grape leaf pie

i think it's fair to say

that this may be one of the

oddest things i've made in

a long time. and you know,

i make some odd things.

--

six years ago, i was working

at the magazine, living by myself

in a tiny studio apartment and

needed to make a little more money.

i thought about it for a few months,

hesitant to add another job to

my busy schedule. but, when i found

out that the gym i already frequented

five days a week was in search of a

part timer, i jumped at the chance.

the job helped in two ways:

it gave me extra money.

it gave me a free gym membership.

at first, i struggled with my two

identities. it was hard waking up

early to go to the gym for myself,

come home, shower,

pack a bag, go to work,

drive as fast as i could back to the gym

and then dash into the small changing

room that i entered in heels

and dresses and emerged in sneakers,

workout pants and an old camp t-shirt.

but, before i knew it,

it was two years later. i was living

with larry in our two bedroom

apartment, enjoying the relationships

that i had made with the people who

attended the gym and still resenting having

to wake up at 7am every sunday morning

to open the gym, just as much as i disliked

not getting home until 9pm on monday

and tuesday nights.

and then, i decided to go to culinary school

full time and still keep my monday to friday job.

and, i made the decision that in spite of

the fact that i was putting myself into

thousands of dollars of debt, i had no choice

but to walk away from the little bit of money

that helped bridge the gap between

scared and making it.

i was quitting the gym.

telling my never-there boss was a breeze.

it was the gym-goers, who i had formed real

relationships with, that i was dreading addressing.

but, the gym goers, the ones who had spent

two years working out

while discussing recipes with me,

were wonderful

and supportive.

and one of them, linda, asked me a question

that i had never really thought of before,

but has stuck with me everyday since:

can you taste the recipe before you make it?

she elaborated, can you look at a recipe,

read the ingredients, the techniques

and know what you will

be tasting at the very end?

and, i know it sounds strange,

but every time i think of those two

weird transitional years in my life in which i

was food editor by day/gym something-or-other

at night, i think about linda and how

in the end, her question, forcing me to always

critically examine a recipe before making it,

made it all worth it.

--

and that's why i had to make this

grape leaf pie. i read the headnote provided,

discussing how unusual of a recipe it was.

i read the ingredients,

a combination of:

greek yogurt,

shallots,

toasted nuts,

herbs,

lemon zest,

lemon juice

and

rice flour.

i read that i, the recipe-maker, was to

line the bottom of a dish with soaked

grape leaves, spread them with the

yogurt paste, cover them with more grape

leaves and after brushing with oil and

topping with panko, i was to bake the pie

and then cut it into wedges.

and i, for the life of me, had no idea

what i would see when i peered into that

savory cake.

would it be firm? a solid piece that

cut into beautiful wedges? or would

it have only firmed slightly, still

holding onto some of that squish

that yogurt is famous for, the filling

oozing out of the sides of the slices? or,

after 40 minutes in the oven,

would it be a scoopable mess?

i didn't know. i didn't understand it.

the directions were easy enough.

just before throwing the cake pan

into the oven, i compared my pie to

the picture: it was the spitting image,

just unbaked. 40 minutes was perfect -

the pie came out with a crispy golden

brown top; the house smelled like

a greek restaurant. i stared at it for

10 minutes.

and then, i started to cut.

the top leaves crackled

and lifted from the filling. the bottom

leaves, more tender, sort of clung better.

the filling was sturdy, handling the knife

like a champ.

and still, i don't know how to describe it.

instead, i'll tell give you

this random collection of thoughts:

-the center of the pie was very firm.

-every time i think of something to compare it to,

i want to say that i reminded me a little bit of tempeh,

but i know that that would turn off people who are

anti-meat replacement products and possibly infuriate

tempeh lovers who once they try it, may think

that this pie is nothing like tempeh.

-if i didn't make it, i wouldn't have known that

there was yogurt inside, holding it all together.

-i wish that i had used more herbs.

-even though i thought that the perfect large

grape leaves would look beautiful on top, next

time i would use smaller ones. i think that they

would cover better and not be so hard to cut.

but, still, i liked it.

i know that's hard to accept,

what with me not really able to give

you any information and all.

but i did. it was light and filling

and unusual and actually reheated

pretty well the next day for lunch.

but, i maintain my stance:

this really may be one of the

oddest things i've made in

a long time.*

grape leaf pie

adapted from plenty

i followed the concept completely, but i did make changes based on what i like and what i had in the house: eliminating tarragon and parsley, keeping the mint and adding basil, throwing in two cloves of garlic, switching in chopped walnuts for pine nuts and reducing the oil and butter used. the original instructions said to make and bake in a shallow bowl. i opted to use an 8" cake pan, which worked well. i think.

also, the recipe calls for 20-25 grape leaves. i ended up using 12. i wish i had used more on top because as you can see in the picture, as they baked and shrunk a little bit, they exposed the filling. but, i still think the most i would have used was 16. use your judgement.

last thing. because it's so creamy, i always use fat-free greek yogurt. even though i'm sure the recipe intended for a full-fat yogurt to be used, i wanted to go with my normal pick, but i did have my doubts that it was the wrong move. luckily, the store was out, so i opted for 2%, which i think was fine.

