Margo's Feast

Until my early twenties I was a dedicated egg-phobe. Then I was suddenly converted, and though I still won’t touch an underdone egg, I love ingredient-loaded omelets. When I discovered Spanish tortilla (not to be confused with the flour and corn tortillas of Central America), I fell in love from the first bite. This is the universal crowd-pleaser and my brunch or weekend dinner staple.

Thicker than the Italian frittata and usually containing my other favorites – potatoes – this Spanish omelet has as striking a flavor as its looks. It’s easier to make too, as you don’t have to fight to flip it over, but simply bake it in the oven. It can stoically take on whatever you throw at it, and no fridge push-around need be wasted again. The classic one with potatoes is great, but I’ve done it with zucchini, parsnip, feta cheese, Parmesan, bacon, various types of dried and fresh herbs, and combinations of the above. It’s a successes every time, and the only person who refuses to eat it is my daughter – the new egg-phobe in the family.

I finally have a cast-iron paella pan, perfect for tortillas too, which I put to heavy use. The recipe is enough for four as a weekday supper, or for eight as part of a weekend brunch with friends. If there are leftovers, they are very good the next day and make a great lunchbox item. I often wrap them in whole-wheat tortillas with Tabasco’s Chipotle sauce and fresh cilantro (coriander). I love to answer the what’s-for-lunch question – tortilla in tortilla.

For a vegetarian version skip the sausage.

Spanish tortilla with potatoes, sausage, ricotta and fresh herbs

serves 4

• 6 – 8 large eggs – free range or organic
• ½ cup fresh ricotta (or thick sour cream)
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled, cubed or sliced into thin rounds
• ½ pound good quality sausage (I use Polish sausage with thyme and garlic and no preservatives added) – cubed the same size as the potatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped (optional)
• 1 cup mixed chopped dill, mint and parsley (or cilantro)
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• salt, freshly ground black pepper, Spanish smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F (200°C) – with racks positioned in the middle. In a heavy-bottomed oven-proofed frying pan (cast iron is best), melt the butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the potatoes until slightly brown and tender – about 10 minutes. In the meantime beat eggs in a bowl to break the egg yolks. Add the ricotta and beat well – though some cheese lumps are OK. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, add the herbs and green onions and mix.

When the potatoes are ready, take them out of the pan with slotted spoon and stir into the egg-cheese mixture. Add sausage to the pan and fry for 5 minutes, until sightly brown. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Pour over the egg-cheese-and-potatoes mixture, stir well, and let cook on medium low for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and transfer the pan to the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top of the tortilla is set and slightly brown.

Serve warm with the pan (makes a great impression) with rustic bread and simple green salad. My son loves it with a few drops of Tabasco Chipotle sauce. I have it with extra Bulgarian cheese, feta style.

Goes great with a light, bubbly Portuguese Vinho Verde or Italian Prosseco for a more elegant experience.

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Condiments are as essential for a good sandwich as good bread is, at least for me. I can’t stand a boring assembly and would rather spend half an hour sauteing and marinating ingredients than getting a quick fix of ham and cheese. To avoid dropping from hunger in the meantime, I always have a few essential condiments in the fridge to add zing to the experience. I make most of them myself, as I’m too picky and besides, it’s more fun and cheaper than buying ready made.

The two that for me are must-haves are sun dried tomatoes and caramelized red onions. I have serious competition for the first one – my daughter, who devours them straight from the jar. She also helps me make them and keeps track of the supplies, pushing the alarm button when we are left with only half a jar.

I use $3,99 500-gram packages of Turkish dry tomatoes without oil from a Lebanese store on Kedzie and Lawrence, which I marinate and keep in the pantry. It’s enough for three 12oz jars packed tight to the top. It’s much cheaper than buying them ready made and I can control the ingredients. I use them for pasta, salads, antipasti, grilled meats, dumpling stuffing – the possibilities are endless. Never throw the marinade away – it makes a great base for vinaigrettes or adding extra flavor to simple tomato soup or roasted potatoes.

The onions are my guilty pleasure – I can go though a jar in a single day, eating them with absolutely anything – including pancakes. I takes all my willpower to screw the top back on and put the jar aside. The recipe is very basic and anyone can make them.

