Witchy Kitchen

Tag: rosemary

  • Snow White Roasted Vegetables and Sausage with Red Wine Reduction

    Snow White Roasted Vegetables and Sausage with Red Wine Reduction

    In the same way folklore transforms over time, 2018’s Suspiria is a thorough retelling of the classic 1977 Dario Argento Giallo horror. Though both films tell the twisted fairy tale of a beautiful, talented and determined American ballerina coming to an elite, witch-inhabited dance school in Germany, the space between the plot points is distorted and the tone completely shifted. The original is drenched in a vibrant, almost garish color palette and an intense, powerful Goblin soundtrack, while the reimagining directed by Luca Guadagnino is soft and de-saturated with the dreamy, droney sounds of Thom Yorke. More in the Nightmare on Filmstreet review.

    Much like the films, this dish is heavily inspired by Snow White. Indeed our heroine, Susie Bannion (played in 1977 by Jessica Harper and in 2018 by Dakota Johnson), is a modern Snow White, who wanders into an enchanted world and has to fight attempts on her life from a jealous crone. As the Grimm brother’s Snow White tale comes from Germany and Suspiria takes place in Berlin, I definitely wanted the dish to have a German leaning, so chose a mixture of vegetables to roast with sausage.

    Color is so symbolic in both films, with the sweet ingenues often dressed in white, and red used in violent, jarring ways. The veggies used here are all white: darling little creamer potatoes, fennel, turnips and garlic. To accompany them I made a rich red wine reduction, also reminiscent of the wine Susie’s doctor gives her to drug her when she becomes too suspicious….it’s suspiciously delicious.

    Snow White Roasted Vegetables and Sausage with Red Wine Reduction

    For the veggies and sausage
    • 1 1/2 pounds yellow creamer potatoes, halved or quartered
    • 2 large bulbs fennel, trimmed and chopped into large chunks
    • 2 medium turnips, peeled and chopped into large chunks
    • 7 large cloves garlic, gently crushed and peeled
    • olive oil
    • 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
    • 1 pound peppery or sweet German or Eastern European-style sausage (we made this vegetarian by using Polish-style soy sausages), thickly sliced

    Heat oven to 425°. Divide potatoes, fennel, turnips and garlic into two large baking dishes. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and white pepper, toss with your hands and spread into a single even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, then stir/flip, making sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the dish, spread evenly again and bake for 20 minutes more.

    Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a pan and brown the sausage in batches, removing to a plate. After the first 40 minutes of roasting, reduce oven heat to 350° and divide sausage between the dishes. Bake for another 20 minutes. Check the veggies at this point; they should be very soft, some gently caramelized, and the potatoes and turnips not mushy but easily pierced with a fork. Bake another 10-20 minutes until they reach desired doneness. Transfer to a serving dish.

    For red wine reduction
    • 2 tablespoons butter, divided
    • 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
    • 1 cup vegetable broth
    • 1 cup red wine

    In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook shallot until golden. Add vegetable broth and red wine and stir. Bring to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has reduced to about a third of its volume. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon butter.

    To serve, spoon vegetables onto a plate and drizzle with the red wine reduction. Serve with warm, crusty bread.

    Suspiria is now playing in theatres.

    First published on Nightmare on Film Street.

  • Turniphead Cawl

    Turniphead Cawl

    Howl’s Moving Castle is a 1986 fantasy novel by Diana Wynne Jones and subsequent 2004 Ghibli movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It’s the tale of the young hatmaker Sophie who was cursed with old age, and escapes to Howl’s castle, a steampunk fortress home to several enchanting characters, careening across the countryside. They are tonally different, the book having that very matter-of-face Britishy voice and the movie being soft, strange and meandering, but both very charming and observant. They explore themes of destiny – and the movie dips into pacifism – and a refreshing take on old age, when a person can be at peace with themself and therefore truly free.

    When brainstorming a dish for Howl’s Moving Castle, I thought Welsh Cawl might be a nice choice – is the national dish of Wales from whence hails Howl, and although Sophie hates turnips she has somewhat affectionately named the stalky scarecrow Turniphead. I carved little faces into my turnips, so Halloweeny – keep Halloween in your heart all through the year.

    Recommended, do the meat and broth step the day before so it has time to cool and you can spoon off the fat.

