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Fresh ideas for the freezer
Two new cookbooks go beyond standard soup, lasagna recipes
By Aleta Watson
San Jose Mercury News
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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A baby is born. A friend recuperates from major surgery. Neighbors mourn a death in the family. At times like these, few gestures are more welcome than a gift of homemade food.

If it can be stashed in the freezer to eat when exhaustion truly sets in, all the better.

But let's face it. How many batches of lasagna can anyone eat?

So, when I began looking for different recipes to make for a couple expecting their first baby, I was eager to test drive two new cookbooks written with the freezer in mind. "The Best Make-Ahead Recipe," from the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine (America's Test Kitchen, 435 pages, $35), and "Can I Freeze It?," by Susie Theodorou (William Morrow, 212 pages, $24.95) update the freezer genre with the kind of food we like to eat today.

These books offer the usual recipes for stews and soups, pasta sauces and lasagna, to be sure. But they also explain how to make and freeze chicken tagine with Moroccan flavors, beef stew in the French Provincial style, osso bucco and even sticky toffee pudding, without losing taste and texture.

Ingredients are fresh, with the exception of the occasional can of tomatoes, broth or beans. Storage and reheating instructions are precise. Tips are abundant.

I'm not usually a fan of the Cook's Illustrated cookbooks. The trademark long introductions explaining every step the authors took in testing each recipe, including all the missteps, can be tedious. Instructions are so detailed they all but eliminate the possibility of failure, but they also take much of the joy and creativity out of cooking.

On the other hand, it was reassuring to know someone had taken a methodical approach to finding the tricks for preserving flavor in dishes designed to be made ahead. Thawing food completely before reheating it slowly over medium to low heat is among the best advice offered for soups, stews and chilis. Some baked goods work better if the frozen batter goes straight into the oven. Others, like the New York cheesecake, are more successful if they're baked first, frozen and then thawed slowly overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Recipes for freezing are only one aspect of this cookbook, which also offers slow cooker dishes, oven-ready entrees, and big-batch recipes to make ahead. But the freezer recipes were just what I wanted.

In "Can I Freeze It?" Theodorou focuses entirely on the freezer. She introduces dishes and international ingredients you're not likely to find in most of the pragmatic freezer cookbooks aimed at busy homemakers. Hers is an idiosyncratic collection of recipes, from stir-fry marinades and Moroccan chicken salad to chocolate profiteroles and iced zabaglione souffles.

That makes Theodorou's book a good resource for cooks looking for something unusual to give to friends in need. But it also means the dishes may require a little more effort on the recipients' part.

The sticky toffee pudding recipe, for instance, calls for freezing the pudding batter in ramekins and then cooking them at the last minute in a steamer improvised from a roasting pan, rack and foil. It's a decadent, gooey dessert with dark caramel flavors and a cakey texture that's worth the extra work. Yet it's probably better suited for a hostess trying to manage time than for a family that can barely cope with boiling water.

Few time-pressed cooks are going to spend the time to make their own pot stickers, shape homemade ravioli or roll out fresh pasta for lasagna.

But there's a lot of very practical information here, too. Sections on how to choose which foods to freeze, techniques for freezing and thawing, and hints for maintaining and organizing a freezer are extremely useful and logically presented. A glossary at the end of the book explains ingredients that many cooks may find unfamiliar.

With these two cookbooks in the kitchen, I had no problem finding enough appealing dishes to fill the expectant parents' freezer. Not one of them was lasagna.

These versatile meatballs can be served as a main dish on their own, cooked with tomato sauce for pasta, or simmered in broth for a savory soup. How you prepare them will depend on how you want to eat them. See optional cooking instructions below.

BEEF MEATBALLS

Makes 20 meatballs

One 1 1/2-inch-thick slice rustic bread with crust removed, torn into very small pieces

1/3 cup milk

1 pound ground beef chuck

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons finely grated fresh Parmesan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon olive oil

Place bread and milk in bowl and let sit 10 minutes or until all milk is soaked up.