Both condiments will make a delicious and sophisticated dish out of any boring sandwich, burger or cheese plate, if you care about impressing your guests or family. I simply like to indulge myself and anybody else brave enough to follow suit.

Marinated sun-dried tomatoes

• 1 pound (500 gr) dry tomatoes (not in oil)
• ¾ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 ½ cups olive oil – doesn’t have to be virgin or very expensive
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• freshly ground black pepper
• leaves from a few sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3X12 oz jars, washed and dry

Fill a soup pot a third full with water and bring to boil. If the tomatoes are salty (like the Turkish ones I use) don’t add salt to the water, if not – add I tbsp salt. When boiling, add the tomatoes and bring back to boil for 2-3 minuets. This will soften the tomatoes. Meanwhile in a big mixing bowl combine the rest of the ingredients and whisk well. With a slotted spoon take out the tomatoes and place them into the bowl. Stir them around in the marinade to coat well. Leave for 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Spoon the tomatoes into the jars, dividing the remaining marinade among them. Add extra olive oil to cover the top and close tight. Keep in a cool place, and after opening in the fridge. Best after 2-3 days if you can restrain yourself.

Caramelized red onions

makes about 1 ½ cups or one 12 oz jar

• 2 big or 4 medium red onions, peeled, cut in half and sliced – not too thin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp Sherry vinegar (or balsamic red wine vinegar)
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• ¼ tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over low heat. Saute the onions for 15-20 minutes or until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until caramelized. Spoon still warm into the jar and close tight. Keep in a cool place, and in the fridge after opening.

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During a recent conversation with a high school friend, I rediscovered a favorite recipe from my childhood – the first that I loved making by myself. I must have been around eight years old when I first kneaded dough and baked my first soda bread rolls. After that I would often sneak into the kitchen and bake these treats, to be devoured dripping with butter, honey and Bulgarian feta cheese.

I loved home baked goods since my early days and would constantly nag my sleep-deprived and overworked mother to bake for me. She would give in sometimes, but after I learned this recipe I became our family’s baker. I was enchanted by the sifting of the dry ingredients, the squishy sound the dough made when getting it together, the squeaking of my grand mother’s table when I was kneading it, and the amazing smell of freshly baked bread.

Since then I’ve learned many more complicated bread recipes, but the soda bread rolls have a special place in my childhood memories. I haven’t done them for years, replaced by British scones and American biscuits when the urge to bake something fast came along. But when my friend said that she had baked them for dinner, memories started pouring over me. My parents’ old kitchen came to me with the aged oven, the battered baking pans, the shaky table with the red and white checkered plastic cover and the scent of soda rolls. I could see my long-dead cat sleeping on the window sill, the small fridge mounted over the washing machine and the chestnut tree that was the first to bloom in the spring in the whole city.

There is no window in my kitchen here, no blooming trees either, only snow covered roofs and yards. But my eight-year-old daughter is as enthusiastic about baking as I was at her age and eager to help me. Together we made a batch of my childhood’s favorite delight, both eight years old and happy.

Soda bread rolls (makes eight):

• 2 ¾ cups all purpose unbleached flour plus extra for kneading
• 1 cup natural yogurt (buttermilk)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut in 8 pieces

Preheat oven at 450°F (230°C) with racks positioned in the middle. In a big mixing bowl sift the flout, salt and sugar. In a smaller bowl mix the yogurt with the baking soda, olive oil and vinegar. Stir well until the mixture starts bubbling – very important otherwise the dough could turn bitter from the baking soda.

Make a well in the flour and pour in the yogurt mixture. With a circular motion start incorporating the ingredients with a fork until soft sticky dough forms. Add a little flour at a time when kneading until the dough is not so sticky, but still soft. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

With a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil smear eight circles about the size of an ordinary glass on a baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Don’t simply oil the whole surface or the oil might start smoking in the hot oven.

Divide the dough into eight parts, roll them into balls and place on the oiled surfaces. Make an indignation in the middle with your index finger and push in a knob of butter. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown. Serve warm with butter, jam, honey or cold cuts and cheese. The rolls make a great part of brunch or a light supper during a never-ending Chicago winter.

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