Pumpkin Polenta with Sausage, Peppers, and Greens

After indulging in a lot of junk and convenience food lately, I was feeling the need to eat better, to get back to the way I prefer to eat.

Craig would eat burritos or pizza every night of the week; throw in some chicken fried rice for variety, and also his daily bagel, and you've pretty much got his eating regimen. He also likes burgers. He eats like a college kid, which I can personally vouch for 'cause I've got one of them, too. Even though they're both capable of branching out and are both, truth be told, willing to try new things, Jeremy and Craig would happily eat only three foods for the rest of their lives.

I'm not like that. I have a very low boredom quotient, so I almost never want to see the same thing again. Even if I go to a favorite restaurant, I try new dishes. And as much as I like sweets and chips and other stuff I shouldn't eat - and I completely take responsibility for baking and for buying the naughty items at the grocery store! - I also really love simple but sophisticated dishes with spices, vegetables, and other nice things.

And so, for an evening when I was eating and working alone, I had a vision of what I wanted for dinner. It started with the notion of pumpkin, which is ubiquitous now; but I wanted to go beyond pumpkin muffins and such. So I thought of stirring it into polenta, a.k.a. cornmeal mush. (Everything sounds better in Italian!)

To top this warm comfort food, I wanted lots of vegetables - the stuff that Jeremy and Craig are none too keen on. Neither will eat peppers, one will eat only white mushrooms, neither is keen on greens, one can't eat spicy food or have alcohol ... groan. But they weren't having dinner with me and imposing their little quirks! I threw it all into the mix!!!

I'd looked forward to this meal all day long while I was at work. I turned on the tunes and danced a bit as I chopped and stirred, since I had the house to myself. The kitchen smelled amazing as everything bubbled and simmered, and then it was ready. I tasted the dish and it was everything I'd hoped for - comforting, warm, and elegant. Full of nutrition and color and flavor.

A perfect dinner for fall!


Pumpkin Polenta with Sausage, Peppers, and Greens

Sausage:
2 links hot Italian sausage
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, cut into 1" pieces
1 small red pepper, seeded, cored, cut into 1" pieces
8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, thickly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
generous pinch red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1/2 cup white wine
3 cups chopped kale
1 cup baby spinach leaves
freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Polenta:
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup white wine
generous pinch of kosher salt
2/3 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup pumpkin purée

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage on all sides; set aside.

Add the oil to the skillet, then add the onion and red pepper; sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softening and starting to caramelize. Add the mushrooms and the salt; sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic paste and stir to coat the vegetables. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the kale and the spinach, cooking for 5 minutes until most of the liquid has cooked off.

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and the wine to a boil with the salt. Turn heat down to medium-low, then slowly whisk in the cornmeal; cook for 1 minute, until thick. Whisk in the pumpkin.

To serve, place a generous dollop of polenta onto a plate, then top with the sausage mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan.

Serves 2 generously.

Santa Sammi, or Two Versions of a Bolognese

As Jeremy, Craig and I were enjoying our recent feast of treats from Whole Foods Market, and tasting their easy-to-prepare gnocchi [NYOH-kee], I started pontificating about the different styles of this classic dish.

Many people know about the dumplings, which are readily available in grocery stores. But there is also a Roman version, made of either farina or cornmeal, which is baked rather than boiled. I know - the little minutiae that take up space in my brain! Don't ever ask me anything practical, like how to jump a car battery. But I can chat for days about such esoteric matters as linguistics, art history, and regional cooking styles!

So anyway .... As we ate, I promised to make the Roman variety of gnocchi, which are akin to a cheesy polenta, to show the difference.  And here they are!

The substantial gnocchi require a topping that's sturdier than a marinara sauce, which is better suited to something delicate like angel hair pasta. And so it occurred to me that I should make a sauce in honor of Craig's dog, Sammi, pictured above as a puppy (he's now 13). His breed and the sauce I chose share a name and a place of origin: Bolognese [boh-lohn-YAY-say], from the city of Bologna [boh-LOHN-yuh].

Because the Italians are as obsessive about their food as the French are about their mother tongue - remember the Académie Française, devoted to regulating the language into submission, an impossibly Sisyphean task - there is an "official" version of Ragù Bolognese. According to Wikipedia:

In 1982 the Italian Academy of Cuisine (Accademia Italiana della Cucina), an organization dedicated to preserving the culinary heritage of Italy, recorded and deposited a recipe for "classic Bolognese ragù" with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce (La Camera di Commercio di Bologna). A version of the academy's recipe for American kitchens was also published. The academy's recipe confines the ingredients to beef from the plate section (cartella di manzo), fresh, unsmoked pancetta (pancetta di maiale distesa), onions, carrot, celery, passata (or tomato purée), meat broth, dry wine (red or white, not sparkling), milk, salt and pepper. The option of adding a small amount of cream at the end of the preparation is recommended.

My version isn't an exact replica of the authorized one, but does feature all of the required ingredients: the pork fat, beef, vegetables, wine, tomato, and milk. And it's very, very good!

Have a lovely and very merry Christmas, with lots of good food! I wish you many blessings and much happiness ... :)

Be sure to stop by and visit on Wednesday, for my "Top 10 of 2012" post - the best things I've eaten all year!

Roman Gnocchi with Ragù alla Bolognese

Gnocchi
(adapted from a recipe for Roman Gnocchi in From a Monastery Kitchen by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette)

• 4 cups milk
• generous pinch of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1-1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 4 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Heat milk, nutmeg, and salt in a large saucepan over high heat just until it's almost boiling; turn heat down to medium-low. Slowly stir in cornmeal, in small increments; stir for 5 minutes until thickened. One by one, stir in eggs; then stir in cheese.

