cranberry sauce

cook whole cranberries with a whole unpeeled clementine, ground cloves, minced shallots plus a peeled green apple, cooked in oil and then finished with sherry vinegar.

sweet potato fries

RECIPE

Sweet Potato Steak Fries With Crunchy Spices

Published: November 15, 2011

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Time: 40 minutes

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• What's an Updated Way to Do Sweet Potatoes? (November 15, 2011)

3 pounds sweet potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons paprika, sweet, hot or a combination

1 tablespoon coarse or kosher salt

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar.

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the skins off the sweet potatoes, squaring off the round sides to make each potato into a large rectangle. Cut into long fries about 1/4-inch thick and 1 inch wide. (If not using potatoes immediately, soak in water for up to 1 day. Drain and pat dry before cooking.)

2. Put two large sheet pans in the oven to heat. Toss the potatoes, and skins if you like, with oil, paprika and 2 teaspoons of the salt. Arrange in one layer on the hot pans. (Don’t use parchment paper; it will make the potatoes soggy.) Roast until tender and starting to brown on the bottom, about 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, grind the cumin, coriander and 1 teaspoon salt together. Mix in the brown sugar.

4. Remove pans from the oven and raise the heat to 450 degrees, or set to broil. With a spatula, carefully loosen the fries and turn each one over. Sprinkle with the spice and sugar mixture. Return to the oven and bake just until the fries are blistered and sizzling vigorously, about another 5 minutes. (If your oven has a convection feature, use it.) Do not overcook, or the fries will become leathery. Cool slightly.

Yield: 10 servings.

deconstructed sushi

2 cups short-grain brown rice
3 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 (4-inch) square sheets nori seaweed
6 ounces extra-firm tofu

grated zest and juice of one orange
grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons (raw) brown sugar (reg. sugar is ok too)
2 tablespoons shoyu sauce (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons (brown) rice vinegar

4 green onions, chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Rinse and drain the rice two or three times. Combine the rice, water, and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes.

Toast the nori in a preheated 300F degree oven or a medium-hot skillet for a few minutes. Crumble or chop coarsely.

Drain the tofu and pat it dry. Cut the block of tofu lengthwise through the middle to make four 1/4-to 1/2-inch thick sheets of tofu. Two at a time, cook in a dry skillet or well-seasoned skillet over medium-high for a few minutes until browned on one side. Flip gently, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy. Let cool, enough to handle, then cute crosswise into matchsticks (see photo). Repeat with the remaining sheets.

To make the dressing, set the sheets aside. Combine the orange juice lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 1 or 2 minute, the add the shoyu and vinegar. Return to a gentle boil and cook another 1 or 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the zests.

When the rice is done, stir in 1/3 cup of the dressing and add more to taste. Scoop the rice into individual bowls and top with the toasted nori, green onions, tofu, avocado slices, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Makes 4-6 servings.