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| The Chef's Challenge: By Emily Kaiser The glazed carrots rest in the skillet on the stovetop, browned, sweet, soft. Individual apple tarts bake in the oven, heaps of buttered Granny Smith apples sliced and nested on flaky rounds of dough. But all is not well in the home kitchen of Mark Furstenberg. Furstenberg reaches into the oven and over the tarts to pull out a savory bread pudding, which steams with the scents of beef , herbs, onions, carrots, turnips and mushrooms and soaking chunks of softened baguette. "It's going to be awful," he declares. "It has no cheese!" A chef on a tight budget can be a cranky creature. But Furstenberg had accepted my challenge: to cook a meal for a family of four on a family budget -- for under $10. Shopping at the Columbia Road Safeway near his house in Adams Morgan, he discovered that a pound of generic brand cheddar cheese put him a dollar over. I had offered him the extra buck -- $11 is still a triumph for a four-person dinner -- but Furstenberg was determined. Without the cheese his bill came to $9.36. "It's not fair," the baker protested. "You're making me buy bread. If I didn't have to buy the bread, I could have bought the cheese." As the chef and owner of the Bread Line bakery on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Furstenberg can count on having some leftover loaves around his house. But his point was relevant for anyone wanting to cook a frugal meal: "When I think about what I'm going to make for dinner, I always start by asking myself, 'What do I have?' I don't always have what I want, but I try to start with what I don't have to buy." Furstenberg had willingly headed into the grocery store without a menu in mind, led by what he could afford under the strict budget I had imposed on him. Most of the cuts of meat, if used as the main course, would put him over his limit, so he decided instead on a bread pudding, or strata. Tossing aside "family-size" bulk packages of chicken breasts and lamb chops, Furstenberg explained, "If one is eating for little money, it's desirable to think of meat as a flavoring. That's what I'm trying to do." He found a slim slice of chuck blade steak on sale for a dollar, and decided to flavor his strata with beef. According to Furstenberg, a strata -- an Italian casserole made up of layers of bread, meats and vegetables -- is "perfect for leftovers. That's really what is was designed for. It's best with stale, leftover bread. "You can also make the strata with almost any leftover or fresh vegetable," he said, and chose a carrot, a turnip and mushrooms. "If I had had more money," Furstenberg says, "I would have put more vegetables in mine," recommending celery, zucchini, eggplant, red or orange bell pepper, spinach, Brussels sprouts or fresh tomatoes. "The point is, you can pretty much use anything." Apples were on sale for a dollar a pound; he bought two for apple tarts. Carrots were 30 cents apiece, he bought three more, intending to saute them for a side dish. Furstenberg planned to keep his meal simple. "I don't do complicated food," he said. "I'm trying to convince people that it's easy to cook at home. People are always telling me they don't have time to cook, but I think that's a myth," he said. "It doesn't take any time." To prove his point, Furstenberg watched the clock as he cooked, finishing his preparations in an hour. Then while his dishes baked he tidied up. Beef Strata (Savory Bread Pudding) In strictest terms, this strata wasn't made for less than $10. Furstenberg's favorite version of the savory bread pudding, which follows below, relies on a few items that he considers to be pantry staples, including stock, tomato sauce and cheese. Not every ingredient listed below is essential. The strata is quite versatile and should be regarded as a basic recipe that can be altered depending on your personal pantry, budget and preferences. For example, to stay within the budget, Furstenberg made the sauce without the cheese for a slightly less rich result. (The cheese is incorporated twice, in both a rich cheese sauce that is layered with bread and a meat and vegetable stew, and as a topping.) If you wish to include the cheese but cut down on some of the richness, you could omit the cheese sauce and substitute grated cheese. Or omit the tomato sauce for a lighter strata reminiscent of stuffing. What should not be skimped on are the herbs, which lend a great deal of flavor to the dish. When selecting a cheese, keep in mind that though Furstenberg tends to reach for a sharp cheddar or Swiss cheese, whatever cheese you happen to have on hand -- even a melange of cheeses -- would work fine. Strata can be made vegetarian by substituting additional sauteed vegetables for the beef and swapping vegetable stock for the chicken stock. Use only crusty bread, such as a baguette; bread from a sandwich loaf will lose its texture. If only fresh bread is available, dry the slices in a 300-degree oven for about 20 minutes until they are stiff.
