Cooking with Confidence

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Cream of Tomato Soup 
 Before Joseph Campbell’s canned tomato soup came out in 1897, tomato soup wasn’t really popular. Today, it’s a top comfort food in both Poland and the United States. 52

Flavored Butter 1 What You Need: Chop your herbs, keep them • 1/4 a bagueAe, cut into cubes separate, and put each chopped • 4 tablespoons buAer per flavor herb into its own bowl. • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds • 2 teaspoons tarragon • 2 teaspoons thyme 2 Melt buAer in a pot on medium- low heat unEl it liquifies. Pour melted buAer into herb bowls and sEr. 3 Pour buAer into herb bowls. Drip bread cubes into buAers. Taste, and think about what you like. 53

Taste: Flavors of France Tarragon Rip leaves off the stem and chop Describe the flavor _________________________ Might be good with _________________________ Fennel Seed Toast in a dry skillet over medium heat (2 minutes) Describe the flavor _________________________ Might be good with _________________________ Thyme Rip leaves off the stem and chop Describe the flavor _________________________ Might be good with _________________________ 54

1. Reheat some red sauce in a What You Need: pot over medium heat CARBOHYDRATE Taste while reheaEng the sauce. • 1-2 slices bagueAe Add a teaspoon of flavored buAers. Taste again. Add more if you like. (If you VEGETABLES under-season your soup, it will taste • 1 1/2 cup of red sauce bland and boring.) Don't forget salt! LIQUID • 1/4 cup water or broth EXTRA FLAVOR • Flavored buAer, to taste • 1/2 cup milk • 1/4 cup orange juice 2. Add liquid to thin out the sauce into a soup Add water or broth, Add milk, and sEr Add orange juice, and sEr and sEr to combine. to combine. Taste! to combine. NoEce if you like the way OJ brightens up the tomato flavor. 55

Notes for next time… Texture of the soup Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Herbs and spices in tomato soup Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Other flavors I’d like in tomato soup Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Note: covered and refrigerated, this soup will be good for up to two weeks 56

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Tomato + Egg Stir Fry Adapted from a recipe by Joyce (Pups with Chops?cks) 
 This is usually the first comfort food a kid in China learns to cook. In many households, it’s actually just ketchup and eggs - delicious! - mixed with white rice. 58

Flavored Oil 1 What You Need: Chop garlic small. Peel and • Some broccoli, cut into chunks slice ginger. Toast each in a dry • 4 tablespoons peanut oil per flavor skillet over low heat unEl you • 2 teaspoons MSG can smell them, then place • 2 teaspoons of white pepper each flavor in its own bowl. • 2 cloves of garlic • a 1-inch piece of ginger 2 Heat oil in a small pot unEl it’s hot. 3 Pour hot oil among spice bowls. SEr a few Emes to let the flavors soak into the hot oil. Drip broccoli chunks into oils. Taste, and think about what you like. 59

Taste: Flavors of China Ginger Peel, slice, and toast in a dry skillet over low heat (1 minute) What I like about it ____________________ Might be good with ___________________ Garlic Toast in a dry skillet over low heat (20 seconds) What I like about it ____________________ Might be good with ___________________ MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) (You might recognize this from many brands of chips) What I like about it ____________________ Might be good with ___________________ White Pepper What I like about it ____________________ Might be good with ___________________ 60

2. Fry your eggs What You Need: Put a liAle oil in a pan on CARBOHYDRATE medium heat. When it’s • 1/2 cup cooked rice very hot, pour in your PROTEIN eggs with a liAle water. • 1 or 2 eggs (The water makes them VEGETABLES fluffier.) • 1/4 cup red sauce EXTRA FLAVOR Wait unEl the edges of the egg appear solid. • Flavored oils, to taste Then, scrape the edges toward the middle. Experiment with not messing with it too much. When done, set cooked eggs aside. 3. Heat red sauce, season, and serve Rinse out the egg pan and add red sauce to the pan. Add a Eny amount of flavored oils, sEr, taste, and add more. Toss your rice and cooked eggs with the red sauce and sEr well. 61

Notes for next time… Scrambled egg technique Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Herbs and spices in this sAr-fry Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Other flavors I’d like in tomato and egg sAr-fry Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 62

