The hot-off-the-press “The Cookware Cookbook,” by Jamée Ruth ($18.95, paperback, Chronicle Books), answers everyone who has ever looked at a pot and asked: “What’s that for?” In addition to compelling recipes that explain what braising is, it clarifies why a particular pot is best for a particular cooking process. The sports season demands new snacking ideas for game watching, and this book will allow you to set out such snacks as hot-woked nuts (stir-fried peanuts tossed with scallions and jalapenos) or a piquant Sicilian caponata (a cousin to tapenade made with eggplant and tomatoes instead of black olives, and prepared in a saute pan).
If your tastes run to more stick-to-the-ribs fare, there is an enticing recipe for chicken and dumplings that makes it clear why everyone should own a stockpot. Don’t panic over making the dumplings. Think Bisquick. It’s virtually foolproof. If you’re starting your holiday shopping early, this is a delightful stocking stuffer. It also can be the companion gift to a poaching pan, braiser, crepe pan tagine or cast-iron skillet. – Ellen Sweets
Recipes from The Cookware Cookbook by Jamee Ruth
Hot-Woked Nuts
In this party mix with a kick, the jalapeno peppers add a special punch to the nuts. They can be eaten hot, or not. Feel free to substitute other nuts – cashews or almonds – for the peanuts. A wok or stir-fry pan is perfect for this dish because either can take a high heat and give you plenty of room to toss the ingredients quickly. Serves 4.
Ingredients
Directions
Add a little oil to the wok or stir-fry pan and, using a paper towel, coat the inside evenly. Slice the jalapenos into circles about 1/8-inch thick and remove most of the seeds.
Heat the wok over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the remaining oil and quickly add the jalapenos, scallions, and salt. Vigorously toss with a big stainless steel spoon for about 1 minute, then add the peanuts and toss constantly for 2 minutes more, until the nuts are toasted. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.
Sicilian Caponata
Serve this classic Sicilian dish with water crackers or crispy bread, or toss it with pasta for a main course. Either way, make the caponata at least 2 hours before you use it. You’ll need a full hour for the eggplant to drain before you can cook. This is a perfect dish for a large, deep, straight-sided saute pan so ingredients have plenty of room to mix and flavors can marry quickly. A stainless steel or anodized aluminum interior is ideal because it will not react with the vinegar and tomatoes. The burner should be as close to the size of the pan as possible for even heating. Serves 4.
Ingredients
Directions
Place eggplant in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Allow it to sit for 1 hour to drain.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until hot. Shake off as much of the salt from the eggplant as you can and add to the oil. Saute, stirring, for 5 minutes or until tender, and then transfer the eggplant to a bowl or platter and set aside. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan with the onion and cook for about 3 minutes.
Stir in celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, vinegar, capers, pine nuts and sugar and simmer on low, covered and stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it is warmed through and the celery is tender. Remove from the heat.
Add eggplant to the pan, stir in parsley, and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Cover and chill the caponata for at least 3 hours. To serve, allow the caponata to come to room temperature and serve with toasted bread or crackers.
Chicken and Dumplings
The dumplings must be served immediately, so call everyone to the table right before you finish them. Use the best-quality chicken you can find, preferably a kosher one, for the cleanest, tastiest broth. Bisquick is preferred for dumplings, but you can also use a recipe for baking powder biscuits. Like all slow-cooking soups and stews, this needs a heavy pot to retain the heat. A large enameled cast-iron soup pot or Dutch oven is best. You can brown the chicken first and then add remaining ingredients to the same pot. Serves 4.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a pie pan or on a plate. Dredge chicken parts in flour, shaking off the excess, and place on a wire baking rack.
Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil, and when it is warm, use tongs to add 4 or 5 pieces of the chicken, being careful not to crowd them. Brown for about 10 minutes on each side, until they begin to crisp and are light brown. Transfer chicken to a plate as it is finished and repeat until the chicken is cooked.
Add leeks and shallots. Use a spoon to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot and cook the leeks and shallots for 3 to 4 minutes, until wilted. Add the carrots, celery, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir well and saute vegetables for 3 minutes. Stir in stock and cider, deglazing the pan. Bring to a boil and add the chicken pieces. Reduce heat and simmer, with the lid slightly askew, for about 30 minutes, until the chicken begins to separate from the bone.
While the chicken is cooking, Combine Bisquick, milk, egg, and salt in a glass or stainless steel bowl. Mix with a fork until barely moist. Drop by spoonfuls into the chicken stock and cover. Cook for 12 minutes, or until the dumplings float. The dumplings should look like clouds floating in the stock. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings into bowls. Ladle the broth, chicken, and vegetables over the dumplings and serve immediately.
Ooh Baby Bananas Foster
Everyone loves this dessert named for Richard Foster, a 1950s regular at Brennan’s, the famous New Orleans restaurant. Try some of the special varieties of bananas on the market today, especially the little red ones, which are sweeter than common yellow ones. Serve this with vanilla ice cream sprinkled with a little grated sweetened coconut on top if preferred. A large nonstick fry pan is the best choice for this dessert so the caramel will not stick. A heat-resistant spatula will be a helpful aid in scraping up all the sauce to pour over the ice cream. Serves 4.
Ingredients
Directions
Melt butter in a large nonstick fry pan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and rum. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil. Once the butter-rum mixture begins to thicken, in about 3 minutes, add the bananas and gently spoon the mixture over the bananas to coat them very well. Cook for 1 minute to warm them, and remove the pan from the heat. Cool the bananas and syrup for about 2 minutes. Spoon over ice cream and serve immediately.
