Rachel Maddow Pwns "Formerly" Gay Author Who "Cures" Gays
Teacher Hot For Teacher In Brooklyn High School
VIDEO: Cycling Activists Repainting Bedford Ave. Bike Lane
Oh D'Oh They Didn't! TSA Posts Airport Screening Manual On Web
Bike Lane Repainters: "We're Self-Hating Jewish Hipsters"
"Pantry." It's such an old-fashioned word. But when the blizzard hit this past weekend, we were glad that we not only knew the meaning of "pantry" but the usefulness of maintaining one. Because while some of us at Gothamist were willing to brave the blizzard to partake in four-star dining, others of us (like many of you dear readers, we presume?) chose to wait out the storm, literally. And all that waiting meant that we didn't want to step out for a meal. (We even had trouble finding a place that would deliver.) Luckily for us, our pantry was relatively well stocked, as it usually is.
But we know that many New Yorkers don't keep food on hand--unless week-old Chinese takeout and mustard count, which is what inspired us to write about two of our favorite at-home wintertime food treats that are very gourmet yet very appropriate for the (typical) New Yorker who never/hardly ever cooks: (1) The ingredients will last for several months (and don't even need refrigeration!). (2) The food preparation requires very little in the way of actual cooking skills or implements.
So, what are these two treats you ask? Stick-to-your-ribs oatmeal of the old-fashioned steel-cut variety and rich, dark hot chocolate (not cocoa) in the European style. First off, the healthy stuff: if you think you don't like oatmeal, don't knock it until you've tried the steel-cut variety (we're fans of McCann's, in the old-fashioned tin). The processing that creates "quick" and "instant" varieties literally flattens and steams out much of the nutty flavor and texture of oatmeal. Yes, it will take you 30 minutes to cook steel-cut oats. But you can make enough for leftovers for the next few days. And unlike quick/instant oatmeal, the steel-cut variety reheats beautifully and easily in the microwave, losing no flavor or texture.
Most folks like their oats a little sweet, which means you'll want brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or your favorite artificial sweetener on hand. Raisins, nuts, and/or other dried fruits are straightforward additions that also keep well and won't spoil. If you happen to have a banana or two handy, you can slice it for a topping or mix it in if the bananas are particularly ripe and mushy.
Next comes the hot chocolate. If you haven't yet tasted the wondrousness that is European-style hot chocolate, you might be curious as to what the fuss is all about. What's wrong with just keeping some Swiss Miss packets on hand, right?
Well, there's nothing wrong with instant hot cocoa, but European-style hot chocolate--which involves adding boiling water to high-quality bittersweet chocolate, melting it to a thick consistency--is a whole other experience. We're still fans of cocoa's milky, light texture. But when we want a pure, intense chocolate experience, very little can compete with the hot melted chocolate that is so intense it must be taken in little sips.
And while places like Chocolate Bar, MarieBelle, and Jacques Torres' Chocolate Factory and Chocolate Haven all make delicious versions of hot chocolate (including dark, extra dark, spicy), they all also offer tins that you can take home (like the Mariebelle tins in the photo). Then all you have to do is boil water, measure out the chocolate, mix and stir thoroughly. You can even do the mixing right in the mug, so you won't dirty any pots or pans.
For those on a budget, there's also the easy option of buying a chocolate bar (splurge for the good European stuff--you'll taste the difference), chop it finely, then mix with an equal amount of boiling water (and a little cinammon and chile powder if you feel like it).
With these two wintertime treats in your repertoire, you might even look forward to getting snowed in again this winter.
A recipe for Toasted Oatmeal , information about "Oat Cuisine."
Photo credits: Mariebelle.com and McCanns.ie.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
I love McCann's oatmeal. The problem is that they taste better when you've soaked them overnight, and I always want them spur of the moment.
Another essential of a well-stocked pantry, or in my case, random corners in cabinets: Chocolate chips and peanut butter. They don't have to be eaten in concert, but you can.
