a large stockpot, adding water and next 5 ingredients (through pickling spice). Bring to a boil—reduce heat and let simmer, covered, about 2.5 hours.

2. Remove brisket from pot, and place on the rack of a roasting pan. You may want to coat the rack with cooking spray. If needed, trim additional fat from the meat. Meanwhile, remove about half to 2/3 of the solids from the liquid in the stockpot and discard them. Add cabbage and caraway seeds, and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 25 minutes.

3. Combine bread crumbs and horseradish. Spread mustard over top of brisket, then press horseradish mixture onto the mustard. Broil 3-5 minutes on high, or until a lightly browned crust is formed.

4. Slice brisket and serve with cabbage.

*This was my first experience with pickling spice. It’s just a mixture of spices used to pickle various foods such as corned beef. It can include allspice, clove, bay leaves, cinnamon, and peppercorns, to name a few. You can find it in the spice aisle at most grocers, but you can also make your own if that's what makes you happy.

Red Potatoes w/Parsley

2 lbs small red potatoes, quartered
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste

While cabbage is boiling, bring potatoes to a boil and let simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to pan. Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat.

Soda Bread
recipe by Beta Wife

this wee loaf of soda bread serves 3-4

1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup + 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 ½ Tbsp dark brown sugar
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ stick butter, cut into pieces
5 oz buttermilk
1 egg

1. Pre-heat oven to 375º with baking rack in the middle.

2. Combine flours, sugar, baking soda & salt in a mixing bowl.

3. Add butter and work into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, or just use your fingers. Work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4. Beat the egg into the buttermilk, and add. Stir until well combined, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to knead the dough a couple of times, then shape into a round loaf.

5. Place on a lightly floured baking stone (or just use a baking sheet with parchment paper). Use a knife to score a cross in the top of the loaf, and dust with flour.

6. Bake for about 30 minutes at 375º; check the bread at this point with a toothpick. When the bread is fully cooked, the toothpick should come out clean. For an extra brown and crispy outside, turn heat up to 400 º and bake another 5-8 minutes.

Homemade Mustard

Grilling season is upon us, and what better way to kick it off than with some homemade condiments to complete your tasty burgers and hotdogs. I’ll start off with mustard, which I made to top the corned beef for the St. Patrick’s day dinner (above). In the upcoming weeks, ketchup and a few others will follow.

Spicy Guinness Mustard
adapted from Saveur

This recipe makes about 8-9 ozs of mustard, which I think is about the right amount for a two person family to use up in a reasonable amount of time.

4 oz Guinness or other stout
½ scant cup brown mustard seed
1 Tbsp black mustard seed
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sweet vermouth
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground allspice

1. Combine ingredients in mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.

2. Pour mixture into a food processor and blend until mustard thickens. This takes about two minutes, if you like mustard with a chunky consistency. A minute or so more to thin it out more. Scrape sides with spatula if needed.

3. Refrigerate overnight before use, allowing the flavors to meld. Store in the fridge up to six months. The spicy flavor will continue to mellow with age.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I trust everyone has had a least one breakfast Guinness this morning? Good. So, today Beta Wife and I are going to attempt our first traditional Irish feast—corned beef, cabbage, red potatoes, and soda bread. And of course the fridge is stocked with Guinness and Murphy’s, and the bottle of Jameson is mostly full. Results to follow in the next day or two.

In the meantime, take a virtual tour of the Jameson distillery.

Still Life with Mango

Up until a few months ago, I was under the impression that there was just one type of mango (you know what I mean). But then Whole Foods started whisking out displays of fruit, some large and green, others small and yellow, all of which looked nothing like the standard mango selection I was used to. Last week I tried a variety called the Champagne mango, and I am completely addicted. In fact I just went back yesterday to get some more, ‘cause at a buck a piece, it’s like they’re giving them away. Seriously, these little guys just melt in your mouth like butter. I bought a few over the weekend to infuse in tequila, but after I tasted the fruit, I almost hated to use them. These mangos are grown in two regions of Mexico: Chiapas and Nayarit. Apparently the fertile volcanic soil makes them happy. Really happy. So leave those mangos at the Safeway alone, and try something new.