Place ground beef, onion, parsley, Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Mix well with hands, but do not squeeze mixture. Add egg and oil; continue to mix. Finally, add bread mixture and combine. Form into 20 1½-inch balls.

To freeze: Line large baking sheet with plastic wrap and arrange meatballs about 1 inch apart. Freeze uncovered until solid, about 1½ hours. Place frozen meatballs in plastic freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Return to freezer.

To thaw: Line baking sheet with paper towels and place required amount of meatballs on top. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.

To cook: For serving alone, brown meatballs on all sides in olive oil. Lower heat and cover, cooking until they are cooked through.

For serving with pasta, warm ¼ cup olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add meatballs in a single layer and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of tomato sauce or broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes -- less if meatballs will be added to pasta for a baked casserole.

For serving in soup, bring desired amount of stock to a boil, gently lower uncooked meatballs into the pot, and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

(1 meatball) 84 calories, 5g protein, 6g fat (2g saturated), 2g carbohydrate, 51mg sodium, 29mg cholesterol, 0g dietary fiber.

From "Can I Freeze It?" by Susie Theodorou (William Morris)

This sauce can be used as the base for tomato soup or a simple sauce for pasta or meatballs. For a pasta bake, layer the sauce with cooked pasta shells, meatballs and thinly sliced mozzarella, then bake in a casserole until cheese is browned, about 30 minutes.

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

Makes 12 cups

4 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes (see Note)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 shallots, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste with 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

4 large basil or rosemary sprigs

3 large flat-leaf parsley sprigs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons brown sugar, if necessary

Whirl tomatoes in food processor, one can at a time, and process until smooth. Strain through sieve, discarding any skins and seeds. Place tomatoes, olive oil, shallots, garlic and herbs in a pot. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes until reduced to 12 cups. Season with salt and pepper to taste, adding the sugar if necessary.

To freeze: Allow sauce to cool completely to room temperature, then divide among freezer-safe containers or six 1-quart plastic freezer bags. Freeze. To use bags, fill each with about 2 cups of sauce, making it about half full. Freeze flat until solid, about 1 hour. When solid, store more compactly in the freezer.

To thaw: Thaw bags of sauce completely immersed in bowl of cold water, about 1½ hours to partially thaw. Or thaw the containers or plastic bags in refrigerator for about 4 hours. You do not have to completely thaw the sauce before you heat it.

To serve: Transfer thawed sauce to pot, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. If sauce is only partially thawed, simmer for an extra 5 minutes.

Note: The original recipe calls for 8 pounds of cherry or small plum tomatoes, cooked over low heat for 30 minutes, whirled in a processor and then strained. To make the sauce outside of tomato season, we've specified crushed tomatoes. For an even easier sauce, strained Italian tomatoes packed in aseptic boxes may be used.

(1/2 cup) 48 calories, 1g protein, 3g fat ( 0g saturated), 6g carbohydrate, 298mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol, 1g dietary fiber.

Adapted from "Can I Freeze It?" by Susie Theodorou (William Morrow)

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Serves 8

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 cup light brown sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg, beaten

2 1/3 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Drawing around the base of eight 6-ounce ramekins, ovenproof glass bowls or heavy foil tins to create a pattern, cut out eight circles each of parchment and waxed paper. Rub the insides of the containers with a little soft butter. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the parchment. Set aside.

To prepare toffee sauce, put sugar and 3/4 cup water in heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat until mixture comes to boil. Boil steadily for 15 minutes or until a deep amber caramel forms. Remove caramel from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Carefully stir in the cream (the mixture will bubble and foam) and return to a boil. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes, then pour sauce evenly into prepared ramekins, allowing about ½ inch of sauce per cup. Allow to cool and set a little.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. (Do not preheat oven if you plan to freeze puddings.)

Put chopped dates in clean pot with 1 cup water and gently bring to boil. Remove from heat and mix in the baking soda. Set aside.

