Cooking can be an art, but for Patti Marsh of West Newbury, it's definitely a science.
The fifth-grade science teacher at Page School in West Newbury approaches her cooking like an experiment. She changes measurements and substitutes ingredients to cook light with maximum flavor.
"The scientist in me loves to tweak things," said Marsh, who cooks with herbs she grows herself.
One of her crowning achievements is Plum Island Sound clam chowder, which was recently featured in Cooking Light magazine.
"Every time I have a gathering, I make the chowder," Marsh said. "It's not for everybody - it's not your typical clam chowder.
For most New Englanders, clam chowder is a thick, creamy soup. You know it's good when your spoon can stand up in it unaided. Plum Island Sound clam chowder isn't as creamy, and your spoon won't stand up on its own. It is, however, a flavorful soup that makes use of local clams (Marsh likes to clam in Ipswich). The secret to its success: sherry.
"It's a combination of a couple of different recipes," Marsh said. "I love clam chowder. When I was told my cholesterol was a little high, I began to fool around with making it flavorful but lighter."
A teacher even outside the classroom, Marsh taught her now-grown children, Courtney and Jared, to cook. Because her chowder and other experimental dishes win raves at work, she often brings fellow teachers home for cooking lessons.
"I love to entertain," said Marsh, who doesn't consider herself a gourmet chef and values flavor over presentation. "If you cook, they will come."
Ashley Sigsworth, a Merrimac native and fellow Page School teacher, used to consider cooking to be opening a can of tomato soup and adding water. Now, she's making Marsh's chowder from scratch.
"I just needed someone to show me," said Sigsworth, who has learned cooking can be fun. "It's not a job."
Melissa Comeau, a Hingham native and another Page School teacher, said she has learned a lot of cooking secrets in Marsh's kitchen.
"Patti has taught me to be patient," she said. "Patience is a virtue."
Marsh's cooking tips
* When cooking with wine, look for something in a box. Not only are boxed wines better these days, but they stay fresher longer.
* Don't worry about the price tag: you don't have to use expensive sherry or wine in cooking.
* When you cook, make a large amount and freeze it.
* Fat-free anything usually tastes horrible or bland, or both, so don't use it.
* Venison is a lot like red meat, but it's leaner.
* Kosher salt has the flavor of the table variety and often less sodium. (Check individual labels).
Cool gadgets from Marsh's kitchen
* Herb keeper: Keeps herbs fresher longer thanks to its cylindrical shape and water at the bottom.
* Taco pans: To bake tortillas for taco salads.
In Marsh's home library
* "The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook"
* "What Einstein Told His Cook" by Robert L. Wolke (not a cookbook, but it explains cooking chemistry)
* "The Inn Cookbook - Favorite recipes from New England Country Inns"
* "Mystic Seaport's Seafood Secrets Cookbook"
* "All About Braising" by Molly Stevens
* "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman
* Any of Rachael Ray's cookbooks
Do you know a great cook?
If you would like to nominate someone for a Cook of the Month feature, contact Rosemary Ford at 978-946-2188 or rford@eagletribune.com.
Plum Island Sound Clam Chowder
5 slices center-cut bacon, diced
1 tablespoon Olivio (a margarine made from olive oil) or other margarine
1/2 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove chopped garlic
11/2 pounds fresh clams or 4 six-ounce cans of clams in clam juice (no frozen clams)
31/2 cups clam juice or fish broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme (2 teaspoons fresh)
2 cups diced red potatoes (skin on)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
ground pepper to taste
1 cup 2 percent milk
1/2 cup light cream
18 ounces evaporated milk
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
This recipe works best in a Dutch oven pot. Dice bacon into small pieces and then fry at medium-high heat until they are brown and crisp (not burned). Remove and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but a bit of bacon fat from pan and add Olivio. Cook celery and onion over medium heat until soft and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Dice potatoes while celery and onions cook. Add in chopped garlic. Wait 30 seconds. Drain clams and put juice in pot. Add additional juice or broth to pot. Add bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper. Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Boil gently until potatoes can be pierced with a fork. Add clams, 2 percent milk, cream, evaporated milk and sherry.
Soup should have time to sit, for flavors to blend. Best if cooled and refrigerated overnight. Reheat slowly to not "crack" the chowder and alter the taste.
Baked Fish Fillets
(Also good with scallops and shrimp)
11/2 pounds haddock or cod
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon thyme
Freshly ground pepper
11/2 cups bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Olivio or butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place fish on 11-by-7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray
Combine lime juice, mayonnaise and spices in small bowl and then spread over fish.
Sprinkle with bread crumbs (see below) and drizzle with butter. Bake for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
For the bread crumbs: use new or stale white bread, break into chunks and grind in a food processor a few chunks at a time. Toast crumbs on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Store bread crumbs in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer; they will keep forever.
Rack of Lamb with Rosemary Scallion Crust
11/2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 garlic, cloves minced
3 scallions, chopped
1/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 tablespoon fresh
1/2 cup bread crumbs (unseasoned), fresh preferred (see above)
2 racks of lamb (seven bones)
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 Dijon mustard
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Heat oil and cook, stirring in scallions, red pepper, garlic and rosemary. Cook for 30 seconds. Stir in bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Heat an oven-proof skillet (cast-iron frying pan) and brown the lamb for six minutes, turning after three. Take off heat and pour off fat.
In a bowl, mix mayonnaise and mustard. Brush on the lamb, fat and meat side up.
Pat the crumb mixture evenly on the lamb.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Meat thermometer should register at least 130 degrees for medium rare.
Transfer to platter and let rest uncovered for eight minutes.
Taco Salad
Meat Filling
1 tablespoon olive oil.
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
11/2 teaspoons ground coriander.
11/2 teaspoons ground cumin
11/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
11/2 pounds ground beef sirloin or chicken breast, in chunks or strips
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sherry or white wine (or increase vinegar)
Shells and toppings
8 flour tortillas
1-2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup scallions or chives
1 avocado diced (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro leaves
Hot pepper sauce
Meat: Heat oil over medium heat and saute onion for a couple of minutes. Add garlic, spices and some salt, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about one minute).
Add the ground beef and cook for an additional five minutes, until no longer pink; or cook the chicken, over medium-high heat in, a nonstick pan sprayed with cooking spray until opaque. Add to the spice mixture.
Add tomato sauce, broth, brown sugar, vinegar and wine. Simmer for 10 minutes, not letting it get dry.
Shells: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat taco bowls or any oven-proof bowls or metal containers, and place tortillas, also coated with cooking spray, inside. Bake for 10 minutes to heat and brown.
Place meat and toppings in shell.
Old Fashioned Chicken Soup
6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs
6 cups water
3 sprigs parsley
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 onion, peeled and cut in quarters
1/2 teaspoon thyme
5 to 6, 14-ounce cans if chicken broth (low-sodium and low-fat)
3 carrots and 3 stalks celery, sliced thinly
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
2 cups pasta (any variety, although noodles are best)
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat chicken, herbs, first grouping of vegetables, and water until boiling. Cover and simmer slightly, just so that a bubble or two hits the surface. Cook for 50 to 55 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain the stock and throw away vegetables. Add 5 to 6 cans of broth to soup stock. Throw in second grouping of carrots, onion, garlic and celery, and cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add the pasta and cook eight to 10 more minutes. Test the pasta for doneness. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and add.