Four Wines You Will Almost Definitely Like

Moncagua, Malbec, 2006—This Malbec from Argentina is easy to drink because of its light body and great balance, and would probably not be unwelcome at a dinner party. A bottle has been known to disappear at this house before dinner even starts.
$ Varies, but around $9-12

Masia D Bielsa, Garnacha, 2007—I picked up a bottle of this Spanish wine at random while getting some cheese at Farmstead Wines and Cheeses. The wine is excellent, especially for the price—it’s complex with notes of spice and tart cherries. It would go well with Spanish tapas.
$13

Falchini, Vernaccia, 2006—This is the splurge wine of the group, but well worth the extra couple of dollars. This Italian white wine is light and citrusy, with a very crisp finish. The grape varietal, Vernaccia, comes from the region Vernaccia di san Gimignano in Tuscany.
$18

Guenoc, Victorian Claret, 2006—Produced in CA’s Guenoc Valley, this North Coast wine makes the perfect “red table wine.” It’s pleasant, though a bit nondescript, and easy to pair with food. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. A great wine for cookouts, picnics, or sitting on the couch watching Lost.
$9

Easy Artichoke Bruschetta

We stocked up on artichoke hearts the last time we hit up Costco, and came home with two huge 32 oz jars. We were putting them on salads for a while, but I found we just weren’t using them up fast enough. Some went on pizza and others in a spinach artichoke dip. But yesterday I found myself staring down the last of them—there we only about six left, but they had to go. With a few basic pantry staples, I turned them into a simple bruschetta and served them with soup.

Artichoke Bruschetta

olive oil, for cooking
½ cup shallots, finely chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
6-8 large artichoke hearts
2 Tbsp mayonnaise (I used light)
1-2 Tbsp sour cream
½ cup aged white cheddar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp white pepper

1. Sauté shallots and garlic together in olive oil for about 5-7 minutes, or until softened.
2. Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well-mixed, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary.
3. Spread mixture onto thick slices of bread and place under broiler for 3-5 minutes. Top with additional cheese, if desired.

Mixology Monday: First Time

This month’s Mixology Monday is hosted by LUPEC Boston (Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails), who chose the theme “First Time.” And they’re not referring to the first time you drank one too many rum and cokes—they meant what drink you’d choose to serve a “first time” cocktail drinker. I found this one kind of tricky, because usually those non-drinkers are a tough crowd. You have to start with something a little sweet; strong also, but not too overpowering. Then comes the part where you have to weed out certain liquors that people have pre-conceived notions about. Someone who might never have tried whiskey before will certain not hesitate to tell you that they “don’t think they’d like that sort of thing.” So that leaves you trying to make a sweet, well-balanced drink, with somewhat neutral spirits that will have the non-drinker hooked for life. Don’t despair—I didn’t make a Cosmo if that’s where you thought I was headed. I’m just not that kind of person. Instead I went for one of my favorite classics, the Singapore Sling. It makes the perfect “gateway” cocktail: sweet and fruity, with nice acidity, and it doesn’t skimp on the booze. There’s also the fact that people are easily seduced by small paper umbrellas.

The Singapore Sling
adapted by Alpha Cook

1 ½ ounces gin
½ oz cherry brandy (such as Cherry Heering)
½ oz Benedictine
½ oz Cointreau
1 ½ ounces pineapple juice
¾ oz fresh lime juice
2-3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Soda water, to taste
Dash of homemade grenadine for extra color (optional)

Bar tools: hand juicer, shaker.

Shake all ingredients through Peychaud’s bitters. Pour into a high-ball or hurricane glass filled with ice. Top with seltzer and add grenadine if desired. Stir gently. Garnish with fruit (orange, cherry, pineapple) and umbrella.

Heck of a Homebrew

extra foamy beers get opened in the bathtub

About a month ago when we had that week or two of summer weather, I decided it was time to break in the homebrew equipment that has been living with us, unused and neglected, for the past year. The warm sunshine called for a Hefeweizen, and I picked up a pre-measured kit from Oak Barrel Winecraft in Berkeley (the store didn’t impress me much, btw). It came with a choice of several different types of yeast, and I went for the Hefeweizen ale yeast #IV, which is supposed to have notes of clove with minimal banana.

Now I’m not going to go through all the nitty gritty details of this particular experience, but I would like to dispense a few words of wisdom for the first-time homebrewer, on the off chance you were planning to pop your brew cherry this weekend.



