Don't Judge a Casserole...

I admit Chile Relleno Casserole does not have "Spoon" written all over it. It's true that it doesn't require a long list of ingredients and can be prepared fairly quickly--two qualities I often look for in a recipe. But I'm generally not a casserole kind of girl (Italian casseroles like baked ziti, lasagna and baked macaroni not withstanding). Also, since "relleno" means "stuffed" or "filled," I couldn't figure out what was stuffed in this recipe. I envisioned the labor-intensive task of stuffing individual chilies with some sort of complicated mixture. Still, when I met cookbook author and publisher Tod Davies and she singled this recipe out as one that epitomized her approach to cooking, I knew I had to give it a try.

This is definitely a case of "you don't know until you try it," because Chile Relleno Casserole is actually quite good. It's essentially a layered vegetable-cheese-egg dish, a sort of twist on huevos rancheros. The bottom layer is shredded jack cheese. On top of that are diced roasted green peppers, then canned green chilies, then shredded cheddar. Over this you pour a mixture of beaten eggs and milk, seasoned with salt, and then top it with paprika. You bake it in a 350-degree oven for 40 minutes or so, and that's it.

I used smoky Spanish paprika (Fork came home about halfway through the cooking and said, "Smells like bacon"--ha!), which I think gave the dish a little depth. We topped our servings with chopped scallion and cilantro, and a squirt of lime juice. With some blue corn tortilla chips, this made a light, easy supper. Here's to trying new things...--S

Chile Relleno Casserole

Serves 4-6

1. Roast 2 large green peppers. Seed them. Dice into large pieces.
2. Get about 1 1/2 seven-ounce cans Ortega green chiles, whole or diced, about 11 ounces.
3. Grate 10 ounces Jack cheese (.63 lb.) and 10 ounces sharp Cheddar.
4. 1 1/3 c. of milk.
5. In a huge, flat casserole that's been greased, spread the Jack, the peppers, the chile, the Cheddar.
6. Beat 3 large eggs. Add the milk and 1/2 t salt. Pour over casserole mixture. Paprika top.
7. Bake at 350 for about 40-50 minutes.

Note: I halved the recipe, using one can of chilies, about 4 ounces of each of the cheeses, and one egg.

Recipe courtesy of Jam Today.

The Inaugural Dinner

The first night in our new home, we ate some very delicious eggplant parmigiana my mom had made. But what to make the second night? I knew I'd also want to get some unpacking done, so I couldn't throw myself into a three-hour dinner making extravaganza. But I didn't want some chintzy, hastily assembled dish like salade nicoise or sauteed shrimp, which I'd been considering, and I'm sure would be fine, but not momentous enough for the first home-cooked meal. I could've tried a new recipe from any one of my many cookbooks, but what if it was a dud? That wouldn't be a good omen for the first real meal in a new home. I was pretty much stressed out over dinner, and it wasn't good.

And then, the epiphany: a family recipe. Something I knew how to make by heart; that I'd never screwed up; that was hearty, homey and good; and that we didn't eat all the time but that we always enjoyed. It was Pork Chops and Vinegar Peppers, and it was just the thing.

I grew up loving this dish, with its acidic peppers smoothed out just a bit by chicken stock and pork, with spaghetti on the side. I loved it so much that in third grade, when we were going around the classroom naming our favorite dinners, I proudly said, "Pork chops and vinegar peppers" when everybody else was saying meatloaf and pizza, and got a chorus of ewwws. But I didn't care.

This is a quick meal to put together; the hardest thing might be finding the vinegar peppers, depending on where you live. B&G Foods makes them; the company started in Manhattan in 1889 and apparently has not achieved world domination yet. I guess other peppers would work, but the dish won't really be the same. The peppers in vinegar are tangy and add such a nice punch to the pork. Other than that, things are straightforward: brown chops, saute peppers, add juices, cook until pork is done, serve over spaghetti mixed in with all the juices and lots of parsley.

Hoping this is the beginning of many more delicious, happy meals.--S

Pork Chops and Vinegar Peppers over Spaghetti

Serves 4

4 center-cut pork chops on the bone
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large jar red bell peppers in vinegar
2-4 T fresh parsley, minced plus more for garnish
1/2 c chicken stock
1/2 lb spaghetti

1. Warm 2-3 t olive oil in a large nonstick fry pan. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Brown chops in pan 1-2 minutes per side on medium high heat. Remove chops from pan.
2. Slice peppers and reserve the vinegar from the jar. Add 2-3 t olive oil to the pan and saute peppers for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute. Add stock and 1/4 c reserved vinegar.
3. Return the chops to the pan along with parsley. Cover and simmer on low flame 5-7 minutes, until pork registers 155 degrees or is slightly pink inside. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente.
4. Place chops and pepper son a serving platter. Toss pasta with liquid from pork chop pan. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with grated parmesan cheese.

The It Pepper

If you've seen a Taco Bell ad, eaten at an "upscale Mexican" restaurant, or watched Bobby Flay's show in the past six months, you've no doubt noticed that chipotle has become the It chili pepper. The smoked jalapenos are hot, flavorful and just so fun to say out loud. "I'll have the chee-poat-lay smashed sweet potatoes, please!" Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

I happen to be a chipotle fan, and have been meaning to try a recipe for Chipotle-Cheddar Corn Muffins for months. The recipe is part of a lovely deck of recipes Uncle Marc gave us for Christmas. The muffins are chock full of goodies: cornmeal, buttermilk, honey, heavy cream, corn kernels, sharp cheddar cheese, and, of course, those chipotle chilis, along with the adobo sauce they are packed in. The sauce, made from tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt and spices, is pretty spicy itself, but it's a really nice spice, smoky and rich.

Fork picked up some soup at the newly reopened Havana Chelsea tonight, and the muffins were just coming out of the oven as we sat down to eat. The homey soup, made with beef, pork, yucca and other Caribbean vegetables, was a perfect prelude to the moist and delicious muffins. We split one after finishing the soup, me picking through to get the bits of spicy chipotle, Fork fishing around for the pepper-less parts (we're quite a pair, aren't we?). I wouldn't recommend these muffins for breakfast, unless you're eating huevos rancheros, and even then, brace yourself, because they are pretty darn hot. But as far as kicked up corn muffins go, these are perfecto.--S

Chipotle-Cheddar Corn Muffins

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c cornmeal
1/2 c sugar
1 t kosher salt
2 t baking powder
2 eggs, beaten slightly
1 c butter slightly
1 c buttermilk
1 T honey
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c frozen corn kernels, thawed
3/4 c sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3 chipotle chilis, canned in adobo sauce, seeds removed, finely chopped
2 t adobo sauce
4 T melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter two mini-muffin trays (or one regular-sized 12-muffin tray).
2. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, honey and cream.
4. Stir in flour mixture until incorporated. Stir in corn kernels, cheese, chipotles and adobo sauce. Stir in melted butter.
5. Spoon batter into muffin tins until each well is half full. Baked 12-14 minutes for mini-muffins, or 20-24 minutes for regular muffins, until golden and firm to the touch, or until a knife comes out clean. Cool slightly.
6. Run a thin knife around the sides of the muffins and unmold.

Recipe courtesy of The Sumptuous Small Plates Deck by Bibby Gignilliat