How to make Super Creamy and Smooth Homemade Hummus

Saladin – The Original Hummus Lover

Did you know Hummus dates back to 13th century Egypt?  Some culinary sources say it goes even further back to the 11th century and the times of Saladin, the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria.  Regardless, hummus is an ancient food packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Iron, Fiber, and Amino Acids.  

Hummus is one of my favorite dipping snacks with hot pita or fresh vegetables (carrots, peppers, and radishes).  Since moving to NYC, I’ve realized it can also be used as the base of a meal. 

I’ve been making homemade hummus for years, but was always a bit disappointed with the results.  The hummus was delicious, but never creamy or smooth like store-bought products.  I still made my own, because I appreciated the end product and enjoyed experimenting with flavors.  But it wasn’t until a week ago that I stumbled upon the secret.  

How to make Creamy Hummus

What is the secret?  To make your hummus super creamy, you need to spend about 15-20 minutes of your day removing the shells of each individual chickpea. It’s very easy and takes about 5-6 seconds per chickpea.  Simply pinch each pod and the shell will fall off.

Feeds 4-6 people

Costs:  $4-$6

Ingredients

• 2 regular sized cans of chickpeas or 1 large can – RINSED
• 2 lemons – juiced
• 2 tablespoons tahini sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 ice cubes
• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

How to make Creamy Hummus

• In a food processor or blender, add your tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Blend until creamy – about 1 minute max.
• Add your shelled chickpeas and ice cubes to the blender or food processor and blend for 3-5 minutes, or until the ice cubes are dissolved.
• Check the mixture to see if it’s the consistency you want.  If not, add a splash of cold water or a bit more olive oil and blend.
• Place mixture in a bowl, top with olive oil and paprika, or whatever you like.
• Enjoy!

Red Quinoa with Herbs and Lemon Vinaigrette

Quinoa Salad

Quinoa, a grain-like crop known for its edible seeds, is a species of goosefoot.  What in the world is goosefoot?  It’s a genus of flowering plants considered a sacred crop by the Inca civilization.  Quinoa was traditionally sown by the Emperor each season using ‘golden implements’.   Did you know the year 2013 has already been declared UN International Year of Quinoa?  Yeah, I know…weird.

Anyways, I’m a big fan of trying everything once.  Quinoa has always been on that list.  Not my most radical item on the list, but nonetheless in need of a ‘check-off’.  Randomly saw this Quinoa recipe, but like usual, changed it around to meet my preferences.  Seriously – give it a try.  Super delicious.

Total Cost – $12-$15
Feeds 3-4 people

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried Quinoa
• 1 handful of chopped cilantro (you can substitute parsley if you don’t like cilantro)
• 1/2 cup cooked edamame
• 1/2 medium sized red onion – chopped
• 1 orange – segmented and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 pomegranate – seeds only (duh)
• 1/2 avocado – diced
• 4 chicken loins – grilled and cubed
• 2 juiced lemons
• 4-6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar (or honey)
• 1 garlic clove – either pressed or microplaned

Directions

• In saucepan, bring 1 cup of red quinoa to boil with 2 cups water.  When water begins boiling, reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.  When water is totally gone, turn off heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes.
• Place cooled quinoa, cilantro, red onion, edamame, orange segments, and pomegranate seeds into a bowl.
• In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper together.
• Add lemon vinaigrette to quinoa and mix thoroughly.
• Add salt and pepper to raw chicken.  Grill and cube into 1 inch pieces.
• Split avocado, remove flesh, then cut into 1 inch cubes.
• Place mound of quinoa salad in the middle of the plate, and throw avocado and chicken cubes around it.
• Enjoy!

Homemade Fresh Mozzarella

Homemade Mozzarella

Who doesn’t love a ball of fresh mozzarella?  It’s creamy, over-the-top, delicious cheese.    Unfortunately, the cost of quality store-bought mozzarella can be less desirable.  So this past weekend, my soon-to-be father in law and I tried our hands at making homemade fresh mozzarella.  And surprisingly, it was beyond successful.  Lets just say I ran 7 miles the next day.  To make the mozzarella, you only need a few ingredients.  We bought 5 lbs of cheese curd for $20.  

Total Cost:  $20

Yields: between 40-50 balls (obviously it was an insane amount of mozzarella, so freeze the unused curds into useable chunks for future meals).