1. A copy of the The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing is a great resource. It’s even more helpful if you’ve read through it beforehand.

2. Turns out the hydrometer is important after all.

3. Make friends with bleach.

4. Brew with someone who’s done it before—it might be more helpful than that book you didn’t read. It’s more fun too.

5. Sometimes bottles explode. It’s an indication that not everything went quite as planned.

6. As my homebrew buddy Lisa says, “It takes beer to make beer.” You know what to do.

The mistake: I forgot about the beer and left it to ferment in the carboy a week longer than directed. Turns out this may not have mattered too much because the temperature in the pantry was colder than I thought, and it looks as though the process didn’t eat up enough of the sugar. This is my theory on the exploding, super carbonated brews.

The result: a cloudy beer that tastes nothing like a Hefeweizen, but is still pretty darn tasty—kind of reminiscent of a strong Belgian ale and worthy of a weekend cookout.

No local homebrew supply store? Here’s good place to get started: Midwest Homebrewing and Winemaking supplies.

Check out the rest of my homebrew adventure photos here.

Homemade Pop-Tarts

I found a recipe for homemade Pop-Tarts on another awesome food blog and decided to give it a shot. They’re super quick and easy to make, especially if you use store-bought pie crust. I ate one just after it came out of the oven—well, devoured is more appropriate—and I thought that had to be the pinnacle of Pop-Tart goodness, despite the fact that I burned my mouth on the filling. But believe it or not, they’re even better, or I should say more like a "real" Pop-Tart, the next day. Check out the recipe over at Bake Me More.

Tiny Pop-Tart!

Actual Size

Everything tastes better when it's wee tiny.

Recession Soup

Alright scrimpers and savers, it’s time for a meal that’s easy on the wallet, while also tasty and filling, from a recipe that makes enough to feed a small militia. So run to your victory gardens and gather some spuds and cabbages. Or sneak into your neighbor’s garden. Or just go to Whole Foods or something.

Cabbage and White Bean Soup/Stew
inspired by Cooking Light, perfected by Alpha Cook

1 ½ cups dried cannellini or other white bean
3 cups water
3 cups vegetable stock (I used Better than Bouillon)

2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1-½ cup diced onion
¼ cup leek, finely sliced
4 small/med white potatoes, peeled and diced
about 6 cups green cabbage, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups water
1 Tbsp kosher salt
black pepper

1. Rinse beans and place them in medium stockpot. Fill pot with water about two to three inches above the beans. Let them sit for at least 8 hours.
2. Drain beans, return to pot with 3 cups water and 3 cups vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, and let simmer while covered for about 1 hour + 15 minutes, or until beans are tender. Set aside.
3. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil and sauté onion, leek, and potato for about 12-15 minutes. Use a splash of wine to deglaze pan if potatoes stick. Then add cabbage, parsley and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Add white wine, let simmer for about 15 minutes covered, stirring occasionally.
4. Add beans and their liquid, plus an additional 2 cups water and salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 30 minutes covered.

Serve with cheese toast or hearty bread. If there had been bacon in the house, I would have topped the soup off with some crumbles. Feel good about finally getting rid of that parsley that appeared in the fridge.

Sunday Brunch—Quick and Easy

This week I ended up with a giant batch of creamed greens and nothing left to eat them with. Actually, I did this on purpose because I had plans for the leftovers. One of my favorite brunch dishes, baked eggs with spinach and leek, got me thinking about how the combination of leftover creamy vegetable goodness topped with a fried egg might taste. The upshot: it’s my new favorite breakfast, brunch, and maybe breakfast-for-dinner.

Fried Egg Sandwich w/ Creamed Greens

2 slices rustic bread, or small baguette
¼ cup grated mild cheese, such as Monterey Jack, provolone, or fontina
1 egg
¼ cup creamed greens mixture (it's the last recipe)

Toast bread slices lightly, then add cheese to bread, and broil for 2 minutes in oven/toaster oven. Fry egg to perfection. Spread greens mixture on bottom slice of bread, top with egg, other bread. A sandwich appears.

Depending on how goopy you like your egg yolks, you may want to enjoy the sandwich with a knife and fork, or maybe just in private with a wet nap.