During a recent dinner with friends, I was explaining that I was going to teach a class called "Fruits, Vegetables, and Farinaceous Products" for the spring semester at the John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University, when I was rudely interrupted by my husband, Rock.
"What in the heck are farinaceous products?"
"Dear, a farinaceous dish refers to dishes made from pasta, noodles, rice, polenta or gnocchi. Farinaceous commodities are highly nutritious and provide energy and dietary fiber and they include starchy flours, cereals, pulses, starchy vegetables and even parts of trees!" I responded in my best know-it-all teacher voice.
"That's a mighty big word for such simple staple ingredients," he said with a laugh.
He's right, but the students in this class are first-year undergraduates, and we want them to learn correct culinary terms from the beginning. They'll be learning the difference methods of preparation: frying, boiling, broiling, steaming, braising and so on.
Not only will the students be learning to cook pasta dishes, but they also will learn how to make pasta dough from which they can make various types of pasta. For example, we'll be making goat cheese ravioli and orzo with leeks.
And believe it or not, some people, not only students, do not realize that grits are basically ground corn. The hard hull is removed and the inner part of the corn is processed, mashed and dried into little white corn granules. Yellow grits include the whole kernel, where white grits use hulled kernels. They are traditionally made by grinding dried hominy.
Grits can be served as a hot breakfast cereal, but are also widely known as dinner entrees (shrimp and grits, grillades and grits). Grits are popular only in the South, in the states from Texas to Virginia. I am looking forward to discussing all kinds of rice: arborio, basmati, brown and so on.
And wouldn't you know it, the day after that dinner party, Rock suggested we cook a couple of farinaceous dishes. We rooted around in the kitchen and came up with these recipes.
Chicken-Stuffed Shells with Spinach Béchamel
Makes 4 servings
Spinach béchamel sauce
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk, heated
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, cooked, drained and squeezed dry
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Heat butter in a small saucepan and gradually stir in flour. Cook and whisk for about 3 minutes, until mixture is smooth. Gradually stir in milk, stirring until mixture is smooth and thick. Puree spinach with half of this sauce in a food processor. Combine spinach mixture with the remaining béchamel sauce and season with salt, cayenne and nutmeg. Set aside and keep warm.
Shells and filling
12 large seashell-shaped pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 cup chopped, fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons finely chopped prosciutto or tasso
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and cayenne to taste
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cook the pasta shells in plenty of boiling, salted water for about five to seven minutes. Drain, then let stand in a bowl of cool water until ready to use. Heat the butter in a skillet and sauté the shallots and mushrooms for five minutes. Add the prosciutto or tasso and cook, stirring, for about two minutes.
Add the chicken and parsley and remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and cayenne. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, egg and Parmesan cheese and blend. Fold this into the chicken mixture and mix well. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9- by-13-inch baking dish. Drain the pasta, invert on paper towels and pat dry.
Fill the shells with the chicken mixture and arrange them in the baking dish. Pour the béchamel sauce over the top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 6 servings
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup white grits (not instant or quick-cooking kind)
5 tablespoons butter
Pinch of cayenne
3 egg yolks
5 ounces aged white cheddar cheese, grated
9 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 2-quart souffle dish.
Combine the milk, water and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the grits and stir, and continue to cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter and cayenne. Add the egg yolks and mix well. Add 4 ounces of the cheese and mix well. Set aside.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, Beat in the cream of tartar. Add a third of the egg whites into the grits and fold in with a rubber spatula. Fold in the rest of whites.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Put the souffle dish on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven. Bake until golden and puffed, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately.
And finally a rice dish, made with arborio.
Risotto Alla Milanese
Makes 6 servings
1 tablespoon minced onions
6 tablespoons softened butter
1 pound Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 to 6 cups chicken broth, warmed
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, cook the onions in three tablespoons of the butter, stirring occasionally, for three minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat it with the butter. Add the wine and simmer, stirring, until it is reduced by half. Add half of the chicken broth and simmer, stirring constantly, until almost all of the liquid is absorbed.
Stirring constantly, add the remaining broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid before adding the next 1/2 cup. The cooking time will be about 25 minutes. The risotto will be creamy but still al dente. Add the remaining butter and season to taste with the salt and white pepper. Add the cheese and stir to mix. Serve immediately.