Which Side of the Dish is the Side on?

The “side dish”, what does that exactly mean?  After laying out the main meal, then comes the sides, sort of like an after-thought.  Sort of like, “Hey, we have all these extra cans of green beans about to expire, let’s gussy them up and serve them with dinner!”.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the side dish as, “A food served separately along with the main course.”, and all I can think is, “Duh!”  Not a very good definition to truly explain its inclusion to a meal.  In Mexico, meals include beans and rice; in Japan, rice is served with every meal, including breakfast.  These are traditional culinary staples of these cultures, and are meant to enhance the main item of the meal.

In America though, the side dish plays several roles, and the variety has infinite possibilities.  The best way to explain this is by quoting Quora which is a question-answer site that offers up academic and professional information.  However, online users are allowed to post their own comments and “knowledge”, and you have to take these responses with a grain, or huge shaker, of salt.   

Anyway, Quote, “American food often includes side dishes for a few key reasons:

Variety and balance - Side dishes allow for more variety in a meal and help balance out the main dish. They provide complementary flavors, textures, and nutrients.

Portion control - Sides help control portion sizes of the main course. The side dishes can be smaller portions that supplement the larger main dish.

Cultural tradition - Serving multiple dishes together is a longstanding culinary tradition in American cuisine, influenced by the diverse cultural backgrounds of Americans. It allows for sampling of different flavors.

Accommodating preferences - Sides cater to individual preferences and dietary needs. Guests can customize their plate by choosing which sides to include.

Extending a meal - Additional side dishes help stretch a meal and make it more filling and satisfying, especially for larger gatherings or hearty appetites.

So, in summary, the side dish format in American meals provides flexibility, balance, and a more complete dining experience compared to a single main course alone.”

Here is a test for all those home cooks about to put dinner on the table, “What do you typically serve and why?”.  Since the first settlers stepped foot upon Northern America, cooking and eating what they knew was what they strived for.  First, a protein of some type: poultry, meat (beef or pork), seafood; while the British love their bit o’ beef, Italians and Germans like their pork, while Greeks and Spanish favor seafood.  All depends mainly on the region of the country, what was bred, or what was more easily accessible.  Bread is definitely a food item that could be found at every table, used to sop up any lasting gravy or sauce on the plate.  Fresh garden grown vegetables were a treat, and if stored correctly, fed a family throughout the harsh and barren winter months. 

One vegetable that is most versatile is the potato; it can be steamed, boiled, mashed, baked, fried, and roasted. When added to a casserole, or fancied up into a side dish, well, for a good many of us, we are tasting nirvana.  By the way, sweet potatoes are not potatoes, and true yams are not sweet potatoes.  All three are root vegetables, but have different genealogy.   Potatoes come from the nightshade family, and toxic if eaten when they are green in color.  The sweet potato comes from the morning glory family and can be eaten raw. True yams, while they look like sweet potatoes, are darker in color (dark red or brown), less sweet, starchier, drier, and poisonous if eaten raw.

Now that I have you thinking about side dishes, here is my chance to share a favorite potato recipe with you.  For you, it could be same old-same old, or something completely new, but definitely a plus when added to a meal.

Scalloped vs. Au Gratin potatoes, what is the difference?  They are both baked in casserole dishes, have a creamy sauce and use thinly sliced potatoes.  The sauce for scalloped potatoes can be made with either heavy cream or broth, and there is no topping, on the potatoes, that will bake to a semi-crunchy texture. If anyone has a dairy issue, using broth to create the sauce means this potato side dish can be enjoyed.

Au gratin also has a cream sauce, but with shredded cheese in-between the potato layers.  The topping is either more shredded cheese, or buttered bread crumbs. To balance the taste of the cream sauce with the cheese, use a sharp cheese like Cheddar, white Vermont Cheddar, aged Swiss, or aged goat cheese.

Russet potatoes are typically used for these side dishes, but if potatoes are not your vegetable of choice, try using sliced yellow squash.  Leave the skin on the squash when slicing as it will soften up in the baking process. The thickness, for either vegetable, should be ¼-inch or thinner.  Depending on your knife skills, you can also use a mandoline slicer, or the slicing side of a grater (the openings look like smiles).

 

Au Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

2 cups heavy cream

2 and ½ cups shredded sharp cheese, divide into 1 cup, 1 cup and ½ cup portions

6 medium potatoes, skinned removed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup diced onion

Optional: ¼ cup crushed, dried parsley – sprinkle over potatoes before adding cheese and topping with sauce.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F, and butter the inside of a 2-quart baking dish.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth.  Stir in cream, increase heat to medium and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat; stir in one cup of cheese until melted.  