15-25 grape leaves (see headnote)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 container (7 ounces) greek yogurt, plus more for serving (see headnote)

1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

3 tablespoons thinly sliced basil

3 tablespoons thinly sliced mint

1 lemon, grated and juiced

1/2 cup rice flour

3 tablespoons panko

salt and black pepper

heat oven to 375˚f.

place grape leaves in bowl; cover with boiling water. let sit 10 minutes. drain; dry well. using scissors, trim and discard any hard stalks on the bottom of the leaves.

in small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat; add shallots. cook 7 minutes, or until just starting to turn light brown, adjusting heat, if necessary and stirring occasionally. add garlic; cook 1-2 minutes more, or until the shallots and garlic are both golden brown, stirring occasionally. remove from heat; let cool.

whisk together melted butter and remaining olive oil.

cover bottom and sides of 8-inch cake pan with grape leaves, overlapping slightly. using pastry brush, gently brush bottom of leaves with butter-oil mixture. set aside.

in bowl, stir together shallots, yogurt, walnuts, herbs, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and salt and pepper; taste and adjust, if necessary. stir in rice flour. using offset spatula, spread yogurt paste evenly in serving dish, making sure to get the filling all the way to the edges.

fold grape leaves evenly over top of filling. top with remaining grape leaves, overlapping slightly and covering well. brush gently with butter-oil mixture. sprinkle with panko; drizzle with remaining butter-oil mixture.

bake 40 minutes, or until leaves crisp and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. let sit at least 10 minutes. cut into wedges. serve with dollops of yogurt, if desired.**

*just as i finished writing this, larry came in and asked what i was blogging about. when i told him grape leaf pie, he said, that was good. when i looked at him, he said, yes, in retrospect, i liked it a lot. it's not that he hadn't eaten it or even complained about it. he just originally had the same what-is-this? reaction that i did.

**i picked up an extra 7 ounce container of yogurt to serve on the side. while i planned to just dollop it, i had a last minute change of heart, squeezing in lemon juice and adding chopped mint and basil. i'm very glad i went that route. i think it added a very necessary something to the pie.

kale and pumpkin seed risotto

when we first decided to buy

this house, one of the things i

was most excited about was

the kitchen. yes, it was

painted four colors, each one

worse than the last. no,

it was not as large as i would

have liked. and, no, it did

not come stocked with

designer up-to-date appliances.

but, the wooden cabinets were high,

the counter space was plentiful

and it was hard not to notice the

three huge windows.

our old apartment boasted one tiny

brick-facing piece of glass

on the complete opposite

side of the kitchen workspace.

my first thought?

finally, i can get some good pictures.

but, people.

this kitchen is full of deception.

how did we not realize that there

is only one very dim, very yellow

light in the entire room?

the windows offer little help.

it's hard enough to

see the food when we cook.

taking pictures? well, unless

i decide to quit my job and

cook every meal in the middle

of the day, they're kind of a joke.

i find myself rushing home,

trying to catch the last moments

of sunlight and learning that even

when there's dimming daylight

outside, it's still too dark.

this kale?

i took at least 30 pictures in

six different places in the kitchen.

this, standing directly in front of the window,

is the best of the bunch,

(see my neighbor's pathway

blurry in the background?).

i hoped that maybe my eyes

were playing tricks on me.

that maybe, when they were on

off the camera and blown up on

the computer screen i would realize

that it wasn't so bad. but, i've

come to terms with the fact that

clearly, we have a situation here.

i'm going to do the best i can

going forward into the colder

and darker months. i'm going

to research new lenses and

find a reliable electrician to

install usable lights into

our ceiling and invest in different

window treatments for our windows.

and, i'm going to make us

more of this risotto. because even

if the few pictures might not be so

pretty, this is the kind of meal

you want to have in your cooking

arsenal on chilly, dark, winter nights.

i think risotto has a bad reputation.

when i told my grandmother that

i was making it for dinner, she was

shocked that i would attempt such a

laborious dish on a work night. but,

in case you haven't made risotto yourself,

here's the deal: the total time is short.