Ingredients

• 1 lb cheese curd, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 large pot of boiling water
• 1 tub of room-temperature water (Called “resting” water).
• 1-2 tablespoons of salt

Directions

• Bring a large pot of water to boil
  

  homemade mozzarella curd

• In a large bowl, combine salt and curds.  Pour boiling water over the 1lb of cubed curds until covered by 1inch (don’t pour the water directly over the curds, pour along the sides).
• Let sit for 5 minutes
• With a slotted wooden spoon, gently fold the curds onto each other until a singular mass is created.
• Here is where your hands will get hot.  Ditch the spoon and dive in with your hands.  You want to pull the mozzarella up with your hands and create a slope, feeding it slowly into the water.  Think of it like pulling a firehose up from the water and pushing back into the water.  This step is called stretching the curd.
• After a few minutes of doing this, find the end of
  

  Homemade Mozzarella

  the “hose” and roll it into baseball-sized masses.  Then, take the mass in one hand and pass it through your other hand cupped in the shape of a “C”.  The purpose of this is to bring a shield of cheese from the top down to the bottom of the mass, making your classic mozzarella ball.

• Pinch the bottom of the mass away from the rest of the “hose” and place in the resting water.
• Repeat until all cheese is gone.
• Let balls sit for a minimum of 5 minutes before eating.  Delicious!!!
• Enjoy!

A video I found super helpful can be found here:  Make Fresh Mozzarella From Curd

Restaurant Review – Frankies 570 Spuntino

Hello Frugal Foodies,

When Andrew Tropeano, the culinary mastermind behind Gourmet with a Budget, asked if I was interested in contributing to his popular blog I was flattered….and surprised. I’m

Alex Tallo - Gourmet with a Budget

definitely a self-admitted Food Network fan- Michael Symon is my hero. And don’t get me started about my love affair with Bravo’s culinary competition Top Chef. But as for the talents of Tropeano I can’t say I’m on par. I’m not one for studio kitchens or the cleanup.

This New Yorker, however, does know a thing or two about fine dining in this great city. I’m serious about the whole experience- taste, quality, authenticity, atmosphere and service.  Oh, keeping my credit card bill manageable too. This is a lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way.

The beauty of living in this culinary microcosm is that a good palette and local sensibility gets you far here. So while I encourage you to replicate one of Andrew’s yummy recipes at Gourmet With a Budget, if you’re a local or looking to eat like one, then you’ve come to the right place as well.

Frankies 570 Restaurant Review

For my first review I decided to go one of my staple spots- Frankies 570. This West Village spuntino opened in September 2011 and is the brainchild of chef and restaurateurs’ Franks Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli. With more space than the recently closed Frankies 17 in the LES, this Italian gem offers a thoughtful and modern interpretation of Italian classics with a true neighborhood feel.  Every visit is the worth the schlep for this Upper East Sider.

Culinary word of the day, SPUNTINO
(spoon’tîno), noun:
An informal meal or a snack; also, a casual Italian eatery.

The Low-Down

• Fresh fare sourced from the best local butchers, delis, cheese mongers, and organic grocers.

• Keeps it old school: two Italian guys with respect for ingredients and interpretations of Old World classics

• Free of five-page menus – less is more here!

• Reasonable prices and portions

• Convivial and warm atmosphere

Frankies 570 - Stracciatella di Bufala Cheese

My Sunday Night Dinner: Last week I ordered a delicious Stracciatella di Bufala cheese accompanied my speck infused roasted peppers, fresh figs, and a crisp arugula salad.  This incredible plate was worth $22 though my grad school budget welcomed its $14 price. Budget Stretch Tip: The ample portion size when paired with Frankies fresh Italian bread and olive oil is satisfying enough to be your next lunch.  I comfortably split the cheese plate with my boyfriend and best friend defying the area’s teeny tiny tapas.

I then finished the meal with my personal favorite, Frankies meatballs with pine nuts and raisins. It’s a rare occasion that I don’t order these balls. And at $13, I’d say it’s a reasonable fare!

Damage: Adding in the three-way split of a bottle of crisp pinot bianco from the Friuli region my total damage boasted an enviable $28.

Other Recommendations:

Frankies 570 - Meatballs

• If you’re in a merry mood, go for a carafe of red on tap (it’s truly an experience).

• Meat lovers take delight in the always-yummy chef-selected antipasto mix of Italian cured meats, cheeses, veggies and olives.

• Pasta lovers can’t miss with the Tagliatelli & Mushrooms accompanied with Mascarpone & Butter.

So there you have it folks. Good eats, good vibes, good prices.

Frankies 570 Spuntino
570 Hudson St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 924-0818
www.frankiessputino.com/570

Wild Mushroom Bruschetta

Wild Mushroom Bruschetta

For some reason, the improper pronunciation of bruschetta is a pet peeve of mine.  Despite what many Italian/American restaurant waiters may tell you, it’s not pronounced bru-shetta, but brus-ketta.  In Italian, “ch” is said as a hard k.