Agreed on the McCann's. We also keep Old Wessex Ltd oats on hand; although they've been rolled, they still have a lot of flavor to them. And for an added treat, try steaming your rolled oats. Two years ago, Cook's Illustrated recommended it, and this is how I adapted it (leading to less waste):
In Cook's Illustrated, they have you start with the steamer in
the water, and have you lift the steamer out of the boiling water
after the two minutes are up. But I've found that once you pour
the oats into the boiling water, many of them will sneak out of
the steamer and into the boiling water. So you have a lot left
behind in the boiling water anyway. And since it's not that easy
to lift a steamer basket out of boiling water, I think it makes
sense to dispense with the steamer in the early step.
Ha- made up a pot of McCann's on Saturday morning, added some chopped up dried fruit for a little something extra. Yummmm- well worth the extra time.
once the mccain's runs out, you can refill the can with bulk steel-cut oats at natural food shops or co-ops (park slope food co-op sells em crazy cheap). you save a LOT of money and some waste... not that anyone would actually throw away a mccain's can.
For steel-cut oats, you can use a rice cooker if you have one on hand, which takes away any hassle involved with cooking. You need less water with the rice cooker, so you may need to play with your ratios.
Agreed on the bulk steel-cut oats from various health food stores and co-ops. I recall Fairway's health food section selling it for around $0.80/lb, give or take a dime.
I LOVE McCann's. Try it with your favorite jam or preserves swirled in, too.
Yuck! Don't put good chocolate in water! Heat up some milk (preferably whole milk) and melt shaved or finely minced dark chocolate into that.
One type that I find works very well:
Bakers Unsweetened Baking Chocolate. Add sugar to taste after the chocolate is melted into the milk and looks homogenous.
A, don't knock it til you've tried it. Like I said in the post, with water is the European style. With milk is the American style. I like both.
Part of why I was suggesting the European style was that you wouldn't have to have milk on hand to make it. That you could just stock your pantry with the either a bar of chocolate to chop up yourself or one of these hot chocolate mixes from a place like Mariebelle.
And believe me, the European-style hot chocolate does not taste yucky. You just have to use good-quality chocolate and the right proportions (1-to-1) of boiling water to chocolate.
It's delish.
Not only that, there's the added bonus of no dairy for those who are vegan or otherwise dairy-restricted. Plus, all the health studies of chocolate say it's got to be chocolate without milk to have any beneficial antioxidant effect.
(I don't eat chocolate because it's healthy, but if it can be healthy, then that's the icing on the cake, pardon the pun.)
I agree with A. Putting milk is an old European practice - the French and the Spaniards do it. Please get your facts straight. There are so many other sources for hot chocolate information beyond the Mariebelle website.
Celine, when I've had hot chocolate in various cities in Europe, it was made with water. I've also had it prepped that way at New York chocolate shops such as Jacques Torres Chocolate Factory and Chocolate Bar, to delicious effect.
Of course, throughout Europe some people make it with milk, too (or a mix of milk and water.) According to my Larousse Gastronomique, "drinking chocolate" can be made with water, milk, or a combination of the two.
When I referred to the with-water type as European-style, I meant that in contrast to America, where it's ALWAYS prepared with milk.
In addition, if you look at my post, you'll see I linked to more than just Mariebelle for hot chocolate sources in NYC. Further, in my researching of the subject over the past couple of years, I've read many articles (both online and off) on the subject matter, and so I do believe that I have my facts straight.
From kitchenwindow.com:
"To accommodate the European palate, the chocolate was served hot and sweetened. The Spanish successfully protected their discovery for almost a century before it began to spread across Europe. It was around 1700 that the English further tweaked the recipe and added milk to the beverage creating what we know today as hot chocolate."
From whatscookingamerica.net:
"The original hot cocoa recipe was a mixture of ground cocoa beans, water, wine, and peppers. It didn't take long for Spaniards to begin heating the mixture and sweetening it with sugar. After being introduced in England, milk was added to the after dinner treat."
Celine, please get your facts straight.
Go to www.ChocolatVitale.com, by far even more decadent hot choclate than Marie Belle. I tried it at a chcolate party and have been hooked ever since!