Place a large skillet, Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of the oil and, when the oil is hot, add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and streaked with brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside. Meanwhile, heat a second skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the oil is hot, add the beef and sprinkle with the dried herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, turning only as necessary, until the meat is well browned on all sides but not cooked through. Then transfer the beef to the skillet containing the onions. Return the skillet that the beef was cooked in to medium-high heat and cook the remaining vegetables in the same fashion as the beef. First brown the turnip, then the carrot and then the mushrooms, adding about 1 tablespoon oil per batch of vegetables. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper as they cook, then transfer each batch of vegetables to the onion and beef mixture. If you wish to add the garlic, sprinkle the garlic over the mushrooms during the last minute of cooking. When all the vegetables have been browned and added to the onions, add the stock or broth to the empty skillet, place it over medium-high heat and bring the stock to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape the browned crust off the bottom of the pan. Pour the stock over the vegetable and meat mixture. Add the tomato sauce, place the stew over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. If the stew begins to dry out, add additional stock, sauce or water as necessary. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 2-quart casserole or baking dish. Make a single layer of bread in the buttered baking dish. Spread half of the stew evenly over the bread and spread half of the Cheese Sauce evenly over the stew. Be certain to completely cover the bread with the stew and sauce. Repeat these layers and sprinkle the top of the stew evenly with shredded cheese. Bake the strata, uncovered, for about 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and most of the bread is softened. Set aside to rest for 5 to 10 minutes prior to serving. To serve, spoon the strata onto individual plates. Per serving (based on 6, including cheese and cheese sauce): 680 calories, 33 gm protein, 51 gm carbohydrates, 38 gm fat, 106 mg cholesterol, 17 gm saturated fat, 971 mg sodium, 4 gm dietary fiber Cheese Sauce
In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter. When the foam subsides, sprinkle the flour evenly over the butter and, using a whisk or the bottom of a fork, stir to form a paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and becomes light golden, about 2 minutes. Stirring constantly, slowly add the milk and stir until smooth. Increase the heat to medium-high and heat, stirring constantly, until the milk comes to a boil and thickens. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set the sauce aside to cool slightly. Per serving (based on 4): 220 calories, 10 gm protein, 6 gm carbohydrates, 18 gm fat, 54 mg cholesterol, 11 gm saturated fat, 276 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber Sauteed Carrots Thinly sliced -- hence fast-cooking -- carrots are covered with a flavorful glaze.
Halve each carrot lengthwise, then slice each half crosswise to form 1/4-inch-thick half circles. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and, when the foam subsides, place the carrots in a single layer in the skillet. Cook, without stirring, until browned, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook until the other side of the carrots is browned. Add the stock and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are soft, 7 to 10 minutes. (If the stock evaporates before the carrots are ready, add a bit of water.) Serve hot. Per serving: 76 calories, 1 gm protein, 5 gm carbohydrates, 6 gm fat, 17 mg cholesterol, 4 gm saturated fat, 95 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber Open-Faced Apple Tarts The buttery, crumbly pastry dough for these tarts pairs with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, creme fraiche or sour cream. The tart throws off much less liquid than a pie, so there is no need to worry about excess liquid spilling onto the baking sheet. For the tart crust, Furstenberg strongly recommended using lard, though he said a crust made entirely with butter is fine. If you prefer, form a single large tart rather than individual-size desserts. For the dough:
For the filling:
For the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the butter and using a food processor, pastry blender or your fingers, work the mixture until the butter is about the size of peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the ice water evenly over the flour mixture. Using a fork, spread the water through the flour and push the mixture toward the center of the bowl. Do not mash the mixture. Repeat, adding the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough begins to come together. You may not need all of the water. (The final dough should have flecks of shortening visible.) Form the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly to form a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. For the filling: Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and, when the foam subsides, add the apple slices and toss to coat with butter. Sprinkle the apples with sugar; cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger; and salt and toss again to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the sugar has dissolved completely, about 3 minutes. Add the juice or alcohol, increase the heat to medium-high and simmer the mixture until it is reduced to a glaze. Remove from the heat; set aside to cool slightly. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat the foil with butter, or line the sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough until it is a thickness of about 1/3 inch. (The dough may be slightly crumbly; it should more closely resemble a shortbread than a pie dough.) Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 4 individual shapes of your preference, such as a circle, square, star or oval. Carefully transfer the dough to the prepared sheet. Mound the apple mixture in the center of each dough shape, leaving a 1/2-inch border between the filling and the edge of the dough. Bake the tarts for about 30 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly. If desired, in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the 2 tablespoons orange juice and jam or marmalade to a simmer and stir to combine. Immediately remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Brush the warm tarts with the mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature. Per serving: 734 calories, 7 gm protein, 67 gm carbohydrates, 49 gm fat, 131 mg cholesterol, 30 gm saturated fat, 203 mg sodium, 4 gm dietary fiber Emily Kaiser last wrote for Food about the life of the line cook. |
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© 2001 - 2008 Emily Kaiser |
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