With that out of the way, Bruschetta is one of my favorite antipastos.  Simply put, anytime bread is toasted and topped with something, it is a bruschetta.  The most standard bruschetta Americans come across is topped with a tomato mixture.  While delicious, it’s not the only option out there.

This bruschetta, made with sauteed wild mushrooms, herbs, and goat cheese, is one of my favorite snacks and can be done in less than 5 minutes.

Feeds 2-3 people

Total Cost – $10.00

Ingredients

• Italian bread, sliced to 3/4 inches and toasted (or if you want to make it truly decadent, heat a pan with olive oil and toast the bread slices in the oil until golden and crispy on each side)
• 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 whole clove of garlic untouched
• 2 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed from the stem
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, removed from the stem and chopped finely
• A small handful of chopped chives
• 1-2 cups of roughly sliced wild mushrooms (whatever type you can get your hands on will work, just don’t do the recipe a disservice by using button mushrooms.  They’re awful.)
• Several knobs of good goat cheese
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Hot pepper flakes to taste

Directions

• In a medium-hot pan, add a few splashes of olive oil, your mushrooms, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and hot pepper flakes.  If you’re trying to impress people, substitute butter for the olive oil.
• Cook the mixture on medium heat for 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and have wilted.
• Toast your bread on both sides, and remove from heat.  Take a piece of garlic and rub one side of each slice to add garlic aroma and heat.
• Slather a bit of your goat cheese on each slice, add the mushroom mixture, and top the mound with your chopped chives.
• I always add a small splash of good olive oil at this point, the raw olive oil flavor is a fruity contrast to the cooked version.
• Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.
• Enjoy!

Spicy Pickle Recipe

Spicy Pickle Recipe

Pickling is one of the oldest forms of food preservation in the entire world.  Dating back 4000 years to Ancient India, pickling  was used to preserve out of season food and for long journeys, particularly by sea.  The term, “pickle” is from the Dutch word “pekel”, meaning “brine”.

Today, pickling in the United States is less the result of necessity, and more the result of food preference.  From olives to cucumbers to herring, pickles are a popular staple in our diets.

Even though pickling is over 4000 years old, many are still intimidated by it.  This recipe shows how easy, cheap, and effective pickling can be at home.  The recipe is for two 12-ounce jars of pickles.  If you want more or less, do the math.

Ingredients

• 10 small cucumbers (I used Kirby cucumbers, but any small cucumber will suffice)
• 1-2 large handfuls of baby carrots
• 1 sliced red onion
• 1 hot pepper finger pepper, sliced (with seeds for extra spice, without for less)
• 4-6 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon pepper corns
• a large handful of chopped dill (you can substitute thyme or rosemary in this)
• 2 cups apple vinegar
  

  Pickling - Sanitization

• 2 cups water
• 4 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Two 12 ounce jars

Directions

• In a large pot, bring water to boil and place jars and lids in water for 3-5 minutes.  Remove jars with tongs and let cool, but keep water boiling.

• Divide the vegetables, mustard seeds,
  

  Pickling Ingredients

  pepper corns, and herbs between the two jars

• Heat the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar until all is incorporated

• Pour the vinegar evenly among the jars

Pickling Step 2

• Place lids on each and put into the boiling water for 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and store in a cool place for a week.
• Enjoy!

Thoughts on Pairing Food and Wine

The Prisoner - A Perfect Wine Pairing

As my tastes and experiences in food and alcohol have increased, I’ve gained a few tips on pairing the two.

To begin with, every recipe on this site, whether it be meat, chicken, fish, or vegetables, can be paired with a beer or wine.  Sometimes and more often, wine is the perfect accompaniment.  But there are several examples where a solid beer is the more appropriate match – ex. Mussels in White Wine.

In the coming weeks, I’m going to focus more on offering the perfect pairing in each recipe, but until then – here are a few tips and thoughts on wine pairings.  I will get into beer another time.

• Matching food and wine is not tricky or expensive.  Often, the best match is the simplest and can be done at an inexpensive price point.
• When choosing a pairing, think about what you’re eating, how it feels in your mouth once it’s cooked, and what the main flavors are.  Remember, it’s not just flavors you are matching, but textures too.
• Don’t be fooled into predetermined constraints.  Screw caps are perceived as cheap alternatives, but in reality they ensure your wine reaches you in perfect condition.  They are definitely not an indication of a cheap bottle.
• Organic wine isn’t worth the price point and doesn’t stop a potential hangover.
• 

  The Offering - Wine Pairing

  Warmer climates create better affordable wines than colder climates.  In colder environments like Burgundy, France, grapes don’t ripen dependably and will result in a more expensive wine than in places like Spain, California, or Australia.