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 Shakshuka Shakshuka is a very old idea - the word (in both Arabic and Hebrew) means “a mixture” of eggs, tomatoes, and spices 64

Flavored Ghee 1 What You Need: Toss coriander and cumin, at • 2 pieces naan bread, torn opposite ends of a dry skillet, • 4 tablespoons ghee per flavor over medium heat. Stir, heating • 2 teaspoons Paprika about 2 minutes, or until you • 2 teaspoons Cumin can really smell the spices in the • 2 teaspoons Coriander air. • 2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper 2 Melt ghee (clarified buAer) on low heat unEl it liquifies. Then pour it among four bowls. 3 Mix half of each pile of flavorings into its own bowl of ghee. SEr well and let sit a few minutes to let flavors mix. Drip naan into flavored ghee. Taste, and think about what you like. 65

Taste: Flavors of North Africa Coriander Toast in a dry skillet over medium heat (2 minutes) What I like about it ____________________ Might be good with ___________________ Cumin Toast in a dry skillet over medium heat (2 minutes) What I like about it ____________________ Might be good with ___________________ Paprika What I like about it ____________________ Might be good with ___________________ Cayenne Pepper What I like about it ____________________ Might be good with ___________________ 66

1. Cook sauce and egg on What You Need: medium heat CARBOHYDRATE Heat red sauce on • 1/2 a piece of naan bread medium heat. Add flavored ghee PROTEIN to taste. Taste! • One or two whole eggs With the back of a large VEGETABLES spoon, make a crater in • 1 cup of red sauce the tomato sauce. Pour your egg from a EXTRA FLAVOR bowl into the crater. (If • Flavored ghee, to taste you crack it directly in, the yolk might break.) Cover the egg wth a lid White’s still a bit cloudy. Yolk clouded over (now the and check awer five Maybe push the pan so yolk is hard-boiled) minutes (may take that the cloudy whites Should’ve been taken out a longer). are directly underneath bit earlier. SEll tastes good! Eggs are cooked when: the heat. • the white parts are 67 white, not cloudy • the yolks are sEll bright, not cloudy

Notes for next time… Texture of the sauce Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Spices in shakshuka Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Other flavors I’d like in shakshuka Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 68

69

Lasagna 
 Lasagna was invented in 14th century Naples - the word is LaEn for “container.” Lots of different flavors can be great in this pasta container - but let’s start with meat, cheese, and tomatoes. 70

Flavored Oil 1 What You Need: Chop your herbs, keeping each in its • 1/4 loaf ciabaAa loaf, cubed own separate pile. Mix half of each • 1/4 cup olive oil per flavor pile of flavorings into its own bowl of • 2 teaspoons Parsley oil. • 2 teaspoons Oregano • 2 teaspoons Sage • 2 teaspoons Basil 2 Melt oil, then pour it equally among four bowls. 3 Drip bread cubes into oils. Taste, and think about what you like. 71

Taste: Flavors of Italy Parsley Rip leaves off the stem and chop What I like about it ____________________ Might be good with ___________________ Oregano Rip leaves off the stem and chop What I like about it ____________________ Might be good with ___________________ Sage Rip leaves off the stem and chop What I like about it ____________________ Might be good with ___________________ Basil Rip leaves off the stem and chop What I like about it ____________________ Might be good with ___________________ 72

1. Heat your red sauce What You Need: CARBOHYDRATE • 1/2 a package of dry lasagna PROTEIN • 1 to 2 cups cheese • A tube of ground beef VEGETABLES • 1 cup red sauce, or more EXTRA FLAVOR • Flavored oils, to taste SEr sauce on medium heat unEl warm. Add a Eny amount of flavored oils, sEr, taste, and consider adding more. Set aside when it’s how you like it. 73

2. Boil water, then add pasta These noodles are pretty big. Another option: after a Some folks choose to break minute, you can gently push the noodles in half so they’ll the tops of your noodles into fit in a smaller pot. the water. Up to you! Read the package directions to find out how long to boil the noodles. If you like noodles very limp, cook for the extra minute. For authenAc, “al dente” pasta, boil Drain. (Noodles might stick for [THIS MANY] minutes, sArring together now, but you’ll be occasionally. For more tender able to pull them apart.) pasta, boil one addiAonal minute. 74

