Monthly Cooking Adventure: Stuffed Potatoes

We have too many cookbooks. Which shouldn't be that surprising, considering my mom's a trained librarian (and cookbook author) and the vegetarian's parents are bibliophiles. Some might say that, really, it was inevitable. But when you live in an apartment and have resorted to piling books up next to the bookcase and have completely given up on arranging them in alphabetical order (I told you my mom's a librarian), it's time to admit you have a problem.

So I've made a rule -- I have to use my cookbooks more. And I'm not allowed to buy any more unless I'm planning on using that one within the week. Which brings us to this month's Monthly Cooking Adventure, affectionately titled "We survived Hurricane Sandy."

Now, really, what better way to celebrate surviving a natural disaster than with comfort food? And, to me, comfort food means Jewish food. I wanted something really celebratory but not tied to any particular holiday. So I bought a new cookbook, Jerusalem: A Cookbook, filled with Palestinian and Jewish recipes from that mythical city. Beautiful photography and evocative spices -- this is one of the most taste-inspiring cookbooks I've ever seen.

So for our Monthly Cooking Adventure, we made two dishes: Stuffed Potatoes and Latkes. Ottolenghi and Tammi stuffed their potatoes with beef but I vegetarianized ours with chickpeas (half I still stuffed with beef). We had some stuffing left over which was delicious fried up as mini veggie (and beef) sliders. Serve over couscous, rice or rustic white bread with a spicy Cabernet Sauvignon.

I'm submitting these to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Gluten Free Fridays.

Stuffed Potatoes in Tomato Sauce
adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook

Tomato Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 chile colorado, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds, ground in a coffee grinder
• 1 teaspoon allspice, ground
• pinch smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
• 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Stuffed Potatoes:

• 1 pound ground beef (or 1 can chickpeas, blitzed in a food processor until crumbly)
• 2 cups cracker crumbs (blitz crackers in a food processor)
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 13 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Start with the tomato sauce. Heat olive oil in a large, lidded frying pan (if you're doing two batches, do two pans) over low heat. Add garlic, onion, celery, carrot and chile (if using) and saute 10 minutes. Add caraway seeds, allspice and paprika and cook another 2 minutes, until very fragrant. Add tomatoes, lime juice, lemon juice, salt and pepper and bring to a boil then remove from heat and set aside while you make the potatoes.

In a bowl, combine beef (or chickpeas), cracker crumbs, onion, garlic, parsley, cinnamon, salt, pepper and eggs. Mix them very well, using your hands to make an even paste. The consistency should resemble meatballs or veggie burgers.

Using a teaspoon, hollow out potatoes (this is best done with a friend as it's mindless work but time-consuming), leaving a sturdy enough shell that the stuffing won't escape -- about 2/3-inch thick. Save potato innards for latkes or soup (they're in small enough pieces that you won't have to grate them). Stuff meat (or chickpea) mixture into potatoes, pushing it down so it's packed well and completely fills potato.

Return tomato sauce pan to a low flame and add potatoes, pushing them snugly into the sauce, filling facing upward. You will probably have to squeeze them very close together (or even use two pans). Just make sure they don't overlap. Add water (pour it gently!) to the sauce so that it just reaches the tops of the potatoes but doesn't cover the stuffing. Cover and let cook, simmering, for 1 hour. Remove lid and reduce 5 more minutes. Serve over rice (if desired), garnished with cilantro. Bon appetit!

Links:

• The Ultimate Stuffed Potato from Food Network
• Papas Rellenas Con Chorizo or Chorizo Stuffed Potatoes from Spicie Foodie
• Wonderful Stuffed Potatoes from SparkRecipes.com
• Vegetarian Stuffed Potatoes from Food.com
• Crockpot Cheddar Stuffed Potatoes from Southern Food and Recipes

Monthly Cooking Adventure: Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms

"Remind me to tell you about the time I looked into the heart of an artichoke." -- All About Eve.

 This month's recipe actually features artichoke bottoms, not hearts, and let me tell you -- it took some effort to find them! I know I should have just butchered my own, but I was feeling quite lazy yesterday, especially knowing that I'd be cooking a full meal for three guests later on! So I used canned artichoke bottoms. Lazy, yes. And delicious? Oh, yes yes yes! So I recommend laziness if that's where you are. And, if so, this recipe comes together so quickly it's just delightful.

Because the vegetarian isn't crazy about artichokes, and therefore wouldn't be eating them, I treated myself to the addition of an omnivore ingredient -- anchovies. In my opinion, anchovies get a totally undeserved bad reputation. As our friend Hill put it last night -- they're like delicious additions of salt. And, really, how bad can that be? (For a vegetarian version, add 1 tablespoon soya sauce.) Along with some garlic and sour lemon juice and zest, they were the perfect accompaniment to our Arugula and Fava-Bean Crostini and Smoky Fried Rice. To drink I recommend an Espiral vinho verde. Enjoy!

Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms
Adapted from The Book of Jewish Food

• 2 ounces anchovies, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon soya sauce)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• bunch Italian parsley, finely choppped
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• zest from 1/2 lemon
• 1 can (14 ounces) artichoke bottoms
• 1-2 cups water

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix anchovies (or soya sauce), garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, oil and lemon juice and zest together in a medium-sized bowl. Place artichoke bottoms in a baking dish and fill with stuffing. Pour water around artichokes, making sure it doesn't reach the filling. Bake 25 minutes. Serve at room temperature. Bon appetit!

Edible Inspirations:

• Carciofi Ripieni from Food.com
• Stuffed Artichoke Hearts from Allrecipes.com
• Vegetarian substitute for anchovies? from Chowhound
• Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms from Gourmet Kosher Cooking