• Go to as many wine festivals as possible.  Not only is it a chance to quickly increase your wine IQ, but it’s a fun and inexpensive get-away that results in red-teeth.  One quick thought though – when you’re at a tasting, never rinse your glass with water.  Always ask the taster for a small rinse with the next wine you intend on tasting.
• Have fun and don’t take wine too seriously!  In the end, it’s about enjoying yourself and trying new things.  If you become a slave to wine, you’re defeating it’s purpose.  Relax and explore.

Seared Ahi Tuna with Braised Bok Choy

Seared Ahi Tuna with Braised Bok Choy

Sometimes you need to spoil yourself with a perfectly seared piece of Ahi Tuna.  The other day was one of those moments and I loved every bite.  For this recipe, I think Tuna goes perfectly with braised bok choy, and both are lovers of the simple dipping sauce I detail below.  Don’t do this too often, as it isn’t always the cheapest recipe (dependent on your fish guy and their prices).  But do it often enough that you remind yourself how easy it is to cook fish.  For other fish recipes, don’t forget to check out my Fish Section.    

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb Ahi Tuna – Sushi Grade
• 1 bok choy, cleaned
• Juice of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon honey
• 1 green onion, chopped up
• 1 hot red pepper, chopped finely
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• In a sauce pan, combine the bok choy, orange juice, 1/2 the sesame oil, salt & pepper, and a few tablespoons of water
• Cook covered on low heat for 15 minutes
• Meanwhile, heat a non-stick pan to super hot
• Season tuna with salt and pepper on both sides
• Add olive oil to pan
• Place tuna down for 1-2 minutes, then flip and cook for 1-2 minutes
• Remove tuna from heat and let sit
• In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, the rest of the sesame oil, apple vinegar, honey, green onion, and hot red pepper.  This will be your deliciously awesome sauce for the fish,
• Place bok choy on plate, tuna on top, and a bit of the sauce over the tuna.  Make sure to save some of the sauce for dipping!
• Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken with Apple Sausage

Roasted Chicken with Apple Sausage

A new recipe I made up after finding my new butcher.  I ended up buying way too many types of meat and decided to combine a few of the items into one big meal for four. This recipe is insanely delicious and worth the few hours it takes to cook.  Oh, and it pretty much requires no work on your part at all.  What’s not to love?!

Feeds: 4 people (easily)

Total Cost:  $15.00 depending on your local butcher

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken butterflied (if you can’t get your butcher to butterfly your chicken, keeping it whole is fine as well)
• 1 White Onion – sliced
• 1 Red Pepper – sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic – sliced
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Orange cut in half and juiced
• 2 sprigs of rosemary or 2 tablespoons of dried rosemary
• 1/2 lb of Apple Chicken Sausage (or any sausage you prefer)
• salt, pepper, hot pepper flakes to taste

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
• Take a large oven proof pan with high walls and pour a few tablespoons of oil in the bottom to prevent sticking
• Place your onions, garlic, peppers, and cinnamon stick on the bottom.
• Season with  a bit of salt, pepper, hot pepper flakes, and some of the rosemary
• Place the sausage over the Onions
• Pour your orange juice over the onions
• Put the whole chicken on top of the Sausage
• Season the chicken with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and rosemary – make sure to rub it in and get into the cracks
• Pour a bit of oil over the chicken
• Place the orange halves in the pan, face down.
• Cover the entire mess with tin foil and bake in the over for 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the foil, and place back in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the chicken has a nice golden crust.
• Remove from the heat, and let cool for 10-15 minutes
• Plate the whole meal in a family style dish and go to town.
• Enjoy!

You and Your Butcher

Butcher

I recently found a new butcher in my area that has made cooking meat/poultry much more fun.  Not only is the selection at Espositos double my previous butcher, but their expertise is unmatched.  Last week I purchased a whole chicken and asked him to butterfly it (basically remove the back bone and crack the breast-plate so it can lie flat).  He said “of course” and was able to do in two seconds.

Now you may be intimidated to do the same, but every butcher can do this and are most often excited to show off their skills.  Even if you shop at a grocery chain, there is always a butcher in the back willing to help out customers.  Remember, it never hurts to ask and you’d be surprised how creative you can get when working with a skilled butcher.