3. Brown your ground beef SEr one pound of ground beef in a dry pan over medium heat unEl browned. No pink meat allowed! There's no such thing as “rare” ground beef. 4. Layer your lasagna Using a paper towel, oil a deep baking pan. (Oil helps the noodles not sEck to the pan.) It really doesn’t maAer how you layer these delicious ingredients. Improvise and have fun! 5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes 75

Notes for next time… Texture and layering of lasagna Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Herbs and spices in lasagna Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Other flavors or layers I’d like in a lasagna Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Note: covered and refrigerated, this lasagna will be good for up to three days 76

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Red Sauce Flavored BuTer, Oil or Ghee In a skillet over medium heat, combine: Melt some buAer - a liAle or a lot. Or, heat a liAle 1 can (28oz) of tomato puree oil unEl warm. Move buAer or oil into a bowl. 1/2 an onion, cut-side down Add a few teaspoons of herbs and spices to your 5 tablespoons buAer hot liquid. Taste to choose your favorite herbs and spices to taste combinaEon of herbs and/or spices. Cook, sErring occasionally, unEl hot. SEr to combine. Let sit a few minutes to let the Taste, and check to see if you’d like to add flavors mix. Add more flavor if you want to. anything to the sauce. Use as a dip right away. Cover and refrigerate for up to one week. Save your lewovers: cover and refrigerate. When you want to reheat it, spoon some into a Flavored buAer or oil will keep for about two skillet on medium heat, sErring occasionally, unEl weeks, and you can spread it on bread, over eggs, warm. or add it onto any other thing you like. Shakshuka Lasagna Heat a cup or so of red sauce over medium heat. Make red sauce. Add herbs for flavor. Add spices for flavor. In a separate pan, dump some ground meat. Heat Carefully break an egg into a bowl. Try not to on medium heat, using a large spoon to break up break the yolk. the meat and sEr frequently unEl meat is With the back of a spoon, create a crater in your browned all the way through. sauce. (If you can see the boAom of the skillet, Boil some lasagna noodles according to package you made too big a crater.) direcEons. Drain. Gently pour your egg into the crater you just Oil a large, deep, rectangular pan. Place a layer of made. Cover the pan with a lid, and wait about cooked noodles down, then a layer of sauce, six minutes. meat or vegetables, and cheese. Keep layering Liw the lid and check: if the whites of your egg unEl you’re out of sauce. are done, and the yolk is sEll runny, it’s done. (Tilt Tip: it doesn’t really maAer how you layer your the pan to see if the whites are sEll runny.) lasagna. Use less noodles if you want. Spoon your egg and some surrounding sauce into Cook in an oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. a bowl, and use a slice of bread to soak up the last of your bowl’s sauce. Cover and refrigerate lewover sauce. 78

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STAMP HERE Try It Again! Pick one recipe from this chapter and make it yourself (or with some help) outside of group. What did you make? ___________________________________________________ What would you do differently next Ame? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Would you make it again? ______________ What did you do well? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 80

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Pizza Warm, chewy bread + delicious toppings = awesomeness. But, making pizza from scratch can feel super inEmidaEng. There’s lots of ideas out there about the “right way\" to make pizza - like, it has to be baked on a special stone, or “I’m not good at baking.” We are not lelng boring thoughts like those get in our way, y’all. Let’s get to pracEcing! 82

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Whatever’s-in-the-Cupboard Pizza 84

1. Pick a sauce buAer olive oil soy sauce Making your own dough is fun, but you can also buy a ball of pre-made pizza dough from any pizza place for a couple of dollars. No dough? No problem - just toast some kind of bread and do your own thing! 2. Put a little bit of whatever you want on top (Fewer wet toppings = less soggy pizza) Parmesan + mozzarella + cooked broccoli + black pepper chopped pepperoni garlic 3. Bake in an oven at 325 degrees unAl cheese melts. 85

Taste: Pizza Pizza-Flavored Chips Cost: __________ (per serving) Flavor: OK GOOD GREAT Texture: OK GOOD GREAT Grocery Store Pizza Cost: __________ Flavor: OK GOOD GREAT Texture: OK GOOD GREAT Homemade English Muffin Pizza Cost: Muffin _______ + Toppings __________________ Flavor: OK GOOD GREAT Texture: OK GOOD GREAT 86

