Hilah Talking #5 – Burnout + Botany

11 Comments

1. Great Stone Face on March 5, 2012 at 6:32 am

   Sure, enough, we have a botany question. Last night, my wife and I were having dinner and we started wondering what the difference is between broccolini and broccoli rabe? I like both, but my wife thinks the ran is too tough and too bitter.

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   • Great Stone Face on March 5, 2012 at 6:33 am

     Rabe, not ran

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   • Hilah on March 5, 2012 at 9:18 am

     I agree with the missus. Broccoli rabe is pretty bitter and stringy. So, rabe (aka rapini) is its own species, while broccolini is a hybrid between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. They’re both in the Brassica family, but rabe is closer related to the turnip branch of the family tree, and tastes more like turnip greens than broccoli.

     Have you ever tried stewing rabe like you would other bitter greens? That might work well to take the bitterness out and soften it.

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     • Patrick Soltis on March 5, 2012 at 2:45 pm

       For what it isn’t worth, I happen to like broccoli rabe, rapini, cime di rapa, or whatever you call it. “Incapriata” or “‘ncapriata” is a particular passion of mine. It’s a staple in Italy south of Rome: dried fava beans, over-cooked and then pureed to the consistency of loose mashed potatoes. The greens are cooked in a skillet for a fairly long time with plenty of garlic and red pepper flakes. Usually the greens are served on top of the puree with a drizzle of fresh olive oil, but I’ve seen a recipe that puts a slice of freshly grilled country bread on the plate first, then the greens, then the puree.

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       • Hilah on March 5, 2012 at 2:55 pm

         Thanks, Pat! That sounds good. I have some scarlet runner beans I might try pureeing like that.

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         • Patrick Soltis on March 5, 2012 at 3:12 pm

           Wish I could get scarlet runner beans in Cleveland. Rick Bayless gives a recipe for scarlet runner beans in mole coloradito that was a favorite of mine before Mustard Seed Market stopped carrying the beans. Rick says that the original Mexican recipe was made with ayocotes, which I guess are big, purple-skinned beans that I’ve never seen anywhere.

           
           
           
         • Hilah on March 5, 2012 at 4:12 pm

           I found these dried at Whole Foods. Soaked over night, and then cooked on low in the crockpot for 8 hours. Then another 2-3 hours on high before they were actually soft enough to eat. They are HUGE. I’ve never heard of ayacotes, but I’ll look around in my mercado for them.

           
           
           
2. Patsy on March 5, 2012 at 10:07 pm

   I love, love, love your show! I worked in an office for 27 years with a nanny/house keeper “helping” me take care of my family. Lets face it… she practially raised my kids 🙁

   Now that I grew some balls and decided to be a stay home wife/mom I have had to learn how to cook… from scratch. Your videos and instruction have been a life saver, really. I can now make a meal for my family without my family running, screaming out of the house. Plus, I had no idea that I would actually enjoy cooking as much as I do.

   Thank you Sweetie! From one Austinite to another ( although I’m not lucky enough to live there any more… it truely is my favorite city in the world!), you have turned me into a wife/mommy my family is proud to have at home 24/7 🙂

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   • Hilah on March 6, 2012 at 12:51 pm

     Hi Patsy!
     I’m so proud of you for learning how to cook and even better, finding that you enjoy it! And really the fact that I could help… well that is the best compliment I could get. 🙂
     Thank you so much for writing. It makes such a difference to hear about success stories like yours.
     hugs,
     Hilah

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3. Great Stone Face on March 5, 2012 at 10:52 pm

   On the subject of roasting vegetables, I agree that it’s about the best way of making veggies, except maybe grilling them.

   We flew home today from a weekend trip out of town. So, tonight, I dug into my stash of homemade frozen meatballs and sauce to serve them over basmati rice. I knew we had to have a nice Middle Eastern-y sort of side dish. The solution was a mix of peeled carrot spears and parsnip spears tossed in a little olive oil, salt, ground black pepper, and ras el-hanout, then roasted for 25 minutes at 425 F. We had it with ice water to drink, but I’ll bet it would have gone great with mint tea.

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   • Hilah on March 6, 2012 at 12:53 pm

     Yummy yummy! I love parsnips and carrots. Sounds like a perfect compliment to the ras el-hanout.

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