In the buttered baking dish, begin layering 1/3 potatoes, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/3 potatoes, ½ cup cheese, ending with 1/3 potatoes.  Pour the cheese sauce over top, and work it carefully down among the layers with a fork or spatula.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake one hour. Uncover and sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese over top. Bake 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, and sauce is bubbling and cheese slightly browned.  Let rest about five minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Beef Wellington with a side of Potatoes Au Gratin.

 

If using yellow squash for this recipe, cut the initial baking time down to a half hour covered, and 15 minutes uncovered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the way, next time you decide to make candied sweet potatoes (molasses + brown sugar is way better than using corn syrup), add chopped walnuts to the mix instead of marshmallows.  Sweet potatoes are already naturally sweet, and the taste and texture of the walnuts brings this side dish to a whole new level.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice.

 “Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He's gotta pick this one. He's got to. I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.”

 ~ Charles M. Schulz, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown ~

Autumn signifies the time when the earth will begin its last hurrah, before descending into a deep winter’s sleep.  Any fruits, vegetables, nuts or other types of edible plants must be picked quickly before they wither, die and become fertilizer for the ground.  However, there is one plant that defies autumn’s wish to rest, and that is squash.  The majority of squash varieties are ready for harvest from late summer to mid-winter, so long as frost and snow do not destroy newly blooming flowers.  The “ber” months particularly embrace a most popular squash, the pumpkin which can be eaten as a soup, used to make a multitude of desserts, added to a number of main dish recipes, and do not forget snacking on the roasted seeds.

Why do we love pumpkins so much?  First has to do with the sense of sight.  The orange coloring reminds us of the full brightness of the summer sun. The sun’s fullness will diminish as winter sets in, darkening our skies for a longer period of time.  Second comes the sense of taste, as the meat of the pumpkin may be slightly sweet, but creamy in texture.  Adding ingredients to it creates dishes that are full of comfort; just what we are seeking as the temperatures drop.  While we can don coats and sweaters, or wrap ourselves in blankets, it is our body’s insides that need soothing warmth as well.  Third, and we really do not tend to think about this, but pumpkin is rich in fiber to feel full, support digestion and regularity, and is low in sugar.

This brings me to “pumpkin spice”.  What exactly is it, and why is it craved by many, especially during the “ber” months?  Depending on whose family recipe you are following, or which brand you are buying at the store, pumpkin spice can be a combination of three to five spices.  The main three are cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; allspice is the popular fourth, ginger is fifth, and if you want to be truly adventurous, try using cardamom.  Depending on which folklore you are researching, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves are traditionally used to repel evil, and placed in amulets.  The current joke on Facebook is, “In folklore, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves repel the evil and the foul. Remember that when you hear people complaining about pumpkin spice and they hate it.”   This is a joke based upon actual folklore, so…

Now I have written about pumpkin cheesecake, bread, muffins, pies and a variety of pumpkin infused cookie recipes, including biscotti; what have I missed?  Pancakes!  Light, fluffy pancakes infused with the creaminess of pumpkin, and the spices that scream, “Tis the season for colorful leaves, bonfires, warm apple cider and pumpkin spice!”

 

Pumpkin Pancakes

 Ingredients:

 2 cups all-purpose flour (add 3 Tbsp. for high altitude)

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. ground cloves

¼ tsp. ground allspice

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup sugar (equal amount of Splenda or Truvia Baking Blend works too)

1 and ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree (Not pumpkin pie filling)

2 eggs, large

4 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter

1 and ½ cup milk (2%)

Preparation:

Preheat griddle or large non-stick skillet to medium heat.

Into a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.  Into a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, eggs, melted butter, and milk.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. The batter might still a little lumpy, do not over mix, or pancakes will not rise well; set batter aside for 5 minutes.

If not using a non-stick griddle, coat with butter; use a 1/4 measuring cup to spoon batter on to griddle or skillet, and spread out to 4-inch circle.  If you like larger pancakes, use 1/3 cup for 6-inch circles.  Cook each pancake for approximately 3-4 minutes per side.  After removing pancakes, if butter had been added and residue looks dark, wipe away before beginning next batch of pancakes.

     

 For added texture or taste, add ¼ cup of finely chopped walnuts or pecans, or chocolate chips.

Hot maple syrup is our favorite, but whipped cream or powdered sugar is a nice touch too.

Mary Cokenour