Grease a 9"x13" baking pan. Pour cornmeal mixture into the pan, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour to chill it and let it firm up.

Preheat oven to 425F. Cut into the cornmeal and score it into 2" squares; bake for 30 minutes or so, until firmed and golden at edges.

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons bacon fat
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 large carrot, chopped fine
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• generous sprinkling freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1-1/2 cups milk

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the bacon fat over medium-low heat. Add the red pepper flakes, onion, garlic, carrot, and celery; cook for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, sugar, and Italian seasoning; cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and are just starting to turn golden.

Add the beef and pork; brown the meats, then drain the mixture. Add the wine and the tomatoes; cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add a generous splash of milk, stir in, and cook for 5 minutes. Add more milk in this same fashion, every 5 minutes or so, until all the milk has been incorporated. Cook on low heat for 15 more minutes.

To serve: Place 4-5 gnocchi onto a plate and top with sauce, then top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serves 4-6.

Frugal Floozie Friday - Cafe Habana and Lena

It was Girls' Night Out recently, and my BFF Wendy and I headed to a new restaurant - Lena - which is today's Frugal Floozie Friday feature. A sophisticated place, some have been surprised to hear that we found options that would qualify for the mandatory $5 per person budget. But if you share an appetizer or a dessert, you can definitely find value on the menu. Sometimes it's important to focus on the quality of the dishes, and on the social aspects of going out with a friend, rather than seeking gargantuan quantities of food.

Our evening began by heading downstairs to Cafe Habana, to visit my friend Bobby Hoffman who was tending bar. Although they are technically part of the same facility and share a chef and some staff, Habana and Lena are different spaces both physically and in terms of atmosphere. The latter is sleek, bright, trendy but welcoming; the former is darker, lively, and particularly giddy once the DJ starts playing and the salsa dancing begins.

Bobby didn't just bring us whatever beverage we'd ordered, but instead took the time to talk with us about what types of drinks we like, what sort of delicious treat we were in the mood for on an oh, so rare evening of frivolity. He brought us tastes of several liqueurs - as they came up in our conversations about food, travel, and amusement - telling us that Habana even makes many of its own from scratch. Bobby is passionate about food, about drink, about experiencing life - definitely a bon vivant. Be sure to ask for him when you go to either Habana or Lena, as he will spoil you rather than merely serving.

Bobby recommended a lovely appetizer to go with our Strawberry Mojito (me) and Posion de Bruja (Wendy, who was tickled to order a Witch's Brew): Baked Goat Cheese. This was a rich, creamy, indulgent treat topped with salsa and served with an abundance of tortilla chips. At $8, it was far more than one person could eat, and it was the perfect dish to go with our potent drinks. (Unfortunately, the bar was so dark that there was no way to get an acceptable photo.) It was an ideal dish to nibble at while talking about life and love ... the kind of stuff Wendy and I always tend towards when we go out.

Although we weren't particularly hungry anymore, we couldn't resist the temptations of Bobby's other menu recommendations; so we walked upstairs to Lena to continue our evening and try a few more treats.

Both Bobby and our waitress had recommended the Ecuadorian Humitas, which are fresh corn cakes with lemongrass-tomato stew and melted chihuahua cheese; essentially, they are layers of polenta filled with rich cheese and topped with a lovely light sauce. At $9, and with two portions served, this is another dish that meets our budgetary standards.

Because it was Girls' Night Out, dessert was mandatory. And who could resist a luscious chocolate treat, especially when it only cost $9 and offered plenty of decadence for two? Pasion de Chocolate, pictured above, is a gorgeous and delicious serving of chocolate cake that is filled with white chocolate mousse, topped with chocolate ganache, and accompanied by sweet lychee ice cream. This was ideal for Wendy's and my evening, and would also be perfect to share on a date.

There are a significant number of options on the Habana and Lena menus which cost only $7-9, such that you could share them with a loved one and still stay within our mandatory budget: the Ceviche Trio, beef or cheese empanadas, plaintain tostones, fried yuca rolls with queso fresco, the charred vegetable platter, and duck confit. Vegetarians will find that they have not been neglected, and that many inspired dishes await them.

For a lively and energetic party, head downstairs to Cafe Habana. And for a quieter, but no less delicious, option, stay upstairs and eat at Lena. But either way, stop by, say "hi" to Bobby, have a drink, socialize, and enjoy some lovely food.


Cafe Habana
226 South Main
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-994-2773
Monday - Saturday: 5 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Sunday: 5 p.m. - Midnight

Lena
226 South Main
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-994-2773
Monday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. - Midnight
Sunday: 12 - 10 p.m.



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Gorgonzola Polenta with Spicy Vegetables

This is a ridiculously easy dish to make, and very fast to prepare when there's not a lot of time to make dinner. It's rich, sophisticated and nutritious ... what a great reward at the end of a long day at work!

Polenta is actually supposed to be cooked slowly, like risotto; but this faster version is still great, especially with the Gorgonzola stirred into it to make it even creamier.

Bright both in color and in flavor, this is a great meal to serve to take the chill off an Autumn evening.

Gorgonzola Polenta with Spicy Vegetables

Vegetables:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pesto

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes until the onion is translucent. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Stir together the tomatoes, salt and pesto; pour over the broccoli and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Polenta:
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
2 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola

Meanwhile, bring the water and the salt to a boil. Turn the heat to low and slowly whisk in the cornmeal. Stir constantly until thickened and creamy, then remove from heat and stir in the Gorgonzola.

To serve: place 1 cup of polenta onto a serving dish, and top with one-quarter of the vegetables. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

Serves 4.