    Turniphead Cawl

    • 1.5 pounds bone-in lamb shoulder, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
    • flavorless oil
    • salt & pepper
    • herbs (I used several sprigs of thyme and a sprig of rosemary)
    • 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced into half moons
    • 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into half moons
    • 3 medium turnips, peeled, halved, and carved into faces
    • handful parsley finely chopped

    Salt and pepper the meat and heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high in a large soup pot. Brown in two batches, then add 6 cups water and the rest of the meat into pot, stirring well to scrape up any brown bits. Add herbs, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer for an hour.

    Cool completely in the fridge. Scrape off fat and discard. Strain the meat out to a plate, and strain the broth.

    In the soup pot, gently heat 2 teaspoons oil. Add leaks and carrots to the pot and gently stir to coat, cooking several minutes until wilted and soft. Add broth, meat, and turnips. Bring up to a simmer and simmer until turnips are soft and can be easily pierced with a paring knife, 10-15 minutes.

    Arrange in a bowl and serve hot, garnished with parsley.

    Recipe for Fiction Kitchen Episode 49: HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE in which Carrie and Diana discuss the novel by Diana Wynne Jones as well as the Ghibli movie – with fire demon-cooked bacon, luscious cream cakes, magical honey and questionable turnip heads.

  • Lemony White Bean Hummus

    Lemony White Bean Hummus

    My 9 year old, Zoeya, has snapped up all thirteen novels in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and all of us in our family are fans of Netflix’s adaptation which I have dubbed the NPH Show (Neil Patrick Harris’s murderous Count Olaf is exquisite).

    Being a bit of a smartypants herself, Zoeya loves the too-clever children Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire and their counterplots to escape Count Olaf’s clutches. I myself love the Victorian gothic undertones, creepier elements, and fun quirky appearances of actors I love. Joan Cusack is an adorable Justice Strauss in the first two episodes which essentially cover the first book in the series, The Bad Beginning.

    Justice Strauss lives in the charming and bright house next to Count Olaf’s dark and dilapidated manor. Although she is an example of one of the adults that fail the children over and over again, her flaw being ridiculous and extreme pedanticism, she is kind and has their best interest at heart. She returns from the store at one point saying she has the ingredients for white bean hhhummus (over-enunciated with some hocking from the epiglottis).

    Inspired by this, I pulled back my hair Violet Baudelaire-style and made a very lemony (pun intended) version of white bean hhhummus with rosemary as charming and bright as Justice Strauss’s house, served with baguette which we can see in her grocery sack as well as crunchy veggies which biting baby Sunny is partial to. It’s very “festive”, a word which here means “fun” (narrator wink).

    Lemony White Bean Hummus

    • 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans (or one can, rinsed)
    • 1/4 cup tahini
    • zest and juice of 1 lemon
    • 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
    • 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and roughly chopped (you could also use other herbs such as parsley or thyme, or a combination)
    • salt & pepper to taste
    • 1/4 cup olive oil (plus a little for garnish)

    In a food processor, combine white beans, tahini, lemon juice and zest, garlic, rosemary, and a generous pinch salt and pepper until well combined. While still running, drizzle in olive oil. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.

    Serve drizzled with a little olive oil with toasted baguette or pita and crunchy veggies.

    Recipe for Fiction Kitchen Episode 54: A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS in which Carrie and Diana discuss the first four lamentable books in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events in relation to the grievous new Netflix show. We talk putrid puttanesca, crummy coconut cake, cumbersome cucumber soup, and tragic chewing gum. You’ve been warned. We’re sure there are more uplifting things you could be listening to, so feel free to turn away now.

  • Scalloped Turnips

    Scalloped Turnips

    The night is dark, and full of turnips.

    Turnips are a staple of medieval cookery, and can often be used just as new world potatoes, whether sliced, mashed, or cooked into a soup. I recreated a scalloped potato dish I often cook for Thanksgiving using turnips instead, and their slightly sharper flavor worked well!

    The final product was a teensy bit soupy when sliced, as turnips aren’t as starchy as potatoes, but I’m not going to tell you not to make this because it was delicious. Eventually I may try variations, such as adding carrots and/or parsnips, using slightly less cream, or adding cheese (as in these garnished turnips, basically a turnip gratin).

    Scalloped Turnips

    • 4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
    • 2-3 sprigs rosemary
    • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
    • 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
    • 3 large turnips (or 6 small)
    • 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

    Heat oven to 350°

    Butter a 7×11 baking dish (I know this is an odd size, so others will work). Place the garlic and rosemary along the bottom.

    In a mixing bowl, mix whipping cream, salt, and white pepper.