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Red Pepper + Anchovy Pizza Dough adapted from the back of a Fleishman’s yeast packet; toppings adapted from Travis LeA’s Gjelina Anchovies are a small fish that are usually packed in salt. You might recognize the taste from Cesar salad dressing or Worcestershire sauce. 
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1. Make your dough (then wait 6 to 8 hours) What You Need: • 1 1/2 cups flour • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 3/4 cup warm water • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon yeast • 1/2 teaspoon sugar SEr water, sugar + yeast Mix in flour, oil + salt Mix together Cover, and wait for 6 to 8 hours 89

2. Roast your red pepper (Hold the pepper with metal tongs or a metal fork) Using a gas stove, blow torch, or a lighter, blacken Use a towel to rub the as much of the skin of the pepper as you can charred skin off the pepper 3. Slice your pepper into matchsAcks (This technique is also called a “julienne cut”) Chop off the stemmed cap Gently flaAen with your hand and Scoop out seeds and chop in half slice into thin strips Remove as much of the biAer white flesh as you want to. 90

4. Preheat oven 5. Rinse your anchovies to 500 degrees 6. Oil a pan and press (This removes extra salt.) dough onto pan. Layer toppings and What You Need: bake unAl brown. First layer of pizza: • 2 tablespoons red sauce To layer auer the sauce: • 1/2 a red pepper • 8 anchovies, chopped if you like • 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Auer removing from oven, add: • pinch of dried oregano + drizzle of oil + lemon juice Note: If you’re short on fridge space, you can store a cooked pizza inside a cold oven for up to 2 days. 91

Notes for next time… Pizza Dough Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ RoasAng a Red Pepper Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Red Pepper + Anchovies What I like about it ___________________ Might be good with ___________________ What other ingredients might taste great on this pizza? _________________________________________________________ 92

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Green Pepper + Mushroom Pizza Dough adapted from the back of a Fleishman’s yeast packet; toppings adapted from Travis LeA’s Gjelina 94

Taste: Chèvre (Goat Cheese) Plain goat cheese NoEce a difference? ________________________ What I like about it _________________________ Might be good with ________________________ Humbolt Fog (by Cypress Grove) NoEce a difference? ________________________ What I like about it _________________________ Might be good with ________________________ Truffle Tremor (by Cypress Grove) NoEce a difference? ________________________ What I like about it _________________________ Might be good with ________________________ 95

1. Make your dough (then wait 6 to 8 hours) What You Need: • 1 1/2 cups flour • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 3/4 cup warm water • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon yeast • 1/2 teaspoon sugar SEr water, sugar + yeast Mix in flour, oil + salt Mix together Cover, and wait for 6 to 8 hours 96

2. Slice your Poblano or bell pepper (This technique is also called a “julienne cut”) Chop off the stemmed cap and pull out the seeds and biAer white parts. Chop in half. Use your hand to gently flaAen, and slice thin. 3. Preheat oven to 500 degrees 4. What You Need: Slice mushrooms with an even Layer pizza with cheese on top: thickness, and toss with a splash • a handful of mushrooms, of oil and salt. tossed with olive oil + salt 5. Oil a pan and press • 1/4 of an Poblano or a green dough onto pan. bell pepper Layer toppings and • 1/2 cup fonEna cheese bake unAl brown. • 1/4 cup creamy goat cheese Auer removing from oven, add: • leaves from 1-2 fresh thyme sprigs • big pinch of salt and oregano + drizzle of olive oil 97

Notes for next time… Pizza Dough Next Eme… ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Thyme on pizza What I like about it ___________________ Might be good with ___________________ Green Bell Pepper / Poblano Pepper + Mushrooms What I like about this ___________________ Might be good with ___________________ What other ingredients might taste great on this pizza? _________________________________________________________ 98

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Spinach + Feta Pizza Dough adapted from the back of a Fleishman’s yeast packet; toppings adapted from Travis LeA’s Gjelina Spinach and feta - a classic Greek combinaEon. 100