To Start a Stock: Aromatic Vegetables Three Ways.

Mirepoix (meer-PWAH) is the base of many a French recipe; soups, stocks and many sauces are built on the classic flavor of onion, carrot and celery, sauteed together in butter.

Though the ingredients and precise technique vary from region to region, sauteed aromatics are a key element in many cuisines.  The Spaniards have their sofrito; the Portuguese, refogado.  Emeril uses the Holy Trinity of Creole cuisine.  Even the Germans utilize this technique, and with good reason.  Stocks and soups taste empty without it.  You don't necessarily taste the individual components, but together they fill out the flavor profile of a dish.  Mirepoix is so universal that some use the term to refer to cutting anything into medium dice (cut in mirepoix). The ingredients are so cheap, and the process is so easy that if this isn't in your repertoire right now, it's time to add it.

Following are:
Classic Mirepoix
Basic Chicken Stock
Jambalaya featuring the Holy Trinity


 Classic Mirepoix

1 c diced white or yellow onion
1/2 c peeled & diced carrot
1/2 c diced celery
2 or 3 T butter

Combine all in heavy-bottomed sauce pan or stock pot, whichever final recipe will call for.  Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent.

That's it!  You may use this for the following recipes, or start your next soup, stew or risotto with it.  Also, don't worry too much about the exact proportions, it will still add good flavor.  Don't worry about a perfect dice either.  Similarly sized pieces will cook evenly, so do make sure dice are fairly uniform.  If you're making stock you will be straining it at the end, so appearance isn't a concern.  And if you're anything like me, perfect cubes of carrot aren't your biggest concern when taking a bite of jambalaya anyway. 

Basic Chicken Stock

About 4 lbs chicken carcasses, or scraps or bones, or a combination
About 4 qts water
Classic mirepoix
Clean kitchen vegetable scraps (sweet pepper cores, scallion ends, mushroom stalks, etc.) Optional 

Use a large stock pot for the mirepoix.  After onions have softened, season with a dash of pepper.  Add chicken carcasses and water.  Bring up to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 4 hrs.  Strain and refrigerate; skim any hardened fat off when cooled.

Jambalaya


Ingredients for Classic Mirepoix, minus carrot plus bell pepper (Creole Trinity or Holy Trinity)
Olive oil
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken, or Andouille sausage, or preferably a combination
Minced garlic, 6-8 cloves depending on size
3 bay leaves
2 c rice
1 qt stock or water
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
Cayenne
Dried oregano
Dried thyme
1/2 lb frozen raw shrimp

For Holy Trinity: combine in stock pot ingredients for Classic Mirepoix, REPLACING carrot with bell pepper and butter with olive oil.   Add chicken or Andouille.  Cook over medium heat till meat is browned and onion has softened.  Add garlic and cook till just hot and aromatic.  Add another drizzle of olive oil, bay leaves and rice.  Stir to coat rice in oil and cook for a minute.  Add tomatoes and stock, reduce heat to low and cover.  Simmer till rice is tender, 15-20 min.

Measure out equal parts dry oregano, dry thyme and cayenne powder, blend and season jambalaya to taste with spice blend, salt and black pepper.

Add shrimp, re-cover and cook till shrimp is pink and opaque.  Adjust seasoning to taste and serve immediately.

Hello World.

You've heard it a thousand times.  You are what you eat.  Those words are truer in our lifetimes than they have ever been.  From dollar menus to Hamburger Helper, over-fished waters to genetically-modified produce, we're also more aware than ever of the changes in our diets over the last century (and the toll they take on our health and happiness) than ever before.  Our options seem limitless, but what do you and I actually eat on a day-to-day basis?

We're conflicted, stretched for time and money, and overwhelmed by the dietary recommendations of so-called experts.  Food doesn't have to be so enigmatic.  My approach tends to lean toward simplicity and traditionalism.  Michael Pollan is a personal hero of mine, and he discusses these problems and their possible solutions in his enlightening book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto.  I wholeheartedly believe that we are meant to eat close to the Earth, a plant-based diet full of whole food. 

Here I hope to explore good ways to eat what I preach.  I work two jobs and sometimes the prospect of actually cooking 3 homemade, healthy meals in a day seems impossible.  But I don't think truly is.  Time to get down to it.  After all, even a small move toward those goals is a good move.

 I hope you'll join me in my personal journey to better, faster, cheaper and happier eating.  Cheers!