Beat sugar and butter in large mixing bowl until light and creamy. Gradually beat in vanilla and egg. Sift together the cake flour and baking powder in a bowl. Fold into the sugar and egg mixture. Stir in date mixture.

Divide batter among ramekins, filling each to about ½ inch below top. Cover top with circle of waxed paper.

To freeze: Freeze assembled, uncooked puddings (sauce and cake mixture) until solid, about 2 hours. Once puddings are frozen solid, cover them with a lid or seal tightly with heavy-duty foil. Stack in the freezer.

To cook straight from the freezer: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place rack in middle of oven and set up an "oven-steamer" by placing wire rack inside large roasting pan. Pour 1 inch hot water into bottom of pan and place ramekins on rack, removing lids or foil covers but leaving waxed paper in place. Cover steamer loosely with heavy-duty foil and bake 1 hour or until puddings are well risen and a skewer comes out clean. Transfer puddings to cooling rack and let stand 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen. Turn out onto individual serving plates. Serve immediately with sauce dripping down the sides of the cake. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is a nice accompaniment.

To cook without freezing: Create an "oven-steamer" with roasting pan and rack as described above. Pour 1 inch of hot water into bottom of pan, place ramekins on rack, and cover pan loosely with heavy-duty foil. Place in oven and steam 45 minutes. The cakes will have risen and a skewer inserted into cake part of pudding should come out clean. Serve as directed above.

623 calories, 5g protein, 24g fat (15g saturated), 99g carbohydrate, 407mg sodium, 100mg cholesterol, 3g dietary fiber.

-- "Can I Freeze It?" by Susie Theodorou (William Morris)



Saving for later



What to freeze

• Most soups, stews. Sauces and marinades freeze nicely, although you may want to add fresh touches such as lemon juice, garlic or herbs after thawing to perk up flavors.

• Bread and many baked goods also adapt well to the freezer. Pie crusts and quick breads can be frozen unbaked and then popped into the oven straight from the freezer.

• Pasta or rice-based casseroles are classics -- think lasagna -- especially when made with a tomato sauce or cream sauce. Be sure to slightly undercook the pasta so it can stand up to reheating without getting mushy.

What not to freeze

• Mayonnaise, cream and yogurt tend to break down in the freezing process. Similarly, custard pies and desserts separate and get lumpy.

• Fried foods -- with the exception of french fried potatoes and onion rings -- lose their crisp texture in the freezer.

• Baked or boiled potatoes darken and become mushy when frozen.

Choosing containers

• Use only freezer-safe containers and wraps. Plastic containers may be marked with a snowflake symbol. They should have tight-fitting lids. Plastic wrap and bags should be labeled for freezer use.

• Cooks who are concerned about the possibility of chemicals leaching out of polycarbonate containers from heating or contact with acidic or high-fat foods may want to stick with glass. Often sold as Lexan or Nalgene (look for a 7 in the little recycling triangle on the bottom of the container), the plastic has been approved for food storage by the FDA. But some researchers fear that small amounts of leached chemicals may be linked to genetic defects.

Packing food

• Cool food before freezing and leave three-fourths to one inch of headroom at the top of containers to allow room for expansion. Squeeze as much air as possible out of bags to prevent the formation of ice crystals.

• Label containers with the name of the dish, the date it was frozen and instructions for reheating.

Thawing food

• Thaw most food in the refrigerator. Small packets may be immersed for a short period in a bowl of cold water or thawed in the microwave. Thawing time should be about four hours per pound of poultry, eight hours per pound of meat, and 12 to 24 hours for stews and casseroles.

• Already baked bread, cakes and cookies may be thawed at room temperature. Some unbaked items can go directly from freezer to oven.

SOURCES: "Can I Freeze It" and "The Best Make-Ahead Recipe"

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The right recipe combined with the correct cooking technique preserve flavor in dishes to be made ahead and frozen. (McClatchy Newspapers/PATRICK TEHAN)
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