it's the hands-on time that risks becoming

a turn off. because really, all you have to

do is heat up some broth, saute onions,

pop open a bottle of wine and commit

to stirring for about 20-25 minutes.

i usually convince larry to hang out with

me during the stirring, but i've also

found that itunes, a phone call or

my own thoughts

are enough to distract me from

the potentially monotonous activity.

the method for this risotto echos

the most classic recipes. but, it

was the two title ingredients that

intrigued me enough to give it a go.

we, like many people i know, have

become big kale eaters over the past

year and i've discovered that even

though i had previously

avoided the leaves for

fear of overtly bitter notes, we are never

fighting through eating the greens.

i loved the idea of stirring tender,

but still hearty, strands

into the al dente grains.

i also liked that by first boiling the leaves

in chicken broth, their flavor

infuses the rice's cooking liquid.

the toasted pumpkin seeds were

the second reason that i wanted into

this dish. risotto is lovely - creamy,

indulgent and full of comfort. but,

like a plain bowl of vanilla ice cream (also,

creamy, indulgent and full of comfort),

i get bored with an entire serving of one

texture. crisp lightly salted pumpkin seeds

were the perfect foil.

on this night,

i wanted the pepitas seeds

out of the way.

i started by toasting them

until they were puffy and golden,

then drizzled with oil and a touch

of kosher salt, per the recipe,

before adding a couple dashes of

cayenne, to add a touch of spice to

the finished dish.

next, while the onions sauteed,

i simmered the chopped kale in

a mixture of chicken broth and water

(next time i would use all chicken broth),

before draining the greens and setting

them aside. from there on, it was

business as usual,

adding a bit of chopped garlic,

then the rice to the onions.

deglazing with white wine

and then adding the broth,

by the ladleful, all the while,

stirring the mixture.

when creamy,

i mixed in a pat of butter,

a healthy handful of grated pecorino romano,

the kale and generous squeezes

of lemon juice that i was pretty sure

the mixture would need. i tasted it

and wished that i had replaced part

of the grated cheese with goat cheese.

i think the tang would have put the whole

dish over the top. but still, i was happy.

i violated every photography rule out

there and placed the plates of

pumpkin seed-sprinkled risotto

directly under that one dim light in the

kitchen and hoped for the best.

then, i let go.

it is, after all, risotto.

it waits for no one.

especially not,

a poorly lit kitchen and

an amateur photographer.

kale and pumpkin seed risotto

adapted from gourmet magazine

if you've never made risotto before, this one does have a couple extra steps, but nothing that you can't handle. i will say, though that this is a perfect recipe to practice your mise en place.

i made several changes: i used a greater ratio of chicken broth to water than called for - as i said above, next time i would use all chicken broth. i chopped the kale before cooking, instead of cooking, straining and cutting as it instructs in the recipe. i used an entire white onion instead of measuring, switched in pecorino romano for the parmigiano-regianno, squeezed in lemon juice and added cayenne pepper to the pumpkin seeds to give the dish a slightly spicy edge. i'm writing it below as i made it, but i do think that next time i would increase the garlic, add more lemon and if i was feeling completely indulgent, stir in some of that goat cheese.

spicy pumpkin seeds

1 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds

1 teaspoon olive oil

kosher salt

cayenne pepper

in dry heavy skillet over medium heat, cook pumpkin seeds 5 minutes, or until puffed and golden. remove from heat; stir in olive oil. season with salt and cayenne to taste. set aside.

5 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken broth

3 cups water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 pound lacinato kale

1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and divided

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 1/2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice (10 ounces)

1/3 cup white wine

1 juicy lemon, juiced

1/2 cup grated pecorino romano

in saucepot, bring broth and water to a boil; add 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt.

meanwhile, cut stems and center ribs from kale; discard. cut kale into 1-inch ribbons. add kale to broth in batches, stirring between additions. reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, or until kale is tender. carefully pour into strainer set over a large bowl; press on kale to extract as much liquid as possible. transfer liquid back into saucepot; turn heat to low.

meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon butter until melted and hot; add onion and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. cover; reduce heat to low. cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until translucent. add garlic; cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. add rice and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.

increase heat to medium; add wine and simmer until absorbed, stirring constantly. stir in 1/2 cup warm broth; stir constantly until broth is absorbed. add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and waiting until the liquid is absorbed. you can stop adding the broth when the mixture is creamy and the rice is tender, but still al dente, about 18-22 minutes. reduce heat to low.

stir in kale, lemon juice, remaining butter, cheese and salt and pepper to taste. cook 1 minute more to incorporate. stir in some of the remaining broth mixture to thin out, if desired.

transfer to serving bowls; sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds. serve with extra pecorino romano for sprinkling, if desired.