    Cut turnips into quarters (if they are small, just halves). Using a mandolin, slice a turnip at a time, dip in the whipping cream mixture, and arrange in layers in the baking dish. Sprinkle small butter cubes over the top, and loosely tent the dish with foil.

    Bake for an hour, until turnips are soft and easily pierced. Raise heat to 425° and remove foil. Cook another 15 minutes until top is golden. Rest 15 minutes before serving.

    From Game of Thrones menu Queen in the North

  • Rosemary Lemon Cakes

    Rosemary Lemon Cakes

    No Game of Thrones menu, especially one themed Queen in the North, is complete without the iconic lemon cakes.

    Previously I had made a southern Highgardenish version delicately flavored with rosewater, dolloped with a rosey lemon curd. Now that Sansa is back up north outside of Winterfell, presumably heading to the Wall, I started dreaming of a fragrant, piney, northern version of her favorite treat. Rosemary pairs so perfectly with lemon, and I made pretty candied lemon slices to decorate.

    These turned out delicious, and were even better over the next couple of days.

    Rosemary Lemon Cakes

    For the candied lemon slices

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 sprigs rosemary
    • 1 large lemon, cut into thin slices

    In a saucepan, heat sugar with 1 cup water and the sprigs of rosemary. Bring to a boil, swirling the sugar to dissolve it. Gently drop in lemon slices in a single layer and lower heat to medium low. Simmer gently, flipping occasionally, for 15 minutes, until rind softens. Remove to a wax-paper lined baking sheet, cool for an hour, then move to the fridge for an hour. When ready to use, slice the lemon slices into quarters.

    Reserve the syrup, you will use it for the lemon cakes.

    For the lemon cakes

    • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
    • 1/3 cup honey
    • 3 egg yolks
    • zest and juice of one large lemon
    • 1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
    • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (spoon very lightly into measuring cups to measure)
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • candied lemon slices (above)
    • lemon rosemary syrup (above)

    Heat oven to 275°

    Whisk together well butter and honey, then whisk in egg yolks one at a time. Whisk in lemon juice and rosemary.

    In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt, then stir into wet ingredients until just combined. Spoon into greased mini muffin cups, and bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

    Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then overturn onto a plate. Brush liberally with the reserved lemon rosemary syrup (slighly warmed), and top with a candied lemon slice. Cool completely.

    Even better the next day!

    From Game of Thrones menu Queen in the North

  • Olive Oil Braised Veggies

    I am a prolific veggie roaster. After sweeping in from work, before I’ve even taken off my heels I’ve got the oven heated and chopped veggies with little more than olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper on their way in. It’s hard to beat from a time standpoint, and there’s something to be said for keeping it simple and just letting your veggies do the talking.

    But to elevate my veggie game just a little bit, there’s this braising method – still refreshingly simple, just dressed up a little bit. There’s something so nice about the fresh cleanness of the veggies, gently cooked to maintain their shape and color, with the richness of the immensely flavorful olive oil. It makes for a pretty side dish, perfect to be mopped up with crusty bread, or even a light meal over rice or quinoa.

    It works for all kinds of vegetables, you just add them in the order of cooking time. I used baby red potatoes, carrots, and asparagus, but you can swap them out for whatever you like, just add the longer-cooking ones first. I love this combination of aromatics but you can play around with them as well depending on taste and what you have around in the kitchen.

    Olive Oil Braised Veggies

    • 1/2 cup olive oil
    • 1 lemon, cut into thin wedges (divided)
    • 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, cut into strips
    • 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
    • good pinch red chili flakes
    • sprig of rosemary
    • salt & pepper
    • 1 pound baby red potatoes (cut the larger ones in half)
    • 2-3 shallots, quartered
    • 2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into medium sized sticks
    • 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

    Heat olive oil on medium high. Add a quarter of the lemon wedges (save the rest for serving), and allow them to slightly brown. Add sundried tomatoes, garlic cloves, red pepper flakes and rosemary, and stir for just a minute. Lower heat to medium low and add the new potatoes, shallots, and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir to coat with the oil and cook for about 20 minutes. Add carrots, stir gently to coat, and cook covered for another 20 minutes. Check to see that veggies are fork-tender but not falling apart. Add asparagus, again stir gently to coat, and cook covered for 7-10 minutes until asparagus is just done.

    Remove from heat and serve with lemon wedges, a sprinkle of parsley or basil if you want, and either with crusty bread or over rice or quinoa. Make sure to get some of the yummy olive oil on top!